HOW many can YOU do? (From Popular Mechanics)

As Glenn Reynolds writes in his new PM column, traditional knowledge
of how to build and fix ordinary things-around the house and in a jam-
might be on the decline. With our lives becoming more driven by
technology, blue-collar labor has been replaced with more white-collar
employment, and teenagers are becoming better at programming Web sites
than swinging hammers.

Here at PM, where we at least try to do everything, we spent weeks
fine-tuning our list of "25 Skills Every Man Should Know," debating
over whether certain items were too basic, too challenging or just too
obscure. You can find a full how-to rundown of each one in the October
issue of Popular Mechanics, which just hit newsstands. But for now,
check out our carefully selected list below, then offer your own
arguments and suggestions in the comments section below, or tell us
how to perform your must-know skill by writing to us here...

The List: How to...

1. Patch a radiator hose
2. Protect your computer
3. Rescue a boater who as capsized
4. Frame a wall
5. Retouch digital photos
6. Back up a trailer
7. Build a campfire
8. Fix a dead outlet
9. Navigate with a map and compass
10. Use a torque wrench
11. Sharpen a knife
12. Perform CPR
13. Fillet a fish
14. Maneuver a car out of a skid
15. Get a car unstuck
16. Back up data
17. Paint a room
18. Mix concrete
19. Clean a bolt-action rifle
20. Change oil and filter
21. Hook up an HDTV
22. Bleed brakes
23. Paddle a canoe
24. Fix a bike flat
25. Extend your wireless network


Well...****....I can do all of those......( I must admit that hooking
up The HDTV has a fair bit to do with WHAT protocol...yeah, I hooked
up mine... 1080i and all that...)

On Wed, 12 Sep 2007 17:27:35 -0700, Robatoy
wrote:

HOW many can YOU do? (From Popular Mechanics)

As Glenn Reynolds writes in his new PM column, traditional knowledge
of how to build and fix ordinary things-around the house and in a jam-
might be on the decline. With our lives becoming more driven by
technology, blue-collar labor has been replaced with more white-collar
employment, and teenagers are becoming better at programming Web sites
than swinging hammers.

Here at PM, where we at least try to do everything, we spent weeks
fine-tuning our list of "25 Skills Every Man Should Know," debating
over whether certain items were too basic, too challenging or just too
obscure. You can find a full how-to rundown of each one in the October
issue of Popular Mechanics, which just hit newsstands. But for now,
check out our carefully selected list below, then offer your own
arguments and suggestions in the comments section below, or tell us
how to perform your must-know skill by writing to us here...

The List: How to...

1. Patch a radiator hose
2. Protect your computer
3. Rescue a boater who as capsized
4. Frame a wall
5. Retouch digital photos
6. Back up a trailer
7. Build a campfire
8. Fix a dead outlet
9. Navigate with a map and compass
10. Use a torque wrench
11. Sharpen a knife
12. Perform CPR
13. Fillet a fish
14. Maneuver a car out of a skid
15. Get a car unstuck
16. Back up data
17. Paint a room
18. Mix concrete
19. Clean a bolt-action rifle
20. Change oil and filter
21. Hook up an HDTV
22. Bleed brakes
23. Paddle a canoe
24. Fix a bike flat
25. Extend your wireless network


Well...****....I can do all of those......( I must admit that hooking
up The HDTV has a fair bit to do with WHAT protocol...yeah, I hooked
up mine... 1080i and all that...)
Sharpen a knife fast so you can fillet a man to perform open chest
cpr? Frame a photo? Retouch a trailer? Paint concrete? Where is build
a 36x72 pole barn? Tile your bathrooms, install hardwood floors, hang
cabinets? Install a mile of wire fence? Castrate pigs? Sharpen the hoe
and hoe the corn?

On Sep 12, 8:56 pm, Jim Behning
wrote:
On Wed, 12 Sep 2007 17:27:35 -0700, Robatoy
wrote:



HOW many can YOU do? (From Popular Mechanics)

As Glenn Reynolds writes in his new PM column, traditional knowledge
of how to build and fix ordinary things-around the house and in a jam-
might be on the decline. With our lives becoming more driven by
technology, blue-collar labor has been replaced with more white-collar
employment, and teenagers are becoming better at programming Web sites
than swinging hammers.

Here at PM, where we at least try to do everything, we spent weeks
fine-tuning our list of "25 Skills Every Man Should Know," debating
over whether certain items were too basic, too challenging or just too
obscure. You can find a full how-to rundown of each one in the October
issue of Popular Mechanics, which just hit newsstands. But for now,
check out our carefully selected list below, then offer your own
arguments and suggestions in the comments section below, or tell us
how to perform your must-know skill by writing to us here...

The List: How to...

1. Patch a radiator hose
2. Protect your computer
3. Rescue a boater who as capsized
4. Frame a wall
5. Retouch digital photos
6. Back up a trailer
7. Build a campfire
8. Fix a dead outlet
9. Navigate with a map and compass
10. Use a torque wrench
11. Sharpen a knife
12. Perform CPR
13. Fillet a fish
14. Maneuver a car out of a skid
15. Get a car unstuck
16. Back up data
17. Paint a room
18. Mix concrete
19. Clean a bolt-action rifle
20. Change oil and filter
21. Hook up an HDTV
22. Bleed brakes
23. Paddle a canoe
24. Fix a bike flat
25. Extend your wireless network

Well...****....I can do all of those......( I must admit that hooking
up The HDTV has a fair bit to do with WHAT protocol...yeah, I hooked
up mine... 1080i and all that...)

