Jim Warman

So..... I got my engine at the beginning of the week. This is not a cake walk.

If there is ever any doubt about a circuit, I find it handy to load test the circuit normally and then check the volt drop across the load (being careful to check system voltage at the same time). A lamp may appear to illuminate sufficiently but still hide a significant volt drop in the circuit - something that could render a VRS wave undecipherable - even in a biased application. I am assuming that SYNC or FICM_SYNC is taking time to toggle "yes"? How about FUELPW? Enquiring minds want to know...

???WTF???? Broken bolt removal was something we were taught in about first year. And now we need to hire someone special? Aside from patience and the ability to apply a very few very basic rules, little else is needed other than a steady hand and the ability to sharpen drill bits. But it does help if those poorly equipped for broken fastener removal step back before compounding the problem.

I am still "persona non grata". If I click on the message board link, I get error 404. There are things I miss about message board (that are generally compensated for by reading here) but the whining (whinging for the Brits)and crying can stay where they are. Life is like a bowl of corn flakes - somebody is going to piss in it.

What the hell could Ford find offensive about a thread that doesn't involve Ford? It's not like I posted to it or anything.....

OK... if you go here and then click on video. Important to know is that there are two obvious links marked "video". The one near the top, directly below the W Network banner is NOT the one you want. Down a little bit is another link to "video" - this should get you to the video in question. After about 11 minutes of fluff, you will get to the inexcusable shit. I am going to refrain from e-mailing Mr Loob for the duration of the weekend since I am sure this episode will be puled when the foul is announced. I feel it is our duty to show the general public that "fast food style" car repair doesn't work.. Talk about "unprofessional behaviour" - wrong is fucking wrong. At about 18 minutes, there's too much oil in what appears to be an Escort...

It goes internal... 100%. The idea is that the tech or apprentice needs to come forward with "I fucked up" long before the customer gets involved in a bad way. Yes, you may be chastised for doing something wrong... but be a man and let's get it out in the open so we can fix the fuck up and get back to making money. To begin with, you need management that desires success - none of this "we have them for the next three years" bullshit that can be so prevalent.

Bingo!!! Every tech has a different thresh hold for what he might consider "hackery". Cross threads, over torques, galled threads -didn't use loctite , used red loctite where blue would do.... and on and on and on. Some of it happens because someone is in a rush, some of it happens without it every entering someones mind... let us face it, stercus accidit is part and parcel of the human condition. But how much of it happens because someone doesn't care or someone doesn't care to learn. Who here has read the WSM to see the "proper" way to install SuperDuty wheel nuts? Who realizes that letting an impact wrench rattle on a wheel nut and then "torquing" it will only tell you how loose it isn't. (no, I am not going to comment on torque sticks - but if you feel good about using them, I will not try to change your mind - allow me the courtesy of not trying to change mine). Forgotten (loose or missing fasteners...) hackery? Or brain fart? or rushing? I'm fussy... very fucking fussy. I find and fix a lot of mistakes in the course of a week... sadly, there are still some of my own. And before we are subject to a large round of guffaws, some of them might be yours. Yes, there are a lot of intentional hacks out there - but you don't generally find them populating arenas such as this. Consider this - what is a "career" and what is a "job". Where do they split, where do they converge and how does it play in your existence? And if you see someone obviously doing something wrong... what can you do? What do you do? And how, in the name of Yahweh, do you do it?

With extra points if anyone can tell what a "short fourth" is.

If what you describe is "business as usual", then you live in one fucked up country. In a land without universal medical care, (Shit, in a land WITH universal medical care) I would be loathe to risk my life using a lift I didn't trust. You are no fucking good to your family if you are laying in an expensive hospital bed, all gibbled up. And any logic you can present to justify getting there is lost on me. You don't need a fucking gun to play Russian Roulette.

What does the coveted red seal mean to you? "Back in the day", in Alberta, at least, it showed you excelled during your apprenticeship. The interprovincial red seal was awarded to those that achieved a higher score (I recall it to be an 85% average - caution, memory thing happening). Today, I understand it to be a separate, "Caspar Milquetoast" kind of "you get points for spelling your name right" test. The red seal means absolutely nothing until you "need" it. As an Alberta Journeyman, I can move to any province in Canada and not have to write any certification tests in order to practice my trade. I will be "grandfathered" into the system. As an Ontario or BC or Saskahoovian or whatever - the red seal will make a move to another province relatively painless. "Membership dues"? Just another way of spelling "cash grab".

