[TR] [NET] Ball joint fitment

[Michael Porter]

On 7/15/2017 10:12 PM, Randall wrote:
>
> But ultimately, someone (or something) made the part you bought.  Making
> something like a ball joint requires several individual parts, each with a
> long string of manufacturing steps.  Errors can creep in at any point, and
> may or may not be detected before the part reaches you.
>

My favorite along those lines was from a mechanic I knew ages ago, to 
whom someone had brought a `60s-era Ford straight six with kind of 
sloppy timing.  He  determined that the cam gear was worn out, and got a 
replacement gear set from NAPA.  Around that time, Ford had replaced the 
cam driven gear with a nylon one, claiming it would wear better (but, 
was likely a lot cheaper to produce).  The guy installed it, set the 
timing.  The engine fired up and quit.  Crank and crank and crank, the 
engine would fire again and go dead.  After several tries at it, he 
disassembled it again, thinking he screwed up the timing.  And, when he 
had the timing cover off, the timing was way off.  How did I do that?, 
he wondered.  So, he reset it, put it back together, started it and the 
same thing happened.

This time he pulled the gear off and put it on the bench, and started 
counting teeth.  59.  Counted again.  59.  It was obviously a prototype 
that someone had screwed up and, somehow, had ended up in trade packaging.

We all trust the manufacturers/suppliers quite a bit, but, often, some 
post-receipt inspection is necessary, especially now that supply chains 
are spread out all over the world.


Cheers.

-- 


Michael Porter
Roswell, NM


Never let anyone drive you crazy when you know it's within walking distance....