Quote:
Originally Posted by ol'George
you are too young to remember how things were on the farm.
sometimes the "good old days" had their draw backs,
but we survived just fine.
nice to do things by the book, but also nice to "do" when you didn't have the book, and funny thing, it worked just fine.
We didn't mind making what we didn't have or was not available.
It was a long and costly wait to get parts by postal mail or from a
Sears/Wards /Western auto catalog.
today we have Computer/Telephone/instant communication.
times have changed, some for the better some not.
but rewarding as hell making something from nothing.
anybody can change parts, a machinist/mechanic can make that which he dont have.
just a personal thing, not up for debate.
|
I wasn't debating. And no, I'm not all that old. But I do work on all that "old" equipment. Sometimes for the "older" guys. My point on this is that I'm familiar with the insides of older engines. The tolerances could be measured with a tape measure (not really). They were "loose" engines. Take an old 2 cylinder Deere. The first over-bore size is .045". You can run a standard ring all the way to that point with virtually no ill effects. Now.... things are a little tighter. Better quality machining, better metals. You can't get away with things like that anymore. It's not bad, it's not good, it's just the way it is. You can't go honing and re-ringing like you used to because it just won't work. It's kind of frustrating trying to explain why you can't do things like that when someone from your generation comes along and says "Well, we used to do stuff like that all the time!". Yes, yes you did. And it WORKED. But, things now are different. Motors are different. I respect what you did, and for the reasons you did it. Please respect that I'm familiar with more modern process, and machines. I don't give impractical advice. Just concise, and consistent to the relevant machine. FWIW, I grew up farming. We were a "poor" farm. We did a lot of things that you shouldn't do. Most of the time it cost us more in the long run. I don't mind "making it work", but I learned a long time ago that sometimes a patch just cost more than a fix.
Example: We had an 856. Started missing. I told Granddad we needed to fix it before it ruined the engine. I suspected an injector. Pulled the injectors and had them tested. They were bad. Replaced them. Still missed. Pulled the valve cover and found a broken valve spring. I ordered one. Granddad said "We don't have time to fix that we need to plant!!". I told him I was going to change it with the head on, and that the spring would be in the next day. I could have it fixed in no more than 2 days. He and dad overruled me. I told them your tractor, your decision, but keep it on the planter, don't disk with it. Well..... granddad put it on the disk. Just to do the end rows "It won't hurt"..... Locked it up. Scored #6 cylinder. The one the valve spring was broken on. Now, were were out a tractor and the $$ for a rebuild. Cheaper fix was a valve spring. The correct way would have been to pull the head and do a complete valve job/rebuild. I was willing to just replace the spring. Cost way more in the end.
I'm all too familiar with that mentality, and "doing what it takes". But when I give others advice, it is the best I know and the least risky.
I'll also say, I agree that a mechanic or a machinist can make things work. I'm not going to go into the million things I've fixed. I agree with that statement. But, not everyone is a mechanic, or a machinist, or has access to a cheap one.
