...I expect it has been posted before, Good for a laugh though!


HAYNES MANUAL - THE REAL MEANINGS

For those of us that have ever used a Haynes Manual in attempting home
maintenance of a car or motorbike. For those who haven't used a Haynes
Manual, these are the books aimed at those who want to fix their own
vehicles and which keep qualified mechanics in paid employment putting
things right afterwards. They are chock full of photos, diagrams and
step-by-step instructions which are obvious if you are a fully qualified
motor mechanic, but which are frighteningly sparse on detail for the average
Joe in the street who wants to change a set of spark plugs on a 1981 VW Polo
.....

Haynes: Rotate anticlockwise.
Translation: Clamp with molegrips then beat repeatedly with hammer
anticlockwise. You do know which way is anticlockwise, don't you?

Haynes: Should remove easily.
Translation: Will be corroded into place ... clamp with adjustable wrench
then beat repeatedly with a hammer.

Haynes: Remove small retaining clip.
Translation: Take off 15 years of stubborn crud, it's there somewhere.

Haynes: This is a snug fit.
Translation: You will skin your knuckles! ... Clamp with adjustable wrench
then beat repeatedly with hammer.

Haynes: This is a tight fit.
Translation: Not a hope in hell matey! ... Clamp with adjustable wrench then
beat repeatedly with hammer.

Haynes: As described in Chapter 7...
Translation: That'll teach you not to read through before you start, now you
are looking at scary photos of the inside of a gearbox.

Haynes: Locate ...
Translation: This photo of a hex nut is the only clue we're giving you.

Haynes: Pry...
Translation: Hammer a screwdriver into...

Haynes: Undo...
Translation: Go buy a tin of WD40 (catering size).

Haynes: Ease ...
Translation: Apply superhuman strength to ...

Haynes: Retain tiny spring...
Translation: "Jeez what was that, it nearly had my eye out"!

Haynes: Press and rotate to remove bulb...
Translation: OK - that's the glass bit off, now fetch some good pliers to
dig out the bayonet part and remaining glass shards.

Haynes: Lightly...
Translation: Start off lightly and build up till the veins on your forehead
are throbbing then re-check the manual because what you are doing now cannot
be considered "lightly".

Haynes: Weekly checks...
Translation: If it isn't broken don't fix it!

Haynes: Routine maintenance...
Translation: If it isn't broken... it's about to be!

Haynes: One spanner rating (simple).
Translation: Your Mum could do this... so how did you manage to botch it up?

Haynes: Two spanner rating.
Translation: Now you may think that you can do this because two is a low,
tiny, ikkle number... but you also thought that the wiring diagram was a map
of the Tokyo underground (in fact that would have been more use to you).

Haynes: Three spanner rating (intermediate).
Translation: Make sure you won't need your car for a couple of days and that
your AA cover includes Home Start.
Translation: But Novas are easy to maintain right... right? So you think
three Nova spanners has got to be like a 'regular car' two spanner job.

Haynes: Four spanner rating.
Translation: You are seriously considering this aren't you, you pleb!

Haynes: Five spanner rating (expert).
Translation: OK - but don't expect us to ride it afterwards!!!
Translation #2: Don't ever carry your loved ones in it again and don't
mention it to your insurance company.

Haynes: If not, you can fabricate your own special tool like this...
Translation: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!

Haynes: Compress...
Translation: Squeeze with all your might, jump up and down on, swear at,
throw at the garage wall, then search for it in the dark corner of the
garage whilst muttering "bugger" repeatedly under your breath.

Haynes: Inspect...
Translation: Squint at really hard and pretend you know what you are looking
at, then declare in a loud knowing voice to your wife "Yep, as I thought,
it's going to need a new one"!

Haynes: Carefully...
Translation: You are about to cut yourself!

Haynes: Retaining nut...
Translation: Yes, that's it, that big spherical blob of rust.

Haynes: Get an assistant...
Translation: Prepare to humiliate yourself in front of someone you know.

Haynes: Turning the engine will be easier with the spark plugs removed.
Translation: However, starting the engine afterwards will be much harder.
Once that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach has subsided, you can
start to feel deeply ashamed as you gingerly refit the spark plugs.

Haynes: Refitting is the reverse sequence to removal.
Translation: But you swear in different places.

