Shop mentality versus the way I do things

Ontario Outlaw

Hozer Witta Hood
Two separate issues. First-

Mechanics today kind of suck. How do I know this? I’ve watched them.

Granted there are jobs I don’t have the tools for or the knowledge for. So for some things I’m at their mercy.

For instance the last bill showed the driveshaft bolts were stripped. Now maybe they were maybe they weren’t but I’d bet $50 the mechanic just hammered an impact gun on them with a 12 point socket and stripped them.

INSTEAD of using the torches and a hand ratchet to try and loosen them.

Maybe I’d be out $50 but I doubt it.

I’d have had my pee pee slapped if I pulled that crap.

So anyway, now the mechanic had to fart around welding nuts on to zip the bolts out. Chances are welding the nuts on created enough heat to help spin them out

But what do I know.

Even if the bolts WERE junk I say you’re farther ahead taking time to disassemble things rather than just hammer on things with impact tools.

Depending on what it is I RARELY grab impact tools FIRST.

I’ve had it argued that impact tools help break things loose by the hammer action. Which, is true.

I’ve witnessed more carnage from poor skills and impact tools. The old mechanics I hang around with said impact tools were a luxury years ago.

I prefer things done the old way
 
Second-

I don’t live in a big town. Going to town is minimum an hour round trip.

So, if I want to fix something everything has to be in stock in my shop or I need a second vehicle and it’s gotta be business hours.

However a SHOP can order in parts. Trucks not done got the wrong parts? Work on a different truck until then. Tell the customer hey this sucks but you’re not getting your truck back today.

For ME I’ve almost gotten to the point where I’ll order in the parts that make up the whole system of whatever I’m working on.

For the last repair, the lower rad pipe, I had hose clamps, new hose, new lower pipe, new petcock, new shut off tap, new o-ring for said tap, new pipe p-clamps, new pipe p-clamp brackets that I made, new oil pan studs where the brackets bolt, right size hardware for said studs, spare coolant already on the truck, coolant filter, empty jugs, drain pan made up....

It was easy. For the most part. The petcock was broken. So draining the coolant I popped the petcock out and prayed the drain pan was big enough
:biggrin-2:

Took it all apart, reassembled everything how I found it. No surprises took about four hours. Put coolant back in this morning and fired it up.

No waiting on parts. No taking it apart and ordering what’s needed. No having it turn into a four day job because of back orders. No having to send a driver to get parts or sending a courier.

It’s two separate worlds, and I’m struggling to see the benefit of the way they do things. They replace parts instead of fixing things. I don’t know if it’s a mindset that they’re taught but it’s really annoying

What I’m STUCK on is I think I pay for more parts than actually needed. I can return a few things this week but generally I don’t.

I guess that’s the crux of this- pay the mechanics to fix things so pay for labour....

Or INVEST in shop supplies to “save” money so I can fix things myself

I think I’m farther ahead to fix things myself. I’ve started an inventory for accounting to see how much I’m actually investing over time.

I’ve heard of what some O/Os pay for stupid simple repairs and refuse to go down that path
 
I actually think I’m a minority fixing my own junk. At least on here there don’t seem to be many O/Os fixing their own truck.

As in, nobody on here really talks shop. @r3gulator3 seems to be the only guy who’s ever wrenched on trucks

Am I wrong?
 
I always do self repair whenever possible, but I’ve been driving 20 years. I’ve noticed the newer guys don’t tend to self wrench, but that’s mostly from lack of experience or mechanical knowledge. I totally agree with your opinion on mechanics. Seems like 250-500 bucks is the normal charge to tell you how expensive a repair will be. Matter of fact, I have two Volvo’s that are down at the moment. Both shops charged me 1800.00 for troubleshooting and both shops still don’t know what’s wrong with either truck. $3600.00 and the trucks are in the same condition they went to the shops for. And, I still don’t know what’s wrong with either truck. “Sigh”
 
Two separate issues. First-

Mechanics today kind of suck. How do I know this? I’ve watched them.

Granted there are jobs I don’t have the tools for or the knowledge for. So for some things I’m at their mercy.

For instance the last bill showed the driveshaft bolts were stripped. Now maybe they were maybe they weren’t but I’d bet $50 the mechanic just hammered an impact gun on them with a 12 point socket and stripped them.

INSTEAD of using the torches and a hand ratchet to try and loosen them.

Maybe I’d be out $50 but I doubt it.

I’d have had my pee pee slapped if I pulled that crap.

So anyway, now the mechanic had to fart around welding nuts on to zip the bolts out. Chances are welding the nuts on created enough heat to help spin them out

But what do I know.

Even if the bolts WERE junk I say you’re farther ahead taking time to disassemble things rather than just hammer on things with impact tools.

Depending on what it is I RARELY grab impact tools FIRST.

I’ve had it argued that impact tools help break things loose by the hammer action. Which, is true.

