Trip to IL

[jerrell 1]

:hide: :banana: :horseplay:

Notice the difference in the similies,,, First the bad, i was driving along doing great, THEN A loud screaching sound, the rpm hand goes into the red, the mph goes to 80(top speed) and the battery light comes on,, i pull over and pop the hood, (engine still running) screams are coming from the alternator and the pully is not turnig, stop engine , take wrench and turn pully, start engine and hall-arse to FARMINGTON Mo, 6 mi away,,, pull into the first shop that i can find , which happens to be a chevy dealer, time is 1100 hrs, to make a long story short, a new alternator and belt, 421.91... three bolts and one plug and the *^&*^%$ is removed, had to wait 6 hours for a new one to come from St Louis, a chevy dealer and no alternators???????? part cost 167.00 the rest was labor.... three bolts and a plug??????how long can that take

:horseplay: :banana: continued the trip, got to mansfield Il and picked up the mower, and it is a peach, a really well maintained machine, it's a 120 Grounds Master Toro,has 641 hours on a 20 hp onan , works like a charm and just what i need for the 5 acres...and it has maintance records and always been sheltered..

and for the guys that live in IL, the best thing out of IL is I-55, -----just jokeing guys, but it was to darn cold for me, was glad to get back home and put my feet up ..

T-Mo went thru your town, but my mood was a bit on the sour side, and decided i was not in the best of moods at that point...

[JimD 3,347]

jerell, ihope in the end, the good far out weighed the bad. sounds like a cool machine. :hide:

[Butch 194]

Jerrell dealers use "that book" that tells them how much time to charge regardless of how long it takes. Sometimes it works out in your favor depending on the job. Be glad that was the only problem and not something major. Be glad also it didn't happen in the middle of nowhere where nothing was around. I don't see how your speed and rpm shot up so high from the alternator going. $167 also seems cheap to me for a GM/Delco part bought at the dealer.

[jerrell 1]

I checked the price after i returned home and i can get a delco from our NAPA for 187.33, and i am really lucky it did't happen out in the bunnies, it was still truning when i stoped it at the chevy dealer and every one heard me drive up, the fan on the alternator was eating the housing up ,,

under the circumstances i was glad i was as lucky as i was to be close to town, but that book needs to be burned, there is no way the labor costs should have been that high. with 3 bolts and a plug, at the most 30 minutes, with hands, with a air wrench, 10..

i guess it is like paying a Doctor, you don't pay him for what he does , you pay him for what he knows..

I can't explain the instruments going crazy like that either especially the MPH, i thought that had a cable to trans, must be electronic, was on a chevy 3500 diesel dually, whith a standard trans..

BUT i'm still calling the trip a sucess, i am really pleased with the mower..

[bitten 134]

If after all you are still pleased then a good trip indeed.

P.J.

[pond195520032003 27]

Jerrell, my sister in law had a similar problem! she was leaving work later this summer in her 99 malibu and the car would not start! when she turned the ignition switch on the speedometer went all the way to the right, all the lights came on and when she pushed the brake peddle, the park lights came on i checked it out and it ended up being the battery on most if not all GM cars and trucks from the late 80's on the speedometer is electrical, no more cables they can be a pain in the @@$ sometimes alot of shops charge between $35.00 to $65.00 an hour

BUTCH is correct they sure love to go by the book and not give anyone a break :omg:

[Brrly1 1,146]

I am NOT saying a word!!! Burly :D

[KyBlue 655]

I never leave home w/o tools... Had a belt tensioner take a crap on the bronco once...was in the middle of NOWHERE. Thankfully had a good friend grab the tools I needed and the part...brought em to me, the part that sucked was putting it on, on the side of the road half in the ditch!!

Glad ya made it to Il and back okay.. coulda been worse than the alternator ya know...but still 400+ for a alt...jeez thats pricey!

[joebob 45]

sounds like you got off easy the dealers here in mn. are up to $125 and hour and they charge you diagnostic fees just to check out what they already know they charged me 8 hours labor to check my fuel system in my diesel even after I had it checked and diagnosis as fuel injectors $800 to tell them what I already did :hide:

[jerrell 1]

:D after the alternator problem was fixed, we had a good time, a little difficulty with the motel we stayed in, room was a little dirty, and i thought that loading was going to be a problem, the seller had a military wrecker truck, 6 drive wheels, one of those monsters, 3 straps , 2 on front of the mower and one on the back, picked that thing up and sat it right in the back of the truck bed, perfectly

NOW HOW DO GET IT UNLOADED????????????? out in the country and no big hoist and no ramps,, will have to wait until monday, harbor freights and get ramps i guess, oh well i needed them anyway,,,,, :hide:

[Teddy da Bear 11]

Burly! I can read your mind......

Great minds think alike eh?