[travis]

I'm sure some of you have met guys like this. My next younger brother, 2 years younger than me, is one of these types of people. He had been complaining about 1 of the front brakes on his mid '80's chevy truck locking up all the time, and asked what I thought it was. I said maybe the caliper, but probably the brake hose. This was 2-3 months ago. Every time I would see him, I would ask him if he got the brakes fixed...to which he always answered "no". But, he still drove the thing everywhere. A few days ago he FINALLY went and got a set of calipers and new brake pads and replaced them. Drove it to work the next day, and by the time he got home from work, the center of the wheel and the rotor was glowing red Turns out he got the wrong calipers (heavy duty/towing brake package calipers instead of the standard ones), and since they brake lines didn't quite fit right, he just ground the banjo fittings to fit He finally got the correct calipers and 2 new front brake hoses today...and couldn't get the hoses off the truck. So I went over today to fix his truck...and he "helped". Luckily, he already had every related bolt, nut, and fitting rounded off beyond use. After he rounded off the 5/8" hex where the brake hose goes thru the frame, he tried hammering a 9/16" socket on the fitting so he could turn it. I eneded up having to cut the drivers side hard line and bend up a new one, but was able to get the pass. side apart. After I finished getting the drivers side apart and started on the pass. side, he assembled the drivers side stuff. He was just going to reuse the brake pads since they had less than 100 miles on them, but the pass. side was burnt so bad, that the outer edges of the pads was red and white And, the pads was cracked badly and covered in this nasty goo that I figured was the bonding material that had burnt out of the pads. I wouldn't let him reuse them (he really wanted too though). I started assembling the pass side after I made him go get new pads...and there was only the drivers side brake hose left. I checked the drivers side and the hose obviosuly didn't fit right. He didn't even put the retaining bolt back in the upper a-arm. I told him he needs to yank it so this could be corrected...he said don't wory about it, it would be ok [img]graemlins/sad.gif[/img] I let him assemble the rest of the brakes...by then I was pretty PO'd about all the rounded bolts and my hands was bleeding from trying to get everything apart. He had to use the truck tonight to help someone move so he had to get it back together. I stressed to him repeatedly that tomorrow he needs to put the hoses on correctly...but I know it won't be done unless I go over and do it.

This is just bugging the heck out of me [img]graemlins/sad.gif[/img]

He also had been complaining about the truck getting horrible gas mileage. While I was under the truck bleeding the brakes, I noticed gas dripping out from under the gas tank. There was a huge blob of some kind of putty on the tank...but it still leaked. When I questioned him about it, he said "oh, it doesn't leak THAT bad"

[MARTINSR]

Shouldn't own tools? He shouldn't own a drivers license either! How in the heck were you dealt the genes of a mechanic and he was given zip?

I know them, we all do. My brother bought a 69 GS four speed years ago. The previous owner was a woman who had a boy friend change the clutch. EVERY SINGLE nut and bolt connected with swapping the clutch was cross threaded and burnt in. EVERY SINGLE ONE! How do you do that? Those big bolts that hold the trannie to the bell housing? Did he use an impact on every single bolt?

Then there was my brother-in-law. He has a 68 Camaro that was his wifes beater. What kind of dim wit couldn't keep a 327 two barrel powerglide '68 Camaro running? [img]graemlins/clonk.gif[/img] Just running, not restored, not burning up the quarter mile, JUST running. This post would be a mile long if I told you all the stupid things he did. I love the guys who will change something like a distibutor because "it was missing" or something goofy like that, not knowing enough to diagnose a car on fire. But after they put the distributor in WRONG, the car now doesn't even start. Instead of realizing the obvious, what THEY did is the reason it doesn't start. After all, it WAS running before, only "missing". So they figure, "Duh, it has a new distibutor, so the carburator must be bad" No kidding! People do this stuff, my Brother-in-law did. By the time he was thru the motor was apart all over the car port!!

He was putting a new timing chain on! I DID NOT want to get involved but was talking by and stopped to chat. He was putting the timing cover on, I told him "I think those marks on the timing chain sprockets are suppose to line up with one an other" (they were off by a mile). He looked at it like monkey doing a math problem and asked "what marks?"

Listen, I am not knocking people who don't know, that is fine, find out what you need to do and learn. We all had to including me. The problem is the people who don't ever just ASK. Just ASK for goodness sakes.

[Alberta 68RS/SS]

Here is one for ya.

A guy I know was trying to win back his girl friend by replacing the brake pads on the front of her car. Not having any tools of his own he took the car to my buddies place who has a limited selection of tools.

After having a discussion with "Mary Jane", Romeo got the pads off without any problems and was having a little trouble getting the calipers & pads back over the rotor. My buddy told me all he did was watch after Romeo asked if he had a grinder. Romeo then proceeded to grind down the sides of the rotor and then proceeded to beat the caliper assembly over the rotor with a small sledge hammer.

This Romeo never got the girl, but I was in tears laughing when my buddy told me the whole story.

Oh, and it cost the girl $400.00 + to get her brakes done at a certified garage a week later.

[MARTINSR]

I am convinced "Boy friends" RUIN more cars than anyone. It's like if you are a guy you HAVE TO know how to work on cars or you are gay or something.

I have seen too many cars to remember that were RUINED by boy friends, way too many.

[Alberta 68RS/SS]

I believe that!

[stevo camaro]

Originally posted by MARTINSR:
I am convinced "Boy friends" RUIN more cars than anyone. It's like if you are a guy you HAVE TO know how to work on cars or you are gay or something.

I have seen too many cars to remember that were RUINED by boy friends, way too many.

I couldn't agree more. I've dealt with the "boyfriend" carnage myself. They are IDIOTS.
I've still got 1 carcass laying around the shop that fell victim to the boyfriend. Needs a transmission now. [img]graemlins/sad.gif[/img]

[garfield]

Hey Travis, Thats what big brothers are for . I'm proud of ya man [img]graemlins/hurray.gif[/img]

My oldest brother would have let me drive it till it blew up then said "Good..Thats what you get for being a clutz"

[ 06-02-2004, 02:32 AM: Message edited by: garfield ]