Haynes: Locate securing bolt.
Translation: Remember that worrying noise when you drove along the A38 last
summer? That's where you'll find the securing bolt.

Haynes: Prise away plastic locating pegs...
Translation: Snap off...

Haynes: Remove drum retaining pin.
Translation: Break every screwdriver in your box.

Haynes: Using a suitable drift or pin-punch...
Translation: The biggest nail in your tool box isn't a suitable drift!

Haynes: Everyday toolkit
Translation: Ensure you have an RAC Card & Mobile Phone

Haynes: Apply moderate heat...
Translation: Placing your mouth near it and huffing isn't moderate heat.
Translation #2: Heat up until glowing red, if it still doesn't come undone
use a hacksaw.
Translation #3: Unless you have a blast furnace, don't bother. Clamp with
adjustable wrench then beat repeatedly with hammer.

Haynes: Index
Translation: List of all the things in the book bar the thing you want to
do!

Haynes: Remove oil filter using an oil filter chain wrench or length of
bicycle chain.
Translation: Stick a screwdriver through it and beat handle repeatedly with
a hammer.

Haynes: Replace old gasket with a new one.
Translation: I know I've got a tube of Krazy Glue around here somewhere.

Haynes: Grease well before refitting.
Translation: Spend an hour searching for your tub of grease before chancing
upon a bottle of washing-up liquid. Wipe some congealed washing up liquid
from the dispenser nozzle and use that since it's got a similar texture and
will probably get you to Halfords to buy some Castrol grease.

Haynes: See illustration for details
Translation: None of the illustrations notes will match the pictured
exploded, numbered parts. The unit illustrated is from a previous or variant
model. The actual location of the unit is never given.

Haynes: Drain off all fluids before removing cap.
Translation: Visit bathroom, spit on ground, remove baseball cap in order to
scratch head in perplexity.

Haynes: Top up fluids.
Translation: Drink 2 cans of beer and call out a mobile mechanic to undo the
damage.

For Added Haynes Fun, go to the first section "Safety First" and read the
bit about Hydrofluoric Acid. Would you really trust the advice of a book
that uses this form of understatement?

The best one I encountered was how to change a brake sensor in a Ford Fiesta
Popular Plus. The photo showing the location of the unit failed to mention
the crucial detail of whether the item was located in the engine compartment
or inside the car ..... and the helpful photo of what the thing looked like
didn't give the reader any clues!



THE CONDENSED HAYNES MANUAL
All makes and models post-2000

For a modern car chock full of electronics, all that's in the Haynes Manual
(aka "The Haynes Bumper Book of Jokes") is:

Routine Service: Take it to a main dealer and hand over a large amount of
cash.

Advanced Service: Open the bonnet. Decide all that stuff is far too scary.
Proceed with routine service (see above).



HAYNES GUIDE TO TOOLS OF THE TRADE

HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer is nowadays used
as a kind of divining rod to locate expensive parts not far from the object
we are trying to hit.

MECHANIC'S KNIFE: Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard
cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on boxes
containing seats and motorcycle jackets.

ELECTRIC HAND DRILL: Normally used for spinning steel Pop rivets in their
holes until you die of old age, but it also works great for drilling
mounting holes just above the brake line that goes to the rear wheel.

PLIERS: Used to round off bolt heads.

HACKSAW: One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board
principle. It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion,
and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your
future becomes.

MOLE-GRIPS: Used to round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they
can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.

OXYACETELENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for lighting various flammable
objects in your garage on fire. Also handy for igniting the grease inside a
brake-drum you're trying to get the bearing race out of.

WHITWORTH SOCKETS: Once used for working on older cars and motorcycles, they
are now used mainly for impersonating that 9/16 or 1/2 socket you've been
searching for for the last 15 minutes.

DRILL PRESS: A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal
bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings
your beer across the room, splattering it against that freshly painted part
you were drying.

WIRE WHEEL: Cleans rust off old bolts and then throws them somewhere under
the workbench with the speed of light. Also removes fingerprint whorls and
hard-earned guitar callouses in about the time it takes you to say, "F...."

HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK: Used for lowering car to the ground after you have
installed your new front disk brake setup, trapping the jack handle firmly
under the front wing (fender).

EIGHT-FOOT LONG DOUGLAS FIR 2X4: Used for levering a car upward off a
hydraulic jack.