Sharpen a knife fast so you can fillet a man to perform open chest
cpr? Frame a photo? Retouch a trailer? Paint concrete? Where is build
a 36x72 pole barn? Tile your bathrooms, install hardwood floors, hang
cabinets? Install a mile of wire fence? Castrate pigs? Sharpen the hoe
and hoe the corn?

I cook minute rice in 30 seconds!

"Robatoy" wrote in message
6. Back up a trailer

I can still remember the first time I did that one, a friend's boat trailer
while he waited in the boat.

In article , Jim Behning wrote:
On Wed, 12 Sep 2007 17:27:35 -0700, Robatoy
wrote:

HOW many can YOU do? (From Popular Mechanics)

As Glenn Reynolds writes in his new PM column, traditional knowledge
of how to build and fix ordinary things-around the house and in a jam-
might be on the decline. With our lives becoming more driven by
technology, blue-collar labor has been replaced with more white-collar
employment, and teenagers are becoming better at programming Web sites
than swinging hammers.

Here at PM, where we at least try to do everything, we spent weeks
fine-tuning our list of "25 Skills Every Man Should Know," debating
over whether certain items were too basic, too challenging or just too
obscure. You can find a full how-to rundown of each one in the October
issue of Popular Mechanics, which just hit newsstands. But for now,
check out our carefully selected list below, then offer your own
arguments and suggestions in the comments section below, or tell us
how to perform your must-know skill by writing to us here...

The List: How to...

1. Patch a radiator hose
2. Protect your computer
3. Rescue a boater who as capsized
4. Frame a wall
5. Retouch digital photos
6. Back up a trailer
7. Build a campfire
8. Fix a dead outlet
9. Navigate with a map and compass
10. Use a torque wrench
11. Sharpen a knife
12. Perform CPR
13. Fillet a fish
14. Maneuver a car out of a skid
15. Get a car unstuck
16. Back up data
17. Paint a room
18. Mix concrete
19. Clean a bolt-action rifle
20. Change oil and filter
21. Hook up an HDTV
22. Bleed brakes
23. Paddle a canoe
24. Fix a bike flat
25. Extend your wireless network


Well...****....I can do all of those......( I must admit that hooking
up The HDTV has a fair bit to do with WHAT protocol...yeah, I hooked
up mine... 1080i and all that...)
Sharpen a knife fast so you can fillet a man to perform open chest
cpr? Frame a photo? Retouch a trailer? Paint concrete? Where is build
a 36x72 pole barn? Tile your bathrooms, install hardwood floors, hang
cabinets? Install a mile of wire fence? Castrate pigs? Sharpen the hoe
and hoe the corn?

Cook a meal (using a stove, not a grill)

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

Wed, Sep 12, 2007, 5:27pm (EDT-3) (Robatoy) doth
mumble:
HOW many can YOU do? (From Popular Mechanics) snip
1. Patch a radiator hose
2. Protect your computer
3. Rescue a boater who as capsized
4. Frame a wall
5. Retouch digital photos
6. Back up a trailer
7. Build a campfire
8. Fix a dead outlet
9. Navigate with a map and compass
10. Use a torque wrench
11. Sharpen a knife
12. Perform CPR
13. Fillet a fish
14. Maneuver a car out of a skid
15. Get a car unstuck
16. Back up data
17. Paint a room
18. Mix concrete
19. Clean a bolt-action rifle
20. Change oil and filter
21. Hook up an HDTV
22. Bleed brakes
23. Paddle a canoe
24. Fix a bike flat
25. Extend your wireless network snip

All, with the below exceptions:
2. Don't got no computer. Anyway, no definition of 'protect'.
5. Don't take digital photos, and wouldn't care about retouching them
if I did.
14. You do know that this is not a guaranteed driving maneuver, don't
you? Expecially on ice, or packed snow.
15. You do realize that this could take the combined efforts of multiple
persons, and perhaps one, or more wreckers, do you not? And, if you get
stuck during a thaw, in wintertime, and then a freeze, you could be
there until the spring thaw.
16. Being as I do not have a computer, I backup up any files I want to
be sure are saved by printing them out..
23. I tend to stay out of boats I cannot confidentially stand up in.
25. That would depend on what you mean by 'extend'. I regularly add
numbers on my cell phone, but as I only have it for emergency use, I
only call to tel a doctor's office I will be late for an appointment,
etc. But, to actually use it to call people, just to talk to them? I
don't call people on my house phone, so no way I'd be interested in
talking on my cell phone.

How about adding some more 'lost' skills?
1. Change a tire.
2. Drive a stick shift.
3. Replace burnout lights on a vehicle.
4. Replace a window pane.
5. Re-roof a house (used to be common for people to do their own,
instead of paying someone else to do it)
6. How to look for information, whether on a computer, or in a library,
instead of just asking someone else to provide them an answer.
The list goes on. And on. And on.



JOAT
What is life without challenge and a constant stream of new
humiliations?
- Peter Egan

Robatoy writes:
HOW many can YOU do? (From Popular Mechanics)

The List: How to...

