I am posting this to remind myself why I like my ford trucks.
I have had to fix things on my trucks like the leaky oil pan, the fuel pumps, the fuel gauge, the plastic clutch hydraulics, the flexing firewall, the radius arm bushings, the clutch interlock switch, the clutch fan, the peeling paint, the low performance alternator, the plastic radiator, the fuel pump selector and valves to prevent one tank from filling the other, the ignition module , the ignition switch, rusty wheelwells, leaky roof drip gutters, tailgate mechanisms , just to name a few.
so, after all this, you gotta wonder why I am so happy with fords!!.
It is because the engineering allows me to fix it myself!!.
I did a 4wd conversion myself, it bolted in!!.
imagine trying to fix the oil pan gasket on chevy's new inline six. step one: remove suspension part from middle of oil pan.

ever try to replace the starter on an Isuzu trooper? what a mess.
that convenient location of the distributor at the back of a chevy engine is real nice.
anyhow, with 170,000 miles on one and 125,000 on the other , some maintenance and repairs are to be expected. and when they are, I can almost always do it myself. sometimes my wife even pitches in!
then again, it's just my opinion.

 

 

I could stand inside the engine compartment to change points/plugs in my first Ford truck. A '70 F100 with a 240 I6. Those were the days!
There is still a little bit of Henry in all of us shadetree mechanic's.

 

I know what you mean.
Takes 20 minutes to replace a starter on our trucks.
Took 4 hours in my wifes S10 Bla*er. I vowed that that would be the last time I work on a newer Che*y.

Roger Lane
Test Analyst
Sr. Automated Test Engineer
IBP, Inc.