Got to hand it to auto techs

[JHZR2]

Pulled my alternator today to replace bushings on it. Found a bad wire, had to pull a bunch more, etc.

Spent from 1030 to 430 doing this job, including lunch, and two trips to get parts. Still, at the end of the day, between the frustration of trying to thread the bolts through bushings and holes, getting the stuff back on, leaning over the car for hours, etc., I was beat. Really tired. My back hurt bad.

And if I was working in auto repair, Im sure Id only get an hour for the job.

Got to hand it to auto techs doing repair. Its not easy.

 

[wander2039]

I concour. Went to change out a sticking wheel cylinder on the Escape. One froze twisted brake line caused it to take 4 hours longer than it should of! No one carried a new one but I couldn't believe than the pick n pull actually had a Escape.. and it's brake line came right off... I almost had to slap myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. Never that lucky!

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

If it was easy, everybody would do it.

Now self medicating, that's easy!

 

[cchase]

In my experience, the biggest difference is what kind of tools do you have, what kind of time do you have, and how much do you care.

Mechanics have no attachment to the car. A great example happened to me once when I had some help overhauling the wheel bearings on a trailer. I was going to gently remove the bearing to clean and regrease it. I was working with a mechanic. He "took over", and used a hammer to punch out the bearing (and ruined it). To him, it's not worth the time it would have taken me to get it out, easier to bust it out and put a new one in. It takes me a long time to do a job, but I rarely break parts in doing so and usually use hand toos only. I don't have a lift and I don't have a schedule to meet.

I'm not downplaying the occupation - it's not an easy one. But it's very different making a living from something vs. doing it as a hobby.

 

[morris]

having started driving in 1965 and my dad helped me do mech work, and he didnt do it FOR me he made me do the work, he was a great dad. and to do mech work today gets my tipped hat. i havent been able to do most mech work for 5 years, and my mech shop that does my work is very good.

 

[Zaedock]

The worst thing about being a mechanic is slush. I had two coats, one for me, and one for draping over my head for the dripping, dirty slush. I absolutely hated it.

Punching chassis components when jam nuts break free is right up there too.

 

[Zaedock]

Originally Posted By: cchase
Mechanics have no attachment to the car.


Not all of them. I would treat eveyone's vehicle like it was my own.

Unfortunately, time is money and the bulk (IMO) of mechanics speed through.

 

[scurvy]

Most auto techs would have been instructed to replace the alternator and not bother dorking around with replacing internal parts to it.

I hear you, though. Sometimes I spend HOURS doing what a tech would get 45 minutes pay to do... but I know the job is done right the first time. VW stealerships are widely regarded (correctly, IMO) to be some of the worst for throwing parts at cars instead of taking the time to correctly diagnose relatively simple problems.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: scurvy
Most auto techs would have been instructed to replace the alternator and not bother dorking around with replacing internal parts to it.

I hear you, though. Sometimes I spend HOURS doing what a tech would get 45 minutes pay to do... but I know the job is done right the first time. VW stealerships are widely regarded (correctly, IMO) to be some of the worst for throwing parts at cars instead of taking the time to correctly diagnose relatively simple problems.


If they would have replaced the alternator, the bushings would still be bad. They are not internal to the alternator.

While Id agree. the bulk of my time had nothing to do with the alternator, which was off in no time... Rather it was doing everything else.

 

[91344George]

Originally Posted By: Zaedock
The worst thing about being a mechanic is slush. I had two coats, one for me, and one for draping over my head for the dripping, dirty slush. I absolutely hated it.




You know ANYONE that mentions this ACTUALLY is IN the business, and you are so right, there is NOTHING worse than working in a luke warm shop having the car above me slopping me with dirty slush as it slowly melts during the work for as long as several hours!!!!

 

[Audios]

Thank you all for the appreciation! Very rarely do people really see what goes on, dripping slush and rusted nuts are 1 and 2 on the I hate my job list lol. One time I spent 6 solid hours drilling an upper pinch bolt (steel) that seized in the upper arm (aluminum) and all I got was phone calls on how long its gonna take. And like mentioned, tools make a huge difference. On-car wheel bearing tools cuts the job in half, as opposed to removing the spindle and pressing on the bench. Easier on the back too. We spent over 6k in bearing/bushing presses for the BMW, Audis, and MB because we knew it was more of an investment. Having the right stuff gets things done faster and on the first time.
The attachment to a customers car is more on a tech to tech basis, I also feel it can be a shop to shop basis as well. At my place, I feel I reinforce a good relationship by showing themw e care, seat covers, floor mats and sometimes steering wheel covers on every car. The fact that we talk to them earns their trust as well. At the dealer, it was just an R.O. with a number and labor time, no personality, jsut a job. So I can relate to the whole non personal feeling.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: 91344George
Originally Posted By: Zaedock
The worst thing about being a mechanic is slush. I had two coats, one for me, and one for draping over my head for the dripping, dirty slush. I absolutely hated it.