1. Patch a radiator hose
2. Protect your computer
3. Rescue a boater who as capsized
4. Frame a wall
5. Retouch digital photos
6. Back up a trailer
7. Build a campfire
8. Fix a dead outlet
9. Navigate with a map and compass
10. Use a torque wrench
11. Sharpen a knife
12. Perform CPR
13. Fillet a fish
14. Maneuver a car out of a skid
15. Get a car unstuck
16. Back up data
17. Paint a room
18. Mix concrete
19. Clean a bolt-action rifle
20. Change oil and filter
21. Hook up an HDTV
22. Bleed brakes
23. Paddle a canoe
24. Fix a bike flat
25. Extend your wireless network


As the the fictional Lazerus Long said (Robert A. Heinlein):

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog,
conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall,
set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone,
solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer,
cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly.

Specialization is for insects.

"J T" wrote in message
...

3. Replace burnout lights on a vehicle.

That may be one of the toughest on any list, the way cars are designed
today. Depending on the light, it may take an hour or more to remove all
the panels and covers to get to the bulb.
--
Ed
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/

Thu, Sep 13, 2007, 10:22pm (Edwin*Pawlowski) did post
thusly:
I said:
6.bay.webtv.net...
He said:
3. Replace burnout lights on a vehicle.
That may be one of the toughest on any list, the way cars are designed
today. Depending on the light, it may take an hour or more to remove all
the panels and covers to get to the bulb.

When I wrote that I was thinking of head lights, tail lights, etc. -
amazing how many people can't even do that. When dash lights burn out,
that's one reason flashllights were invented - I believe manufactures
may purposely make those so hard to change so you'll want to buy a new
vehicle..



JOAT
What is life without challenge and a constant stream of new
humiliations?
- Peter Egan

On 12 Sep, 20:27, Robatoy wrote:
HOW many can YOU do? (From Popular Mechanics)

As Glenn Reynolds writes in his new PM column, traditional knowledge
of how to build and fix ordinary things-around the house and in a jam-
might be on the decline. With our lives becoming more driven by
technology, blue-collar labor has been replaced with more white-collar
employment, and teenagers are becoming better at programming Web sites
than swinging hammers.

Here at PM, where we at least try to do everything, we spent weeks
fine-tuning our list of "25 Skills Every Man Should Know," debating
over whether certain items were too basic, too challenging or just too
obscure. You can find a full how-to rundown of each one in the October
issue of Popular Mechanics, which just hit newsstands. But for now,
check out our carefully selected list below, then offer your own
arguments and suggestions in the comments section below, or tell us
how to perform your must-know skill by writing to us here...

The List: How to...

1. Patch a radiator hose
2. Protect your computer
3. Rescue a boater who as capsized
4. Frame a wall
5. Retouch digital photos
6. Back up a trailer
7. Build a campfire
8. Fix a dead outlet
9. Navigate with a map and compass
10. Use a torque wrench
11. Sharpen a knife
12. Perform CPR
13. Fillet a fish
14. Maneuver a car out of a skid
15. Get a car unstuck
16. Back up data
17. Paint a room
18. Mix concrete
19. Clean a bolt-action rifle
20. Change oil and filter
21. Hook up an HDTV
22. Bleed brakes
23. Paddle a canoe
24. Fix a bike flat
25. Extend your wireless network

Well...****....I can do all of those......( I must admit that hooking
up The HDTV has a fair bit to do with WHAT protocol...yeah, I hooked
up mine... 1080i and all that...)

3 man and 1 woman were talking about this on CNN the other day...just
the Top 10.

Use a torque wrench - None of them had any idea what a torque
wrench was.
Fix a dead outlet - One guy commented - "Oh yeah...a great way to
burn the house down!"

On 14 Sep, 09:31, (J T) wrote:
Thu, Sep 13, 2007, 10:22pm (Edwin Pawlowski) did post
thusly:
I said:
6.bay.webtv.net...
He said:
3. Replace burnout lights on a vehicle.
That may be one of the toughest on any list, the way cars are designed
today. Depending on the light, it may take an hour or more to remove all
the panels and covers to get to the bulb.

When I wrote that I was thinking of head lights, tail lights, etc. -
amazing how many people can't even do that. When dash lights burn out,
that's one reason flashllights were invented - I believe manufactures
may purposely make those so hard to change so you'll want to buy a new
vehicle..

JOAT
What is life without challenge and a constant stream of new
humiliations?
- Peter Egan

JT clarified: "When I wrote that I was thinking of head lights, tail
lights, etc"

Sorry, but on many cars, headlights and tails lights can be just as
difficult to replace as a dashboard lights. Tail lights can be
especially difficult in vehicles without trunks - SUVs, vans, etc. In
many cases, gone are the days of unscrewing the assembly from the
vehicle and removing the bulb. Now, interior panels and trim may have
to be removed to get to the bulb.

"Robatoy" wrote in message
ups.com...
HOW many can YOU do? (From Popular Mechanics)

As Glenn Reynolds writes in his new PM column, traditional knowledge
of how to build and fix ordinary things-around the house and in a jam-
might be on the decline. With our lives becoming more driven by
technology, blue-collar labor has been replaced with more white-collar
employment, and teenagers are becoming better at programming Web sites
than swinging hammers.

Here at PM, where we at least try to do everything, we spent weeks
fine-tuning our list of "25 Skills Every Man Should Know," debating
over whether certain items were too basic, too challenging or just too
obscure. You can find a full how-to rundown of each one in the October
issue of Popular Mechanics, which just hit newsstands. But for now,
check out our carefully selected list below, then offer your own
arguments and suggestions in the comments section below, or tell us
how to perform your must-know skill by writing to us here...

The List: How to...

