The Wrench Monkey's Lounge - Page 5

StarGate · 07-15-2008

Well you know all of that woman's co-workers are going to call her "egg-head" from now on.

A2rider · 07-15-2008

Worked with a woman that had hair down to her waist that she refused to tie back. The conveyor belt liked it better than she did. It liked her scalp, too.

Saleenguy · 07-15-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by A2rider

You're a mechanic, I've checked you out. Pull up a seat and join in!

And yes, we want stories, good, bad or other wise.

Ya, sadly I pull wrenches for a living....own my own shop.

Do you want stories on how stupid customers can be?

Or stories on the dumbest things I have done?

StarGate · 07-15-2008

Incriminating stories are always the best.

daveolson71@com · 07-15-2008

My Drifter has been having the same problems as all Drifters, clutch drag after miles have accumulated. I am waiting for a new clutch spring which is usually the main culprit (it'll be here Wednesday). I have bought new clutch plates and steel and till my new spring gets in, I was bored and tried the new parts before the spring got here. Still the same problem, and maybe worse. When I tore it down and pulled the plates and all, I neglected to put the bike in gear. Now the clutch lever is hard, very hard, and no longer the easy pull in like it has always been. Did I damage something or by not putting it in gear did my fooling around push the plunger into the transmission? I am at a loss....

A2rider · 07-15-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by daveolson71@com

My Drifter has been having the same problems as all Drifters, clutch drag after miles have accumulated. I am waiting for a new clutch spring which is usually the main culprit (it'll be here Wednesday). I have bought new clutch plates and steel and till my new spring gets in, I was bored and tried the new parts before the spring got here. Still the same problem, and maybe worse. When I tore it down and pulled the plates and all, I neglected to put the bike in gear. Now the clutch lever is hard, very hard, and no longer the easy pull in like it has always been. Did I damage something or by not putting it in gear did my fooling around push the plunger into the transmission? I am at a loss....

We don't answer questions in this thread. I see that you also put this in the other stickys, and I doubt it will get answered there, either. Make a new thread and hopefully you will get some replies.

daveolson71@com · 07-15-2008

sorry, I am a newbie....

A2rider · 07-15-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saleenguy

Ya, sadly I pull wrenches for a living....own my own shop.

Do you want stories on how stupid customers can be?

Or stories on the dumbest things I have done?

Tell both, but also throw in one or two about good customers that you've had.

You know, the ones that didn't complain, have more brains than money, and thanked you for a job well done?!

Maybe people that read this will become wiser........................here's hoping, anyway!

zedx11 · 07-15-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by daveolson71@com

sorry, I am a newbie....

maybe you didn't put the plates all in the same direction. they don't look directional but they are.

A2rider · 07-15-2008

Cheap entertainment. It's never the loose nut between the seat and handlebars.

http://www.kawasakimotorcycle.org/fo...e-warning.html

Saleenguy · 07-15-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by A2rider

Tell both, but also throw in one or two about good customers that you've had.

You know, the ones that didn't complain, have more brains than money, and thanked you for a job well done?!

Maybe people that read this will become wiser........................here's hoping, anyway!

I am unsure where to start as there are so many....lol

Okay a short few to start.
I will post more later.

Saleenguy · 07-15-2008

A to be left nameless customer brings me his 2 year old Ski-doo Summit in, and complains very loudly that it will not start, and he had to be towed off the mountain on the weekend.

He said it was running great, and then after lunch it started fine, ran for about a minute, and then ran poorly for another minute or so, died, and that was it....he got towed off the mountain.

I had never met this guy ever before, he heard about me from some other riders, and brought the sled to me.
He yelled, cursed, and ranted...he cursed Ski-doo, and generally was a total jerk.

Well he left the sled, and I said I would get to it later that week as time allowed.
So a couple days later I get some time after completing a motor rebuild, and custom turbo install on another sled.
I open the hood, seee no obviously loose wires, or hoses, pull the plugs, and check for spark, all is good.
Undo the gas cap, and yup it has lots off fuel in the tank, i bet its well over half full, but it smells kinda strange.
I sipnon a bit out, and its the wirdest darn gas I have ever felt, seen, or smelled.
Sure enough its a nice blend of a little gas, with a large dose of diesel added to it.

