Hi,
Regarding you post about oil lights and ignition switches...
Warning - little to no lbc content!
So, I was a senior in high school and felt it was important for me to earn
some money - 1. see Tom's reference to his passenger, I had a "lot of
passengers" back then and 2. my Dad more or less insisted that I get a job
because I was "lazy". Let's not visit that...
At any rate, there I am working at a gas station as a "mechanic" with
absolutely _no_ training. The "boss" tells me to change to oil in the '66
Pontiac LeMans that's in the yard and to adjust the brakes. Sure, no
problem, I say - I've done both before.
I put the car on the lift, up in the air. Go to the book - get out the
filter for the '66 Pontiac LeMans. Get 5 quarts of iol, you know the drill.
The oil change was simple...
I then tried to adjust the brakes. I had the "right tool" and everything.
The star adjusters would simply not move - FROZEN... So, I put the car down
and drive it back to it's parking place.
This was the end of my shift, so I tell the guy that is working after me:
"Don't let that car go out, the brakes don't work and I need the boss to
look at it." "Sure" says my coworker.
Next day I go to get my week's pay... I go in, the boss says: "Here's your
money, but it'll be a little short of what you earned. I took out money for
the oil and the filter from that Pontiac... Oh, and you're fired."
Turns out that the car was a '67, and apparently Pontiac changed the engine
such that the oil filter was not interchangable between the two years. When
the "owner" showed up for the car, my dim-witted coworker let him take the
car. The guy starts it up, and starts to pull out. As he was exiting the
station, he noticed that oil light was on, clearly the result of all 5
quarts of new oil exiting the crankcase from the improper filter. So, he
jammed on the brakes which did not work and he hit a parked car...
I suppose I was lucky nobody was killed or injured.
I still get that sinking feeling of anxiety when I change the oil on
someone else's car when they turn the key on.
And I _never_ use a third party to convey a message that is important -
especially when there is a safety issue.
Oh well, it's a beautiful day out there. I think I'll go change the oil.
See ya,
rml
TR6's
---------------------------------------------------------
Bob Lang | Editor | New England Triumphs
Phone: 781-438-2568 | |
FAX: 617-258-9535 | |
---------------------------------------------------------
|