No meekness required.

Posted by Joe on July 20, 1998 at 10:34:10

In Reply to: Re: Starter Overhaul --Yes, there really IS a finale!!!
posted by Gordon Biggar on July 17, 1998 at 22:35:48

Gordon
In the mechanical arts there is a standard way of doing things.There is also a standard way of "screwing it up".
Normally once something is disassembled, your first try at assembly is completely successful - except the thing is assembled upside down, backwards, and left to right instead of right to left. And it won't run.And if you're really lucky you won't destroy the thing or get hurt in the attempt.
The second try is only upside down and backwards.By this time you have the sense to stand back when you try it out.
The third try is only backwards.Now you know enough of your mistake to not want to try it out.
The fourth try is the charm, and by this time you've totally figured the stupid thing out, and nearly worn out the bolts that hold it all together in the process.You don't even have to try it because you know it's right.
I just went through all of this with a Sears Shopvac (want to see something really complicated - their engineer must be a perverse and tortured soul.)Finally after about three hours and nearly midnight on Saturday night I got the foolish thing to work again.I can't imagine that Sears can make and sell these things and actually make money at it.Perhaps they don't - they just make the money on the replacement hoses and filters.
The self education of this engineer-mechanic continues almost daily.If I live long enough, I may get some measure of skill in things mechanical.But, by then I won't care.The attendants at the rest home are even less impressionable than the public at large. ("We caught the old codger trying to "fix" the television again.We stopped him before he could hurt himself".)
Best regards,
Joe

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