What's A Plastic Gauge?

Ultradog MN · Sep 12, 2013

I went in to Oreilly's to get some white lithium grease and some Plastigauge.
Found the grease on the shelf, then went to the counter to get the plastigauge.
Fellow, about 30 asked; "What's a plasitc gauge?"
I told him "You know, Plas-tee-gauge. For measuring bearing clearances."
"Never heard of it. What's it for?"
So I told him to ask the manager for it.
He came back a minute later with two boxes of it.
I explained how you set a piece on your journal then torque the cap down. Then take the cap back off and use the scale on the package to see how much clearance is in your bearings.
His eyes glazed over as I was giving him my 15 second explanation. I could see it wasn't sinking in.
He rang up my 2 items and I paid and went on my way.
But I felt bad for some reason.
Like I'd lost something somewhere.

HCooke · Sep 12, 2013

Jerry that's funny - and I think you are one of the best communicators on the forum!

PeteTheRookie · Sep 12, 2013

LOL. The Millennial Generation don"t know nothing about fixing anything. They just ask Dad to fix it or throw it away and buy another one with parents money.
I posted on Facebook a pic of the old and new power steering rack and pinion I was changing on my Camry.
Titled it "Nice Rack" to be a wise guy.
99% of my "friends" had now idea what it was.
Pete

Tom in Mo. · Sep 12, 2013

>His eyes glazed over as I was giving him my 15 second explanation. I could see it wasn't sinking in.<

The first thing to come to mind is "The End is Near"

You showed alot of patience.

Billy NY · Sep 12, 2013

LOL ? in the title, before opening the post, I'm like, really ? Knowing you're background a bit from all the posts over the years, and not like I've ever even used one, I have a basic understanding of what they do, funny post ! Hey ya learned the lad something, even though it did not sink in at the moment, he'll remember that I am sure !

mudcreek183 · Sep 12, 2013

Your think that is bad a couple of young ones I work with never heard of a wind up watch.

waltdavies · Sep 12, 2013

When I was very young just starting out working I would have looked you and sais WHAT? I soon learned what it was though and used it a few times since. Funny though with the bearings we just don't use it anymore it was originally made for Babbitt bearing that had to be shimmed or scraped to fit.
Walt
We have come a long way in the last few years.

Dan T in MO · Sep 12, 2013

I needed some electro-magnets for a project I was working on. Went to Radio Shack and looked at what they had-nothing. A young worker came over to offer assistance. After searching in vane for electro-magnets and explaining several times I didn't want permanent magnets, I finally asked if he had any magnet wire so I could make them myself. He asked, "Is that wire that becomes magnetic when you run electricity through it?" After a quick physics lesson, I acted like I gave up and headed for the door. He found another customer to help and I went back and found the magnet wire.

gwstang · Sep 12, 2013

"His eyes glazed over as I was giving him my 15 second explanation. I could see it wasn't sinking in.
He rang up my 2 items and I paid and went on my way.
But I felt bad for some reason.
Like I'd lost something somewhere."

Yep! You will never get the 15 seconds you wasted on this idgit back!!! Trying to contribute to the wealth of human knowledge to someone who just doesn't want to learn is just wasted time at best.

welled deers · Sep 12, 2013

asked a young man behind the counter at an auto parts store for an 8-32 tap. He asked what size that is. He never did get it and I had to a ask for a manager

Anonymous-0 · Sep 12, 2013

And there wanting to raise the minimum wage too

greygoat · Sep 12, 2013

I learned about PLASTIGAUGE in the 1940"s, more
than 3 score years, or over half a Century ago !

pete black · Sep 12, 2013

archie campbell of heehaw once said that kind of
watch that needs an exterminator; it's full of
ticks!

Royse · Sep 12, 2013

Did you explain what a journal, cap, clearance and torque were?
If not, he was most assuredly lost.
You extended his work day by 15 seconds so he'll get paid for it.
No, it's not funny but sadly it's true.

GeneMO · Sep 12, 2013

So I gather you didn't finish up by explaining how you could, eons ago, pour bearings out of moltin babbit, then scrape them down to fit?

No, that wouldn't have worked cause he never figured out what bearing were in the first place.

My case was worse than that, I went in a Menards "Lumber Yard" and asked where the dimensional lumber was. Woman had no idea what I said. I said, " you know, 2x4's, 1x6's, etc. She had to call.

Gene

showcrop · Sep 12, 2013

A few years ago, I went to an Autozone (regional chain)for some plastigauge, had the same reaction from kid at the counter. A young woman behind him overheard me and said just a minute, and she came back with some red and some green. Maybe we will be seeing more stay-at-home dads.

farmallboy15 · Sep 12, 2013

Auto parts stores don't hire genius's. If they knew anything they would be working on the vehicles... I"ll admit I didn"t know what plastigauge was until I rebuilt my first engine..

