You've never heard of it?

[Mk42gunner]

Just try finding some one to rebuild a magneto today. I had to convert my WD to points ignition, so I needed a resistor to keep the points from burning constantly. I had also put a 12 volt alternator on to replace the stolen 6 volt generator.

I went to the parts store and asked for a resistor, one of the kids had no idea what I was talking about. The other one was involved in tractor pulling and knew what I wanted.

Seems like everybody has forgotten how to think without a computer.

Robert

[robg]

i used solvol autosol chrome polish or t cut .both are abrasive enough.

[Burnt Fingers]

Well . . . for one thing, very few Industrial Arts ? Shop programs exist in the public schools any more. After all . . . "the future is in computers" . . . . so we now have kids who have very few "hands on" experience unless they go to a trade school. Even when I was teaching shop classes some 45 or so years ago, I would have to start out with the very basics - how to read a ruler - how to transfer fractions of an inch into decimals and even basic math. I'm sure there are kids today who still fool with cars, rebuilding engines, etc. but they are probably few and far between so it doesn't surprise me that they don't know what lapping compound is.

I never fail to be surprised at how many people can't do basic math. Things like converting a decimal to a percentage. It's to the point where when I see someone give a percentage I always check the math. 90% of the time they have it wrong.

[fc60]

Greetings,

My offering is this...

Went to the O'Reilly parts store and handed the attendant the carb off my generator. I asked for two feet of fuel line to fit the stem on the carb. He looks at me and asks "Fuel injected or carburetor fuel line?" while holding the carb.

Cheers,

Dave

[jim147]

I had my wife stop by a store for me to get a mower belt. I said tell them you need an A90. They told her they need all the mower info to sell her a part. That was the point I started ordering all non emergency parts online.

[Kraschenbirn]

Couple weeks back, I was servicing the Cub Cadet in preparation for the summmer mowing. Went to the farm supply store where I bought the tractor to pick up an oil filter. Checked the shelves and they were out of the FRAM filter to replace the OEM part so I tried their cross-reference book...no joy there, either. Went over to the service desk and gave the salesperson the Cub Cadet p/n for the filter (remember, this is the store that sold me the tractor!) and was told the number was "not in the system" and I must have read the engine data plate incorrectly. As I walked away before voicing my opinion of the store's product support, I happened to glance at the Briggs & Stratton service parts display and...Lo and Behold!...there was a whole stack of the needed filters, each with a cross-reference chart to OEM part numbers for about a half-dozen brands of lawn/garden equipment printed on the back of each box. On my way to check-out, I couldn't help but wonder how many customers had been sent somewhere else to purchase a common B&S service part.

[Electrod47]

It is shocking at the number of Illiterate people in the Work Force today isn't it?

AND, Auto Zone stock trades over 1,500.00 per/share ????

[tomme boy]

I worked at our local AutoZone for about a year just for something to do part time. All the old guys came to me when it dealt with off the wall odd things they were looking for. Dave Ohrt off of American Pickers came in one day. He was working on a old Harley for a guy and needed a oil pressure sending unit for it. The manager was helping him but she could not find any info on the Harley he had. I asked him if he just needed a single pin pressure switch. He said yep, just for an idiot light. Told the manager to look up any GM car or truck from the 70s and give him the oil switch off of that.

This store goes through people like crazy. I saw a few really brite young kids working there. The main problem we ran into was customers that did not have a clue to what they needed and it was your fault because you gave them the exact part they asked for. It was always our fault that they don't know what they were doing.

My favorite one was asking a lady what kind of vehicle she had. "The blue car" was her answer. I got so tired of all the idiots everyday and had to leave. Every time I go in there they ask me to come back. No thanks. Try working on the other side of the counter once before making claims of incompetence.

[Burnt Fingers]

I worked at our local AutoZone for about a year just for something to do part time. All the old guys came to me when it dealt with off the wall odd things they were looking for. Dave Ohrt off of American Pickers came in one day. He was working on a old Harley for a guy and needed a oil pressure sending unit for it. The manager was helping him but she could not find any info on the Harley he had. I asked him if he just needed a single pin pressure switch. He said yep, just for an idiot light. Told the manager to look up any GM car or truck from the 70s and give him the oil switch off of that.

This store goes through people like crazy. I saw a few really brite young kids working there. The main problem we ran into was customers that did not have a clue to what they needed and it was your fault because you gave them the exact part they asked for. It was always our fault that they don't know what they were doing.

