On 28 Jul 2018 23:10:01 GMT, rbowman wrote:

You didn't even get the requisite trip back to the parts store to get
the right clutch and pressure plate. Ford was creative that year and you
were never sure what you were going to find. Buy something and
inevitably it was the wrong one.

Once, decades ago, I was doing the pitman arm, idler arm, and tie rod ends
for a Dodge Dart of the 70's vintage, where, it was winter so I had to ride
my motorcycle in the snow to get the parts, and, they gave me the wrong
tie-rod ends.

I had to go back, in the snow, cursing them, and they didn't give a ****.
They just handed me the right part and that was it for them. It's no skin
off their back. But it's a lot of effort on your part.

I learned to bring in the old parts, which is how I knew all the pilot
bearing tools would never work, because I brought the new pilot bearing
with me this week. I even brought the old flywheel to match with the new
one.

Short side note related to alignment... when I did the idler, pitman, and
tie rod ends, I marked everything, as you can tell I am wont to do. Then I
tried an alignment, but only did the toe (which was easy, of course).

Then I paid Sears to do the alignment, and when I got home, I looked and
not a bolt was touched. I took it back to Sears and they tested it and
found out the guy didn't even do it. He said his charts only went back 10
years and so he didn't have the numbers. And yet they charged me. I as
livid, but in those days, I didn't scream bloody further. Nowadays I'd have
told them to give it to me for free or I would go to the prosecutor (or at
least the home office).

Can you believe that they just didn't do it, and didn't give a ****?

Mechanics, for the most part, I'm sure, are honest, but don't even get me
started about the shysters at AAMCO and MIDAS. The point is that I learned
that you can't trust any of them, unless they're related to you. I'm sure
most are good - but plenty are bad (I have too much experience with MIDAS
where I provided evidence which, (I'm sure with other data) got them kicked
out of the TireRack recommended tire program, since I provided firm proof
of what they were doing).

Again, don't even get me started on AAMCO. We old men have too many stories
of how we were screwed when we were young and innocent.

I taught my kids that very many are crooks (AAMCO is the worst, IMHO).
Sigh.