This Is Gonna Hurt

[RadioFreeSeaLab]

The Slant 6 is such a cool engine.

[Tallpine]

heck i figured tall pine was gonna say lift it to the level you want then just put some carriage bolts through the shocks to hold it there

Ha!  You're not all that far off 

I used to have an old 2-wheel army trailer that was built to carry a generator.  I used it as log trailer behind a 2 ton truck, but the springs were a little weak for that.  So I took a couple of 4"x6"oak blocks and lag screwed them to the frame above the axle.  (conveniently there were already factory holes in the frame)  When loaded, the blocks settled down on the axle tube and prevented any further sagging. 

Heck, real 8-wheel log trailers (and often the trucks, too) usually have no suspension other than some rubber pads along with "walking beams" for the two axles.

[K Frame]

"A few years ago, I offered to help Mike do a brake job on his car.  During the process, I squatted down to get a closer look and planted my rear on top of the uncapped brake parts cleaner can.  This resulted in me spritzing my arse with chlorinated solvents."

You have to admit, it improved the smell! 

To be perfectly fair, though, were it not for Chris' generosity, I would have had to have paid someone to do my brakes. My EVIL HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION won't permit such repairs in the parking lots. Chris, however, has a driveway and garage. Very convenient.

I also was very happy to have his assistance as I had never done a brake job on a car with anti-lock brakes, so I had no clue whether it would be different than my old Maverick or not. Not really.

I helped him replace his water heater in retaliation. 

[wmenorr67]

Phyphor, what year was your Comet?  I had a 1964 with a 289 in it for about a year.

My family had a '64 four door with the straight 6 for several years.

[RadioFreeSeaLab]

Nice.  Mine was a two door, but not the Caliente.

[Phyphor]

Phyphor, what year was your Comet?  I had a 1964 with a 289 in it for about a year.

A 1972, and it had a 302 backed by a C4 trans.

[K Frame]

I had a 302 in the Ford Maverick version. It was a 1977.

What a FUN car.

[Hawkmoon]

Well, we got the estimate:
Here it is:
>
> 1. Air line rear air suspension broke = $265.00
>
> 2. Rear brakes need replaced = $179.00
>
> 3. Replace worn lower ball joints = $565.00
>
> 4. Front Alignment - $84.00
>
> TOTAL - $1,076.00

I love how they shop around for things over and above the proximate cause of the problem in order to run the bill up. Trouble is, all those other things are actual wear and tear items with safety implications. Things must be slow at Battlefield Ford.

TC

Things are slow at car dealerships everywhere, and especially at American car dealerships, since Detroit got caught napping when gas prices went up and people stopped buying gas guzzlers.

And that "look it over" is routine at dealerships. The "technicians" (we don't have "mechanics" any more) get paid a commission on all the extra work they can "up sell." My brother used to be a service manager at a BMW dealership. He occasionally came close to fisticuffs with "technicians" who were so focused on "up selling" extra work that they couldn't be bothered to actually look at the problem for which the owner brought the car to the dealership.

I recently took a Jeeo to a dealership for an ignition problem. Two MONTHS later they gave it back to me. When I dot it back, they had destroyed the battery and I had no rear brakes AND no parking brake. I had repaired both myself, so I know they were working when I took it in. No more dealership service for me.

[yesitsloaded]

The ability of dealerships to screw stuff up never ceases to amaze me. We get in stuff all the time that has been supposedly fixed by them. It is standard practice to go over any car once it gets into the shop though. If they tell us to fix an oil leak and we replace the oil pan gasket, and we don't check their brake fluid rez that is leaking, guess who would get sued when they get a mile down the road and then crash because they have no brakes? It sucks but in this sue-happy culture we have to go over everything. The other day we had a lady come in with her power-steering line duct taped together and she wanted us to retape it for her. To replace the line would have been less than $50 parts and labor. We had to explain to her that there was no way in hell we were going to be responsible for such a shoddy repair that could result in both a fire and sudden loss of power steering. If we were not worried about being sued we would have told her the risks and taped it back up for free.

[RadioFreeSeaLab]

Heh, dealer screwups.  My old 2002 F-150 was at the dealership three times in a week to replace the clutch slave cylinder. 

