The Joy of Car Repair

I've friends who love to work on cars, trucks, motorcycles -just about anything with an engine. It's their idea of fun. They've developed quite a few skills over the years. They've the tools for the job -or if they don't they can adapt or fabricate a tool. It's good to have friends like these.

If I've got the money, I'll happily pay someone else to fix my vehicles. I joke that you can tell the state of my finances by how often I do my own work. Now is one of those do-my-own-work times. I'm not a gear head like my friends, but I can do the work . . . after a fashion.

Yesterday I changed a wiper motor in my truck. One of my friends was willing to help me do the work. That was nice of him to offer as this is a busy time of year for him. Instead of bothering him, I did the work myself.

Step one: pick his brain on the part I needed.
Step two: pick his brain on where to get the part and how much it costs.
Step three: have him explain how to do the job, step by step
Step four: repeat step three a few more times.

Yep, did the job all by myself. (if you don't include all the extremely useful time saving information provided by my friend.)

He estimated the job would take about an hour.

Took two.

Not bad, considering I dropped a bolt and had it disappear behind a headlight assembly. Accidentally popped a bushing out and had to figure out how it went back it. Carefully reinstalled the bad motor instead of the good one. Cut the back of my hand twice. Had darkness fall while working and finished the job wearing a headlamp.

All in all, the job went well. The wipers work, so in the end that's all that counts.

-Sixbears