1. Patch a radiator hose
2. Protect your computer
3. Rescue a boater who as capsized
4. Frame a wall
5. Retouch digital photos
6. Back up a trailer
7. Build a campfire
8. Fix a dead outlet
9. Navigate with a map and compass
10. Use a torque wrench
11. Sharpen a knife
12. Perform CPR
13. Fillet a fish
14. Maneuver a car out of a skid
15. Get a car unstuck
16. Back up data
17. Paint a room
18. Mix concrete
19. Clean a bolt-action rifle
20. Change oil and filter
21. Hook up an HDTV
22. Bleed brakes
23. Paddle a canoe
24. Fix a bike flat
25. Extend your wireless network


Well...****....I can do all of those......( I must admit that hooking
up The HDTV has a fair bit to do with WHAT protocol...yeah, I hooked
up mine... 1080i and all that...)


Bring a women to the big O is sorely missing from the list.

On Fri, 14 Sep 2007 08:05:32 -0700, DerbyDad03
wrote:

Sorry, but on many cars, headlights and tails lights can be just as
difficult to replace as a dashboard lights. Tail lights can be
especially difficult in vehicles without trunks - SUVs, vans, etc. In
many cases, gone are the days of unscrewing the assembly from the
vehicle and removing the bulb. Now, interior panels and trim may have
to be removed to get to the bulb.

On my full-size van it is a *major* project to change a headlight,
requiring extensive removal of parts and the skill of a contortionist
to reach the bulb. I also have a mini-van that has a burned out
clearance light on the back. I'll be darned if I can figure out *any*
way to get to it short of removing the entire headliner. Some of these
things are major mysteries. The same mini-van has a couple of burned
out lights in the dash and the dealer doesn't know how to replace
them, he claims that they really aren't supposed to burn out in the
normal life of the vehicle.

It's a strange, strange world we live in nowadays.

Tim Douglass

http://www.DouglassClan.com

Definition of a teenager: God's punishment for enjoying sex.

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:

"J T" wrote in message
...


3. Replace burnout lights on a vehicle.


That may be one of the toughest on any list, the way cars are designed
today. Depending on the light, it may take an hour or more to remove all
the panels and covers to get to the bulb.

To replace a rear tail light on the company Silverado pickup I drive you
have to either remove the "Fibre Body" cap/box or chop a hole in it to
get to the lens cover screws. See:

http://www.brandfxbody.com/fibrebody/inserts.htm

--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA

Nova wrote in news:iQDGi.286$Lm2.103@trndny09:

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:

"J T" wrote in message
...


3. Replace burnout lights on a vehicle.


That may be one of the toughest on any list, the way cars are
designed today. Depending on the light, it may take an hour or more
to remove all the panels and covers to get to the bulb.

To replace a rear tail light on the company Silverado pickup I drive
you have to either remove the "Fibre Body" cap/box or chop a hole in
it to get to the lens cover screws. See:

http://www.brandfxbody.com/fibrebody/inserts.htm


Strange. In California, in 8 years of driving my Sierra, I've never needed
to change a taillight in it. Daytime running lamps, on the other hand...

Patriarch

Patriarch wrote:



Strange. In California, in 8 years of driving my Sierra, I've never needed
to change a taillight in it. Daytime running lamps, on the other hand...

Patriarch

Check the lamp socket. You'll probably find it's scorched and the
socket needs replacement. Five trucks in one office, all with the same
trouble, and GM says "What problem?".

--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA

DerbyDad03 wrote in news:1189781801.152333.94460
@k79g2000hse.googlegroups.com:


3 man and 1 woman were talking about this on CNN the other day...just
the Top 10.

Use a torque wrench - None of them had any idea what a torque
wrench was.
Fix a dead outlet - One guy commented - "Oh yeah...a great way to
burn the house down!"


Electrical work is being mystified and mythified out of the realm of home
owners. Yes, you can burn your house down with an electrical fire. That
doesn't mean you have to live with a bad switch (more of a fire hazard)
that you don't want to pay an electrician $50 to come out and replace.
(This is the way it usually happens.)

People are scared because of all the fools out there that don't take the
time to learn how something's supposed to be done and plan it all out.

Puckdropper
--
Wise is the man who attempts to answer his question before asking it.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

On Fri, 14 Sep 2007 09:31:49 -0400, (J T)
wrote:

That may be one of the toughest on any list, the way cars are designed
today.

Maybe.

My Subaru Outback was cake, as is my Tacoma. AFAIR, I didn't need a
single tool on the Subie. My Nissan pickup needed a 4" thick NASA
procedure and room full of engineers to figure out. G


---------------------------------------------
** http://www.bburke.com/woodworking.html **
---------------------------------------------

On Fri, 14 Sep 2007 22:22:06 GMT, Nova wrote:

To replace a rear tail light on the company Silverado pickup I drive you
have to either remove the "Fibre Body" cap/box or chop a hole in it to
get to the lens cover screws.

Ahhh... Power tool bulb replacement!

The cap was probably designed when bulbs were replace by removing the
lens cover.

---------------------------------------------
** http://www.bburke.com/woodworking.html **
---------------------------------------------

On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 00:55:53 GMT, Nova wrote:

Patriarch wrote:



Strange. In California, in 8 years of driving my Sierra, I've never needed
to change a taillight in it. Daytime running lamps, on the other hand...

Patriarch

Check the lamp socket. You'll probably find it's scorched and the
socket needs replacement. Five trucks in one office, all with the same
trouble, and GM says "What problem?".

