No oil change ever?

[troutbum70 857]

Just think how much smarter you would be with a smart phone hi hi. My last 6 years in the trucking business a smart phone was a necessary tool, even though I have been retired a couple years I am still addicted to having one, but with the high cost of them when my present one will no longer work I will probably be back to a flip phone.

[Sarge 3,462]

I try really hard to make a point without the whole thing sounding like a rant - that is not easy because with many of these subjects I'm pretty irritated about it. The lack of school shops or kids learning to work with their hands, growing up on small farms and such things are days long gone now. That has a trickle-down effect on us older guys in a direct, and honestly quite a dangerous way - it is really tough to get younger people to take over in our type of work. I work in the Construction Trades world as a Union Journeyman Laborer. Like us or hate us - we are a highly skilled trade that has to be able to work in a huge variety of job sites and perform at breakneck speeds doing very dangerous work, no excuses. It has gotten so hard to get Apprentices out that have any drive, basic skills or just "street smarts" to learn our Trade. We have lost newbies literally on Day One out of their initial training when they are allowed to go out onto a real job outside of the Training Centers - ten years ago an Apprentice was killed in my Hall on his first day by a drunk driver - he lacked the basic ability to read the job site's situation and protect himself. I went through 2 new Apprentices on one job within 2wks - they were both in their 20's and had no idea of how to even try to help, which resulted in me having to work that huge 1.8 million pound push/pull capable drill rig by myself. That job, and not having a second Laborer there cost me my legs and back when a chain exploded - I never should have been there but without a second hand doing the cleaning work while the drill rod is loaded, I had to handle all of it. That little incident cost me 4yrs of my career - years that I have to make up now that I'm older and half crippled. Now, think about those same type of people that lack basic skills and just common sense working in our Nuclear Power plants, Ethanol plants, and such other places - it should be a wake-up call.

 

Yes, I will absolutely spend the time and effort to teach them the way - someone has to do it or we all suffer. I don't complain nearly as much as I try to teach others. I see it as the way forward and regret not doing more in the past to prevent the consequences we're stuck with now. 

 

We have to figure out how to disconnect the younger generation from the electronic nanny and get them out into the real world and learn things firsthand. Teach them to think for themselves instead of believing in hidden sources of information, opinion, and marketing for profit and power. Try working out on this nation's highways - we can't even figure out how to get them to drive through my place of work with any regard to human life or even their own lives. They just can't ignore that electronic distraction - it has been programmed into their being.

 

In Illinois, since the beginning of this year the Illinois State Police has lost 17 squad cars due to distracted drivers - and the lives of 3 State Troopers. Yeah, I'm really looking forward to all the road work that has to be done this year - it will be a bigger challenge than ever just to survive each and every work day. This past week was Work Zone Awareness Week - and as usual, it was basically ignored and passed over despite the statistics.

 

Now, the debate over lubricants and maintenance. Yeah, in reality - it probably won't hurt a thing. The engines are now built to be lighter, more efficient and cheaper than ever to produce. They are, in fact - disposable. How long will it last? Probably just as long as any other engine on the current market in that push mower sector. The factor that folks forget is the quality of the available fuel and the lack of knowledge of the operator. The things are designed these days with semi-automatic chokes, clutch operated safety shut-offs and no regard to engine lifespan. Start the thing up stone cold and it is designed to go to wide open, governed throttle speed. Shut down is just as bad - the only way to shut one off is to let go of the safety handle and stop that flywheel at full rated rpm, effectively slamming the engine to a stop while operating at a very high heat range without any thought of letting the thing cool itself down after being worked quite hard. It is a real wonder how they live as long as they do - treat an older engine in the same manner and you'll be picking up the pieces with a shovel, or worse - the operator wearing some of the shrapnel. The safety nannies have created a product designed to fail to protect ourselves from the lack of common sense - this market full of garbage is the result. The manufacturers haven't helped with their ever-increasing demands of profit, either. Society wants cheap, fast and disposable - this is what we get.

 

Off the soapbox now - going back into the dungeon to work in my world of creation, repair, and sweat equity. I need to get my 1950's drill press back into service one way or another - along with fixing worn parts on my antique garden tractors and doing welding jobs for those that don't have the drive to learn a new skill for their own self-reliance.

