There are still some good young people out there

For the past couple months I've been wrestling with the carb on an old (1956) Onan generator. After a couple attempts I finally got the pinhole in the float soldered but could never get the needle to seat properly. I'd taken the carb to a couple different shops to see about parts and was told they couldnt help. All I really wanted was a rubber tip needle to try but was told it HAD TO BE ONAN nothing else would work. My lips never mover but my mind kept saying bullcrap.

Yesterday I stopped in a shop I've never visited to buy some Dolmar saw parts and had a long discussion with the owner about mechanical stuff and how he got started. He had been mentored by an older gent and I told him he certainly did a good job of listening.

I ordered the saw parts and left, when I remembered the Onan carb was in the trunk. Back into the shop and told him how the other shops handled the situation and he just chuckled, reached under the counter and proceeded to rebuild the carb. For a whopping $17 the carb was rebuild even included a new bowl since the old one was really close to getting a hole in it. The young man was 27 years old. Oh yeah, and NONE of the parts were for an Onan.

AND he has now made a NEW customer for life !

Your example clearly is what happens when people with years of experience approches every problem by saying "Well I have always done it like this". Sound familar? Resistance to open mindness,willing to listen and trying new ways is why some people have been in the same place in life for 50 years and will stay there til they die.
That young fella didn't just depend on information from manufactures and old timers on how to do repairs. Checking the industral #s on bearings should be common pratice instead of assighning hundereds of stock #s to the same bearing and selling it for $15 to $45 depending on who's box it's in.

The place I go for bearings they never look at the number, get a caliper, measure it, get new one off shelf. I don't care what it is they have found it.

One of the things I pride myself in is repairing items that others have said can't be repaired...and using common, off the shelf parts that cost three times less than an identical one packaged with another OEM's brand name on it. Like another post suggested, things like that will garner customers for life...and that's what I strive to do.

Check above for notes on Dealers and Service.

Sounds like this guy learned the skills to know HOW to do it and was paying attention when they taught him WHY to do it the way he does.

You are fortuate to find this guy. How far is he from West. NC?

sHan,
You nailed it......we need more guys like that who really give a $hit!! I hope he has a long and successful career in his business!!