What A Nightmare Looks Like


Just keep it clean please....

Pile of Parts
Pile of Parts

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Joined: Mon Jan 16, 2017 3:17 pm

Location: Mechanicville NY (upstate)

Post Thu Jan 26, 2017 8:06 am

Re: What A Nightmare Looks Like

So the older trucks are looking better all the time....way less wiring for sure...

MikeC

Golden Jubilee
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Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2016 4:52 pm

Post Fri Mar 24, 2017 10:10 am

Re: What A Nightmare Looks Like

Today's nightmare is a "wongo" worn out tilt column.
We'd usually call LKQ and order a complete used.
Evidently, used Ford E-series parts are rare for 2004.
Sooo...had to rebuild.
Dealer sent a copy of exploded diagram. We circled what we wanted and they shipped.
Problem is, new bearings and old steering shaft left us still loose as a goose...old bearings were in pieces.
Had to order $300 shaft. A deal breaker, usually. If we don't install it we have a huge white metal brick to push around the shop that has no steering column.
Finally, after installing new shifter bushings, three new bearings and a steering shaft we have a marginally acceptable column. Had to install a new clockspring, too. Customer ran a screw through it..
Fun!
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Location: Canada's left Coast

Post Fri Mar 24, 2017 2:26 pm

Re: What A Nightmare Looks Like

I bought a Ford Escort for my daughter. Within days of her getting the Escort, she was hit in the front and the car was not driveable. The insurance company took it to a bodyshop for repair and left the windows down. Months went by while the Escort sat outside in the West Coast Monsoons then the day came for the little Ford to face the fixers. The bum-boy pushed the Escort into the shop and opened a door and flooded the shop. The water had been as high as the seats and above the lower edge of the dashboard. I have to say, Ford did a very good job of sealing the car.
My daughter got a pay-out from the insurance and the money was mine to cover my cost of having bought my daughter a 1997 Jeep Wrangler to replace the Ford Hot Tub.
My daughter drove her Wrangler for 5 years and sold it for $1200 more than we paid.
I would rather have tools I do not need than to need tools I do not have
Thinking risks being controversial and possibly being offensive

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Location: Lyman, IA

Post Fri Mar 24, 2017 7:53 pm

Re: What A Nightmare Looks Like

Had my fill of steering column work when I was in Chicago. Every punk with a hammer and screwdriver was my enemy. Even drove one car in with no wheel, just a nut on the shaft and a wrench to steer with! They didn't have 1/4 the junk the put on the columns today, no air bag, no radio/nav/cruise buttons (well, may be cruise on a stalk). We almost never rebuilt, like you, we went for used, but even back then they were trying to stop selling of used columns, saying it was too easy to steal a car and replace the column.
Well, if you make it hard, the poor bastard wo got his car stolen then gets reamed again by laws that don't deter criminals, but make it hard on the victim.
I got fairly good (but not fast) at picking locks. I could remove and re-code to the original key, so the owner came close to what he had before the rip-off.
Your post remind me again and again why I left that segment of work. Big trucks are getting almost as bad.

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Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2012 12:45 pm

Location: Canada's left Coast

Post Fri Mar 24, 2017 11:04 pm

Re: What A Nightmare Looks Like

It may be just a bit easy to get down about ones job, especially Auto repair. When I was working everything arrived broken and one of us had to get it fixed. I don't remember any vehicle arriving filled with coffee and donuts and a happy boss saying, put a couple of hours on this one while you have a much deserved break.
Funny-ish thing, I've been retired for 13 years and I still miss the job and the challenges that came with it. I now suffer a nonstop reminder of my life in the trades. The good Doctor told me, today, "You are recovering really well and quickly.". That's nice. Something not in the memo is the next unwanted failure that comes with aging. There may be a temporary fix, the modus operandi now is, " take these and see if you feel better.".
I would happily go back to the days of dirt under my finger nails and my coveralls smelling like petroleum.
I would rather have tools I do not need than to need tools I do not have
Thinking risks being controversial and possibly being offensive

Golden Jubilee
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Posts: 5171

Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:28 pm

Location: Lyman, IA

Post Sat Mar 25, 2017 9:36 am

Re: What A Nightmare Looks Like

Nikki, part of running my old fleet of trucks is the challenge of keeping them in tip-top condition. There is always something that need attention. That is totally different than dealing with something that is going to wear, but designed for price and assembly and not for service or repair.
The column on my '69 Fleetstar used industry std U joint and pillow-block bearing. It was built to be serviceable. Close to 50 years on, it is still useable and serviceable. The truck started it life, and spent most of it as a P&D tractor for an LTL carrier.
The frustration comes from having to repair something where no thought was given to the need to fix what is going to wear.
The English double deck buses I worked on were very good example of something designed for service. Although the nearest parts depot was 1/2 a world away, there were very few parts that had to come from England. Most everything could be sourced from local industrial suppliers. The few parts that were special, like gasket kits or engine internals could be stocked. With a few buses for parts (either thru accidents or due to a major problem that was un economical to repair) we could keep a fleet going.

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Post Fri Apr 14, 2017 12:47 pm

Re: What A Nightmare Looks Like

Another "wongo" column.
1994 GMC Pickup.
I'm tightening the magic screws...
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Post Tue Aug 15, 2017 12:25 pm

Re: What A Nightmare Looks Like

Today's craziness is this 2015 Ram 4500 6.7 Diesel truck.
Trailer lights don't work. Hmmm.
Since the frame is open in the back, I took a picture of a PIECE of the complexity of modern diesel emissions systems. There's more going on there than an ENTIRE 2000-era diesel pickup.
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I count FOUR sensors within a square foot. No wonder the farmers here want these controls GONE!
Last edited by Monsonmotors on Tue Aug 15, 2017 12:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post Tue Aug 15, 2017 12:34 pm

Re: What A Nightmare Looks Like

Left to right:
ATR, ATM, ATC fuses. Oh, boy!
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Post Tue Aug 15, 2017 1:49 pm

Re: What A Nightmare Looks Like

A few fuses on a new truck???
2015 Dodge 4500 diesel.
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New kid on the block. Better buy these before you leave. No one seems to know what they are besides the dealer.
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