delete this please
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 6,437
Likes: 5
From: Oklahoma
He may not make the correlation on WHY some engines are V6 and V8's and why some are inline 4's and 6's.
Maybe if you show him a diagram, once he sees a visual representation, it'll click. He might just be of the mindset that all engines get the "V" designation, not understanding there's a geometric reason for V's, inlines, and flats.
Stewart
Maybe if you show him a diagram, once he sees a visual representation, it'll click. He might just be of the mindset that all engines get the "V" designation, not understanding there's a geometric reason for V's, inlines, and flats.
Stewart
Hotshot
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 11,278
Likes: 1,658
From: Las Cruces New Mexico
Then there's those people just can't learn, after you tell them so many times. There a foreman that want the spark plugs on the company truck changed every 15K for some reason, I told him so many times these spark plugs have a live span of 100K they are not like the older days he don't believe but he also has never heard of the "internet" so go figure. Then you get the fools that think they are mechanics just because they know how to change a tire telling you how to do your work those are the ones that make me loose it lol....
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
Likes: 97
From: Waterloo, Iowa
With the modern fine wire platinum plugs, unless there is evidence of misfire, it is probably foolish to even try to mess with them. If there are no misfires and the fuel mileage is good, there isn't any benefit anyway. More likely to break something else, just trying to get at the damn things. Waay back when, in the points and condenser days, plug gap would erode, and also lose the sharp edges necessary for a good spark. The voltage required to get the plug to fire across the gap would go way up, and lead to overheating of ignition components, arcing plug wires etc. All those issues went away a long time ago with the modern ignition systems.
It's a Van Gogh
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 7,813
Likes: 1,335
From: Elk Grove, CA
Waay back when, in the points and condenser days, plug gap would erode, and also lose the sharp edges necessary for a good spark. The voltage required to get the plug to fire across the gap would go way up, and lead to overheating of ignition components, arcing plug wires etc.
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 5,277
Likes: 32
From: Blairsville, Pennsylvania
If the studs are too long, just drill the hole a little deeper. Make sure you use a bit large enough to get rid of those pesky threads, too. Makes it alot easier to remove next time 
{Don't really do this. But this thread doesn't really exist, so did I really say that? }
{Don't really do this. But this thread doesn't really exist, so did I really say that? }
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,614
Likes: 22
From: Springfield, PA
Is this the "stupid is as stupid does" thread now? Good. My turn.
When I rebuilt my '86 5.0L engine, I had a whole host of used upgrade parts from various friends, and ended up with a new camshaft that changed the firing order. When I put it together, I forgot about the change, but it still idled as four of the wires were right. On the road though it was ****. But I drove it to work the next morning to get my friend to help me figure it out at lunch. Sitting in the employee parking lot, we're completely lost as to what was wrong until we finally remember the change. Not knowing the new order, we simply decided to pull one plug wire at a time while it was running. If pulling the wire had no effect, clearly it was wrong. But every time we grabbed that wire to pull it, we became the ground.
So we're yanking wires, getting zapped and hopping around the parking lot like maniacs for 30 minutes. What we didn't realize was that the plant manager, our two supervisors and a few other engineers we're watching our little dance routine and wondering just what kind of quality engineers they had working at their plant!
When I rebuilt my '86 5.0L engine, I had a whole host of used upgrade parts from various friends, and ended up with a new camshaft that changed the firing order. When I put it together, I forgot about the change, but it still idled as four of the wires were right. On the road though it was ****. But I drove it to work the next morning to get my friend to help me figure it out at lunch. Sitting in the employee parking lot, we're completely lost as to what was wrong until we finally remember the change. Not knowing the new order, we simply decided to pull one plug wire at a time while it was running. If pulling the wire had no effect, clearly it was wrong. But every time we grabbed that wire to pull it, we became the ground.
So we're yanking wires, getting zapped and hopping around the parking lot like maniacs for 30 minutes. What we didn't realize was that the plant manager, our two supervisors and a few other engineers we're watching our little dance routine and wondering just what kind of quality engineers they had working at their plant!
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,561
Likes: 5,596
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
i watched a tire guy put brand new rear tires on a backhoe backwards once, claiming that was the way they were supposed to go. so i told him to wait while i checked them, and went 20 foot before it got stuck. then made him change them in the mud to put them on properly because he was too stupid to back the machine out onto dry ground.
needless to say, he did not last long at that tire shop.
needless to say, he did not last long at that tire shop.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 6,437
Likes: 5
From: Oklahoma
I bought some meaty directional tires for my 6.0, even got some nice stocks rims as a spare set. It hasn't even snowed where it stuck more than a day or two since then... that was two winters ago doh!!! I hope it snows and snows and snows this winter, before they dry rot!
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 7,093
Likes: 147
From: San Diego, CA
Back in my high school years a friend and I drove from SoCal to Northern CA one summer in the early '80s. We drove his mid-60's Ford F-100 (inline 6) which had a tendency to overheat if you drove it for awhile. We would drive until the temp gage started getting high, pull off at the next gas station, and drink a soda while we hosed the engine down with water (this is back when water and air were free). We did that the whole trip and the truck ran like a champ. Talk about Ford tough!
Now that I'm in my later "mature" years I realize that douching a hot engine block with tepid/cold water might not have been as good an idea as I thought back then...but it worked and it wasn't my truck.
