Lost knowledge


Back in the day....

Golden Jubilee
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Post Wed Apr 29, 2015 1:20 pm

Re: Lost knowledge

When all else fails and the new LED lights stop working for some reason and the power is still on, there is You tube. Everything anyone might like to know and some things others have not developed an appreciation for, is there. There is the how to videos of the things that my parents were to shy and neglected to tell my brothers and sister about and where to put the batteries if someone is too tired and has a headache.
I was watching a machine shop video from Mister Pete 222 and I fell asleep. When I woke after an hour, the random selection feature was in the middle of an OBGYN inspection procedure. the good Doctor must have special lighting because, " where the don't shine" certainly did not apply. My wife brought a coffee and this is what awakened me. She asked, "What are you watching, anyway?" My defence was, I was sleeping. You can be sure that I am going back to history to see what I might have missed. this could be a real history lesson, after all.......................... Lost knowledge, you know.
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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Golden Jubilee
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Post Wed Sep 30, 2015 8:30 pm

Lost knowledge Re-discovered

The old "binder" manuals are the same, they assume

Corn-binder, not the binder manual I have..

This thread reminds me of my IHC shop manual I had purchased from RJ at Outback parts some time ago.

At least in the 1950's the International publication team obviously put much detailed thought into it,
starting out with a dissertation of engineering processes and materials used, their selection and reasoning, as well as
maintenance procedures with explanations using various detailed schematics showing all truck components and various disassemble
and reassemble and the tools required.
Example; the section on "brakes" details from removing the hubcaps & tires to bleeding the system, on "voltage regulators"
from how it functions to adjusting the contacts, etc. etc. etc.
A true bumper to bumper manual to gain a good understanding of mechanics involved in layman terms.

I took the time to spiral bind it to keep it with the truck , and have of course referenced to it on many occasions.


Image

:h21014: Always share good ole lost knowledge :D

Be Safe

Steve Molcsan
Last edited by Harvey on Thu Jun 16, 2016 8:37 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post Thu Jun 16, 2016 2:10 am

Re: Lost knowledge

HI Guys & GALs--my wife was a Nurse--& I used to chat w/ patients there when I took her to work & picked her up --& it used to Sadened Me--chatting w/those Ole Folk--thinking of ALL their Knowledge being LOST! when they passed on!--Unbeleivable Really!--& now its me thats OLD!--& I chuckle often--as to me? in chatting w/ the Young!--they already Know it All?--I often Wonder?--if that Gone! Generation--thought the Same?--when I chatted w/ them?---"I" remember my DAD! telling ME!--there will come a DAY!!--when ! you won*t understand? --the Music--the News will be Crazy!--People will Bore you to Death--& prices will be so High!--You won*t want to Live here any more!--I remember buying my First Big Truck--brand New!--INT twin screw--Cab over--powered by a Big Cummins--w/ a 13 speed tranny--10;00 rubber--big sleeper--BOY I worked hard to get IT--saved & saved!--$12,500 --Paid CASH!--NO Payments--ALL MINE!--&"I" ran its wheels OFF!--over the yrs!--"I" replaced every nut & bolt on it Twice!--& then Some!--it made Me a Good Living--now I just priced a new one--same specks--$156,000 big ones!--& 50% Plastic--to me!?? Shiny {{JUNK!!}}--jim :h21014:
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Golden Jubilee
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Post Thu Aug 11, 2016 3:39 am

