...thought it was OK to have to drop the drive shaft in order to change the auto-tranny filter!
As it was 110 degrees today I'm pretty POed.

If I was King for a day I'd make every car engineer and thier supervisors pull regular maintainece on a new car design outside in a Wisconson winter, IN SHORTS, before final approval. Bet thier would be no more oil filters that you need 4 joints in your arm to reach, no spark plugs that can't be changed with out lifting the engine and no dropping the drive shaft or pulling off of anything to do a fluid change   Everything would be quick and easy.

<rant-off>

Steve

AMEN!



Ever tried to change the spark plugs on a 4.0L Ford Ranger/Explorer?  Easy enough except for the rear sparkplug on the driver's side is nearly directly behind the AIR line running on top of the manifold.  Luckily you can get the spark plug socket in the hole, stick the extension into it, tilt the whole assembly, and then turn it enough that you can get it loose.

Let's not forget ball joints that are integrated into control arms so you have to replace the whole thing as one unit!

this is a good one - new ford f150's you have to raise the cab up off the frame to replace head gaskets!!!

derekj

ever try to change out the rear bank of plugs on a toyota avalon v6 at home in the driveway? A ten minute job takes 3 hours fumbling around with 3 extensions and 2 u joints on the wrench LOL

I HEAR YOU!!!


The engineers should be the first against the wall when the revolution comes!!!

AMEN!



Ever tried to change the spark plugs on a 4.0L Ford Ranger/Explorer?  Easy enough except for the rear sparkplug on the driver's side is nearly directly behind the AIR line running on top of the manifold.  Luckily you can get the spark plug socket in the hole, stick the extension into it, tilt the whole assembly, and then turn it enough that you can get it loose.

As a matter of fact.....yes I have......lol

My wife's old civic was the "pull the passenger side tire off to change the oil" thing.  That was fun.  Whats up with that anyway??

If I EVER become an auotmotive engineer I PROMISE I'll take all this into acount. I know what its like too. I bet most of them have never used a wrench before .

Hey lets not forget the brains behind genral motors that gave us the S10 & S15's.. Ain't nothing like raising a body 4 to 6 inches to do a engine swap... All that just for a few bellhousing bolts... And while I'm at it I'll also slam fomoco for the joy of changing spark plugs in the areostar's...My Tracker has been by far the best  to work on in years.....

Yeah, that's true, this Tracker is the EASIEST thing I have wrenched in years.. haven't found much to complain about yet.. I would bitch about having to remove the front housing to get at the thirdmember,  only it's SO easy to pull the housing..

Bout the only thing I have found to truly complain about is the poor design for the rear mount of the front diff, BUT, it was never designed to hold up to what we put it through...

thats alright a couple of years ago my sister called me to say that the battery was dead in her 01 Intrepid so I went ahead and grabbed a new battery on the way.  When I popped the hood i couldn't find the battery. You have to remove a wheel to change the battery WTF??? So I just jumped her I wasnt going to do all of that on the side of the road. Whilst working at NAPA I found out that a lot of Chrysler Cars are like this.  As a matter of fact some newer vehicles youe have to remove the back seat to change the battery. It is pretty bad that now we have a book to tell us where the batteries are located on specific vehicles....used to be you opened the hood and viola theres the battery

These are all reasons why I locve my Kicks
RWD.engine is mounted in the proper location and direction.
FWDs are a PITA

The engineers should be the first against the wall when the revolution comes!!!

Interesting fact.  A copy of Encyclopedia Galactica fell through a wormhole and under the defenition of "Automotive Engineers" was a simple line specifying that they were the first against the wall when the revolution comes.

Then again, you might not be quoting H2G2... 

Quote from: Quaddawg on June 05, 2006, 09:05:15 AM

The engineers should be the first against the wall when the revolution comes!!!

Interesting fact.  A copy of Encyclopedia Galactica fell through a wormhole and under the defenition of "Automotive Engineers" was a simple line specifying that they were the first against the wall when the revolution comes.

Then again, you might not be quoting H2G2... 

Ah, but I WAS!!   good eye..   

I really want a license plate that says

101010

Was going to name my boat   "42"
or something along those lines...

Probably the EASIEST vehicle I ever worked on was my stock 57 Chevy. I swear I could have worked on that whole truck with 12 tools and bailing wire. I don't think I ever did anything on that truck that took more than 1/2 a day to replace / work on.

~J~

Probably the EASIEST vehicle I ever worked on was my stock 57 Chevy. I swear I could have worked on that whole truck with 12 tools and bailing wire. I don't think I ever did anything on that truck that took more than 1/2 a day to replace / work on.

~J~

Didn't G.M include the wire with them back then?? LOL..