TWEEZERS: A tool for removing wood splinters.

PHONE: Tool for calling your neighbour to see if he has another hydraulic
floor jack.

SNAP-ON GASKET SCRAPER: Theoretically useful as a sandwich tool for
spreading mayonnaise; used mainly for getting dog-doo off your boot.

BOLT AND STUD EXTRACTOR: A tool that snaps off in bolt holes and is ten
times harder than any known drill bit.

TIMING LIGHT: A stroboscopic instrument for illuminating grease buildup.

TWO-TON HYDRAULIC ENGINE HOIST: A handy tool for testing the tensile
strength of ground straps and brake lines you may have forgotten to
disconnect.

CRAFTSMAN 1/2 x 16-INCH SCREWDRIVER: A large motor mount prying tool that
inexplicably has an accurately machined screwdriver tip on the end without
the handle.

BATTERY ELECTROLYTE TESTER: A handy tool for transferring sulfuric acid from
a car battery to the inside of your toolbox after determining that your
battery is dead as a doornail, just as you thought.

AVIATION METAL SNIPS: See hacksaw.

INSPECTION LIGHT: The mechanic's own tanning booth. Sometimes called a drop
light, it is a good source of vitamin D, "the sunshine vitamin," which is
not otherwise found under cars at night. Health benefits aside, its main
purpose is to consume 40-watt light bulbs at about the same rate as 105-mm
howitzer shells during the Battle of the Bulge. More often dark than light,
its name is somewhat misleading.

PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER: Normally used to stab the lids of old-style
paper-and-tin oil cans and splash oil on your shirt; can also be used, as
the name implies, to round off Phillips screw heads.

AIR COMPRESSOR: A machine that takes energy produced in a fossil-fuel
burning power plant 200 miles away and transforms it into compressed air
that travels by hose to a pneumatic impact wrench that grips rusty bolts
last tightened 30 years ago by someone in Dagenham, and rounds them off.

PRY (CROW) BAR: A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or
bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.

HOSE CUTTER: A tool used to cut hoses 1/2 inch too short.

"Sparks" wrote in message
.. .
..I expect it has been posted before, Good for a laugh though!

Always worth repeating for those who don't know it!

Mary

In message , Mary
Fisher writes

"Sparks" wrote in message
. ..
..I expect it has been posted before, Good for a laugh though!

Always worth repeating for those who don't know it!


There's no mention of Allen bolts: screws with a hexagonal hole which
rounds off any hexagonal key you try to undo them with.

Or Torx keys: a failed attempt to alter the law of nature I've just
described.

--
Sue ];(

In message , Sparks
writes
..I expect it has been posted before, Good for a laugh though!


HAYNES MANUAL - THE REAL MEANINGS

You're reading the wrong one then ...

http://www.haynes.co.uk/webapp/wcs/s...re_womanView?l
angId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001

--
geoff

"Sparks" wrote in message
.. .
..I expect it has been posted before, Good for a laugh though!


HAYNES MANUAL - THE REAL MEANINGS


I have often daydreamed about going to Haynes with some of their mistakes
and confronting them.

One of my personal favourites which must have cost people money was " with
the camshaft in this position the engine can be turned over" No, it can't,
the soon to be bent valves prevent it. In the same manual "the handbrake
cable is self adjusting" The shoes are, but due to a quirky design, the
cable isn't. etc. etc in every manual I have ever seen there are mistakes,
and always on the most used/important bits.

mrcheerful

"mrcheerful ." wrote in message
...

"Sparks" wrote in message
.. .
..I expect it has been posted before, Good for a laugh though!


HAYNES MANUAL - THE REAL MEANINGS


I have often daydreamed about going to Haynes with some of their mistakes
and confronting them.

Why haven't you?

When I've pointed out mistakes in instructions (not Haynes but technical
scripts) the writers have always been grateful and have changed them in
future print runs or included erratum slips. Anyone who cares doesn't mind
being told about factual errors. The man who never made a mistake never made
anything.

Mary

On Thu, 24 Mar 2005 15:09:14 GMT, "mrcheerful
.." wrote:


I have often daydreamed about going to Haynes with some of their mistakes
and confronting them.