So THAT would be why I see so many of the previous version of GM truck
with only one DRL?

---------------------------------------------
** http://www.bburke.com/woodworking.html **
---------------------------------------------

On Sep 14, 6:22 pm, Nova wrote:
Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
"J T" wrote in message
...

3. Replace burnout lights on a vehicle.

That may be one of the toughest on any list, the way cars are designed
today. Depending on the light, it may take an hour or more to remove all
the panels and covers to get to the bulb.

To replace a rear tail light on the company Silverado pickup I drive you
have to either remove the "Fibre Body" cap/box or chop a hole in it to
get to the lens cover screws. See:

http://www.brandfxbody.com/fibrebody/inserts.htm

--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA


Reminds me of the vehicle from the 70's where you had to tilt the
engine up to remove one of the sparkplugs. This was back when tune-ups
were a common preventative maintainence. A typical case of the design
engineers not getting the maintenance folks involved earlier enough.
No one asked "Hey, guys, if we build it like this, can you fix it when
it breaks?"

It took some backyard mechanic to figure out that if you drilled a
large hole in the wheel well, you could get to the spark plug,
Mechanics would use a hole saw, then install a sheet metal plug to
seal the access hole.

On Sep 15, 10:54 am, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Sep 14, 6:22 pm, Nova wrote:



Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
"J T" wrote in message
...

3. Replace burnout lights on a vehicle.

That may be one of the toughest on any list, the way cars are designed
today. Depending on the light, it may take an hour or more to remove all
the panels and covers to get to the bulb.

To replace a rear tail light on the company Silverado pickup I drive you
have to either remove the "Fibre Body" cap/box or chop a hole in it to
get to the lens cover screws. See:

http://www.brandfxbody.com/fibrebody/inserts.htm

--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA


Reminds me of the vehicle from the 70's where you had to tilt the
engine up to remove one of the sparkplugs. This was back when tune-ups
were a common preventative maintainence. A typical case of the design
engineers not getting the maintenance folks involved earlier enough.
No one asked "Hey, guys, if we build it like this, can you fix it when
it breaks?"

It took some backyard mechanic to figure out that if you drilled a
large hole in the wheel well, you could get to the spark plug,
Mechanics would use a hole saw, then install a sheet metal plug to
seal the access hole.

IIRC, the Chevy Monza ( late 70's) with a 307(?) had a few issues like
that.
The hole in the inside fender was the only way to go.

Robatoy wrote:
On Sep 15, 10:54 am, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Sep 14, 6:22 pm, Nova wrote:



Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
"J T" wrote in message
...
3. Replace burnout lights on a vehicle.
That may be one of the toughest on any list, the way cars are designed
today. Depending on the light, it may take an hour or more to remove all
the panels and covers to get to the bulb.
To replace a rear tail light on the company Silverado pickup I drive you
have to either remove the "Fibre Body" cap/box or chop a hole in it to
get to the lens cover screws. See:
http://www.brandfxbody.com/fibrebody/inserts.htm
--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA

Reminds me of the vehicle from the 70's where you had to tilt the
engine up to remove one of the sparkplugs. This was back when tune-ups
were a common preventative maintainence. A typical case of the design
engineers not getting the maintenance folks involved earlier enough.
No one asked "Hey, guys, if we build it like this, can you fix it when
it breaks?"

It took some backyard mechanic to figure out that if you drilled a
large hole in the wheel well, you could get to the spark plug,
Mechanics would use a hole saw, then install a sheet metal plug to
seal the access hole.

IIRC, the Chevy Monza ( late 70's) with a 307(?) had a few issues like
that.
The hole in the inside fender was the only way to go.

Late sixties (like '68, '69, ...) Charger w/ 383 or larger CID.

But, nothing then was even close to the nightmare of the modern
transverse engine jobbies w/ smaller frames to cut down weight...look
into how to replace a battery on a modern Chrysler 300M or similar...

--

Robatoy wrote:

| HOW many can YOU do? (From Popular Mechanics)

It's an interesting list, more so with the additions that've been
suggested - and I've enjoyed Heinlein's list ever since I began
reading his Lazerus Long books.

To my surprise I've done most of that stuff except extending a
wireless network (mine is already planet-wide - I'm a ham radio
operator), setting up an HDTV (I've never had one to play with), and
dying gallantly.

That last provoked a train of thought that wandered hither and yon,
and ended up with another (to me, at least) somewhat related question:

Reaching back through time to consider those people you for whom you
have the greatest admiration, what skills did they have (or probably
have) in common?

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

On Sep 15, 12:21 pm, "Morris Dovey" wrote:
....snip] and ended up with another (to me, at least) somewhat related question:

Reaching back through time to consider those people you for whom you
have the greatest admiration, what skills did they have (or probably
have) in common?


DaVinci. Hands down. (My bookshelves pretty much show that
admiration.) For his ability to imagine and then having the artistic
discipline to put his ideas to paper/canvas.

r

B A R R Y wrote in
:

On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 00:55:53 GMT, Nova wrote:

Patriarch wrote:



Strange. In California, in 8 years of driving my Sierra, I've never
needed to change a taillight in it. Daytime running lamps, on the
other hand...

Patriarch

Check the lamp socket. You'll probably find it's scorched and the
socket needs replacement. Five trucks in one office, all with the same
trouble, and GM says "What problem?".

So THAT would be why I see so many of the previous version of GM truck
with only one DRL?

