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Re: A wrenching problem

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dvus <dven1@adelphia.net> wrote:
> On 10/31/2015 3:04 PM, Fabian Russell wrote:
>> On Sat, 31 Oct 2015 13:35:39 -0400, benj wrote:
>>> Those particular ratcheting wrenches are stamped cheapo crap with very
>>> large ends that won't fit tight spaces (the spaces around nuts and bolts
>>> are always tight due to Murphy's Law). There are better ones.
>> Better?  Well, let's just say that there are a variety of wrenches
>> available to suit a variety of access situations.  The average mechanic,
>> therefore, must invest a fortune in different tool sets to cover all,
>> or most, possibilities -- if he can afford it.
>> Furthermore, Murphy's law is not the culprit.  The reason for most
>> difficult access situations is POOR DESIGN.  Most goods are not made
>> to be repaired.  They are made to be discarded after a certain time
>> period  and thus no thought whatsoever is usually given to providing
>> a convenient access.
>> I had to replace the oil pan on my vehicle.  The whole fscking engine
>> had to be removed, at great expense, to obtain access to a $50 part.
>> The same for spark plugs.  The same for fuel pumps.  Etc., etc.
>> To change out a simple starter on my vehicle, I once had to piece together
>> a chain of several socket extensions, including TWO universal joints,
>> totaling about three feet in length so as to thread through a labyrinth
>> of obstructions in order to reach the two bolts that held the goddamned
>> thing.  When I walked into the auto parts emporium to get a replacement
>> the clerk began to heartily laugh: "I'll bet you had a time gettin' this
>> off!"
> I once worked on a Caddy that required lifting the engine several inches 
> off its mounts to change the damn spark plugs. If that isn't the 
> pinnacle of poor design I don't know what is.

Many years ago I had a Morris mini. It had a 2" piece of hose
connecting the radiator to the engine. To replace it you had
to pull out the engine.
And that was a *good* piece of British design.

>> Once, after measuring a low voltage output, I realized that I needed
>> to replace the alternator on my auto.  A look around revealed the faulty
>> original sitting beautifully in an unobstructed location.  I was overjoyed.
>> After quickly removing two bolts I began to pull but the thing wouldn't
>> budge. Looking more closely I discovered a third bolt completely buried
>> in a deep ravine of steel forgings and casts.  It required many hours of
>> frustration to finally free the part.
> Been there, many times.
>> A military fighter jet is designed for continuous maintenance and
>> the design engineers give great attention to including convenient
>> access as part of the overall design.  But the same is not true for
>> the flood of other goods on the consumer and professional market.
>> Good design costs $$$ and will not make it in the competitive world
>> of trash goods that we know and enjoy.  As a consequence, the repairman
>> always has the frustrating job of playing nimble contortionist
> Very true, but a car designed for easy repair would cost so much very 
> few would buy it. Who's at fault, the designers or the consumer?

-- 
[Something about "warm bath in sanctimony"]
Pop over to Tim Blair's for a look.
  -- BONZO@27-32-240-172 [daily nymshifter], 14 Feb 2011 14:39 +1100

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A wrenching problem Sam Wormley <swormley1@gmail.com> - 2015-10-30 21:43 -0500
  Re: A wrenching problem Fabian Russell <root@localhost.localdomain> - 2015-10-31 02:56 +0000
    Re: A wrenching problem xxein1@att.net - 2015-10-31 10:06 -0700
    Re: A wrenching problem benj <none@gmail.com> - 2015-10-31 13:35 -0400
      Re: A wrenching problem Fabian Russell <root@localhost.localdomain> - 2015-10-31 18:06 +0000
        Re: A wrenching problem jimp@specsol.spam.sux.com - 2015-10-31 19:03 +0000
          Re: A wrenching problem Fabian Russell <root@localhost.localdomain> - 2015-10-31 19:33 +0000
            Re: A wrenching problem jimp@specsol.spam.sux.com - 2015-10-31 19:50 +0000
          Re: A wrenching problem benj <none@gmail.com> - 2015-10-31 17:07 -0400
            Re: A wrenching problem Fabian Russell <root@localhost.localdomain> - 2015-10-31 22:22 +0000
              Re: A wrenching problem benj <none@gmail.com> - 2015-10-31 23:12 -0400
                Re: A wrenching problem Fabian Russell <root@localhost.localdomain> - 2015-11-01 04:04 +0000
                Re: A wrenching problem "Ross A. Finlayson" <ross.finlayson@gmail.com> - 2015-10-31 21:29 -0700
                Re: A wrenching problem Fabian Russell <root@localhost.localdomain> - 2015-11-01 06:28 +0000
                Re: A wrenching problem olli.dp3@gmail.com - 2015-10-31 23:09 -0700
                Re: A wrenching problem benj <none@gmail.com> - 2015-11-01 10:49 -0500
      Re: A wrenching problem Fabian Russell <root@localhost.localdomain> - 2015-10-31 18:26 +0000
        Re: A wrenching problem benj <none@gmail.com> - 2015-10-31 16:56 -0400
          Re: A wrenching problem Fabian Russell <root@localhost.localdomain> - 2015-10-31 21:25 +0000
          Re: A wrenching problem Fabian Russell <root@localhost.localdomain> - 2015-10-31 21:33 +0000
            Re: A wrenching problem benj <none@gmail.com> - 2015-10-31 22:56 -0400
      Re: A wrenching problem Fabian Russell <root@localhost.localdomain> - 2015-10-31 19:04 +0000
        Re: A wrenching problem benj <none@gmail.com> - 2015-10-31 17:25 -0400
        Re: A wrenching problem dvus <dven1@adelphia.net> - 2015-11-01 08:29 -0500
          Re: A wrenching problem benj <none@gmail.com> - 2015-11-01 10:21 -0500
            Re: A wrenching problem dvus <dven1@adelphia.net> - 2015-11-01 22:43 -0500
          Re: A wrenching problem R Kym Horsell <kym@kymhorsell.com> - 2015-11-01 18:48 +0000
      Re: A wrenching problem Fabian Russell <root@localhost.localdomain> - 2015-10-31 20:13 +0000

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