** Thanks for the correction, JD..... I'd forgotten about the directional
** aspect.....
Gotcha! No sweat...most tire shop guys miss that one too. Like you said earlier, working on cars is becoming far too intricate, and it must be hell trying to keep up with it.
Incidentally, I wish to give credit where it is due. The techs at Pep Boys (yes, the infamous Pep Boys!) did me a big favor today. After working on the throttle body on The Beater, I dropped a bolt down the passenger side while reassembling a fuel line bracket. I spent HOURS trying to find out where the hell it went. No luck. It wasn't underneath, and after starting it, it was obvious that the damn thing ended up stuck behind the crank pulley.
There isn't NEARLY enough room to take a crank pulley off a FWD engine in a car like this - the engine needed to be unbolted and lifted, just to get to it. I tried compressed air, a long snakelike 'grabber' tool, even a magnet on a long stick. No cigar. ARRRG! Time for a professional!
I took it in, and with an embarrassed look, explained what happened. They laughed, saying it happens to them all the time. Two hours later, it was fixed. They merely unbolted the crank pulley, backed it off 3/4" with a puller, then blew that sucker out with some compressed air. Problem solved!
Total charge: $75.00. Pretty cheap for their expertise and the shop tools needed. You were right: it's well worth paying the man for his expertise and his time. No, they won't be working on the Mustang again, but for stuff like this where mere Mortals are at a dead end, it was a Godsend.
Regards,
-JD
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