Engineers....

[watab kid]

OK , lets talk about the cars and trucks that you have to disassemble to replace a battry or a light - no longer have common sense but then we might also blame government regulations as they are dictating a lot of the goals and restricting the approach , 

[Blackwater 53393]

20 hours ago, watab kid said:

OK , lets talk about the cars and trucks that you have to disassemble to replace a battry or a light - no longer have common sense but then we might also blame government regulations as they are dictating a lot of the goals and restricting the approach , 

 

I’d almost say let’s not!!  While many of these new vehicles have longer life spans and better performance and economy, the manufacturers have made them far more expensive and more costly and difficult to work on.

 

They have also tried to make servicing these vehicles harder or even impossible for the average consumer.  Some manufacturers will void the warranty if you try to do more than change the oil or add fluids yourself!!

 

While government regulations may have forced some changes, safety and emissions being their major priority, the design and construction of most newer vehicles and the addition of invasive electronics and systems that allow for and promote distracted driving or that practically eliminate the need for the driver to remain alert and pay real attention to the business of operating the vehicle has actually made vehicles less safe and much more difficult and expensive to buy and maintain!!

 

It’s called OVER ENGINEERING!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Eyesa Horg]

When I worked at Chevy,we had a diesel pickup come in with a defective sensor. Don't remember what it was, but it took the tech almost 2 days to change it under warranty! It was under the valley pan. Complete disassembly of the top end to get to it. The damper pulley was torqued to 600 ft#s, took two guys with a pipe to get it loose. Why would you put a sensor inside the motor? 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

It’s easy to blame the engineers but often it’s the bean counters who set the rules and create the problems.

[Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062]

[watab kid]

11 hours ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

 

I’d almost say let’s not!!  While many of these new vehicles have longer life spans and better performance and economy, the manufacturers have made them far more expensive and more costly to work on.

 

They have also tried to make servicing these vehicles harder or even impossible for the average consumer.  Some manufacturers will void the warranty if you try to do more than change the oil or add fluids yourself!!

 

While government regulations may have forced some changes, safety and emissions being their major priority, the design and construction of most newer vehicles and the addition of invasive electronics and systems that allow for and promote distracted driving or that practically eliminate the need for the driver to remain alert and pay real attention to the business of operating the vehicle has actually made vehicles less safe and much more difficult and expensive to buy and maintain!!

 

It’s called OVER ENGINEERING!!

 

 

part of the cost increases are the things that presidents have put on the auto makers as they left office - obama signed on to highly restrictive mileage requirement that have a loophole - the mfgrs can pay big tariffs to miss the goals [they add that cost to the price tag] government gets the fees ......sounds like blackmail to me , 

 

 

 

 

[watab kid]

11 minutes ago, watab kid said:

 

part of the cost increases are the things that presidents have put on the auto makers as they left office - obama signed on to highly restrictive mileage requirement that have a loophole - the mfgrs can pay big tariffs to miss the goals [they add that cost to the price tag] government gets the fees ......sounds like blackmail to me , 

[Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062]

[Injun Ryder, SASS #36201L]

An electrical engineer convinced his wife to unplug any unused extension cord by telling her that the electricity was running out the unplugged end!

[Eyesa Horg]

2 minutes ago, Injun Ryder, SASS #36201L said:

An electrical engineer convinced his wife to unplug any unused extension cord by telling her that the electricity was running out the unplugged end!

Ya just need to keep the end above the outlet!

[Cypress Sun]

13 minutes ago, Injun Ryder, SASS #36201L said:

An electrical engineer convinced his wife to unplug any unused extension cord by telling her that the electricity was running out the unplugged end!

 

I used to occasionally have people ask me why I used a level when installing an electrical panel or the like. I always told them that if the panel/whatever wasn't level that the electric would all run to one side.

[Sedalia Dave]

[Blackwater 53393]

7 hours ago, Sedalia Dave said:

There you have it!!  There was ABSOLUTELY NO REASON  to put that there!! Over a hundred years of the starter bolting on from the outside, where it is easily serviced, and some idiot decides to make it a major task to replace it!!  
 

That ain’t “bean counters” and the casting process and mold creation to make that happen would cost millions of dollars and require a temporary shutdown of the production line!

 

It’s just part of the plan to make the product “not user serviceable”!!!

[Blackwater 53393]

As a follow up to the post above, since they were changing the casting to move the starter inboard, they COULD HAVE recast to allow the starter to be on the outside of the bell housing and let it bolt to the two bolt holes in the engine block!

 

This would have save two bolts and the creation of the wiring harness to pass through the bell housing! That would have given the bean counters erotic level delight!!

 

I’m guessing that the guy that designed that had his wife or girlfriend stolen by some good looking mechanic!!

 

 

[Eyesa Horg]

Who the hell thought putting the fuel pump in the tank was a good idea? At least they have access panels now. At least on some makes.! It was so inconvenient mounted on the engine or frame rail.

[Blackwater 53393]

3 minutes ago, Eyesa Horg said:

Who the hell thought putting the fuel pump in the tank was a good idea? At least they have access panels now. At least on some makes.! It was so inconvenient mounted on the engine or frame rail.

It took a while for the engineers to figure out that access was critical, but putting those high pressure electric fuel pumps in the thank was a good idea, safety wise!!

 

Spending most of the time immersed in fuel extends the life of the pump drastically.  It also helps keep some high pressure leaks on the inside of the tank, reducing the chance for fire.

 

It also eliminates the possibility of fuel being pumped into the engine’s oiling system, a problem that plagued those mechanical fuel pumps when the inner diaphragm ruptured.

 

That last one was responsible for many an engine having to be repaired or replaced when the bearings and moving parts failed due to oil contamination.

 

I usually remove the mechanical pumps from the engine on my own vehicles and replace them with a free standing electric fuel pump as soon as possible.

 

In my nearly fifty years of automotive and industrial repair, I encountered dozens of engines that failed that way.

 

 

[Eyesa Horg]

2 hours ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

It took a while for the engineers to figure out that access was critical, but putting those high pressure electric fuel pumps in the thank was a good idea, safety wise!!

 

Spending most of the time immersed in fuel extends the life of the pump drastically.  It also helps keep some high pressure leaks on the inside of the tank, reducing the chance for fire.

 

It also eliminates the possibility of fuel being pumped into the engine’s oiling system, a problem that plagued those mechanical fuel pumps when the inner diaphragm ruptured.

 

That last one was responsible for many an engine having to be repaired or replaced when the bearings and moving parts failed due to oil contamination.

 

I usually remove the mechanical pumps from the engine on my own vehicles and replace them with a free standing electric fuel pump as soon as possible.

 

In my nearly fifty years of automotive and industrial repair, I encountered dozens of engines that failed that way.

 

 

Thanks for that explanation. It makes more sense now.

Still a PIA though since they seem to fail with a full tank!

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

37 minutes ago, Eyesa Horg said:

Still a PIA though since they seem to fail with a full tank!

On Sunday evening after the auto parts stores are closed.

[Sedalia Dave]

Best advice I was ever given was to not let the fuel get below 1/4 of a tank. Especially in hot weather. The fuel in the tank cools the pump and when you run the tank dry the pump gets hot. This leads to premature failure.