Todays Project - What did you do today?

[TomG]

(02-10-2013, 06:38 PM)f350ca Wrote: Spent 4 hours replacing the choke knob on my snowmobile. Who engineers these things.

Probably the same "engineer" that FORD used on their Escape. The last time I changed the alternator on ours, I had to remove the wheel, strut, hub and axle shaft to even see it let alone get it out. The alternator was attached to the car with a bracket that first had to be unbolted, then the bracket had to be removed form the alternator in place, THEN the alternator could be maneuvered out through a tiny access hole at arms length (once you figured out the right orientation). It literally took six hours work to replace a freaking alternator.

Tom

[f350ca]

A mechanic friend of mine figures an engineer caught his wife in bed with a mechanic once, and mechanics have been paying for it ever since.

[Mayhem]

I had to pull half a Mitsubishi V6 engine apart to replace the O ring on the pipe that runs through the V to the distribution block. All because someone designed it with the tag that holds the pip in place prevents the pipe from coming out with the distribution block. It has to come out from the front of the engine, which means the timing belt and water pump has to come off and of course, all the accessories and an engine mount has to come off to as it is a transversely mounted engine.

Greg - I think your friend is on the right train of thought there but I'm betting it was some type of orgy!

[Highpower]

Try replacing the water pump and timing belt on a supercharged MR2 sometime...

Transverse mid-engine with about 1/2" clearance between the engine and the inner body panels all the way around.

[TomG]

And speaking of water pumps, GM in all their infinite wisdom decided that it would be ok on the LT1 Camaros and Firebirds, to mount the distributor (Optispark) on the crankshaft behind the water pump. To get to it you had to remove the belt tensioner and belt, cooling fans, air pump, crankshaft balancer radiator hoses and water pump. THEN you could remove the opti. To make matters worse, the Optispark contains both the low voltage spark triggering system as well as the high voltage secondary circuit IN THE SAME ENCLOSURE. Add a little moisture (hmmm...where might that come from?) and it'll cost you $400 and a Saturday in labor.

Tom

[ETC57]

And there we have it a well rounded discussion on the wonderful world of through it away marketing in a I can fix it society!!

Jerry.

[ETC57]

If you can fix it the manufacture looses money?
Just say en
Jerry.

[doubleboost]

New Range Rover
Exhaust manifold gasket
First remove the body from the chassis
I kid you not
John

[ETC57]

Yes my son was asked to in stall an engine in a small Chevy blazer ( engine was already out ) after several a tempts a local Chevy dealer informed him that in order to get the transmission bell housing bolts in he would need to raise the body 6" off the frame.
Jerry.

[sasquatch]

I just heard the other day that the new "Artic Cat" snowmobile, the big model, the "Flat Rate" to change two plugs is 3 hours!!

Dumber than Dumb!!