Mechanical Frustrations

H

HardScrabble

Guest
Got myself vounteeered to do a brake job on the eldest son's car. Not an unusual occurence, seems I get volunteered to virtually all of the maintenance on al three of the kid's cars, plus about half of their friends.

Anyways, it is the first time that I have done drum brakes on any newer model car. While not the concept of the operation is identical to those of yester year, the means of achieving it has changed somewhat. None of the tools I have for brake springs have any application in this thing. But through perserverence, perspiration, and profanity I did succeed in the disassembly process. Only to discover that the shoes my son purchased are woefully incorrect. A quick run to Pep Boys, where he bought them despite my ongoing advise to the contrary, reveals that for this car they show no other part number.............Place a call to the place I normally do business and they seem to have the correct part number and the dimensions match, but alas they do not have the part in stock. Calls to a couple of other parts suppliers proved fruitless as either the parts were not in stock or I was not satified that what they had would be correct. The parts are on order and will be in tomorrow.

Now I have to reassemble that which has been unassembled with the joyous knowledge that come tomorrow or the next day the process will require repeating.......
 
Sounds like the usual occurance around my house. I am sorry HS that the parts were unavailable to complete the project today. My oldest step-daughter is always "volunteering" my husband to "help out" with here friends cars also. So far it has only been diagnosing via telephone, which at times can be quite hilarious, as she is completely car repair illiterate.
Example: friend is changing spark plugs in pickup truck. Truck ran before he changed spark plugs, changes spark plugs, now truck doesn't run. Diagnosis: is your friend sure he bought right spark plugs? did he gap spark plugs, and if so, correctly? put old spark plugs back in truck. if it runs, bought wrong plugs. start over.

It was just too funny to listen to.

Hope you get the parts to do the job soon. ;)
 
HS...I have done more than my fair share of drum brake jobs, but I still leave one side assembled for reference on putting other side back together correctly.
 
Yep Paul, done a bit of body work in my time. Replacing a quarter panel is not overly tricky, actually easier, IMO, than trying to fix a rumpled one. Ya need a welding rig, MIG or TIG, and some other somewhat special tools, but the process is fairly simple. Just have to take your time and be real fussy, especially on the filler and even more so on the sanding.

4x - Not worried about how it goes together, just how do get it done! Stretching those springs with a pair of pliers and no leverage easily leads to much time looking for the dem things! ;) I was very surprised on this car to find that there is absolutely no provision for manual adjustment of the brakes...........

maj - I've had my share of semi understandable conversations doing diagnostics over the phone too> Seems they often begin with the phone call "Can you come over and give me a jump, my car won't start." the question "Is the battery dead" has led to a long process of Q & A to find out what should be a straightforward and simple answer! :D
 
ROTFL@HS.
Oh, that story reminds me of hours spent under the car with hubby doing "something" that never quite came out right.

I think the weirdest was changing the universal joint on a Ford station wagon in Big Bend National Park. Straddled a ditch with the car so we could get under it. Drove 90 miles one way to get the new joint ---- thank goodness it was the right one.
 
I've had more than my fair share of diagnosing car problems over the phone. Working in auto parts stores for many years. The ones that crack me up are the questions like "how hard is it to replace that part?". My answer is "I don't know how hard it is for you because I have no idea of your mechanical abilities. For me it is not that hard, for you it may be impossible" I sometimes wanted to tell them "just hold the phone up to the radiator and rev it up, then I can tell you just what is wrong with your car". I also love "My car won't start, what's wrong with it?"
 
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