There oughta be a law...

[DanG]

Y'all remember that little cartoon that used to be in the Sunday Funnies?  Well I've come up with a couple of proposals that would fit right in.

#1.  EVERYTHING should be built by Mobile Manufacturing, the builder of the Mobile Dimension Saw.  They have made this thing so easy to work on, you don't even need tools to work on it. I've been wrestling with an engine problem for the past week or so, and removed the engine to go over it in search of the problem. I stripped off all the cowlings, and spit-shined the whole thing, replaced the mufflers and guages, rewired the whole thing(all 5 wires) and generally spiffed it up. I consulted with several Volkswagen "experts" and they all said that "if the compression is good and it ain't making a lot of noise, go ahead and run it."  I pulled it out of the shop about 10:30 this AM and re-installed it on the mill, put the plugs in, filled it with oil, mounted the battery and fuel tank, and fired it up. It seemed to be running fine, with no unseemly noises, for about 10 minutes. Then I began hearing a funny noise, which became progressively worse in the 10 seconds or so it took me to shut it down. I removed the engine, took it back to the shop, and was in the house having lunch by noon.                                                                                  #2.  There oughta be a law against morons working on stuff >:(
This engine has been worked on before, as evidenced by some notes in the manual, and some non-standard modifications.  MD made things easy by including a built in puller on both shafts. You just move the bolts to a different set of holes, tighten'em up and the pully comes off. Neat, huh?  Well, it ain't so neat when the doo-doo head that had it before lost the bolts and replaced them with some from Family Dollar!  I'll buy some proper bolts tomorrow, and try again, but I'm pretty sure one of'em wrung off when I was taking it out, and may have to be removed by the machine shop. Another one wrung off as I was tightening it to force the pully off. I was using a 3/8 ratchet, and hardly felt it tighten when it twisted off. I can get that one out myself.
This guy also never heard of a torque wrench.  The mounting for the alternator, governor, and starter is a plate, bolted to the engine with 3 bolts. It all comes off as a unit, making it real easy on the mechanic. These bolts also hold the engine "case", or block together, and none of them were much more than finger tight. I really don't see how this thing was running at all.

Gotta visit my Dad on his 84th birthday, tomorrow evening, so I'll get back to work on the engine on Tuesday. Maybe I will have cooled down by then.

[Percy]

Heya DanG
On your #1 point, I think I could argue that one with you(there would be no clear winner) BUT on point #2, I am in complete agreement. When buying a used piece of equipment, it is impossible to find every little detail/defect of any machine sooo Im thinkin mebey a guy should have a purchase agreement that reads...." If, at any time in the next 2 years, the buyer finds an idiotic,halfassed, pinnhedded,cheapo,dorky,stupid repair to said machinery(any one or combination of afformentioned conditions apply), the buyer/current owner has the right to horseslapp the previous owner severly. ;D ;D

[Fla._Deadheader]

DanG, I need to tear mine down to check the bearings. Let us know how difficult it is to get inside the engine. I never wurkid on one :

[Frickman]

I've also run into plenty of rigged up repairs and half baked schemes on used equipment, and have changed my ways. If I need a machine and it can be purchased new, I get a new one. I'm too busy to be fixing other people's mistakes. If I won't use it enough to justify the payments then I'll contract out the work. Remember, downtime usually costs more than the repair itself. I'd rather make a payment and be working than making repairs and be broke down.

[DanG]

More and more I agree with you about buying new stuff. But, at this point, the $9000 investment was feasible, and the $30k one was not. With no payment, and still having a job, I have no pressure to make money with the mill, right now. By the time I have to depend on it, I should have it in top shape, and may even have a back-up mill, to boot. Besides that, I could buy a complete new engine from MD, and still be under half the cost of a new mill. I think I done ok.

Harold, I'll get back to you about the engine rebuild. It don't look all that hard, but I may have to take it to a machine shop to get that bolt out. It is down at the bottom of a 4"x 1/4" hole, and is probably beyond my capabilities. You've seen my shop, so you know what I mean. :D

[see_saw]

Someday when i get a digital camera ill send picture of the year from MD.some of the repairs that we have come in, would make you fall off your chair  :D wire,tape,caulking,