I drain the tank, carbs, lines etc.
Put in fresh spark plugs, and it fires up in only about 6 pulls of the rope.
I run it up on the test stand, and it runs great.....I ride it around the shop for about 5 minutes, and its perfect.

I write up a bill, and call the customer, informing him the sled is fixed, and runs great.
He can come get it any time from 7 am to 5 pm, monday to friday, and bring cash only to pay the bill, as I do not take plastic, and he is a stranger, so no cheques unless I know the customer.
He shows up to get the sled the next day, and sees the itemized bill.

Problem diagnosis $ 50

Drain and flush tank, lines, carbs $110

Fresh gas $25

Spark plugs $9

having to put up with yelling and cursing from a stranger, for his own stupidity off dumping in a jerry can full of diesel at lunch stop... $100

Plus the taxes.

Total_____________

Well he starts to freak out at me about the bill, i say calmly I am fine if he chooses not to pay it I will sell the sled, recover my portion from the sale, and send him the rest in the mail.

He punches me as hard as he can, I smile, and push him out of the shop, and close the door.
He yells outside for I bet 20 minutes, and peels out of the yard spinning tires as he leaves finally.
He comes back about an hour later with the cash to pay the bill and is as sweet as can be.
He pays, we load the sled and he says to me very nicely.
I hit you as hard as I could, and you just smiled at me, and removed me from your shop calmly.
I called my pal that recomended you and told him what a jerk you were etc. and about what happened.
He lauhed and said I was lucky to be alive, and that punching a guy that wrenches by day, and teaches Karate on the side, and is a blackbelt is not a wise move.
He then told me to go pay my bill, and to also bring you this.
He reaches into his truck, and pulls out a large bottle of Baileys....he said I heard its your fav drink on cold days.
Sorry I was an ******* to you.
Thanks for fixing my sled, that was my fault it was broken, and for not hurting me when I punched you.

He now rides with me on occasion, and he has me fix all his stuff from bikes, to sleds.

We started off bad, and it has turned into an okay relationship.

I still laugh about it to this day, and it was about 4 years ago.

StarGate · 07-15-2008

good story and it even has a happy ending.

A2rider · 07-15-2008

You have some unbelievable patience. I would have sold the sled.

Saleenguy · 07-15-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by A2rider

You have some unbelievable patience. I would have sold the sled.

Ahhhh the joys of having my own shop....lol

I have dealt with worse, at least he realized in the end he was an idiot.

A2rider · 07-15-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saleenguy

Ahhhh the joys of having my own shop....lol

I have dealt with worse, at least he realized in the end he was an idiot.

Some people never realize that.

I think it goes along with the "customers always right" bull. No, sometimes they're wrong, but no one has the balls to tell them that.

A2rider · 07-15-2008

And at least you have to option of telling them to go elsewhere.

Other than myself and Darrell, there is only one person that I have let work on my bike. The sign in his shop stated, "Here you will be treated as well as you treat me."

The other sign read, "Pay the bill in 30 days. Yes, I will sell your POS, I have an Ebay account."

A2rider · 07-15-2008

Need to change my shift seal, it's leaking. For fun, I decided to get it off the old 650 motor. There's three bolts that need to come off to get to the seal. So I get the 10mm wrench, apply a little force, and the freaking bolt head broke off. Throw the wrench back in the drawer, sit back down on the steps, and decide it ain't my day, and Darrell can help with the real one.

StarGate · 07-15-2008

Being self employed when you are the solo employee or only have 2-3 employees you have to have a lot of patience. I think that applies to all forms of business. Yes you have the option but the cost may well come out of your own pocket and some times it's just not wise to unleash the tongue. Although there have been times when I've umm lets say indulged myself.

Saleenguy · 07-15-2008

Stupid thing I did just last year.

I was doing a major service on a Polaris quad.....as i rolled a new belt onto the clutches, I got my hand caught in it.
Well I was alone, and could not roll it back with just one hand.

Crap, there i was stuck with my hand caught in it.