I’ve witnessed more carnage from poor skills and impact tools. The old mechanics I hang around with said impact tools were a luxury years ago.

I prefer things done the old way
Your assessment is probably fairly accurate. Only one thing, if them bolts had been in there for ages, they rust and shrink some so a socket don’t fit right, but, knowing that those bolts are ALWAYS loctited in always heat first then hit with the impact and hope you get lucky. Also yes welding created enough heat to break the rust/ loctite bond for removal.
 
I actually think I’m a minority fixing my own junk. At least on here there don’t seem to be many O/Os fixing their own truck.

As in, nobody on here really talks shop. @r3gulator3 seems to be the only guy who’s ever wrenched on trucks

Am I wrong?
I did it for a profession for the better part of 20 years, I still help my brother with his when I can. Few weekends ago we mounted Pete tanks and batt boxes on his Freightliner. Fun times had to make brackets and change the length of everything.
 
I started working on stuff in my teens (early 60's) the only thing we used an impact on was hard to break loose (head bolts for instance) or if there were a lot of bolts easy to get to- it was a blessing to have one. I have a buddy now who has a shop that does all my work. (I can't do it anymore. I have old people skin that tears real easy which burns my butt because I was pretty good)- anyway, he uses an impact for everything- electric btw. He has a 3/8 and and 1/2. (I remember wishing many times I had a 3/8 but they were not that good and a lot bigger than the ones they have now especially the electric ones) I will say he gets everything done in a hurry and usually it stays fixed (at least in my case and I'm guessing others too since he has a pretty good business) it amazes me to watch him work- but, when he helped me on a Sprint car he scared me because he believed in tightening way more than prescribed torque- he's what we used to call a Flat Rater- that term came about because "shops" only paid x amount to the mechanic regardless of how long it took to fix it, the Flat Rate- it's about production more than repairing- it bites em in the butt when they screw up (rounding off bolt heads) but in the long run they make more money- quantity over quality, though with today's product (and environment) of a throw away economy which is a whole 'nother topic-

As for stripping the bolts, yes he probably used a 12 point socket which is not the way to do it- it also makes him have to replace the socket sooner-
 
Not trying to start an argument, but he had to use a 12pt socket as driveline bolts are 12pt fasteners. Unless you have full rounds which are rarely used on modern commercial trucks. 2005 binder. Highly doubt full rounds.
 
Not trying to start an argument, but he had to use a 12pt socket as driveline bolts are 12pt fasteners. Unless you have full rounds which are rarely used on modern commercial trucks. 2005 binder. Highly doubt full rounds.
I thought about that but declined a comment because not all drive shaft bolts are 12 point and I wasn't there to make the call- and typically, 12 point bolts are at least grade 8 which makes them harder to round off IF the socket fits good- however, getting in a hurry (trying to Flat Rate)will bite you in the butt 9 out of 10 times, which is probably what happened- also "feel" (good fit) has a lot to do with how a tool is used- if you're in a hurry the feel is off- angle of the dangle so to speak- at least in my experience (30+ years of wrenching)-
 
I thought about that but declined a comment because not all drive shaft bolts are 12 point and I wasn't there to make the call- and typically, 12 point bolts are at least grade 8 which makes them harder to round off IF the socket fits good- however, getting in a hurry (trying to Flat Rate)will bite you in the butt 9 out of 10 times, which is probably what happened- also "feel" (good fit) has a lot to do with how a tool is used- if you're in a hurry the feel is off- angle of the dangle so to speak- at least in my experience (30+ years of wrenching)-
I should’ve clarified they are a 12 point bolt, for the driveshafts

Sorry
 
Z17G2vfo5oz.jpg

I usually grab this first,most cases for me,it helps
I do a lot of my own work if it is something like I can do like change a alternation,fix exhaust etc
 
I did it for a profession for the better part of 20 years, I still help my brother with his when I can. Few weekends ago we mounted Pete tanks and batt boxes on his Freightliner. Fun times had to make brackets and change the length of everything.
How did it turn out?
 
I thought about that but declined a comment because not all drive shaft bolts are 12 point and I wasn't there to make the call- and typically, 12 point bolts are at least grade 8 which makes them harder to round off IF the socket fits good- however, getting in a hurry (trying to Flat Rate)will bite you in the butt 9 out of 10 times, which is probably what happened- also "feel" (good fit) has a lot to do with how a tool is used- if you're in a hurry the feel is off- angle of the dangle so to speak- at least in my experience (30+ years of wrenching)-
I think if mechanics had to pay for the parts they screwed up out of their pocket they might slow down and do things differently.

Just a thought
 
Sorry I can’t find a before pic on my phone but it had the original Freightliner style step/batt box and fuel tanks on it. These tank are 20% more capacity and have Pete locking caps and the smooth stainless steps, we also hung the 20” Texas bumper.
 

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