---------------------------------------------
** http://www.bburke.com/woodworking.html **
---------------------------------------------


I went into the dealer after about three years of messing with the auto
parts store lamps lasting a short time. The old guy at the parts
counter reached into a box under the counter, pulled out three or four
lamps, and said "Here, these should work. No charge." And they did.
One finally burned out, and I can't find the others in my garage now.
;-)

I suspect they knew they had a problem.

No sign of burning on the lamp socket, but this is a warm weather truck
that's seen snow MAYBE once...

Patriarch

On Sep 15, 12:21 pm, "Morris Dovey" wrote:
Robatoy wrote:

| HOW many can YOU do? (From Popular Mechanics)

It's an interesting list, more so with the additions that've been
suggested - and I've enjoyed Heinlein's list ever since I began
reading his Lazerus Long books.

To my surprise I've done most of that stuff except extending a
wireless network (mine is already planet-wide - I'm a ham radio
operator), setting up an HDTV (I've never had one to play with), and
dying gallantly.

That last provoked a train of thought that wandered hither and yon,
and ended up with another (to me, at least) somewhat related question:

Reaching back through time to consider those people you for whom you
have the greatest admiration, what skills did they have (or probably
have) in common?

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USAhttp://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

My grandmother.

She somehow found the good in everyone she met, regardless of how
little there may have been, and always managed to bring it to the
surface. I've watched her take lives that were spiraling down the
drain and raise them to heights no one would have imagined possible.

I miss her.

On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 10:33:51 -0500, dpb wrote:

Robatoy wrote:
On Sep 15, 10:54 am, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Sep 14, 6:22 pm, Nova wrote:



Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
"J T" wrote in message
...
3. Replace burnout lights on a vehicle.
That may be one of the toughest on any list, the way cars are designed
today. Depending on the light, it may take an hour or more to remove all
the panels and covers to get to the bulb.
To replace a rear tail light on the company Silverado pickup I drive you
have to either remove the "Fibre Body" cap/box or chop a hole in it to
get to the lens cover screws. See:
http://www.brandfxbody.com/fibrebody/inserts.htm
--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA

Reminds me of the vehicle from the 70's where you had to tilt the
engine up to remove one of the sparkplugs. This was back when tune-ups
were a common preventative maintainence. A typical case of the design
engineers not getting the maintenance folks involved earlier enough.
No one asked "Hey, guys, if we build it like this, can you fix it when
it breaks?"

It took some backyard mechanic to figure out that if you drilled a
large hole in the wheel well, you could get to the spark plug,
Mechanics would use a hole saw, then install a sheet metal plug to
seal the access hole.

IIRC, the Chevy Monza ( late 70's) with a 307(?) had a few issues like
that.
The hole in the inside fender was the only way to go.

Late sixties (like '68, '69, ...) Charger w/ 383 or larger CID.

But, nothing then was even close to the nightmare of the modern
transverse engine jobbies w/ smaller frames to cut down weight...look
into how to replace a battery on a modern Chrysler 300M or similar...
Were they hard to change in Mopars? We had a 67 Monaco with a 383, a
70 Fury with a 383, a 75 Gran Fury with a 440 and a 72 Polara with a
440. I don't recall swearing over spark plugs but my Dad was the son
of a minister. I was a kid who was not in charge of spark plug
changing. Maybe taking the garbage cans to the street and shoveling
snow. I do recall it being tight but do-able unlike the infamous Monza
spark plugs.

On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 07:54:01 -0700, DerbyDad03
wrote:

Reminds me of the vehicle from the 70's where you had to tilt the
engine up to remove one of the sparkplugs. This was back when tune-ups
were a common preventative maintainence. A typical case of the design
engineers not getting the maintenance folks involved earlier enough.
No one asked "Hey, guys, if we build it like this, can you fix it when
it breaks?"

It took some backyard mechanic to figure out that if you drilled a
large hole in the wheel well, you could get to the spark plug,
Mechanics would use a hole saw, then install a sheet metal plug to
seal the access hole.

The official procedure for changing the back three spark plugs on my
2000 Astro is to unbolt the body from the frame and jack it up about 3
inches. There is evidently a "dealer only" tool that will do the job
without that, but I kind of doubt it, there just isn't room to get the
plug out even if you could get a tool in.

Tim Douglass

http://www.DouglassClan.com

Definition of a teenager: God's punishment for enjoying sex.

On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 10:33:51 -0500, dpb wrote:


But, nothing then was even close to the nightmare of the modern
transverse engine jobbies w/ smaller frames to cut down weight...

Ever work on a Ford van with a big block?

---------------------------------------------
** http://www.bburke.com/woodworking.html **
---------------------------------------------

On Sep 15, 3:55 pm, B A R R Y wrote:
On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 10:33:51 -0500, dpb wrote:

But, nothing then was even close to the nightmare of the modern
transverse engine jobbies w/ smaller frames to cut down weight...

Ever work on a Ford van with a big block?

---------------------------------------------
**http://www.bburke.com/woodworking.html **
---------------------------------------------

No, I haven't. THAT is one temptation I have succussfully fought off.
I have WANTED to......

On 15 Sep, 15:55, B A R R Y wrote:
On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 10:33:51 -0500, dpb wrote:

But, nothing then was even close to the nightmare of the modern
transverse engine jobbies w/ smaller frames to cut down weight...


- Ever work on a Ford van with a big block?


No, but the block I lived on in NYC had a perimeter of 2 miles and I
worked on my lay-down Rambler a lot.

OH! You meant a big block *engine*. Sorry.