Yes indeedy.... and you best make sure you perform the reset when necessary so that you don't find out about "load shedding" in an embarrassing way.

Actually, that motor was also available in the Travelall, pick up and Scout. You had to be careful adjusting ignition timing as the timing light got hooked up to number 8.... I forgot - "what's a timing light?" right? The last school bus I rode on was a Bluebird built in the late 50s or early 60s.... and it was still pretty close to new.

Now, with the Daytona 500 being a fond memory, I would have thought that somebody might have remarked about Danica Delicious?!?!?!

I stand corrected.

I had a 93 F150 supercab. Wonderful truck - nice load of toys... The wheel wells on the box suffered from rust perforation. It wasn't until three weeks after thew rust warranty expired that I even considered the rust warranty. Too bad, so sad. I feel bad for the man in your article, but it isn't like we haven't seen stories like this in the past. Looking around, I see cars and trucks lasting longer than they ever have. Delivering as good or better gas mileage as they ever have. Delivering as good or better power than they ever have for a given engine size. I'm coming up on 63 years of age and I can say, without equivocation that "stercus accidit"

I would think that you can opt in BUT US laws and US court decisions don't mean squat in Canada (or any other foreign country, for that matter). You can cite Moss-Magnusson all you want in Canada - does it colour any decisions or actions? Possibly, but there is no legal precedent for us as a free and separate country.

WTF is that all about? We don't have shit like that in the republik of Alberta...

Going back over this thread, something Dwayne said that just wont let me "let it go". With our last change in service managers, the mandatory hoist inspection has gone the way of the dodo bird and I have been remiss at pushing to have it reinstated. Some misconceptions. You didn't get "paid" for doing hoist inspections. What it was is that your pay cheque was withheld until you turned in a completed hoist inspection form. The implications... first - are any of us considered qualified to perform a lifting device inspection? Probably not, but aty least it should get us thinking - about what may or may not be safe or acceptable. "I don't feel comfortable lifting this there fore I wont". Ummmm, seems to me that there should be some thoughts about self-preservation. Second, you sign a paper that says either "I think my hoist is safe" or it says "I think this and that are unsafe". Even though you may not be qualified to inspect a hoist for certification purposes, you deem your hoist safe incorrectly... nobody knows how that might play out should the unthinkable happen. Now - about being "paid" to make sure you are safe. "I don't get paid to inspect my hoist for safety concerns so I wont". Dead is fucking dead. If you don't inspect your hoist (either for "free" or not) and something goes wrong, you might get to find out if there really is a god or not.... long before your widow wants you to. Look at it this way... stop inspecting the tires and brakes on your work truck. You wont make any money doing it and if you do find something unsafe, you are going to lose a bunch of time getting it fixed...

KLICKEE and then MORE KLICKEE or even KLICKEE OVER HERE . Disclaimer, I have no idea if these suits overlap, compete or what have you. What is plain to me is that someone is looking for gainful employment. I don't recall when I first heard about something like this... but it has been a long while. Some law firms don't have the "Sam Bernstein advantage" - these have to scour the news to find a cause, any cause, to champion. The cause should involve as many people as possible so that when the numbers come in, the lawyers percentage (commission, if you will) is going to be impressive. The lawyers biggest concern is choosing a hook that will ensure that a lot of people will "sign up". He/she has probably never owned a Ford truck but they are going to get Ford to punch their meal ticket. Whether a lawsuit is justified or not has no bearing on this post. However, unscrupulous lawyers aren't above gouging anyone who gets in the way.

Dwayne.. who the fuck do you think was part of the impetus for hoist inspections? I'm not "lucky enough" to work at a shop that made these mandatory... I had a major role in making it happen. When I was shop foreman, I made it part of my mandate that we would have no "lost time" injuries. I don't go to work in the morning thinking "gee, I hope I get to go home this evening". At the same time, I have a situation (and it hasn't been handed to me on a platter) where my opinion about shop safety matters. And there isn't a day goes by where I don't think I might eventually step across some line or another. At nearly 63 years of age you would think I'd be a little more concerned with job security rather than with "rockin' the boat". Gail, I didn't tell Matt to do anything I haven't done. But if we remain silent, someone is going to got home in a body bag. Now... YOU tell me what is wrong and what is right. "I'm gonna keep on using an unsafe hoist because it's my job. My widow and orphans will remember my dedication".