 

Sarge

[LengerichKA88 1,881]

I have a feeling this won’t sit right with some, but it’s an observation I’ve made: So many people have so many problems with with “younger” folks, but they forget that their generation was the generation that raised those younger folks..... We are not born with an innate lack of drive, work ethic, etc. Those things are taught, either directly or indirectly. Seems to me the last generation that didn’t have to complain about their kids were the ones who sent their sons to the Pacific or Europe. As a society, not an individual, we reap what we sow: When looking for the problem, don’t look at the kid in his twenties that doesn’t want to do anything, look at his parents in their 40s and 50s and ask them why they raised him to be that way, because they did either through action or inaction. This holds true (for me anyway) no matter if you’re talking about an 80 year old or an 8 year old: The faults of the generation in question aren’t truly their faults. Those faults come from the previous generations either misguidnece or failure to provide guidance in the first place. That is not a excuse to continue those faults mind you. 

 

From 910BC until the mid 70s, the (Große)Lengerich Family farmed. For over 1000 years my ancestors worked land on two continents, bred cattle and horses, turned orchards and vineyards into wine and put their own food on the table. My grandfather and his siblings were the ones that let that end. Fourteen of them and not one stayed on the farm. 

So here I sit, 31years old, with over a thousand years of familial experience in working the land, and most everything I’ve had to teach myself. Because no one before me taught me except for small things here and there. That’s not my fault, that fault lies at the feet of those who withheld the knowledge either directly or indirectly. How many “family secrets” for the perfect vine, the highest yield, or the best heifer are now lost forever simply because no one passed it on? 

The other side of the family has moved back towards farming, but aside from my aunt and uncle, there is no interest. They have several (6-8) people in extremely close proximity, but I (live about an hour one way from the farm) am the only one who said “Yea, I’ll do it.” When asked about helping to bale hay this year. I have never baled hay, I have never worked on a farm. But I am willing because it is of interest to me. All of those people who have no interest, or desire, or motivation to help bale a measly (in the grand scheme of things) 4 acres of hay..... they’re all older than me, by 5-20 years.

 

*** Just like no one else’s response was directed at specific people or anyone here, neither is mine. I highly doubt anyone that is here on RS would qualify as the parents/children I’ve described. The sad thing is most of our world does. ***

[Tractorhead 8,612]

I don‘t think it is just a specific problem, of Briggs &Stratton, IMHO it was more a common problem.

The most huge Companies of today just looks for the quickest benefit in shortest Time.

The bigger the company, the more is the pressure to their Salesmen.

Sell Sell Sell, is all i see and hear about.

 

Why they don‘t be interested in repair older machines, because its mostly simpler to buy it new,

so you needn't to understand how Things work, didn‘t have to train peoples and don't need Space to repair them.

Instead you can use that space for „cheap crap“, what in case of a fail, simply be exchanged with „new Crap“.

To sell this ideology as a “part of future“ is honestly stupid Idiotologie.

Planed Obolescence is the Keyword.

May you have allway‘s  the newest Smartphone, and know immediately how it Works (handsclap) 

but did you imagine how simple older machines working?

To memorize what can a thing being used for additional, is a benefit, what not beeing trained to most.

But to think about this ideology is nowhere in the World prohibited, as far as i know.

That was a development on Customer side, i can still observe, but didn‘t want accepting.

 

Maintenance depends its time, time is money, so designing things to keep just the Time of Warranty is also modern.

Yes i‘m over 50, and i‘m thinking in several facts i’l be modern enough, because im writing it on an ipad...😂

 

 

All arround me are talkin to prevent CO emissions and save the environment,

but how should this come together with the actual „Trash and buy new economy“? 

Things they in the past built, have already their emissions footprints done, what‘s about with new things?

Each new Cellphone what will be build also needs machines an ressources to can be build,

they can‘t be built without machines and ressources, that‘s fact.

 

I don‘t want to prevent new things, sometimes things cannot be repaired or it makes no sense to repair them,

but please give them new Things again the ability to Service them and don't produce just Crap.

 

To be a part of that kind of „Trash and Buy Economy“ im honestly to old for - yes, but that is no kind of „Future“ IMHO.