Royse · Sep 12, 2013

If they knew anything they would be working on the vehicles...

Every time I have to pay for parts I think I'm on the wrong side of the counter.
If they were really smart, they'd be the ones owning the companies that make the parts!

john in la · Sep 12, 2013

I went to Autozone and asked for a card of top post battery terminals. Kid says all our battery terminals are on the shelf over there.
I tell him I looked over there and all those were packs of 2. I wanted a whole card of 10.
Says we do not sell that.
About this time the manager finishes with another customer and walks over by us to see if he can help.
We go threw the same thing and I hear we do not sell that.
I tell him their web site says they have it in stock.
Sorry sir the web must be wrong cause we do not sell that.

OK can I get part number 1234
He goes in the back and comes out with a card of battery terminals. Says he did not even know they sold that item.

Texasmark1 · Sep 12, 2013

I went to O'Reilly's the other day for a tube of Lubriplate 109 grease since it was next door to the grocery store.

Guy said what's that and he was a senior citizen. I told him it's white grease about half way between 140 w oil and #2 grease used for putting engines back together. Store was in some kind of turmoil. The two older gents were being bossed around by a much younger woman, apparently showing her authority, barked out half a dozen orders the few minutes I was in the store and she wasn't the least bit polite to me....you know a cash paying customer.....the thing that makes the business possible.

Left without it as they had none; didn't need it, just was out of stock. Guess that's the end of that new to the neighborhood AP store for me.

I didn't go by but I bet the local mom and pop auto parts store that also stocks hydraulic hoses and some farm parts had it. I've been dealing with the same guy there for over 35 years. Was in there several weeks ago and he was getting gray. My how time passes.

Mark

Paul from MI · Sep 12, 2013

Maybe that's why I go to our local NAPA store--been in business since 1946 and there's guys and gals in there that know what a generator looks like.

bingal2 · Sep 12, 2013

Went to a major building supply store to buy some nails,young man said can i help you, i said i want a small box of 6 penny box nails, he looked at me and said what kind of box are you makeing. Yes it is SAD. DON

old · Sep 12, 2013

Yep now days if it is not in the computer and the yguy has hands on real engine work they do not have a clue. Sad that many places like Napa and O'Reilly's hire the cheap labor do not know what this or that is and then you wonder why stuff does not work as it should. Much like Wal-Mart or should I say China mart you buy something for say $25 like shoes and they last you maybe 2 months. Sad thing is in my town you have China mart or nothing to buy a sneaker type shoe

onefarmer · Sep 12, 2013

Royse, Did you ever go to an Action Auto store? They "were" a round 20-30 years ago. I was on the other side of the counter when I went in needing parts.

Because of them I have my drivers license memorized. Took back half the parts I bought due to there staff. And needed a DL for returns. I finally started looking up the parts with them.

Gee I wonder why they aren't a round any more.

PJH · Sep 12, 2013

Minimum wage. Chinese parts. I'll say that everything you took home said "Made in China" on the box. Those places are paying minimum wage, and wouldn't pay that much if they weren't forced to. What can you expect?

I bet the manager is only making a nickle over minimum.

They probably can't find their way home after work.

Royse · Sep 12, 2013

(quoted from post at 22:23:31 09/12/13) Royse, Did you ever go to an Action Auto store? They "were" a round 20-30 years ago. I was on the other side of the counter when I went in needing parts.

Because of them I have my drivers license memorized. Took back half the parts I bought due to there staff. And needed a DL for returns. I finally started looking up the parts with them.

Gee I wonder why they aren't a round any more.

I remember the Action Auto chain, but I didn't deal with them.
I was floating around the world in the Navy during that time frame.
Sometimes wish I still was. LOL

Rick Kr · Sep 12, 2013

Action Auto... Great joke around these parts, there was one on the west side of Flint. Mostly useless, they did have a good selection of window tint and air fresheners! Didn"t last long. 30 years later the Auto Zone two doors down isn"t much different.

