I apologize in advance if this particular post isn’t funny…it’s not meant to be. While parts counter clerks and mechanics share a lot of the same trials and tribulations that customers cause, those behind the computer are lucky in a sense: they don’t get to see the kind of mechanical kit-bashing that mechanics see. We aren’t talking “1001 Ways To Use A Zip-Tie” level bodging, we are talking “call a taxi, because that pile of 100% fertilizer is NOT leaving my garage” bad. Mechanics, I’m sure you have seen at least one setup that has made you leave work and think about every last car on the road and how it could possibly break and kill you. I do, and I don’t wrench professionally. Just yesterday, on the way home, I saw a late 1990s Chevrolet Malibu with tires so bald that I could see cording from one lane over. That’s f***ing frightening thought, right there. If it sounds calloused, I don’t care: I’m not bothered in the least if the operator of the car is removed from the gene pool because they are too ignorant to properly maintain their vehicle. But if there are kids in the car, or if they cause an accident and possibly injure someone who would have never seen it coming, that’s the kind of negligence that comes with a prison sentence. Or, at least, it should.
A regular on the UPCG Facebook page shared this photo. The story: the customer came in for brakes and a master cylinder. Someone cut the brake lines on the car, and the customer repaired them. Now, they are reporting a soft pedal feel. Those are not fuel lines. Those are the hard brake lines that have a couple inches of rubber hose clamped on. How well should this be expected to work? On a hydraulic brake line you are looking at a couple thousand PSI of pressure during brake application. How this guy managed to make it to this garage is beyond belief. I’m not 100% sure if that is a shadow or brake fluid just above the wiring loom, but my money says that’s leaking fluid. Had this repair gone, the brakes would have followed, and then what, you mechanical genius? No brakes means that stopping will be accomplished by one of three alternative methods: you can use the emergency brake, you can use slow friction (roll to a stop) or you can use quick friction (also known as an impact). Again, a guess, but I’d wager that the second the foot pedal goes to the floor this driver would go into “oh, shit!” mode and forget everything while panicking.
I have no words that are printable that I would like to offer up to the owner of this vehicle. Readers, you got any words of wisdom for Wile E. Coyote here?
I’ve had to run away to the safety of my local cruise as Wor Lass is well and truly on the warpath.
She says she is going to fly over and give you guys the spanking of your lives for using that picture of her in a bad mood again.
Be afraid, be very afraid….
I first saw the picture and thought, “Well, that fuel line is a little jury rigged, but I’ve seen worse.” Then I read the text and saw it was a brake line.
That’s not the worst I’ve seen . Try baling wire holding the tie rod end to the spindle or a brake fluid bottle with a hose thru a hole drilled in the master cylinder cap because ” I don’t know where the brake fluid keeps on disappearing to ” . These people should not breed or should be in the next installment of the deadly Darwin awards .
I had a customer come in to get hs brakes looked at because they weren’t working very well. The mechanic removed the front tire and called me over. It looked like a sunburst pattern where the piston for the disc brake caliper had bee stopping the car and wore through the surface of the disc and into the cooling vanes! The piston was half gone.
I worked up an estimate for the customer and when he saw the price he told us to just put it back together because he could not afford that. Well, I told him we could not do that because now that we have seen it, we cannot let it go because if he wrecks we could be held liable. To say he was a little pissed off would be like saying Mount Everest is a mere hill!!!
over 30yrs in the parts store business, I had at least 4 clowns wanting to do this trick. sent them packing. and then there is the other yahoos who think brass compression fittings are just as good. glad I am out of the business. now I’m on the other side of the counter and have to deal with idiot counter people.