Date: Sat, 3 Jun 2000 12:30:15 -0400
Reply-To: "Horace K. Sawyer" <firestream@MINDSPRING.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "Horace K. Sawyer" <firestream@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject: Re: To be or Not to be/bearings
In-Reply-To: <39390605.3756B89D@netins.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Cranky husband:
Heck no there is nothing unusual, except it can be pain.
If he is a fist rate mechanic, or even second rate, with the tools, he can
do it. Get a manual first, or get instructions from the list.
Mechanic: just be honest with him. Tell him your husband is going to do
it. He was mad, or whatever. You didn't want to bug him, but, now you've
caused the mechanic trouble. You certainly did not have that intention, or
intended just to 'use' him for a free diagnosis. An expert diagnosis is
well worth paying for. Offer to pay the mech for the diagnosis or just
give him $20. He will appreciate it more than you know, and he WILL be
there when you need him. And you WILL need him. That is as sure as the
fact that it is going to be hot as hell in Georgia this year. Whatever you
do, don't make up some b.s. story to the mech. Destroys your credibility.
Don't give him a reason to be mad at you and have a motivation to 'get you
back.'
Now, if you can top this, you sure as heck don't need to go the list for
any answers. : )
HK
aloha
__________
"Book him Dano, murder one." "Book 'em all, Dano. Book everybody in sight."
"Just book."
At 08:20 AM 6/3/00 -0500, you wrote:
>Hi again,
>
>Well as I said I went to the shop, where I met Chuck, thinking I might
>have to replace the rear seal that had just been done less than a month
>ago and have the crank micro'd/shimmed for end play. But it seems, that
>the oil leak is so slight it's not worth doing at this point. Would
>take it back to the original Mech. that did it...but he's in Florida and
>I'm in Iowa. Not quite worth the 1400 mile drive :o) Hubby didn't
>want to mess with THAT project to begin with and told me to take it in.
>
> While I was there I mentioned a little noise I'd been hearing and
>didn't know if it was the tire tread sound on the road or a front
>bearing. (praying the whole time it wasn't the transmission) So Kevin,
>the VW mechanic (really nice guy) took her for a spin. (YIKES-he drove
>out of there like the flag just dropped on the Indy 500!!) My poor
>baby. Anyway, Got back and said it needed a R front wheel bearing.
>Would get me in Wed and out the door in about an hour for under $100.
>Sounds reasonable to me.
>
>So......here comes the good part. I get home and hubby crankily says
>"order the parts and I'll do it and be done in less than an hour".
>(hubby is also a Mechanic by trade for his day job, albeit big trucks
>not VW's) Now....I don't want to lose this rare find of a savvy VW
>vanagon mechanic by pissing him off and not having him do the job.
>But.....I'd like to buy the parts myself in addition to buying a
>Bentley and having hubby do the work (with me helping, of course :o)
>for the same price. And.....saving the Professional VW man for any
>tricky stuff that needs to be done in the future. Also now might be
>able to afford the AC fix or a new side door bug screen.....
>
>Looking for the wisdom the list has to offer........
>Is there anything unusual about doing a Vanagon front wheel bearing
>replacement or special tools ? Hubby said something about he'd do the
>inside and outside bearings plus seal. Jeez if he screwed it up I'd be
>unfit to live with for a month.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Katy
>89 Westy "Jezebel"
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