[AT] Autos-Was:refusing to replace old equipment

[Roy Morgan]

>  GM and Ford both recommend removing the box to access the pump on the
> P/U trucks. I...
> At least that's better than the new Ford Super Duties,  For most of  
> the
work under the hood the first item on the repair list is to remove the
entire front clip and cab!!!

I just had a new exhaust gas recycler cooler put in my '04 Ford F250  
Super Duty Diesel (6.0 engine).  Indeed, the dealer service manager  
told me that they remove the cab to do the job.  The independent truck  
folks whom I got to do the job raised the cab a few inches and got it  
replaced.  They have found that's enough.

NOW, the engine has a whistle they thought was due to a broken plastic  
finger clip on the crank case vapor recycling hose, but a new part did  
not fix the whistle. They can't find the whistle yet, but will try  
some more when I take the truck back to them.  They have called Ford  
to get advice.

The good news is that they discovered the cord for the block heater I  
didn't know I had. That saves some $250 cost to install one.

> ...  On things like threaded studs I slather them with a thin
> coat of grease prior to coating. That way the paint won't bond in the
> threads.

Tractor content:

I'm getting my Cub Cadet Super garden tractor snow blower ready for  
work.  The prior owner could not give me the lift arm from the tractor  
the blower came from because it's rusted on, and he stripped the cap  
screws trying to get it off.  $100 later I have a new lift arm an two  
cap screws* that hold it on.  Rest assured that they will get a coat  
of grease during assembly, as have most other bolts on the blower.  I  
estimate that less than one cent worth of grease would have saved me  
the hundred dollars.

The cap screws cost $2.70 each at the Cub Cadet dealer and $1.70 for  
two at Tractor Supply.  I now have spares and they and the bit of  
grease will guarantee that I never need them.

Grumble, grumble

Roy

Roy Morgan
k1lky at earthlink.net
529 Cobb St.
Groton NY, 13073