I Gotta Know!

[PlayingWithTBI]

I recently had back surgery and they brought me on of those breathing things that you have to draw on and keep one little weight suspended a certain height while lifting a plunger

Yeah, I got one of those too. It's fun to see how high you can get the ball to go. until you get a headache.

 

[Hipster]

I agree that new members mechanical skills may be suspect.
But they are here asking the questions in order to better their mechanical skills.
And that makes them kindred souls my friend.
We dont need to lead them to knuckle busting.
They are here already. They are at the door.
We just need to welcome them in.
Back in 80s our we knew to stay away from the ratty old 60s car with the skyjackers and 47 different part stickers on the windows.
Rolling wrecks in search of trees.
But not even remotely as dangerious as somebody texting while driving.
I had some really sketchy cars when I was young.
So sketchy that I paid a lot more attention to my driving than the people around me did.
Street racing is as old as the automobile.
The entire history of Nascar, NHRA, Rally racing has the same human origen and is the same today.
Back in the mid 1960s a lot of forward thinking municipalities figured out that if you let young people run on the track they would still street race, but they would have better prepped cars and be a little less willing to wreck them.
High school drags a Seattle International Raceway was 25 bucks, a short tech inspection, mainly tires and brakes. and a helmet.
A 1/4 mile anywhere in the 13s took a lot of money and work for a high school kid.
Those days are gone and young peoples access to those tracks are gone.
But any kid with a job can go buy a used Mustang that would absolutely smoke my high school 1969 440 Roadrunner.
It wouldnt even be close.
The car culture is still the same.
But old guys and lawyers wont let them on the track.
And bicycle riding granola sniffing communists who think that kale is edible want you to think that we will all friggen get killed because young people want to party and hang out with girls and race cars when they should be locked up in some 3 thousand dollar a month hamster cage apartment and taking the bus and posting online about how they are lonely and cant meet women.
Anybody anywhere in any way who is reaching out to try to do it themselves?
Those are our people.
They are our kindred souls and our mechanical hope for the future.
You really cant justify being all ******* twisted over nobody giving a **** about your knowledge if you try to beat them down for asking.
The other a bit odd and a bit hard thing to wrap your mind around is that a lot of your knowledge comes from other people.
They passed it on to you.
And it would be very selfish to keep that to yourself.
You know things that nobody else knows.
I know things that nobody else knows.
If you die without passing that to someone else all that you know and all you ever learned from the folks who taught you your trade dies with you.
Just like if I dont try to pass the things that I learned from those who taught me.
When I was younger, I held that knowledge as a secret in order to be the guy that everybody had to talk to.
My knowledge was my meal ticket for decades.
And I passed that on to poeple who had met the bullshit initiation process.
So they could hold it like a gem that nobody was allowed to touch.
When you retire, you should give back all of your bullets.
You dont need to play the game anymore.
Now you have vast and deep knowledge that you can give away for free.
And you do that just for the people before you and the people after you
You become a public library
And no ******* anybody can stop you and no ******* anybody can tell you that you are wrong.
They can try.
But they dont know **** all about your life.
Tell everybody. Everybody needs some knowledge and everybody needs to see a different view.

Totally agree, but there are situations that arise that take ton of experience to solve an immediate/pressing issue. At that point thy are in over their heads. Safety issues, brakes, steering, suspension, etc. that they need to get someone over their shoulder.

And, there are those we try to guide that run off and blow themselves or their stuff up doing it their way anyway.

Some have mechanical aptitude and others it escapes.

 

[Scooterwrench]

Yeah, I got one of those too. It's fun to see how high you can get the ball to go. until you get a headache.

Yeah,I tried it once,said screw this and threw it in my travel bag.

 

[movietvet]

Totally agree, but there are situations that arise that take ton of experience to solve an immediate/pressing issue. At that point thy are in other their heads. Safety issues, brakes, steering, suspension, etc. that they need to get someone over their shoulder.

And, there are those we try to guide that run off and blow themselves or their stuff up doing it their way anyway.

I have had this happen more times than I can count when it comes to someone asking my opinion about buying a specific vehicle. I ask about checking it and they did not want to pay, but just wanted my opinion. One was a Ford Escort. I said, Not NO but hell NO! I said that if they bought it I would not work on it. They bought it and then needed a cooling system problem diagnosed and fixed, 2 weeks later. I said "NO". they took offense. I reminded them what I said. They took even more offense. I walked away from that friendship right then and there.

