There are some young guys here doing some babbit work so it does still exist in
some places. They do a good job too!!
Sincerely,
Dave Shier
www.mtntown.com
"Kevin D. Pennell" wrote:
> <<<Snip>>>I tell ya.. I have ALL the luck with slow,
> unreliable and mostly inadequate service. But lets not get me started! In
> the engine shops defense (sorta) they have a 70+ year old retired guy do the
> babbit work since he is the only one who knows how. If it were me, I would
> be learning that stuff so the art doesnt disappear with the older
> generation!<<<Snip>>>
>
> Hi all,
>
> Deve,
>
> You're not the only one with "all" the luck with terrible service, but if I
> may, let me add some insight...
>
> A lot of shops in business today are in it for the quick job, and the
> quick buck. They live for the fast turn-around jobs where they can make a
> profit. The employees are for the most part parts changers who, given a
> specific task can do it fairly easily, and quickly. These shops are the
> equivalent of taking your car to Jiffy Lube for an oil change. That's what
> they do, and they are fairly proficient at it. They have bills to pay, and
> taking the time to learn how to do something like pour a babbit insert is
> not cost effective by any stretch of the imagination.
>
> As a mechanic, I have to say that I've lost money on every job I've ever
> had that required "real" mechanic-ing. God forbid I charge for the actual
> hours that I spend diagnosing, weighing options, considering the customers
> habits and use patterns, and the actual painstaking efforts to achieve
> perfection in doing whatever job I'm doing that does not involve changing
> the brake pads, or replacing a leaky gasket. You must realize that
> something as simple as how the air fuel mixture is set may vary depending on
> the customers shoe size, and where he or she uses the vehicle most. A
> mechanic is somewhat like a doctor, and should know you and your vehicle
> well in order to keep everything rolling along smoothly. The newer vehicles
> have computers that compensate for everything you can imagine, thus keeping
> you relatively happy no matter where you drive, or how you drive, but the
> older vehicles require middle of the road management by the mechanic, as in
> most cases what works well at 8000 feet doesn't do worth a tinkers dam at
> sea level. A recent thread on vacuum wipers expounded on that a little.
> Those guys "know" what they are talking about, trust me.
>
> Please be patient with that 70+ year old gentleman. He probably does what
> he does because he loves it, not because it pays well. Allow him the time
> to get his mind right to do a particularly delicate job, and give him credit
> due for perfection in areas of your engine that you will never see. He
> knows what happens in there, and he knows exactly what his efforts must be
> to make it all right for the engine, and for you the customer. If he's like
> me, he cares more about how the engine is feeling than he does about how you
> are feeling. I think that just might be a good thing. After all, your
> mechanic is your truck's doctor. You have your own. Find your own truck a
> good doctor, and be faithful to him. The rewards far outweigh the deficits,
> for both you and your truck.
>
> Respectfully,
>
> Kevin P.
> '59 Apache 38/NAPCO
> Courtland, VA
>
> oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
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