So among the many career possibilites I have in front of me, I figured one of them would be doing "mechanic type" work on engines, either with trucks, boats, etc, etc. I love hands-on stuff, and I really enjoy working on my own vehicles, so...
Anyways, today, I got to spend some time in a shop for awhile, and the number one thing that bothered me was how the owners took care of the oil in the vehicles...EVEN the MECHANICS that worked there!
For instance, guy comes in with a very late model (2000??) Pontiac with the 3.1L V-6...pop the 710 cap off and the entire top of the engine is coated in a heavy, brown varnish and even the PCV valve was coated in a heavy brown varnish as well. Take the cap off the 4.3L V6 in my truck (a 1992 by the way), and, with the exception of some pooled oil in spots, all you'll see is dark gray iron...no varnish at all (And I run $6/gallon 15w-40 on 5000 change intervals!!!!)
Asking the owner, his response was "oh, it will last forever like is is"...and he didn't want to hear a word I had to say about using the proper oil.
Even the diesels from fleets that are suppose to be taken great care of came in with a black coating on the entire valvetrain...take a peak under the cap of my dads Dodge/Cummins that has spent its life on Delo 400/7500 intervals and you'll see the shiny metal of the rocker arms..no black mess.
I don't know...maybe it is my oil addiction, but it really made me upset when I saw this, and looking at a few engines sitting in the shop, EVERY SINGLE one of them had a thick brown varnish or even noticable sludge! I know for sure that I couldn't work on engines that the person does not take great care of and then wants you to make run perfect...or better yet, ask why it is consuming oil or something...IT WOULD DRIVE ME CRAZY!
Time to start thinking about other careers...
[ January 27, 2004, 03:44 PM: Message edited by: Jelly ]
Anyways, today, I got to spend some time in a shop for awhile, and the number one thing that bothered me was how the owners took care of the oil in the vehicles...EVEN the MECHANICS that worked there!
For instance, guy comes in with a very late model (2000??) Pontiac with the 3.1L V-6...pop the 710 cap off and the entire top of the engine is coated in a heavy, brown varnish and even the PCV valve was coated in a heavy brown varnish as well. Take the cap off the 4.3L V6 in my truck (a 1992 by the way), and, with the exception of some pooled oil in spots, all you'll see is dark gray iron...no varnish at all (And I run $6/gallon 15w-40 on 5000 change intervals!!!!)
Asking the owner, his response was "oh, it will last forever like is is"...and he didn't want to hear a word I had to say about using the proper oil.
Even the diesels from fleets that are suppose to be taken great care of came in with a black coating on the entire valvetrain...take a peak under the cap of my dads Dodge/Cummins that has spent its life on Delo 400/7500 intervals and you'll see the shiny metal of the rocker arms..no black mess.
I don't know...maybe it is my oil addiction, but it really made me upset when I saw this, and looking at a few engines sitting in the shop, EVERY SINGLE one of them had a thick brown varnish or even noticable sludge! I know for sure that I couldn't work on engines that the person does not take great care of and then wants you to make run perfect...or better yet, ask why it is consuming oil or something...IT WOULD DRIVE ME CRAZY!
Time to start thinking about other careers...
[ January 27, 2004, 03:44 PM: Message edited by: Jelly ]