On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 13:18:51 -0700, Robatoy
wrote:


No, I haven't. THAT is one temptation I have succussfully fought off.
I have WANTED to......


One of my PA hauling trucks was a 460 powered ex-Penske 14.5' Ford
Hi-cube. These vehicles were famous for (6) plug spark plug
replacements! You COULD NOT get to the middle of the engine! At
least the 351W power trucks could be serviced! However, the 460 Ford
would pass anything but a gas station... 3-4 MPG, empty or loaded!

My other trucks were ex-Ryder rental 22' and 24' bodied GMC 7000 and
Chevy C70, 366 V8 powered (ceramic clutch and all!) trucks that were
amazingly easy to service. Ryder would sell off their 4 year olds,
paint 'em whatever color you wanted and give a 1 year warranty.

I also had a twin-screw 28' Top Kick, but it was a diesel, so the
maintenance was much different.

---------------------------------------------
** http://www.bburke.com/woodworking.html **
---------------------------------------------

I had one of those Monza's with the small block. I think it was
actually a 262, not the 307. I changed that plug once. Never
again. It was pretty old when I was driving it and I ALWAYS kept a
tool box in the trunk - and I regularly drove it 550 mile to and from
college. Nowaday's I suppose that would be pointless - not too many
things you can repair roadside - and probably not a lot of college
kids who've grown up working on cars. I work with a couple of younger
engineers, and it's always surprising that they call a plumber or
electrician for the simplest home repair. Hell, I would always at
least attempt it first, and then make a call if I really screwed it
up.

Rich



On Sep 15, 11:20 am, Robatoy wrote:
On Sep 15, 10:54 am, DerbyDad03 wrote:



On Sep 14, 6:22 pm, Nova wrote:

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
"J T" wrote in message
...

3. Replace burnout lights on a vehicle.

That may be one of the toughest on any list, the way cars are designed
today. Depending on the light, it may take an hour or more to remove all
the panels and covers to get to the bulb.

To replace a rear tail light on the company Silverado pickup I drive you
have to either remove the "Fibre Body" cap/box or chop a hole in it to
get to the lens cover screws. See:

http://www.brandfxbody.com/fibrebody/inserts.htm

--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA


Reminds me of the vehicle from the 70's where you had to tilt the
engine up to remove one of the sparkplugs. This was back when tune-ups
were a common preventative maintainence. A typical case of the design
engineers not getting the maintenance folks involved earlier enough.
No one asked "Hey, guys, if we build it like this, can you fix it when
it breaks?"

It took some backyard mechanic to figure out that if you drilled a
large hole in the wheel well, you could get to the spark plug,
Mechanics would use a hole saw, then install a sheet metal plug to
seal the access hole.

IIRC, the Chevy Monza ( late 70's) with a 307(?) had a few issues like
that.
The hole in the inside fender was the only way to go.

DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Sep 14, 6:22 pm, Nova wrote:
Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
"J T" wrote in message
...

3. Replace burnout lights on a vehicle.

That may be one of the toughest on any list, the way cars are
designed today. Depending on the light, it may take an hour or
more to remove all the panels and covers to get to the bulb.

To replace a rear tail light on the company Silverado pickup I
drive
you have to either remove the "Fibre Body" cap/box or chop a hole
in
it to get to the lens cover screws. See:

http://www.brandfxbody.com/fibrebody/inserts.htm

--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA


Reminds me of the vehicle from the 70's where you had to tilt the
engine up to remove one of the sparkplugs. This was back when
tune-ups
were a common preventative maintainence. A typical case of the
design
engineers not getting the maintenance folks involved earlier enough.
No one asked "Hey, guys, if we build it like this, can you fix it
when
it breaks?"

That was the AMC Pacer and the real problem was that it was designed
for a Wankel engine that didn't happen, but by the time it was
realized that the Wankel wasn't going to happen it was too late in the
design cycle to fix the problem.


It took some backyard mechanic to figure out that if you drilled a
large hole in the wheel well, you could get to the spark plug,
Mechanics would use a hole saw, then install a sheet metal plug to
seal the access hole.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

#3 Needs to be replaced with...Get a teenager to clean their room.
#8 Some people should never touch any electrical components
#9 Isn't this why we have wives

--
Watch for the bounce.
If ya didn't see it, ya didn't feel it.
If ya see it, it didn't go off.
Old Air Force Munitions Saying
"Jim Behning" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 12 Sep 2007 17:27:35 -0700, Robatoy
wrote:

HOW many can YOU do? (From Popular Mechanics)

As Glenn Reynolds writes in his new PM column, traditional knowledge
of how to build and fix ordinary things-around the house and in a jam-
might be on the decline. With our lives becoming more driven by
technology, blue-collar labor has been replaced with more white-collar
employment, and teenagers are becoming better at programming Web sites
than swinging hammers.

Here at PM, where we at least try to do everything, we spent weeks
fine-tuning our list of "25 Skills Every Man Should Know," debating
over whether certain items were too basic, too challenging or just too
obscure. You can find a full how-to rundown of each one in the October
issue of Popular Mechanics, which just hit newsstands. But for now,
check out our carefully selected list below, then offer your own
arguments and suggestions in the comments section below, or tell us
how to perform your must-know skill by writing to us here...

The List: How to...