Yowzers, my large friend. One of your first errors is putting faith in some young-puppy, new age survey. Not to say you haven't had your fair share of shit over the last half decade.... But much of the time, our problems don't eat at us until some well meaning dork tells us that our problems should be eating at us and if they aren't then there is a problem. If I get drunk enough or morbid enough this weekend, I'll PM you a story that will make your toes curl and your teeth itch. Some folks here think I have a silver spoon stuck in my yap - I wish. Life ain't fair... your apple has half a worm in it... your woman isn't going to be the angel you expect (not like any of us deserved an angel). One of these days you will wake up in the Ayem and realize that you have more hair on your back than on your head, gravity works, that twinge in your shoulder has settled in quite nicely and your doctor calls you to make an appointment. But what you wont realize is that squandering the only fucking life you have (my apologies to anyone that believes in the afterlife) worrying about things that have happened and cannot be "unhappened" or worrying about things that you can never change is both a vexation and a waste of time. You have a finite number of years on this dirtball. They can be spent or they can be wasted. Guess where dwelling on yesterday rates.... If something pisses you off - it is OK to be pissed off... but it isn't OK to let it consume you. Yep.... I'll write you a story . I was born a ginger and it gets bad from there. But first, I'm gonna kick you in the groin for wasting the only life you have dwelling on things already done.

Gail, why be so defeatist? I'm not here trying to prove any sort of superiority. I simply stated that I didn't stand around waiting for things to happen. You have clearly stated many of the problems you've had in the past. A lot of us have endured the same or similar problems. Some of us allow our circumstances to beat the crap out of us... and some of us refuse to give in. Every opportunity I have ever had is an opportunity I have worked hard to develop. There is no silver spoon in this puppies mouth and I resent you making those kinds of statements. Life is what we make of it. If life gives you lemons - make lemonade.

Thank you, Kieth. I wont pretend to know the laws in the US... But I'm pretty sure that they read pretty close to what ours do - your employer cannot demand that you do something illegal nor can he demand that you do something you consider unsafe. Your personal safety and the safety of those around you in the workplace is of the utmost importance. Each and every one of us shares the responsibility to ensure that unsafe and/or illegal practices aren't allowed to happen. The "Nuremberg defense" didn't work in the 40s and it wont work any better today. Gail - there's not a day goes by that I don't realize that I am expendable. There's not a day goes by that I don't wish I had done something differently or regret a decision or feel that I haven't performed as well as I feel I should or could have. I have no fucking idea how you came to think that anything I might have achieved could have come easy. I'm a high school drop out - I spend a lot of my own personal time studying things automotive in order to perfect my craft, expand my horizons and improve my career. There has been nothing magical in my endeavours that has given me any advantages you do not have. Hard work, honesty, integrity and determination are all I have. In life, you must first set a goal - make it hard but not so hard you cannot achieve it. When you achieve your goal, do not stop. Set your next goal and work toward that. This year I turn 63. I am an old man in a young mans game.... Easy? I fucking wish..... I must add that I am coming up on my 40th wedding anniversary. My wife has had Crohns disease as long as I have known her. In the 70s, little was known about this disease - we both thought it was something that could be cured eventually. (Oh, the stories I could tell). This could have been a game stopper if we allowed it. But we didn't allow it. There is an old saying - what doesn't kill me only makes me stronger. Another saying that my wife lives by - " put one foot in front of the other - repeat if necessary".

Now I am really confused. You demonstrate that the hoist is truly unsafe to use, and then you continue to use it. That's like shooting craps with loaded dice. Hopefully, when things go ugly, the doctors will gather at your bedside and tell you when you can go back to work.... rather than other, less salient prospects. Sorry to sound like I'm harping at you but you sound like a nice people.... and bad shit does happen to nice people. If you are waiting for something to change....well, what can I say? You will wait for stuff to change - and it wont - at least not until your local safety people declare that your demise was preventable. I can't believe we are having this conversation.