My favorite one was asking a lady what kind of vehicle she had. "The blue car" was her answer. I got so tired of all the idiots everyday and had to leave. Every time I go in there they ask me to come back. No thanks. Try working on the other side of the counter once before making claims of incompetence.

Hear hear! It's even worse on the other side of the gun counter.

[farmbif]

for us old folks who grew up repairing and rebuilding stuff we understand what these things are. in todays world the older mechanical stuff has been moved out of the mainstream to specialized sources. magnetos like mk42 says are now a very specialized item, only used in airplanes and antique engines and tractors. there are sources for this stuff but they are sometimes not easy to find. and the folks that know about them are few and far between.
Goodson is an example its about the only place I know that has a full array of engine rebuilding stuff. another example is Steiner tractor parts, they specialize in everything for all the older tractors. many of the engines and machines built these days are throw away they cannot be rebuilt for oner reason or another maybe its because some of is built not to be affordably rebuilt and or many items are built these days only to last so long--throw away products

[Lloyd Smale]

most of the people behind the counter at parts stores probably dont even know how to drive a stick or change a flat. If you tried relating Saginaw or Muncie to cars they think they were citys where cars are built. Wouldnt know a rat or mouse from a beaver.

[Pressman]

A handy use for valve grinding compound is to make Phillips head screwdrivers grip better. Just a little dab on the end of the tool will help keep the tool engaged without walking out. Works good for the power driver bits too.

You win the prize for the Most Helpful post of the week.

Ken

[poppy42]

`69 Ford Torino Terrible car. A thin dime works too but nobody's got one now, just paper bills.

Terrible car?
I had a 70 Torino with a 429 cobra jet in it. I got a ticket for in excess of 100 miles an hour(The speedometer went to 160 and it was pegged the trooper gave me a big break!) on the Massachusetts Turnpike! I could let go of the steering wheel and the car would go straight for a mile! I don’t think it was such a terrible car I wish I still had it.

[Char-Gar]

I keep Clover in 220, 320, 500 and 600 grit around my shop and have for many years. Many uses.

[Scrounge]

“I wonder what else today's auto parts store clerks have never heard of.“

The kids at Auto Zone here don’t know what breaker points are.

Or a point file. I've only got one left, here somewhere, but I do have one. Can't afford to replace my 63 Impala SS, either. I could buy a bunch of -03 Springfields for what that would cost...

Some addictions are stronger than others.

Bill

[Scrounge]

I guess I can add setting points up properly to the trash bin in my resume where I mention using keypunches, replacing keypunch ribbons, and emptying keypunch chaff boxes, sigh. Oh and toss carb rebuilding in there too? Ugh.

Yep. You, Sir, are obsolete. Oh, and sorry about assuming your gender.

Forgot to say "Welcome to the club."

[jim147]

Is the current clover brand still oil based like it was in the '80's?

[Txcowboy52]

Very few people re-build engines now days . When I was growing up if and engine had trouble you pulled it out and fixed it . Most people I knew did this . Lots of hands on experience. As time goes by so many things are lost .

[jim147]

I've built a ton of engines over the years. The main reason few people do it these days is that a properly maintained engine will go 300,000-500,000 miles these days. At that point the car is worn out.

While I've been out of the machine shop for years I'll still take on an engine rebuild from time to time. I love it. One cylinder or twelve don't care.

[Mr_Sheesh]

Scrounge, the "Mr" in my username part is subtle, innit? LOL Yeah, pretty obsolete, can still fix most things tho Rebuilt so many engines, fixed so many things...

In the search & rescue group our squadron was given an old 63 Falcon ex-USAF van, engine was seized from rust. Removed the head. 6 cyl inline. Got a block of wood, put it in the right cylinders in turn, hammered it a bit to get the pistons to move a bit; Honed each once we got it to BDC, blew and vacuumed out the crud ofc. It ran for some time once, uh, I guess call that fixed. Biggest problem next was steering box had almost 1/2 turn of play in it, you did NOT take that thing on the freeway, that was too exciting!

Top of the radiator did pop off one day, that was exciting, I'd been doing too much flight training, said "Bail out, bail out, bail out!" as I parked it, my sis was in the car and gave me an odd look. Was glad it was just steam/antifreeze, thought it was a fire at first! Knew a good radiator shop and they fixed it for cheap, just needed new soldering, old had cracked free & popped off.