Going on 20 years ago I had a Metro - the rear screen washer pump
packed up. The pump was attached to the washer bottle which was of
some depth. I decided I could do it and got a new pump but couldn't
see how to get the old one out. Off to Halfords and bought the Haynes
manual, all nicely shrink-wrapped so I couldn't see in advance if it
told me how to do the job. Back home, off with the shrink wrap and
find the page that dealt with the rear screen washer pump. 'Changing
the rear screen washer pump is easily done. The details depends on the
model of pump fitted.'! I did write to Haynes and explain that this
wasn't very helpful and did get a reply. Notwithstanding the lack of
support from the Haynes manual I did manage to change the pump but
can't remember how I did it at this distance in time.

In message , Peter Johnson
writes

wasn't very helpful and did get a reply. Notwithstanding the lack of
support from the Haynes manual I did manage to change the pump but
can't remember how I did it at this distance in time.

I remember one that gave detailed instructions for a small job on the
fuel system.
I went to Cafco for the part, they sent me to a main dealer, who kept me
waiting but finally said "That part's now a flexible hose - I'll have to
sell you half a metre and you won't want it all, but it's only 34p and
it'll do you for next time as well - and it's much much easier to
install"

--
Sue ];(

"Sue" wrote in message
...
In message , Mary
Fisher writes

"Sparks" wrote in message
. ..
..I expect it has been posted before, Good for a laugh though!

Always worth repeating for those who don't know it!


There's no mention of Allen bolts: screws with a hexagonal hole which
rounds off any hexagonal key you try to undo them with.

They only round off cheap allen keys. You need to buy high quality hard
keys.

On Thu, 24 Mar 2005 23:40:46 -0000, "top gear"
wrote:

They only round off cheap allen keys. You need to buy high quality hard
keys.

Chromium plated or "silver" allen keys tend to be a giveaway here, in
both senses of the word.

Andrew

Please note that the email address used for posting
usenet messages is configured such that my antispam
filter will automatically update itself so that the
senders email address is flagged as spam. If you do
need to contact me please visit my web site and
submit an enquiry - http://www.kazmax.co.uk

wasn't very helpful and did get a reply. Notwithstanding the lack of
support from the Haynes manual I did manage to change the pump but
can't remember how I did it at this distance in time.

I remember one that gave detailed instructions for a small job on the fuel
system.
I went to Cafco for the part, they sent me to a main dealer, who kept me
waiting but finally said "That part's now a flexible hose - I'll have to
sell you half a metre and you won't want it all, but it's only 34p and
it'll do you for next time as well - and it's much much easier to install"

How about this...
A friend an I were trying to change the starter motor on his VW Golf, all
was going according to plan, until we realised the Haynes manual omitted to
mention that one of the bolts holding the starter motor, was also part of
the engine mounting.
Getting this (last) bolt out was a right pain in the arse, we found out why
when the engine dropped about 2" (With me under it!!) when it finally came
out!

Sparks...

On Thu, 24 Mar 2005 15:09:14 GMT, "mrcheerful
.." wrote:

HAYNES MANUAL - THE REAL MEANINGS


I have often daydreamed about going to Haynes with some of their mistakes
and confronting them.

One of my personal favourites which must have cost people money was " with
the camshaft in this position the engine can be turned over" No, it can't,
the soon to be bent valves prevent it. In the same manual "the handbrake
cable is self adjusting" The shoes are, but due to a quirky design, the
cable isn't. etc. etc in every manual I have ever seen there are mistakes,
and always on the most used/important bits.

I used to have a Ford Escort mkIII with a 1300cc push rod (Overhead
valve) engine, and this engine wasn't in the manual at all, and it
also had a four speed gear box, which also wasn't featured.

In a later book, the 1100cc engine was featured, but this seemed
to copied directly from the fiesta handbook.

The problem seems to be changes in the production run of a car, and
Haynes manual's don't always pass on these updates or changes.

J

On Fri, 25 Mar 2005 10:27:19 UTC, John_ZIZinvalid
wrote:

On Thu, 24 Mar 2005 15:09:14 GMT, "mrcheerful
." wrote:

HAYNES MANUAL - THE REAL MEANINGS

The problem seems to be changes in the production run of a car, and
Haynes manual's don't always pass on these updates or changes.

Apropos of not very much - anyone else been to the museum?

