Jim Warman Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 So.... in another thread, we touched on using distilled water versus potable water for cooling systems... For over 40 years, I have used tap water in cooling systems... I have seen gnarly cooling systems and I have seen clean cooling systems... "Back in the day" Dodge and Plymouth cars and trucks would come with the next best thing to mud in their cooling systems... (anyone remember the 318 poly motor?). Still, using tapwater was accepted industry practice... or was it? Back in the 60s, this trade was still the dumping ground for the dregs of humanity... if your son wasn't smart enough to be a plumber... he could always be a mechanic.... And we all used tapwater in cooling systems... We weren't taught in trade school (when I went) to use tapwater... but neither were we taught NOT to use it. Indeed, in our practical (in shop) training, tapwater was used universally when we filled or topped off coolant levels. I have never seen any advice from any engineer "signing off" on using tapwater... This is something the rank and file (us guys in the trenches) have unilaterally decided... On a similar note, remembering that I am entrusted with performing several different types of inspections, it dawned on me one day that the light truck I was looking at had inappropriate valve stems mounted in the wheels. A tire shop had replaced the valve stems when new tires were installed. They installed these on wheels calling for 80 PSI inflation pressure. This particular valve stem is only rated for 60 PSI.... I was discussing this with our tire repair supplier when he told me that rope type tire plugs were "illegal".... "SAY WHAT?!?!?!" I've been using them for 40 years in both bias ply (some of you guys wont recognize that) and radial ply tires... Never any problems as far as I have seen..... as far as I have seen... as far as I.... I've used them in my own tires... I've used them in sidewalls to get me out of a bind... "illegal?????". Rope type tire plugs are "accepted industry practice"... But I can't find where any engineers have signed off on their use. BUT.. I HAVE found mentions by NHTSA (and other entities)that specifically state that a tubeless tire repair MUST both plug the hole and cover the injury internally... The specter of future litigation is far too real... yet erring on the side of safety can price us out of the market as other stores adopt a cavalier attitude towards safety. What is a girl to do? Anything that we do to make vehicles safer is going to cost the consumer more money... and you know how far that is going to take us.... Yet, when push comes to shove and the plaintiff brings his expert engineer witness to the stand condemning "accepted industry practice" - I can see the juries eyes flicking between the quadrapalegic and the tech... (My God... am I a doomsayer or what?). I have to wonder how many of those things that we have accepted as "business as usual" all these years actually fly in the face of either legislation or "accepted ENGINEERING practice"? Back in the day, it was common practice to reuse front wheel grease seals when repacking bearings. National Seal company would supply your garage with a storage cabinet if you stocked and sold their wheel seals. On the front was a sign "Always use new grease seals". It took many years for that to happen universally. Back in the day, people accepted that "shit happens".... today, they look around to see how many people they can sue...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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