Now that I'm in my later "mature" years I realize that douching a hot engine block with tepid/cold water might not have been as good an idea as I thought back then...but it worked and it wasn't my truck.
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,561
Likes: 5,596
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
in 1977 we bought 10 66 econoline vans from the power company for $50 each. fixed up and sold 9 of them for between $500 and $1000 each.
the last one was rotted out and had over 100,000 miles on it, but it ran great. we patched up the rot along the bottom of the body with coffee cans and bondo, rattle can painted it, loaded 4 people and a Honda 305 dream in the back and headed for California.
hit the rockies and realized the clutch was not going to live to see the top without assistance.
so we hooked the honda to the front bumper with a thick rope we bought from a gas station and used it to help get over the top.
got into frisco where the honda was delivered to it's new owner, stayed for 2 weeks, sold the van for $1200, and flew home.
the last one was rotted out and had over 100,000 miles on it, but it ran great. we patched up the rot along the bottom of the body with coffee cans and bondo, rattle can painted it, loaded 4 people and a Honda 305 dream in the back and headed for California.
hit the rockies and realized the clutch was not going to live to see the top without assistance.
so we hooked the honda to the front bumper with a thick rope we bought from a gas station and used it to help get over the top.
got into frisco where the honda was delivered to it's new owner, stayed for 2 weeks, sold the van for $1200, and flew home.
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 5,277
Likes: 32
From: Blairsville, Pennsylvania
Great thread!
If you haven't done something stupid or broken something expensive, you really cannot truly appreciate "good advice" LOL.
Had an offroad motorcycle break down up in the mountains. HEAVY bike that I was exhausted by the time I reached the top of the "very direct downhill path" aka "push over the edge and ride it out" that you wouldn't normally ride on
After a "thrilling and spirited" ride to the bottom (let's call it "survived"), we were miles from home and I was NOT up to pushing or walking any more.
A friend came by in his Gremlin....
I laid on the seat in Superman position so I could reach the handlebars and my feet barely cleared the rear tire to meet his hood/grill.
He pushed me home almost 5 miles on the paved road! Corners were quite exciting and were much harder to hold than I thought.
Youth and Desperation can make for an interesting ride
If you haven't done something stupid or broken something expensive, you really cannot truly appreciate "good advice" LOL.
Had an offroad motorcycle break down up in the mountains. HEAVY bike that I was exhausted by the time I reached the top of the "very direct downhill path" aka "push over the edge and ride it out" that you wouldn't normally ride on
After a "thrilling and spirited" ride to the bottom (let's call it "survived"), we were miles from home and I was NOT up to pushing or walking any more.
A friend came by in his Gremlin....
I laid on the seat in Superman position so I could reach the handlebars and my feet barely cleared the rear tire to meet his hood/grill.
He pushed me home almost 5 miles on the paved road! Corners were quite exciting and were much harder to hold than I thought.
Youth and Desperation can make for an interesting ride
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,321
Likes: 250
From: North Texas
Just took off my tow mirrors yesterday to repaint them. Had the windows down and panels off. Buttoning it all back up, I couldn't roll the passenger window back up from the passenger side power switch. The motor was just replaced this past Winter! Regrets of buying a cheap brand motor were flooding my head until the driver side switch worked to roll it back up. I took apart the passenger switch, cleaned the contacts and re-installed to no avail. Got on rock auto and almost paid $40 for a new switch until I started thinking of maybe switching the rear door switch with the non-functioning switch as it is used less frequently. Then it dawned on me - maybe I hit the window lock on the driver side panel. Sure enough! Saved me $40 +shipping but what a frustration all that work and worry for nothing! Point and laugh. My wife still is
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,561
Likes: 5,596
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
Ok, I'll humble myself... again.
Just took off my tow mirrors yesterday to repaint them. Had the windows down and panels off. Buttoning it all back up, I couldn't roll the passenger window back up from the passenger side power switch. The motor was just replaced this past Winter! Regrets of buying a cheap brand motor were flooding my head until the driver side switch worked to roll it back up. I took apart the passenger switch, cleaned the contacts and re-installed to no avail. Got on rock auto and almost paid $40 for a new switch until I started thinking of maybe switching the rear door switch with the non-functioning switch as it is used less frequently. Then it dawned on me - maybe I hit the window lock on the driver side panel. Sure enough! Saved me $40 +shipping but what a frustration all that work and worry for nothing! Point and laugh. My wife still is
Just took off my tow mirrors yesterday to repaint them. Had the windows down and panels off. Buttoning it all back up, I couldn't roll the passenger window back up from the passenger side power switch. The motor was just replaced this past Winter! Regrets of buying a cheap brand motor were flooding my head until the driver side switch worked to roll it back up. I took apart the passenger switch, cleaned the contacts and re-installed to no avail. Got on rock auto and almost paid $40 for a new switch until I started thinking of maybe switching the rear door switch with the non-functioning switch as it is used less frequently. Then it dawned on me - maybe I hit the window lock on the driver side panel. Sure enough! Saved me $40 +shipping but what a frustration all that work and worry for nothing! Point and laugh. My wife still is
my daughter bought me a t shirt last year that had "i'm with dumb ***" on the front, with an arrow point up.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,614
Likes: 22
From: Springfield, PA
I like this part the best! There's young kid working at my local Home Depot who drives a really nice Gremlin X right now.