1. Patch a radiator hose
2. Protect your computer
3. Rescue a boater who as capsized
4. Frame a wall
5. Retouch digital photos
6. Back up a trailer
7. Build a campfire
8. Fix a dead outlet
9. Navigate with a map and compass
10. Use a torque wrench
11. Sharpen a knife
12. Perform CPR
13. Fillet a fish
14. Maneuver a car out of a skid
15. Get a car unstuck
16. Back up data
17. Paint a room
18. Mix concrete
19. Clean a bolt-action rifle
20. Change oil and filter
21. Hook up an HDTV
22. Bleed brakes
23. Paddle a canoe
24. Fix a bike flat
25. Extend your wireless network


Well...****....I can do all of those......( I must admit that hooking
up The HDTV has a fair bit to do with WHAT protocol...yeah, I hooked
up mine... 1080i and all that...)
Sharpen a knife fast so you can fillet a man to perform open chest
cpr? Frame a photo? Retouch a trailer? Paint concrete? Where is build
a 36x72 pole barn? Tile your bathrooms, install hardwood floors, hang
cabinets? Install a mile of wire fence? Castrate pigs? Sharpen the hoe
and hoe the corn?

Robatoy wrote:
HOW many can YOU do? (From Popular Mechanics)

As Glenn Reynolds writes in his new PM column, traditional knowledge
of how to build and fix ordinary things-around the house and in a jam-
might be on the decline. With our lives becoming more driven by
technology, blue-collar labor has been replaced with more white-collar
employment, and teenagers are becoming better at programming Web sites
than swinging hammers.

Here at PM, where we at least try to do everything, we spent weeks
fine-tuning our list of "25 Skills Every Man Should Know," debating
over whether certain items were too basic, too challenging or just too
obscure. You can find a full how-to rundown of each one in the October
issue of Popular Mechanics, which just hit newsstands. But for now,
check out our carefully selected list below, then offer your own
arguments and suggestions in the comments section below, or tell us
how to perform your must-know skill by writing to us here...

The List: How to...

1. Patch a radiator hose
2. Protect your computer
3. Rescue a boater who as capsized
4. Frame a wall
5. Retouch digital photos
6. Back up a trailer
7. Build a campfire
8. Fix a dead outlet
9. Navigate with a map and compass
10. Use a torque wrench
11. Sharpen a knife
12. Perform CPR
13. Fillet a fish
14. Maneuver a car out of a skid
15. Get a car unstuck
16. Back up data
17. Paint a room
18. Mix concrete
19. Clean a bolt-action rifle
20. Change oil and filter
21. Hook up an HDTV
22. Bleed brakes
23. Paddle a canoe
24. Fix a bike flat
25. Extend your wireless network


Well...****....I can do all of those......( I must admit that hooking
up The HDTV has a fair bit to do with WHAT protocol...yeah, I hooked
up mine... 1080i and all that...)

I don't want an HDTV and I have neither a boat nor a rifle, nor have I
caught a fish in decades, so I claim exemption on those.

That's their list, though, so I'll substitute a few of my own:
1) build & maintain a compost pile
2) sharpen a drill bit freehand
3) train others to do everything I can
4) build a computer from parts
5) low-level a HD and install an operating system.
6) preach one-on-one
7) convert currency in your head
8) drive on the opposite side of the road in an 'opposite' car
9) live a belief -as written-
10) Make adversity look like part of plan "A"

Robatoy wrote:

IIRC, the Chevy Monza ( late 70's) with a 307(?) had a few issues like
that.
The hole in the inside fender was the only way to go.

Chrysler Newport with a 383 was unlikely to have ever had plug #3
changed. Needed a double articulating wrench handle.

Morris Dovey wrote:
Robatoy wrote:

| HOW many can YOU do? (From Popular Mechanics)

It's an interesting list, more so with the additions that've been
suggested - and I've enjoyed Heinlein's list ever since I began
reading his Lazerus Long books.

To my surprise I've done most of that stuff except extending a
wireless network (mine is already planet-wide - I'm a ham radio
operator), setting up an HDTV (I've never had one to play with), and
dying gallantly.

That last provoked a train of thought that wandered hither and yon,
and ended up with another (to me, at least) somewhat related question:

Reaching back through time to consider those people you for whom you
have the greatest admiration, what skills did they have (or probably
have) in common?

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/



Compassion.

DerbyDad03 wrote:

Sorry, but on many cars, headlights and tails lights can be just as
difficult to replace as a dashboard lights. Tail lights can be
especially difficult in vehicles without trunks - SUVs, vans, etc. In
many cases, gone are the days of unscrewing the assembly from the
vehicle and removing the bulb. Now, interior panels and trim may have
to be removed to get to the bulb.

That's nothing. While I can do everything on the list, I was unable to
turn my headlights OFF in my 2001 GMC pickup a year after I bought it.
I was picking my young son up at the school parking parking lot after a
school ski trip. It was 12:30 a.m. and very cold out, lots of cars
waiting for their kids. Every time I started the truck to warm it up,
the lights would go on automatically, blinding the folks parked in the
little car in front of me. Nothing I did other that shut the truck off
would turn them off, so I was greatly annoying to the people in front of
me. Eventually I found out you had to have the parking brake on before
the damned lights would go out... What if I was running moonshine and
wanted to hide from the revenuers at night? Who would have thought you
would need a damned owners manual to figure out how to turn off your
headlights?

Now, I'm trying to figure out how to turn on the running lights... they
must go on auto magically cause I can't get them to turn on to see which
one is out. I did learn the best way to fix your ABS brakes is to
simply pull the fuse:-)

--
Jack
http://jbstein.com