Rick

504-1 · Sep 12, 2013

You would be surprised at how much they pay at parts stores for help(not to bad) You need to find the "Commercial Counter" at the chain stores. Those people will know a lot more than the front line kids.

oleclint · Sep 12, 2013

Went to O Reilys a few yrs ago needing a set of spark plugs for a 50 JD "B". The "parts profesional" guy could not find them in the book. I looked over the counter and he was in the snow mobile section! I told him to hand the book over , found the listing in a minute. Kid came back with a box of 4. Told him that tractor took only 2 plugs, His response was ,We do not open the box , take all 4 or none. I left with 2 plugs and have never been back. Stupid " Parts Professional" clint

bill mart · Sep 12, 2013

ditto on feeling like you are on the wrong side of the counter. I try to look my parts on line before I walk into the auto parts stores. Bill

C.R. · Sep 13, 2013

its not just the kids,I went to our local napa(no auto parts available) I needed a couple of fittings for a gasoline line on a car I was fixing the old duffer behind the counter just COULD NOT GET IT all the dummy could say was "your tryin to reinvent the wheel" by the time I walked(stomped) out I was totally irritated I went 20 miles to an oreilys and the young fellow behind the counter had me fixed up in a jiffy

Gambles · Sep 13, 2013

My local O'Reilly store knows what PlastiGage is as I've used a lot of it and they all know what to get off the shelf. But when I last tried to get G-05 antifreeze, the type of antifreeze that Ford used to use for over 10 years, they get the deer-in-the-headlights look and try to sell me all-makes-and-all-models antifreeze.It doesn't give me much confidence.
Seriously, when you go into an auto parts store, you better know exactly what you want to get ahead of time and you better carefully check what they do give you to make sure that it is correct.

dustycoal · Sep 13, 2013

Been looking up my parts on line so I have the part #s for them, even pre order on line sometimes if they have that option so my parts are on the counter. Works well most of the time and I don't waste my time or the cost of running to parts store to find they don't have it or pull the I don't know what your looking for. Another benefit is they get to know you for that!

Mike (WA) · Sep 13, 2013

Sad truth is that lots of people are working in jobs now for which they have no aptitude or interest. Used to be, a kid would say "I like cars- think I'll get a job in an auto parts store so I can learn more about them." He might not have known what plastiguage is, but he would have been interested in learning about it.

Now, a kid says "I gotta eat- so I gotta get a job. . . any job." So he's just puttin' in his time, and doesn't care a whit about what he's doing.

Welcome to modern America.

Dr. Walt · Sep 13, 2013

It's not just the Auto Parts stores, it's everywhere. A few months ago I went into Home Depot to get some more 3/4" to 1/2" steel pipe unions. I even took one in with me. The guy in the Plumbing Dept. said "We have 3/4 to 3/4 or 1/2 to 1/2 unions, but they don't make a 3/4 to 1/2 union". I handed him the union that I'd brought with me and told him that if they don't make them then just what do you call this. We finally ended up going to their order catalog, and sure enough they DO make them. Had to special order them, but NOW they do keep them in stock.

MattE · Sep 13, 2013

My favorite... Went in to get a glo-plug relay for a 95' powerstroke.

That should have been all the info they needed.

But after
make...
model...
engine...7.3 powerstroke DIESEL
2wd or 4wd
..........

You needed spark plugs right?

ME.. yep!

Huh.. doesn't list them...

ME... how bout' that..

gotta have them, I mean an engine cant run without spark plugs.

Kid was still looking as I was walking out.

Pops1532 · Sep 13, 2013

30 some years ago I asked for Plastigauge at a "real" parts store. The counter guy was clueless. Their delivery guy was a friend of mine and he overheard me explaining what Plastigauge was. The delivery guy told the counter guy where it was. The counter guy gave them to me. He couldn't understand how the "strings" in the paper sleeve were in any way useful.

DENNIS MIN · Sep 13, 2013

old,

Plenty years back, I questioned you on the need for spark plugs for a diesel...

I didn't know about the farmall gas starts, and I've plenty experience on engines.

Sometimes it's what you know, and what I don't that seperates us.

D.

old · Sep 13, 2013

Yep many things a person can learn if they keep there ears and eyes open. Yep I worked at a place once and told them I had a TD6 IH dozier and that it started on gas and switch to diesel they told me I didn't know what I was talking about till I threw the owners manual down on the table one day and said READ it and learn and do not question what you do not know unless you have facts to go on

T in NE · Sep 14, 2013

Our NAPA has a few good people, but even the good ones aren't the greatest when it comes to getting into the books.

The restaurant they shared a wall with burnt, and they had to move. They've got a guy in there now, I walked in and held up a hydraulic hose "I need a new male end put on this". He took it, looked at it, and asked the girl (one of the better ones) at the counter how to put a new end on a hose with an end on it already. He walked in back and I asked "really", she said "yeeeeaaaaahhhhhh".

mj · Sep 14, 2013

(quoted from post at 18:09:09 09/12/13) I learned about PLASTIGAUGE in the 1940"s, more
than 3 score years, or over half a Century ago !

If you learned about in the '40s then you've 'got me' by a lustrum or two :lol:

What's A Plastic Gauge?

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