my fault or the schools

[glenn property of pam]

Re: my fault or the schools

"Plus, everything is disposable nowadays. Things don't last, were never meant to last and therefore never will"

that may be the true problem. chainsaw $70, weedeater $50, gas mower $85. none of which will last 3 years but at that price you know its a short term investment. little girl had a flat tire she asks me to get her a new tire.... inner tube $8 whole bike on sale $40.


side note

soggy feet if you have ever worked on a mini cooper you will know that even a experianced mechanic carnt read the oil with out using the old lay it on a paper towl trick cos some smart arse engineer put a piece of plastic on the end of the stick and decieded that orange was the right color. proberly some spotty 20 year old designed it on a pc and it looked good (rant rave).

 

[rogerwa]

Re: my fault or the schools

I have three boys and two of them couldn't care less about how to fix things. They do appraciate my ability but are unwilling to build it themselves unless they have a motivation. they have been interested in building a go-kart and I am all for it, but I am prepared for the painful things I could just do myslef in a couple minutes that they see are insurmountable.

My 3rd son, at 12, is already wanting to be an auto mechanic. He is always askng me if we are doing a project today.

Funny story, I taught my daughter the basics of auto maintencance when she started driving. Filling tires, changing tires, checking oil, washer fluid, adding oil, etc.

Well she had a flat tire and wanted to fix it, but couldn't get the jack out, when I finally got there, I go the jack out but could not get the spare out and had to break one of the lug nut studs off to get the tire off. It didn't exactly inspire confidence that she could do this herself.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: my fault or the schools

Funny story, I taught my daughter the basics of auto maintencance when she started driving. Filling tires, changing tires, checking oil, washer fluid, adding oil, etc.

Well she had a flat tire and wanted to fix it, but couldn't get the jack out, when I finally got there, I go the jack out but could not get the spare out and had to break one of the lug nut studs off to get the tire off. It didn't exactly inspire confidence that she could do this herself.

And if there's aluminum rims involved, they usually have to be beat off.

I guess if anything, we should blame technology. Most newer cars today even adults can't work on them. Some can't even find the spark plugs because each one is buried under a coil pack. Now they don't even need changing till at least 100k miles. It's not like the good ol' days when you could pop the hood and dig in. Anymore, checking fluids is about all alot of people can do, let alone try to teach kids about mechanics. Especially with all the sensors and computers on board.

Nowadays, if they can at least check the fluids, make sure there's air in the tires, let us know if there are any unusual noises and "maybe" change the oil(although most cars sit so low that's next to impossible w/o getting the frontend up. Now some even have large plastic panels under the engine hiding everything), I would be happy.

ps. That rotor above is crazy. I've never seen anything like it!

 

[korygrandy]

Re: my fault or the schools

And if there's aluminum rims involved, they usually have to be beat off.

I guess if anything, we should blame technology. Most newer cars today even adults can't work on them. Some can't even find the spark plugs because each one is buried under a coil pack. Now they don't even need changing till at least 100k miles. It's not like the good ol' days when you could pop the hood and dig in. Anymore, checking fluids is about all alot of people can do, let alone try to teach kids about mechanics. Especially with all the sensors and computers on board.

Nowadays, if they can at least check the fluids, make sure there's air in the tires, let us know if there are any unusual noises and "maybe" change the oil(although most cars sit so low that's next to impossible w/o getting the frontend up. Now some even have large plastic panels under the engine hiding everything), I would be happy.

ps. That rotor above is crazy. I've never seen anything like it!

I suppose this depends on what vehicle make/model you own/lease. I myself own chevy trucks, and my knowedge of one is repeatable on the other. I have 5 chevy's and a lot of the knowledge is transferrable so I will disagree with part of this statement where you say engines have become tougher to work on. Pretty sure my 5.3 is pretty easy to work on, so are the 2.2, 3800 and 350. I cant speak to the foreign jobbies. Anywho a bit off topic. To get more on topic it really is a matter of interest and desire.

I am a terrible cook, but I never took the time to learn. I am however confident if it was something I put more energy on I would become better at...problem is I'm too busy fixing things hahaha!

 

[tealracing16]

Re: my fault or the schools

Did I want to swap an engine when I was 18...HECK NO! But I didn't have the money and I needed a car, so I got my favorite chevy hat out and started cranking. Now...fast forward 10 years, did I WANT to swap out the transmission in my truck, heck no, but I now know the value of a dollar so it doesn't make sense to pay for it, oh heck no, not when I am confident I know how to do it myself.

Nowadays I find my dad is the one torqueing down the final bolts for me...what a LOVELY shift of power.

I had to chuckle when I read this as I bought a truck from a farmer's field when I was 14 and I had the motor ready to pulled that night. My old man has a hard tmime turning the wrench the right way but I will do anything but rear-ends and rebuild trannys. I've pulled the dash out to work on a heater core, and just about everything else you can work on a car without touching a computer.

 

[soggy_feet]

Re: my fault or the schools

And if there's aluminum rims involved, they usually have to be beat off.

Little late getting back to this thread, but figured I'd offer a neat trick for getting aluminum rims unstuck next time you hit a situation like that.

Loosen the lug nuts, or bolts, whichever applies, only a turn or two, then set the car back on the ground.
If it's hub-centric, then that much won't get you anywhere, but I tell ya, as soon as you start the car and back up 5 feet and stand on the brakes, that rim WILL come loose from the hub. Then it's just a matter of lifting the car back up and finishing the job like usual.

 

[Maclin]

Re: my fault or the schools

Running your brakes clean thru the rotor to the cooling fins is another case of "shouldn't be allowed to drive".

Your ignorance about the mechanics of how your car doesn't pile into the one in front of you, or a kid on a bike could end up causing you to pile into the car in front of you, or a kid on a bike.

I was helping an in-law "look" at the front brakes on their car. They said it had been making noise when they hit the brakes, and that noise had stopped but now there was a different noise like a wire or something wrapped around somewhere.

I took the front wheel off, and looked at what was left of a brake rotor. All that was left was the hub and the very outer ring, no middle section at all. The rotor "ring" was just rolling around happily inside the wheel and around the hub, clanging away like a bell in a bell tower. I stopped right there and told them they had no right to drive that car on the street. That was the worst abuse I have heard of or seen since. This was circa 1980.

 

[bassman284]

Re: my fault or the schools

"Plus, everything is disposable nowadays. Things don't last, were never meant to last and therefore never will"

that may be the true problem. chainsaw $70, weedeater $50, gas mower $85. none of which will last 3 years but at that price you know its a short term investment. little girl had a flat tire she asks me to get her a new tire.... inner tube $8 whole bike on sale $40.


side note

soggy feet if you have ever worked on a mini cooper you will know that even a experianced mechanic carnt read the oil with out using the old lay it on a paper towl trick cos some smart arse engineer put a piece of plastic on the end of the stick and decieded that orange was the right color. proberly some spotty 20 year old designed it on a pc and it looked good (rant rave).

A year or so ago, I needed new ink cartridges for my HP 960 printer. New ink cartridges - $38. New (and far superior) HP 2050 printer w/ scanner - $45.