Re: Lost knowledge

There is a junk yard where there were , I think , 5 or so KB 6's and 7a 's , it's been there about 50 years or so . the guy that runs it now , son of the original owner has become a good friend . He runs a KB 7 for his roll back . He has modified it , and when I say modified I mean that he basicly built a truck around the frame , that's why he uses it because of the weight capacity of the frame . He built the cab from scrap sheet metal. Anyway he gave me sometime back a service manual , that covers the L,R,& S series and then some . One section that I have used is the rebuild on the BD 308 , although I had a shop do the work , I read thru it and it has it pretty much covered . I remember it the manual that I had for a 48 panhead a picture of a flywheel assembly with a guy using a hammer to true up the flywheel , anybody remember that ? I guess what I am saying is that there are , if you look , manuals that have more information than others . What we a loosing these days are the people that know how to apply that information , retain it and are able to pass it on , the real test of wether or not it is retained , and not just what is in those books but the other problems that invariarably arise in the course of most projects , like you say CB 89 . What we are loosing is character . The ability to see things thru complete , not outsourcing , not clicking on some thing in the spirt of techknoledgy. Not that it's bad , I use U-tube all the time , I think its great . the reason that I'm even posting here is because I learned to use this computer as a result or doing my truck . But there is a big difference between finding something on U-tube and say ,like talking to Pappy Vance RIP , or any other of a number of you gents that have kept me steering straight , your patience is appriecieated . The older ways were much more personal , not as indifferent , if that is the right word , or maybe spread thin as the resource diminishes would better describe the difference .When I started out my apprenticeship as a carpenter , early 70's those old guys were fading out . they didn't just teach me carpentry , they gave me a perspective , they had a look in their eye , a way of speaking that meant something hard to describe . I've said before that I wasn't the carpentery lessons that I really liked or benifitted from , I just liked being around them . If they all drove trucks instead of banging nails I would be a truck driver now . We are loosing our heritage .
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Golden Jubilee
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Post Thu Aug 11, 2016 4:03 am

Re: Lost knowledge

Just to add , back then at lunch we would break out the cards ,tell some stories, tell some tales , discuss the news .. opinions exchanged , now ..... a lot of the guys in our diminishing numbers of natural born work work force , break out their cellphones and occasionaly chuckle .

Golden Jubilee
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Post Thu Aug 11, 2016 7:15 am

Re: Lost knowledge

I don't buy into this "lost knowledge" thing so much. There is this romantic notion that things were better in the "good old days". The good old days were often hard times and knowing something about the stuff that supported life was part of survival.
The people who were our friends and neighbors, with few exceptions, were poor. If a person could not figure it out, it took longer to afford the maintenance. Running when it was parked may have been because the fix was not in the budget.
It is easy for a person to get some attitude about some poor repair by the previous owner. Back in the day, in the last century, there were repair shops in every gas station. The repair shops survived because most people never had this " lost knowledge". Smog Guy is a good example of a business doing very well because his customers do not have the knowledge . So, as much as the technology changes, some things stay the same. It was running when it was parked because the fix was not affordable.
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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Post Thu Aug 11, 2016 9:57 am

Re: Lost knowledge

The "stretch" is what kills me as a mechanic. I'm supposed to know everything that CB knows AND ANOTHER encyclopedia of electronic/ computer stuff. Two completely different brains needed, IMO.
I get a little huffy when my customers start talking about "old so and so, best mechanic, ever".
He wouldn't know a tit from a transistor! This electronic stuff is a fuzzy cloud enveloping "modern" cars.
"Old time Bill" or whoever would poop their drawers.

Golden Jubilee
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Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2012 12:45 pm

Location: Canada's left Coast

Post Thu Aug 11, 2016 11:43 am

Re: Lost knowledge

The company I worked for lost a significant number of the old knowledge guys in two lumps. The first group stumbled off into early retirement when the company changed to radial tires and one piece wheels. The second and larger group of anti new-fangled anything stomped out when GM introduced DDEC. By the time we were introduced to PLC technology most of the old knowledge turds had retired to their caves. The company saw the need to hire trained automotive electricians with electronics new knowledge. This freed the mechanics to play with their nuts (and bolts) and the sparkies pulled their wires. Cross trade was discouraged except in emergencies. It works well.
The company had a library of manuals and on-line help. The "crash carts", when connected, helped with the diagnostics. It was generally accepted that the smartest tradesmen were the ones who knew how to read the factory shop manuals. It ain't going to twang your heart strings and it ain't nostalgia.
I worked with a few know everything tradesmen. One or two really did know everything, most of them were average tradesmen with big egos.
I respect business owners like Smog Guy for having what ever it takes to get it done while working for a the ever critical and know nothing public. I would not have the patience.
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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Post Thu Aug 11, 2016 12:55 pm

Re: Lost knowledge

Thanks, Nikki!
What we see now are younger customers that have been online researching their car's problem. They can follow computerese all day but wouldn't know a bolt from a nut.
My overall opinion is that if they think they know more than me then THEY can fix it.
I have no sense of humor regarding this, anymore.

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Post Mon Feb 13, 2017 11:54 am

Re: Lost knowledge

I think our reliance upon computers and technology is a fine as long as we have access to real books.
I feel the digital world will fail at some point or I should say our electric grid will fail.
IMO the power grid will fail because only a government can afford to maintain it.
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