[coppertales]

Expeditions have not been around that long.  How many miles on it?  I have 95 and a 96 F150s and the rear brakes are almost like new and both trucks are over 100000 miles.  Lower ball joints bad?  I don't believe what the dealer told you.  They think you are a sucker.  Once you remember that ALL car dealers are crooked, the rest falls into place....chris3

[Phyphor]

I had a 302 in the Ford Maverick version. It was a 1977.

What a FUN car.

I loved it.  People in rice burners would look over, see an old car and act like their stuff was so hardcore..... then when the light went green, I'd just hit the gas.. and not even floor it.

Smoked their sorry asses more times than I can count.

[Regolith]

Things are slow at car dealerships everywhere, and especially at American car dealerships, since Detroit got caught napping when gas prices went up and people stopped buying gas guzzlers.

And that "look it over" is routine at dealerships. The "technicians" (we don't have "mechanics" any more) get paid a commission on all the extra work they can "up sell." My brother used to be a service manager at a BMW dealership. He occasionally came close to fisticuffs with "technicians" who were so focused on "up selling" extra work that they couldn't be bothered to actually look at the problem for which the owner brought the car to the dealership.

I recently took a Jeeo to a dealership for an ignition problem. Two MONTHS later they gave it back to me. When I dot it back, they had destroyed the battery and I had no rear brakes AND no parking brake. I had repaired both myself, so I know they were working when I took it in. No more dealership service for me.

No joke.  I took my Ford Explorer to the local Ford dealership here to have it looked at when the Check Engine light came on.  An hour or two later the mechanic comes out and tells me that the cylinder head is cracked, and it needs a new engine.  They quoted me something like $4500 for parts alone.  He based this on a code that the vehicle's computer spit out that said that one of it's oxygen sensors was detecting contaminates, and that his personal vehicle had registered the "exact same code" and that in that case it needed a new engine because it's cylinder head was cracked.

Now, this being far more than I could really afford at the time, and based on the fact that the guy had done absolutely no real diagnosis, I decided to get a second opinion from a mechanic I had gone to in the past and trusted.  Turns out, all it needed were new spark plugs.  And even IF the cylinder head HAD been cracked, he could have simply replaced the cylinder head and not the entire engine and done it for less than $1000, including parts and labor.

That marked the last time I go to a dealership for repairs.  There is pretty much only one dealer I trust to do a good job, and that's because the guy who owns the place are friends of my parents.  Unfortunately, his business is too far away for me to go to for repairs.

[The Annoyed Man]

I miss my 1972 Dodge Duster with the slant 6. You opened the hood and saw nothing but open space for miles around the motor. Set the points with a matchbook cover and that's about all it ever needed. 

Mine is sitting out in the barn as I type. 72 green two door with a 3 speed on the floor. Can't kill it. The Warden drove it home from her Mom's house (1 hr drive) sans oil. It was smokin like a old steam engine when she pulled in the drive. Let it cool and filled with oil. No problem. No smoke. Just like it was the day she bought it. Down side is the passenger door will open when going around a hard left hander. So you better have that lap belt on. 

[280plus]

The problem with dealerships is a lot of them are getting rid of their old, experienced and therefore expensive to pay mech, err, technicians and hiring cheap labor straight out of trade school. The best story I heard was the cheesedoodle who was trying to break a truck tire and rim off the axle (or whatever) with a sledgehammer. He took a mighty swing and hit tire instead of rim. The hammer bounced back, hit him right in the face and knocked him out cold. 

yes, the mighty slant six in mine spun a rod bearing at about 160,000 miles. So I went in and changed, one rod bearing. It ran ok but had a little tick. Then I sold it to a guy and explained to him if he took it easy on the car it would probably last quite a while yet. He only wanted it to go back and forth to work, just a couple miles. Then he lends it to his girlfriend. Within about 10 miles she managed to put the rod through the side of the block. THEN the moron wants his $ back from me. My response? "    "

[280plus]

Heh, in re reading I should clarify a couple things. I drove the car for a while after the repair and it was fine as long as you didn't beat on it. I had gotten another car and this guy wanted the dodge, he was fully aware of the history and swore up and down he was only going to drive it back and forth to work and knew that's about all it was good for. SHE takes it over hill and dale and then over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house except she doesn't quite make it to the river, close but not quite. 

I only got $200 for the thing which was what I had into the parts I had put in.

Of course, right after the conversation and exchange of money, he gets in it, fires it up and revs the motor real hard a couple good times, I could hear that bearing clicking and I knew...