He was not a fellow veteran. If he was I would have caved in and looked at it. This was actually a friend of a friend. No loss and the real friend, said, "yea, they are flakey!"

 

[Road Trip]

I have had this happen more times than I can count when it comes to someone asking my opinion about buying a specific vehicle. I ask about checking it and they did not want to pay, but just wanted my opinion. One was a Ford Escort. I said, Not NO but hell NO! I said that if they bought it I would not work on it. They bought it and then needed a cooling system problem diagnosed and fixed, 2 weeks later. I said "NO". they took offense. I reminded them what I said. They took even more offense. I walked away from that friendship right then and there.

He was not a fellow veteran. If he was I would have caved in and looked at it. This was actually a friend of a friend. No loss and the real friend, said, "yea, they are flakey!"

Your story reminded me of the single most important thing I've learned in this century.

That is, knowing what I will/will not get involved in, no matter what is said to try to lure me
in against my better judgement. And when I respectfully share the fact that I don't want to
take the challenge, they try to use this to put me into a defensive posture? "Hey, I was told
that you were good at fixing stuff like this? Are you telling me that you don't really know
what you are doing?"

This is when I usually reply something to the effect that "As a matter of fact I know exactly
how these work. Enough to know that this isn't a good use of my time to try and overcome just
how bad this mismatch of parts is. Especially if you want to drive that on the street."

(Visualize we're looking at a sad, tired, stock 305 with a Mother Thumper cam inside and a Holley
Dominator on top, and he can't get it to run right with the stock torque converter, Turbo 350, and
factory gearing.) And of course upon hearing this the owner of this machine with sporty intentions is
*deeply* offended by my honest feedback.

And I actually consider myself predisposed to helping a fellow car enthusiast get to where he/she is going.
And I used to let myself get involved in some bad situations just to prove how much I knew. And
yes I *always* regretted it afterwards.

So, yeah. Sometimes the biggest proof that you can use to demonstrate that you have a clue is
simply to cut your losses before you incur them. :0)

Frees up more time to work on the cool stuff. I only wish that I had learned this decades ago. :0)

 

[GrimsterGMC]

Your story reminded me of the single most important thing I've learned in this century.

That is, knowing what I will/will not get involved in, no matter what is said to try to lure me
in against my better judgement. And when I respectfully share the fact that I don't want to
take the challenge, they try to use this to put me into a defensive posture? "Hey, I was told
that you were good at fixing stuff like this? Are you telling me that you don't really know
what you are doing?"

This is when I usually reply something to the effect that "As a matter of fact I know exactly
how these work. Enough to know that this isn't a good use of my time to try and overcome just
how bad this mismatch of parts is. Especially if you want to drive that on the street."

(Visualize we're looking at a sad, tired, stock 305 with a Mother Thumper cam inside and a Holley
Dominator on top, and he can't get it to run right with the stock torque converter, Turbo 350, and
factory gearing.) And of course upon hearing this owner of this machine with sporty intentions is
*deeply* offended by my honest feedback.

And I actually consider myself predisposed to helping a fellow car enthusiast get to where he/she is going.
And I used to let myself get involved in some bad situations just to prove how much I knew. And
yes I *always* regretted it afterwards.

So, yeah. Sometimes the biggest proof that you can use to demonstrate that you have a clue is
simply to cut your losses before you incur them. :0)

Frees up more time to work on the cool stuff. I only wish that I had learned this decades ago. :0)

When people get themselves backed into a corner they just want someone to take said problem off their hands and make it go away. The trap to people like us is that they have already made a bad situation worse and pretty much cancelled any chance of fixing it in a correct manner, more often enough than not you would have to accept to a less than ideal outcome. That is something you never do as you will always be judged on your last job, no matter how good your work usually is. Then when when they get it back, even though they said "just do what you can, it will be fine", they will curse you for not making it perfect again and criticize everything about your workmanship. These people we are best to stay well clear of as there a plenty more out there that will appreciate your efforts and workmanship, and hopefully come to you before they have totally screwed it up.

 

[Hipster]

When people get themselves backed into a corner they just want someone to take said problem off their hands and make it go away. The trap to people like us is that they have already made a bad situation worse and pretty much cancelled any chance of fixing it in a correct manner, more often enough than not you would have to accept to a less than ideal outcome. That is something you never do as you will always be judged on your last job, no matter how good your work usually is. Then when when they get it back, even though they said "just do what you can, it will be fine", they will curse you for not making it perfect again and criticize everything about your workmanship. These people we are best to stay well clear of as there a plenty more out there that will appreciate your efforts and workmanship, and hopefully come to you before they have totally screwed it up.