I tried to free myself for about an hour.
Tore my hand up, and was bleeding....it really hurt.
I could not reach the phone, or tools, nothing.
I then remembered my trusty pocket knife, and with my free hand I cut the belt, wow are them things tough to cut with a little pocket knife.

So after bandaging myself all up, I drove to the local Polaris dealer, and bought another belt for it.

I was very careful putting it on, and had my cell phone within reach, just in case I was an idiot twice in a row.

07-15-2008	#81 (permalink)
StarGate Navy Vet S.A.R. crew BTK Expert Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: NE Arkansas Posts: 5,030	Well you know all of that woman's co-workers are going to call her "egg-head" from now on. __________________ Mike Original Owner 1981 KZ1000-K1 LTD 2000 Suzuki King Quad Photos

07-15-2008	#84 (permalink)
StarGate Navy Vet S.A.R. crew BTK Expert Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: NE Arkansas Posts: 5,030	Incriminating stories are always the best. __________________ Mike Original Owner 1981 KZ1000-K1 LTD 2000 Suzuki King Quad Photos

07-15-2008	#92 (permalink)
Saleenguy Dazed and Confused Extreme Forum Supporter Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: British Columbia Canada Posts: 3,375	A to be left nameless customer brings me his 2 year old Ski-doo Summit in, and complains very loudly that it will not start, and he had to be towed off the mountain on the weekend. He said it was running great, and then after lunch it started fine, ran for about a minute, and then ran poorly for another minute or so, died, and that was it....he got towed off the mountain. I had never met this guy ever before, he heard about me from some other riders, and brought the sled to me. He yelled, cursed, and ranted...he cursed Ski-doo, and generally was a total jerk. Well he left the sled, and I said I would get to it later that week as time allowed. So a couple days later I get some time after completing a motor rebuild, and custom turbo install on another sled. I open the hood, seee no obviously loose wires, or hoses, pull the plugs, and check for spark, all is good. Undo the gas cap, and yup it has lots off fuel in the tank, i bet its well over half full, but it smells kinda strange. I sipnon a bit out, and its the wirdest darn gas I have ever felt, seen, or smelled. Sure enough its a nice blend of a little gas, with a large dose of diesel added to it. I drain the tank, carbs, lines etc. Put in fresh spark plugs, and it fires up in only about 6 pulls of the rope. I run it up on the test stand, and it runs great.....I ride it around the shop for about 5 minutes, and its perfect. I write up a bill, and call the customer, informing him the sled is fixed, and runs great. He can come get it any time from 7 am to 5 pm, monday to friday, and bring cash only to pay the bill, as I do not take plastic, and he is a stranger, so no cheques unless I know the customer. He shows up to get the sled the next day, and sees the itemized bill. Problem diagnosis $ 50 Drain and flush tank, lines, carbs $110 Fresh gas $25 Spark plugs $9 having to put up with yelling and cursing from a stranger, for his own stupidity off dumping in a jerry can full of diesel at lunch stop... $100 Plus the taxes. Total_____________ Well he starts to freak out at me about the bill, i say calmly I am fine if he chooses not to pay it I will sell the sled, recover my portion from the sale, and send him the rest in the mail. He punches me as hard as he can, I smile, and push him out of the shop, and close the door. He yells outside for I bet 20 minutes, and peels out of the yard spinning tires as he leaves finally. He comes back about an hour later with the cash to pay the bill and is as sweet as can be. He pays, we load the sled and he says to me very nicely. I hit you as hard as I could, and you just smiled at me, and removed me from your shop calmly. I called my pal that recomended you and told him what a jerk you were etc. and about what happened. He lauhed and said I was lucky to be alive, and that punching a guy that wrenches by day, and teaches Karate on the side, and is a blackbelt is not a wise move. He then told me to go pay my bill, and to also bring you this. He reaches into his truck, and pulls out a large bottle of Baileys....he said I heard its your fav drink on cold days. Sorry I was an ******* to you. Thanks for fixing my sled, that was my fault it was broken, and for not hurting me when I punched you. He now rides with me on occasion, and he has me fix all his stuff from bikes, to sleds. We started off bad, and it has turned into an okay relationship. I still laugh about it to this day, and it was about 4 years ago. Last edited by Saleenguy : 07-15-2008 at 05:52 PM.