 

sorry if i have misspelling, English is not my native Tounge

 

 

 

Edited April 19, 2019 by Tractorhead

[LengerichKA88 1,881]

@Tractorhead Die Absicht war klar.😊

(I apologize if it’s wrong, German isn’t my first language)

[troutbum70 857]

Our biggest problem lies in the fact that a wide majority of the human race does not know God.  

[19richie66 16,971]

True.

[squonk 39,011]

My son turns 30. He has Autism and was reading an  typing at 3. Always was a good student got his masters in teaching. Has lived on his own in Buffalo for the past 7 years. Always locked in to his phone or laptop. Hated going to Home Cheapo or Lowes when he was a kid. Always sat in the car. Never got involved in home projects. He was always busy with school projects or summer jobs ect.  2  yrs. ago he gets a summer job delivering Coke to grocery stores, setting up displays ect. Got to the point where he was the only guy the boss could trust to do it right. He had to guard the truck once in the seedy part of town which would have been hysterical if it wasn't so dangerous. For this summer he started looking around and ended up volunteering for Habitat for Humanity. Again I chuckle as he has never held a hammer in his life. He got to do some demolition and this past week he actually ran a saw and built a wall 

Next week he's taking his class on a field trip to a Lowes! 

Edited April 19, 2019 by squonk

[formariz 11,865]

@LengerichKA88You should not be concerned that your comments will not sit right with some. Nothing you have said is untrue. Personally, and I believe in general we do not have a problem with the young generation but rather what is done to them, such as you said by bad or lack of good parenting and example, and the fact that they are the main targets of advertisement for others profit. I too have a long family history of talent and knowledge and also unfortunately much of that I am only lucky to have acquired because only of the exposure to it by being there and my own natural tendencies and curiosity. They were not very good at passing on their knowledge either because they did not want to spend the time, were impatient with young ones, didn't think of the legacy the way we do, or it was just a plain cultural thing. They were not very good at communicating. My father complained about how his father would not teach him certain things, and funny thing i have the same complaint about him. My father was a better parent than his father, I am a better one than him, and for sure my son is a much better one than I was. The good thing is that we recognize our shortcomings and are learning and evolving.

 

Knowledge is a great asset but it is not ours.We do not invented it or own it. We are merely the caretakers of it. It is our responsibility to improve on it and to pass it on so all can benefit from it. The hording of knowledge is a dangerous thing. It makes the ones that hoard it feel superior to others and abuse its power. History is full of examples.

 

Its funny how sometimes circumstances and a mere chance meeting influences the rest of your life. The way that I think is not typical in my culture. But first due to the fact that I came here, and at a young age  while working in architectural woodworking in NYC with old German woodworkers, the top foreman took a liking to me and became my mentor. Unschooled in the ways of life, little did I know that was to be the luckiest day of my life. Only much later and even today I realize how much that man shaped my life, more than my own father because he was just an open book sharing everything. Simple statements, such as " look, listen, and be quite", " never, specially when in a position of authority, strip anyone's dignity from them", "share what you know", " do the right thing even though it may be bad for you" and countless others along with example, shaped who I am today. Many times he would answer others but looked directly at me while doing so. I miss him and think of him every day.

 

Well, looks like the original subject of the post got derailed again, but perhaps not in a bad way.

[Stormin 9,976]

   Just read this thread all the way through. I must say I agree with most of what's been said, so I won't say much. These days it's technology for technologies sake. I believe in the Kiss Principal. Keep it simple stupid. Unfortunately these days people are brainwashed into thinking they NEED all the gadgets and gismos.

  Look at modern cars. Between them my lot, daughters, sons in law, grandsons, have Mercs, BMWs, Audis, Suzuki's. There's things on/in those cars they don't even know what they do. But they brag about them. And if it came to working on them. No chance.

  Until recently I did all my own vehicle maintenance. Age and technology is making that more difficult, but I do what I am able. The kids say, "Why don't you take it to a garage?" I say, "Why pay for something you can do yourself."

[Razorback 1,032]

Which is why I LOVE our 1981 Ford Bronco (no-tech) and our 1995 Ford 7.3L F250 PowerStroke (some-tech).

I hope to keep them running forever!

 

[Tractor boy 238]

2 hours ago, Razorback said:

Which is why I LOVE our 1981 Ford Bronco (no-tech) and our 1995 Ford 7.3L F250 PowerStroke (some-tech).