You really said a mouthful right there. Goes back to what I said,What I deem acceptable, and you do, are two different things. The happy will tell a few, the unhappy will tell everyone and anyone that will listen. The customer is not always right.

 

[movietvet]

After running shops for 35+ years and working on the side for more, I have had to tell many customers what they did not want to hear and then I was the bad guy and I took it on the chin for my techs. Unreal expectations are the worst. I have had kids come in to my shops and my house wanting to go fast. I stated that a complete safety inspection would be done first. What????? I told them that if their brakes/steering/suspension and cooling system was not up to par, I was not gonna touch it till they were. Too many times I got back, "what do you know old man"! Here at home, I have retired but work on the side for extra money. I pick and choose what I work on. Recent recommendation was for a friend of a friend. 1999 Yukon. Poor heat inside. Cooling system was low and water pump leaking and heater control valve clamps were loose. Did the infra red temp check after filling system and getting hot. 195 degrees going in to heater core and 140 degrees coming out. Clogged heater core too. I told him I would do the water pump and thermo and tighten the heater valve clamps but at my age I was not gonna lay under dash and do the heater core. He said he had a guy for that. I did the work. All was good and pressure tested fine. With my military discount, I saved him a total of $85 on parts. 2 weeks later and he says heat is still too cool but is better. He came over. 198 degrees in to the heater core and 195 degrees coming out. I told him my work checks good. For me to go further would be more diagnostics. He got mad. I said too bad. I said is likely an actuator for a blend door or control head problem. He was still mad. I told him to have the heater core guy recheck his work. Found loose "something" at back of control head. He called to tell me this and apologize. I said thanks. He asked for more work and I said NO. He gets mad. I said too bad. He swears will tell everyone he knows. I said go ahead and make up whatever story you want. I talked to my friend that recommended him to me. He set the guy straight and again asked if I would work on the Yukon. I said "not no but hell no"! My friend was fine with it. Never heard from the guy again.

 

[df2x4]

I recently had back surgery and they brought me on of those breathing things that you have to draw on and keep one little weight suspended a certain height while lifting a plunger.

Spirometer is the name of that gadget IIRC. We played with those in health class when I was a kid. Never knew they made them for carbs.

 

[someotherguy]

After running shops for 35+ years and working on the side for more, I have had to tell many customers what they did not want to hear and then I was the bad guy and I took it on the chin for my techs. Unreal expectations are the worst. I have had kids come in to my shops and my house wanting to go fast. I stated that a complete safety inspection would be done first. What????? I told them that if their brakes/steering/suspension and cooling system was not up to par, I was not gonna touch it till they were. Too many times I got back, "what do you know old man"! Here at home, I have retired but work on the side for extra money. I pick and choose what I work on. Recent recommendation was for a friend of a friend. 1999 Yukon. Poor heat inside. Cooling system was low and water pump leaking and heater control valve clamps were loose. Did the infra red temp check after filling system and getting hot. 195 degrees going in to heater core and 140 degrees coming out. Clogged heater core too. I told him I would do the water pump and thermo and tighten the heater valve clamps but at my age I was not gonna lay under dash and do the heater core. He said he had a guy for that. I did the work. All was good and pressure tested fine. With my military discount, I saved him a total of $85 on parts. 2 weeks later and he says heat is still too cool but is better. He came over. 198 degrees in to the heater core and 195 degrees coming out. I told him my work checks good. For me to go further would be more diagnostics. He got mad. I said too bad. I said is likely an actuator for a blend door or control head problem. He was still mad. I told him to have the heater core guy recheck his work. Found loose "something" at back of control head. He called to tell me this and apologize. I said thanks. He asked for more work and I said NO. He gets mad. I said too bad. He swears will tell everyone he knows. I said go ahead and make up whatever story you want. I talked to my friend that recommended him to me. He set the guy straight and again asked if I would work on the Yukon. I said "not no but hell no"! My friend was fine with it. Never heard from the guy again.

Someone like that just isn't right enough in the head to have to put up with on a regular basis. Wrongly asserts it's your fault, then when he discovers it's not your fault, apologizes, expects you to continue putting up with his fickle ass? No thanks. You made the right decision (not like you needed any backing up on it.)

Richard