--
Bob Eager
begin a new life...dump Windows!

raden wrote:
In message , Sparks
writes

..I expect it has been posted before, Good for a laugh though!


HAYNES MANUAL - THE REAL MEANINGS


You're reading the wrong one then ...

http://www.haynes.co.uk/webapp/wcs/s...re_womanView?l
angId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001

This one looks fun too!

http://www.haynes.co.uk/webapp/wcs/s...7801&langId=-1

Andrew

In article ,
Sue wrote:
There's no mention of Allen bolts: screws with a hexagonal hole which
rounds off any hexagonal key you try to undo them with.

Usually by using a metric key in an A/F hole, or vice versa. ;-)

Or Torx keys: a failed attempt to alter the law of nature I've just
described.

I've never had one of those give trouble - provided you make sure the hole
is clear so the tool fits fully in.

Of course, lots of people don't notice it is a Torx, and use allen keys in
it...

--
*I'm already visualizing the duct tape over your mouth

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Fri, 25 Mar 2005 12:04:14 UTC, Andrew_C
wrote:

http://www.haynes.co.uk/webapp/wcs/s...isplay?catalog
Id=10001&storeId=10001&productId=17801&langId=-1

I can just imagine it...

"The woman is easily aroused..."
"This should be a snug fit..."

--
Bob Eager
begin a new life...dump Windows!

On the whole I've found Haynes manuals to be worth the money except the
guide on installing Car Stereos/ICE, I bought many years ago. It
basically advised you to have a mug of coffee or tea before you started
any installation while reading the instructions supplied with your
stereo (with an illustration of a cup of coffee - handy) and to save
any magnets from ruined speakers to magnetise your screwdrivers in
future. Apart from some pictures of a stereo installed in a Ford
Fiesta, that was it! I was well skanked.

In message , Andrew_C
writes
raden wrote:
In message , Sparks
writes

..I expect it has been posted before, Good for a laugh though!


HAYNES MANUAL - THE REAL MEANINGS
You're reading the wrong one then ...

http://www.haynes.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/BookFeature_womanView?l
angId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001

This one looks fun too!

http://www.haynes.co.uk/webapp/wcs/s...isplay?catalog
Id=10001&storeId=10001&productId=17801&langId=-1

Prolly says something like " The Female model is easily turned on by
simply pressing the button ..."



--
geoff

In message , Andrew McKay
writes
On Thu, 24 Mar 2005 23:40:46 -0000, "top gear"
wrote:

They only round off cheap allen keys. You need to buy high quality hard
keys.

Chromium plated or "silver" allen keys tend to be a giveaway here, in
both senses of the word.


I don't think I've ever seen them.
Where can I get harder than Draper ones?

--
Sue ]

In message , John_ZIZinvalid
writes

I used to have a Ford Escort mkIII with a 1300cc push rod (Overhead
valve) engine, and this engine wasn't in the manual at all, and it
also had a four speed gear box, which also wasn't featured.


I had one with the OHC engine (I think - I should remember, it had a
flexible timing belt, which is the invention of Stan, so I had the head
off more than once.
Mine certainly was in the book, but then it needed to be.

And it had hydraulic tappets, which were rather like wasps - harmless,
but noisy and good for scaring the punter.

--
Sue ];(

In article , "Sue"
lid says...
In message , Andrew McKay
writes
On Thu, 24 Mar 2005 23:40:46 -0000, "top gear"
wrote:

They only round off cheap allen keys. You need to buy high quality hard
keys.

Chromium plated or "silver" allen keys tend to be a giveaway here, in
both senses of the word.


I don't think I've ever seen them.
Where can I get harder than Draper ones?

The Early Learning Centre?

Sue wrote:

I had one with the OHC engine (I think - I should remember, it had a
flexible timing belt, which is the invention of Stan, so I had the head
off more than once.

Now, what did Mr Laurel ever do to hurt you? ;-)

It's up there in the list of all-time classic typos, in the form "Get
thee behind me, Stan"...

"Andrew McKay" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 24 Mar 2005 23:40:46 -0000, "top gear"
wrote:

They only round off cheap allen keys. You need to buy high quality hard
keys.

Chromium plated or "silver" allen keys tend to be a giveaway here, in
both senses of the word.

Allen or Unbrako were imo the best but we use some shiny chrome sets at work
from RS that are pretty good

Regards Jeff