I don't know how they do it.

[Fireball]

So, next time I hear someone bragging about how they work on their own car, I'd like to ask them if they also work on their:

Refrigerator
Laptop
Stove
Garage door
House (painting, drywall, lighting, electrical, etc.)
Television
Clocks
Phone
Shoes
Clothing
Microwave
Coffee maker
Lawn mower

I mean, if you want to live a life where you work on everything you own, then cool. More power to you. To me, if you're at the point where you're doing all of your own repairs/maintenance on everything listed above, you might as well go live in the woods and live off the land. Personally, even though I know how to change my oil, I'd rather go pay the $20-40 to have someone else do it. My time is more valuable than that $20-40, as I'd rather spend that 30 - 45 minutes reading a good book in the waiting area or making phone calls or checking emails.

Different strokes.

My current hobby project is to make a functional replica of the Antikythera mechanism.  Does that count?

A really cool thing to make! I personally would use a CAD program and have that shit made via CNC in the company machine shop...if I still worked for that company, and had no ethics about making shit for myself on the government's dime and the expected possibility of at least getting fired for that G-job. The idea of cutting round discs of metal and filing all those teeth bores me rigid. Then again, I'm sure that most people would be bored rigid by carving a piece of wood into something, which I actually enjoy. Different strokes, eh?

[Anomalocaris]

I was thinking of creating a 3D printed, user assembled version to upload to Shapeways.    But the amount of plastic involved means it won't be cheap to print.   A full size version would easily run $500-$1000.  Also the 3D resin is rather brittle and not sure how well the gears would hold up.

I could have it 3D printed in metal, but that would cost several thousand dollars.

As a prototype I will make one by hand.

[John 6IX Breezy]

I have noticed that a distrust of mechanics seems to be an attitude held by older generations. Does anyone have actual examples, within the last decade, of a mainstream mechanic being dishonest or attempting to swindle them?

[Jackalope]

I have noticed that a distrust of mechanics seems to be an attitude held by older generations. Does anyone have actual examples, within the last decade, of a mainstream mechanic being dishonest or attempting to swindle them?

Mechanic, no but plumber yes. My sister had a plumber come out who claimed to have scoped her sewer line and found clogged with roots. He "forgot" to save the video. The next guy, who didn't forget, demonstrated that the line was clear.

That's about 15K worth of attempted fraud.

[onlinebiker]

That's a whole lot of typing to prove you don't know what you are talking about.

Here's a link to the tool you say shouldn't exist.

https://www.ebay.com/p/848291326?iid=133..._vEALw_wcB

Physics =\= EBay

Is that little enough typing for you?

Tell the engineers at GM that you know better than them.

They required all dealerships to have a degree torque wrench setup - because it was more accurate and solved the head bolt breakage problem they were having.

[Anomalocaris]

Physics =\= EBay

Is that little enough typing for you?

Tell the engineers at GM that you know better than them.

They required all dealerships to have a degree torque wrench setup - because it was more accurate and solved the head bolt breakage problem they were having.

Your confusion between appropriate units for measuring a physical quantity and it’s correlation to some pictographs on some gage designed for high school drop outs offer some sad testimony concerning how little you profited from any education you might have had.

[onlinebiker]

Tell the engineers at GM that you know better than them.

They required all dealerships to have a degree torque wrench setup - because it was more accurate and solved the head bolt breakage problem they were having.

Your confusion between appropriate units for measuring a physical quantity and it’s correlation to some pictographs on some gage designed for high school drop outs offer some sad testimony concerning how little you profited from any education you might have had.

Keep flapping those lips.

Maybe somebody will be impressed.

Won't be me.

---

So, next time I hear someone bragging about how they work on their own car, I'd like to ask them if they also work on their:

Refrigerator - nobody does. Simply replace. Although I did make aluminum handles for ours when the plastic broke.


Laptop - obsolete before it breaks.

Stove - not much to fix. Have replaced elements.

Garage door - i had to cut the one in my shop down - as they sent the wrong width and I wasn't waiting 3 weeks for a new one when I built the shop.

House (painting, drywall, lighting, electrical, etc.) Yup. Plus painting, roofing (steel) plumbing, battery bank and inverter, wood stove, propane heaters, ect, ect.

Television - nobody does. Simply replace. I did install the 35 ft folding base antenna tower and rotor.

Clocks. What goes wrong?

Phone - wired the Tracphone home phone (cell base)
Shoes ... Seriously?
Clothing ... I made my ghilli suit.
Microwave. Really?
Coffee maker - toss old. Buy new.

Lawn mower. I built a tow behind for the John Deere rider - giving it a 6 1/2 cutting swath. Used for two seasons - still works perfectly.

I mean, if you want to live a life where you work on everything you own, then cool. More power to you. To me, if you're at the point where you're doing all of your own repairs/maintenance on everything listed above, you might as well go live in the woods and live off the land. Personally, even though I know how to change my oil, I'd rather go pay the $20-40 to have someone else do it. My time is more valuable than that $20-40, as I'd rather spend that 30 - 45 minutes reading a good book in the waiting area or making phone calls or checking emails.

Different strokes.

Making shit work is satisfying as hell.

It's the difference of having a girlfriend - or paying a "pro" to do it for you.


Different strokes indeed...

[Fireball]

The head bolt torque issue is like this-

Torque the bolts to some value. That torque value relies on the friction between the bolt head and the portion of the head where it seats. In general, the running torque (bolt thread on block thread) is minimal and not part of the calculation.

Once that torque is reached, there is an additional force required in order to make up for the thermal expansion and contraction that the engine will experience during operation. This force is measured by the amount that the bolt is turned in addition to the torque measured in the first instance. THAT is measured in degrees, as the bolts have been designed to stretch a certain amount with the additional turning, which cannot be determined simply with a torque wrench. Thus, that tool with the number of degrees indicated.

Torque is measured in units of force X length. i.e., pound-feet, ounce-inch, newton-meter. The torque on a threaded fastener provides a clamping force that is measured in pounds, ounces, or Newtons. It's easy to mix up the units of force and length, and it happens all the time.

Contrary to what has been posited above, torque wrenches have been used for many decades prior to the introduction of disc brakes. Torquing a fastener to the proper value is necessary for all fasteners. It makes certain that the clamping forces necessary for the equipment so fastened to operate properly and safely, without leaking or failing (falling off due to being too loose or breaking fasteners due to being over-tightened).

[Succubus]

Physics =\= EBay

Is that little enough typing for you?

Tell the engineers at GM that you know better than them.

They required all dealerships to have a degree torque wrench setup - because it was more accurate and solved the head bolt breakage problem they were having.

Head bolt breakage is either incompetence on the part of the mechanic, the Jack of all trade types? Or a lack of equipment maintenance. Torque wrenches need to be calibrated regularly, failure to do so will result in:

a) The spring loaded toggle will flip to late and the bolt will snap and you have a problem.

b) The toggle will flip to soon and the engine can undergo catastrophic failure depending on where the bolt is. Slack head bolts will blow the head gasket, slack main bearing bolts will destroy the engine.

This why the angle indicator method was adopted, it removes some human error.*

*Angle indicator, there is no such thing as angle torque.

[Anomalocaris]

Your confusion between appropriate units for measuring a physical quantity and it’s correlation to some pictographs on some gage designed for high school drop outs offer some sad testimony concerning how little you profited from any education you might have had.

Keep flapping those lips.

Maybe somebody will be impressed.

Won't be me.

You must be very proud of your ignorance and resistance to education.