You know ANYONE that mentions this ACTUALLY is IN the business, and you are so right, there is NOTHING worse than working in a luke warm shop having the car above me slopping me with dirty slush as it slowly melts during the work for as long as several hours!!!!

Yeah, I felt pretty bad the one day I brought my car in as I knew it had a full load of mud and slush under there... Some shops must have a pressure washer setup to clean underneath, maybe the stealerships?

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: 91344George
Originally Posted By: Zaedock
The worst thing about being a mechanic is slush. I had two coats, one for me, and one for draping over my head for the dripping, dirty slush. I absolutely hated it.




You know ANYONE that mentions this ACTUALLY is IN the business, and you are so right, there is NOTHING worse than working in a luke warm shop having the car above me slopping me with dirty slush as it slowly melts during the work for as long as several hours!!!!


When I wrenched, I would hit the thing with a power washer! The drip-fest got old in a hurry.

 

[rpn453]

Every time I do a job it's hard to believe how quickly those guys can do it, and how they can put up with doing it all day every day. But it would certainly get a lot better as you gain experience and tools. At least the first year would be extremely frustrating, and it never gets easy when you have to deal with corrosion, slush, tight fits, and neglect.

I worked at a bike shop for three summers while in university. The first, I was regularly enraged. The second, significantly calmer. The third, I doubt I ever got angry; I'd seen it all before and knew how to deal with it. The next summer I was working on a friend's bike and my girlfriend was extremely impressed at how calmly and efficiently I worked compared to her friend that built and repaired bikes at Canadian Tire one summer in high school. If only she could see me throwing wrenches through the drywall way back when. That's what working on cars still occasionally does to me. But after I'm done, I take a lot of pleasure in having completed the task and in what I learned in the process. The problems get easier to deal with as I gain experience, but they never get easy. The doubt is the worst part; trying all sorts of different methods to get past a complication without being sure that you'll ever be successful. I envy those who can remain calm while doing an uncomfortable and frustrating task.

 

[antonmnster]

Oooo, just the mere mention of a pinch bolt is enough to get me angry! Especially an Audi/VW pinch bolt.

Most shops would have ignored the bad wire.

Some shops would have noticed it, but you would have gotten a a phone call saying the price was about to double.

The "keeper" shop would have warned you that there may be more of a problem based on the make/model and they'd keep you updated with what they found, along with showing you the bad parts to justify the price increase.

At my work I spend a LOT of time wrenching some extremely complex machines (google Pisten Bully). The more I do it, the more comfortable and efficient I become. I REALLY enjoy becoming, uh, intimate with the $200,000 investment and keeping it tip-top!

 

[Jarlaxle]

The shop where I worked was the keeper...wouldn't have been me (I wasn't the VW guy), but the owner would have been called & the situation explained.

My worst: Jeep Grand Cherokee, 4.0 six. Leaking water pump, had been replaced a year earlier. Red Loctite on the bolts. I didn't murder anyone, but that all day drill-fest had me pretty close!

 

[Colt45ws]

What genius put red loctite on water pump bolts?

 

[paulo57509]

When my Dad was wrenching, he'd have automatic transmissions (RWD) on the bench in 45 minutes.

I once pulled an I6 out of a '75 CJ5 in just over an hour to replace the clutch. I figured it was easier to pull the engine rather than the gear boxes.

 

[punisher]

Originally Posted By: cchase

I'm not downplaying the occupation - it's not an easy one. But it's very different making a living from something vs. doing it as a hobby.

Absolutely. Most don't quite understand this.


Originally Posted By: paulo57509
When my Dad was wrenching, he'd have automatic transmissions (RWD) on the bench in 45 minutes.

My trans tech at Ford could pull a 4R70W/AODE in just under 11 minutes, once in 9 minutes (car on lift, to trans on bench). FoMoCo sent out a warranty spy to watch him work for a day due to his "excessive efficiency". The look on that auditor's face after watching him for 3 hours made my week.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: Colt45ws
What genius put red loctite on water pump bolts?


I don't know, but the only thing that kept me from setting that Jeep on fire was pleasant thoughts of running him over with it after reassembly!