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Get off my LAWN! "Grumpy Old Farts"
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Al Kraft
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- May 2, 2016
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I'm going to guess at a pre-flight brief or in a hot wash-up...but of course that's just a guess. As you were sailor!Where have I heard that term before
Article sez up until '96 in the "F" - dunno if they still make them for industrial usage.
- Feb 12, 2006
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- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
They may still make them for UPS, and for material handling forklifts, irrigation pumps, generators and such, especially all over Latin America.
Al Kraft
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- May 2, 2016
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I would imagine they have been replaced with more compact and fuel efficient engine designs. While that power plant had rather phenomenal reliability with even the most minimal maintenance, more modern engines operate with much higher efficiency.
However, I imagine that like the old two-stroke Detroit Diesels which found their way all over the world in applications ranging from marine use to water pumps to back-up generators to HD trucks, Ford's 300 CI/4.9 L straight 6 is probably still cranking away in more applications than we might imagine.
I'm pretty excited. I got a new Subaru last year and never knew where the hood release was. An old(er) guy showed me last fall. Then, the low on wiper fluid light came on. I opened the hood, found the cap that said wiper fluid, and refilled the whole tank of wiper fluid! I didn't recognize a lot of that metal stuff under the hood though...
Truth spoken about not recognizing what’s under the hood.
We have matched his n hers 2012 Dodge trucks. 1st time I had to pop the hood on one, I was thoroughly baffled. Where’s the big screw on air filter? Been downhill since.
We’re driving these until they just won’t budge anymore, as I’m not sure I can handle what’s down the pike. I can’t fix or do ANYTHING on these new vehicles.
We have matched his n hers 2012 Dodge trucks. 1st time I had to pop the hood on one, I was thoroughly baffled. Where’s the big screw on air filter? Been downhill since.
We’re driving these until they just won’t budge anymore, as I’m not sure I can handle what’s down the pike. I can’t fix or do ANYTHING on these new vehicles.
On the upside, keep fresh oil in those and they will probably run until the body rots off. My newest is a 99. Next would be the Strange Rover, a '90. Both have a pile of rust under where the gas tank is where I park at home. Skid plates rotted off, within 6 months of each other too :-\
You need to plan ahead - my son grew up watching me service and fix our stuff and went on to be a Mechanic ........... now he fixes the Modern stuff and I look on scratching my head. There is a lot of good stuff out there - but a surprising amount of
batsh¥t stupid design as far as ease of servicing goes .
Maurie.
Al Kraft
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- May 2, 2016
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- Mesa Boogie beta product tester and player support
My wrenching days were in the 60's and 70's. So while agedhorse was fixing amplifiers to pay for college I was working on cars at the local gas station - electrical engineer vs mechanical engineer thing I suppose. Because of my professional work I haven't lost the ability to understand (note: I stopped just short of saying appreciate) today's automotive technology, but I also recognize that many of the functions have transitioned from pure mechanical to electromehcnical and electronic which may not be so easy to troubleshoot and repair with just a Craftsman socket wrench set and Simpson 260.
I will admit that when this new stuff works well, it is amazing. However, that magic doesn't exactly come cheap when you have to replace what used to be simple components. A buddy who works on transmissions and I were chatting a few months ago and he took me back in the shop to show me a BMW automatic transmission that he had apart. I swear it was almost as much electrical/electronic as it was mechanical. And the cost of traditional hard parts compared to some of those solenoids and other gizmos was eye opening!
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Troubleshooting is certainly more complex, and most parts require removing a bunch of other stiff to get to. Newer cars are not much fun to work on.
Have you ever noticed how the safer they make cars, the worse people drive? I see people do things almost every day that as a punk kid I would have been ticketed for. I used to ride my dirt bike to work almost year round, then people got worse and worse at driving. It got to the point where someone was trying to kill me about once a week, 2 or 3 miles to work, and I finally hung it up. Now I'm back to bigger is better. I make sure anything my wife rides in is big enough to collapse whatever runs into us. But you know, you get a Honda all balled up in your fender, if you don't stop and kick it out, it will eat an expensive truck tire in just a few miles
Have you ever noticed how the safer they make cars, the worse people drive? I see people do things almost every day that as a punk kid I would have been ticketed for. I used to ride my dirt bike to work almost year round, then people got worse and worse at driving. It got to the point where someone was trying to kill me about once a week, 2 or 3 miles to work, and I finally hung it up. Now I'm back to bigger is better. I make sure anything my wife rides in is big enough to collapse whatever runs into us. But you know, you get a Honda all balled up in your fender, if you don't stop and kick it out, it will eat an expensive truck tire in just a few miles
Safer vehicles...sure. Stupider drivers? Definitely... driving faster than ever before with exponentially higher vehicle concentrations per mile than ever? Gawd yes...
And if I may - what good I’d my ‘safe’ vehicle when it gets creamed by an unlicensed 18 wheeler operating under NAFTA rules, or whatever? It’s never been me I worry about on the road
And if I may - what good I’d my ‘safe’ vehicle when it gets creamed by an unlicensed 18 wheeler operating under NAFTA rules, or whatever? It’s never been me I worry about on the road
- Feb 12, 2006
- 61,038
- 5
- 220,974
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
I drive about 5000 miles a year with a horse trailer... that will open your mind to the level of "driving stupid" that's on the road today. Can be very scary at times.
I've been driving with horse and work trailers for 35 years, never had an accident but have avoided many potential ones.
I've been driving with horse and work trailers for 35 years, never had an accident but have avoided many potential ones.
I was a bus driver for years when I was young. Got trained by a cute lady that was 5 foot even but every bit a drill sergeant. The one concept she drilled into my head was "always expect the driver in front, back, or either side of you to do something unexpectedly stupid. Keep your eyes open and look for an escape route." I've lived by those rules on the road and have dodged some pretty hairy accidents over the years. Knock on wood for @agedhorse and me.
Leave NAFTA out of this. It’s beneficial to all three signing countries no matter what Donald Duck says!
What really annoys me and is dangerous is when people drive their work trucks like their personal car.I was a bus driver for years when I was young. Got trained by a cute lady that was 5 foot even but every bit a drill sergeant. The one concept she drilled into my head was "always expect the driver in front, back, or either side of you to do something unexpectedly stupid. Keep your eyes open and look for an escape route." I've lived by those rules on the road and have dodged some pretty hairy accidents over the years. Knock on wood for @agedhorse and me.
Painters, gardeners, electricians, delivery trucks all driving in the fast lane. No handling, stopping or acceleration available if anything goes wrong or traffics comes to a quick stop.
I've had shovels, mattresses and paint cans come flying out of trucks at me.
I ALWAYS give any vehicles with stuff on the back OR big shaky vehicles a wide berth. I'll go around them as far right as I can, and get them out of my driving zone.
Now that I've caught up with the thread I need to go find hand sanitizer and spray the keyboard and screen as well.
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