07-15-2008	#93 (permalink)
StarGate Navy Vet S.A.R. crew BTK Expert Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: NE Arkansas Posts: 5,030	good story and it even has a happy ending. __________________ Mike Original Owner 1981 KZ1000-K1 LTD 2000 Suzuki King Quad Photos

07-15-2008	#99 (permalink)
StarGate Navy Vet S.A.R. crew BTK Expert Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: NE Arkansas Posts: 5,030	Being self employed when you are the solo employee or only have 2-3 employees you have to have a lot of patience. I think that applies to all forms of business. Yes you have the option but the cost may well come out of your own pocket and some times it's just not wise to unleash the tongue. Although there have been times when I've umm lets say indulged myself. __________________ Mike Original Owner 1981 KZ1000-K1 LTD 2000 Suzuki King Quad Photos

07-15-2008	#82 (permalink)
A2rider Banned BTK Expert Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: KCK Posts: 19,729	Worked with a woman that had hair down to her waist that she refused to tie back. The conveyor belt liked it better than she did. It liked her scalp, too.

07-15-2008	#85 (permalink)
daveolson71@com daveolson71 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Winston, GA Posts: 10	My Drifter has been having the same problems as all Drifters, clutch drag after miles have accumulated. I am waiting for a new clutch spring which is usually the main culprit (it'll be here Wednesday). I have bought new clutch plates and steel and till my new spring gets in, I was bored and tried the new parts before the spring got here. Still the same problem, and maybe worse. When I tore it down and pulled the plates and all, I neglected to put the bike in gear. Now the clutch lever is hard, very hard, and no longer the easy pull in like it has always been. Did I damage something or by not putting it in gear did my fooling around push the plunger into the transmission? I am at a loss....

07-15-2008	#87 (permalink)
daveolson71@com daveolson71 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Winston, GA Posts: 10	sorry, I am a newbie....

07-15-2008	#90 (permalink)
A2rider Banned BTK Expert Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: KCK Posts: 19,729	Cheap entertainment. It's never the loose nut between the seat and handlebars. http://www.kawasakimotorcycle.org/fo...e-warning.html

07-15-2008	#94 (permalink)
A2rider Banned BTK Expert Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: KCK Posts: 19,729	You have some unbelievable patience. I would have sold the sled.

07-15-2008	#97 (permalink)
A2rider Banned BTK Expert Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: KCK Posts: 19,729	And at least you have to option of telling them to go elsewhere. Other than myself and Darrell, there is only one person that I have let work on my bike. The sign in his shop stated, "Here you will be treated as well as you treat me." The other sign read, "Pay the bill in 30 days. Yes, I will sell your POS, I have an Ebay account."

07-15-2008	#98 (permalink)
A2rider Banned BTK Expert Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: KCK Posts: 19,729	Need to change my shift seal, it's leaking. For fun, I decided to get it off the old 650 motor. There's three bolts that need to come off to get to the seal. So I get the 10mm wrench, apply a little force, and the freaking bolt head broke off. Throw the wrench back in the drawer, sit back down on the steps, and decide it ain't my day, and Darrell can help with the real one.

07-15-2008	#100 (permalink)
Saleenguy Dazed and Confused Extreme Forum Supporter Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: British Columbia Canada Posts: 3,375	Stupid thing I did just last year. I was doing a major service on a Polaris quad.....as i rolled a new belt onto the clutches, I got my hand caught in it. Well I was alone, and could not roll it back with just one hand. Crap, there i was stuck with my hand caught in it. I tried to free myself for about an hour. Tore my hand up, and was bleeding....it really hurt. I could not reach the phone, or tools, nothing. I then remembered my trusty pocket knife, and with my free hand I cut the belt, wow are them things tough to cut with a little pocket knife. So after bandaging myself all up, I drove to the local Polaris dealer, and bought another belt for it. I was very careful putting it on, and had my cell phone within reach, just in case I was an idiot twice in a row.

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