I hope to keep them running forever!

 

Pictures of the F250? We had a f350 of the same year with the 7.3 in it catch on fire last fall. 

[LengerichKA88 1,881]

42 minutes ago, Tractor boy said:

Pictures of the F250? We had a f350 of the same year with the 7.3 in it catch on fire last fall. 

Hope everyone walked away from that. 

[Tractor boy 238]

2 minutes ago, LengerichKA88 said:

Hope everyone walked away from that. 

Every one walked away. Happened in front of a fire department. The employees that were in it told us this when my father got there. Flames started out about the size of a campfire. Ran into the FD yelling truck is on fire wheres the extinguisher ( they had one for a door stop) the fire fighters said we are going to to have to roll a truck out. By the time everyone got suited up and out there the truck was a complete loss. 

[Razorback 1,032]

1 hour ago, Tractor boy said:

Pictures of the F250? We had a f350 of the same year with the 7.3 in it catch on fire last fall. 

Any idea what caused it? Did it start in the cab?

[Razorback 1,032]

[Tractorhead 8,612]

@Razorback nice combination, 👍

like it, sadly that it is destroyed.

 

I workin in a production Company about 20 years ago.

It was not a well known company to most, and i was proud of the things we built and we had few large Customer.

Then the Company will changed to „New market“ because our big Boss changes and my „new“ Boss depressures me, 

i have to Design from now on our „things“ now without Service capability, to saving production Cost

and increasing the quick benefit.

 

Depending on the whole function of our things it was required to be able to Service them for long Term use.

After several discussions even harders, he try to depress me by telling „i have to do what he told me“.

I just answered, it was my knowledge and my Product. 

I have this in written form and firstly developed it ahead of that Company and i offered it just to my old Boss to bring this Idea into Company.

 

After that little harder discuss, i quit this Job immediately without thinkin about my Future and take my Things out of that Company.

Later i found out, that he trashes 2 of my patent applications to save some cost.

This Patents now holded by other Companies, my first reaction was pure hate about this Idiot,

but it‘s here also prohibited to kill Idiots.

In Court it was cleared the Situation, i got further all my rights on my ideas and my prototypes, but i got no excuses or benefits for my trashed Patents application.

 

 

So i arranged with that situation, just in knowing i couldn‘t do anything more here....

just i be able to decide, i will not support such products in future.

Edited April 20, 2019 by Tractorhead

[Tractor boy 238]

10 hours ago, Razorback said:

Any idea what caused it? Did it start in the cab?

We believe that A mouse got into the heater core, built a nest and started eating wires. After we started the truck the mouse jumped out and the heater core caught on fire. So yes. Kinda in the cab but kinda by the engine. 

[wh500special 2,055]

2 hours ago, Tractor boy said:

We believe that A mouse got into the heater core, built a nest and started eating wires. After we started the truck the mouse jumped out and the heater core caught on fire. So yes. Kinda in the cab but kinda by the engine. 

I don’t know if newer cars are still built this way, but on some the resistors that were used to select the different fan speeds for the hvac blower were positioned in the air plenum.  They were in the airflow to keep them cool.  

Not all that uncommon for junk - leaves, pine needles, or a mouse nest - to cover them.  

Heat can’t get out, temp goes up, smoke, poof...

 

not the best design, but probably not the worst.  

 

Steve

 

forgot to add...as an exemplar of what oil changes and maintenance can do for longitivity, I offer our work van:  494000 miles (800000 km for our metric friends).  Not much beyond regular maintenance on the 7.3L diesel. 

 

Our V10 gasser has some catchup to do.  It’s only at 410000 miles. 

 

Edited April 20, 2019 by wh500special
Forgetfulness and bragging

[Razorback 1,032]

@wh500special    Mine will take a while to get to that mark.... just went over 140,000 miles last month. We have had the truck 7 or 8 years, bought it with 71,000 miles on it. Other than regular oil changes (I use Tractor Supply’s Traveler brand 15W-40..... has all the specs at a great price, tests on changed oil to prove), I have added a large transmission oil cooler, and an FS-2500 bypass oil filter.... no chip, no modified air filter..... pretty much stock. I did have to replace #4 injector and was amazed at how relatively simple it is to replace injectors (if you have any mechanical ability at all).