Why it's a good idea to know something about auto mechanics.

[jamesqf]

So I took the dogs out for a hike this afternoon, about 15 miles from home, 5 of them on basically untravelled rough dirt. (And of course no cell service.) Got back to the truck, and it was completely dead: not only no start, but no dash lights, headlights, nothing.

Now your average person would be walking home in the dark. (And did I mention that there are bears up there? Saw one just a couple of weeks ago.) Me, I poked around under the hood for a couple of minutes, and noticed that the hot wire from the battery looked funny. (Not the starter cable, but the smaller wire that powers everything.) Pulled off some insulating tubing, and yeah, it was broke. Used a pen to strip some insulation, twisted the ends together, and drove home :-)

[Frank Lee]

Sometimes the troubleshooting and repairs (or rather, patches) one can do at roadside are the most important ones of all.

[cowmeat]

Back when I lived in south St Petersburg, Florida I had an old 1979 Honda Civic with the two-speed Hondamatic trans, which I drove to Largo daily and also delivered pizzas in every night. On the way to work one morning the timing belt broke out on the highway. I had known it needed to be changed but hadn't gotten around to changing it yet, so I had a new timing belt, my tool box and a Chilton's manual in the trunk.

I changed that timing belt on the side of I-275 at rush hour, and was only an hour late for work!

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by cowmeat

I changed that timing belt on the side of I-275 at rush hour, and was only an hour late for work!

I think that's a winner: not the repair, but only being an hour late. I'd probably have spent at least half an hour just swearing at it :-)

[wdb]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

I think that's a winner: not the repair, but only being an hour late. I'd probably have spent at least half an hour just swearing at it :-)

Over the course of many years and more than a few roadside repairs, I have finally mastered the ability to swear while turning wrenches. Big time saver.

[cowmeat]

Over the course of many years and more than a few roadside repairs, I have finally mastered the ability to swear while turning wrenches. Big time saver.

If I hadn't already learned to swear and work, I could have never changed out that timing belt in an hour

[redpoint5]

The reason I don't swear in day to day conversation is that I use up all my allotted curse words while working on vehicles.

[freebeard]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

Sometimes the troubleshooting and repairs (or rather, patches) one can do at roadside are the most important ones of all.

Reposting this from another thread here.

Probably the flat-out spookiest thing that ever happened to me was in the late 90s. I was driving to work in my '64 VW Notchback sedan. The one with a 1776 and a five-speed. About a half mile from my little cabin in the woods I made a left turn off a stop sign. About 50 yards from the sign, something came adrift. I got out and looked and on the left rear, all four* lug nuts were missing and the wheel was jammed up in the wheelwell. I even walked half-way back to the stop sign and never found even one of the lug nuts. +

I can conceive driving on as few as two tight lug nuts, but this was as if they all teleported into another dimension—simultaneously. I took one lug nut from each of the other wheels and put the wheel back on. I wasn't even late for work.

I still haven't figured that one out.

*I know, '64s have five lugnuts. This one was on a '71 pan.

[Frank Lee]

You made out OK then.

I was being towed home in a '60 Bus when the left rear wheel came off. Before it fell off completely one lug bolt held on for a few seconds so the whole back end of the van was whipping from side-to-side pretty good- good enough to shake the tow strap off. That was probably a good thing; went to the gravel shoulder and rode it out there at my own pace. IIRC I found only one of the lug bolts; had no jack but the van had no engine so I picked up the left rear corner while Pa got two lug bolts in.

Good times.

[user removed]

I got the car repair thing down pat early in life, beginning with rebuilding salvaged wrecked cars. At age 50 I changed course and started building my own houses and made much more money per hour, but it took a trusting wife to carry the financial burden while I made $100 and hour tax free, versus paying 49.5% running my shop . (couldn't find a puking emotocom).

@ Frank. I used to park my bugeye sprite by sliding the rear end sideways and I barely weighed 120 lbs at that time.

regards
mech