Why help 'em?

You mechanics ever have a buddy call you for help and then tell you the reason you were successful was because of the advice a half a dozen other people had given him? "The heat loosened it up" or "The penetrant soaked in", but you being there with your knowledge had nothing to do with it. Once I was heating a large collar to slide off a shaft, and just when got it started moving, he sprays water from a Ajax bottle to cool it, because "That's how they do it at the salvage yard". Why do these guys call for help if they have all the answers?

If the guy or customer tells me he has all these better ways of doing things than I do. I usually let them take their stuff home and do them their way.

Reminds me of an old sign that went something like this:
Labor rates
$5/hour
$10/hour if you help
$20/hour if you already tried to fix it

(quoted from post at 22:50:59 10/22/12) Reminds me of an old sign that went something like this:
Labor rates
$5/hour
$10/hour if you help
$20/hour if you already tried to fix it

Click to expand...

hat is accurate!

Cause when they call for help they feel like less than you so they are trying to prove that they are just as good. They don't want to lose their man cards.

Rick

Don't usually work on cars but when a good friends girlfriends car died I offered to help him work on it. What happened is that it has overheated an shut her down in an intersection while in town. Symptoms indicated it was more than likely a blown head gasket.

Anyway, it turns out the car belonged to the girlfriend's grandfather. After talking to him a couple of times, and hearing things that were said, when he said he would pick it up an work on it since I was already busy, I had absolutely no problem letting it go. It was obvious he knew ALOT more about it than I did by comments made such as all of the grayish sludge in the radiator was from normal use, and it just needed a flush. Then there were comments made that, 'maybe the problem is just a bad spark plug', the overheating problem wasn't really an issue, it was all caused by a blown radiator hose...along with other, similar comments and uneducated observations.

So, they picked up the car, he 'repaired' it in about the same amount of time I had given to get it done for them ((((Note--- I was going to do it for free to help out a young friend who wasn't in the best financial shape)), and got it back on the road. Within just a few weeks it was missing, skipping, smoking, etc, etc, etc once again.....Fortunately I haven't been asked to help with it this time because the first time it was made abundantly clear that the grandfather knew more than I did, and that anything I did wouldn't be right unless it was done his way......Nope, I don't work that way.

Years ago Dad pulled on a site and started working.The customer came out and started running his mouth telling Dad exactly what was wrong with the machine. He listened for a minute or two and then started loading his tools back on the trick. Customer asked him where he was going, and he stated he was headed back to the shop since he (the customer) ovbiously knew more about the machine than he did and obviously didn't need his help. Customers tune changed immediately and he al but begged Dad not to leave. Pop agreed to stay but told the customer to carry his a$$ on and not bother him anymore if he wanted the machine running again.......

You know Fritz, most of my friends are also mechanics of varying skills and pursuits. I do help them on areas where I am more experienced, and they share their expetise as I need. Perhaps I am prejudice, but, if I see a bunch of young men mustered around a car on the side of the road, I usually drive on. If I see an elderly women with a broke car, however, I almost always stop to see if I can help. Most guys at least think they are mechanics, and nothing I can say will change that they think the only reason their car or equipment doesn't work is that their mechanic isn't as smart as they are. My brother is an exception. As a school teacher, he has no problem admiting that he isn't a mechanic, but, most of us guys are born believing that we are mechanics, and lawyers, doctors and most other professions when needed. It is who we are.

we all got friends like that... Some get worse as time goes on to the point of second guessing you on tour own turf/job/project.... That's when it's time to insert the boot...

I had one of those experts in my shop last year. Told me that he would tune up his mower. Since I was trying to cheat him. Thing was pumping oil out the exhaust.

I drive by it everyday. Still under the tree where he parked it. Last year.

I am the mechanic of my neighborhood. I also have a low BS tolerance. If you know what the problem is and how to fix it, why are you here?
I have learned to work alone without help for that reason. My shop, my tools, my rules.

my question is???
WHY are YOU here???
if someone has a ?,,,
perhaps someone here
has had the same problem
and can help them out,,,
dumbest ? in the world is,,,
i think i know what i'm doing???
have a great day

Fritz
i did quite a bit of mechanic work in my day and my favorite introduction to the problem by the customer was " ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS......" makes you want to pull your hair out. al

(quoted from post at 09:58:03 10/23/12) my question is???
WHY are YOU here???
if someone has a ?,,,
perhaps someone here
has had the same problem
and can help them out,,,
dumbest ? in the world is,,,
i think i know what i'm doing???
have a great day

Click to expand...

...and the Totally Missed the Point Award goes to...