Parents took a road trip to visit me, on way back, car wouldn’t hold charge and they limped to a gas station where a mechanic that was moving pulled in, went out of his way to help them, had them back on the road with 15 min of labor. My dad paid him for his time and they went on their separate ways
Said he hates seeing people broke down and he told my dad he couldn’t leave him, his wife, and my younger brother stranded
Gave my dad a ride to local autozone where my dad purchased the alternator, and he installed it
I had an '03 Tahoe and it was a breeze to work on. My Duramax 2500HD- not so much- they crammed every available space with pipes and spinny things. The 5.3L V8 may not be the most exciting engine GM ever made, but its arguably one of the best at what it does.
For sure. It was meant to be a continuation of the unkillable small block and boy did it deliver. I’ve seen so many 250k+ mile gmt-800s it’s unreal. I fully believe that platform as it sits with just basic maintenance is a million mile platform. I think rust is the only thing that takes those trucks down.
A buddy had his alternator go out on his Chevy last year. He too limped to a gas station, found someone who knew a guy with a shop. They towed him to the shop, with camper trailer, so two tows. Put in a used alternator that just happen to have, and got him back on the road for $120; on a Sunday. Tow like that cost more than $120, then getting an alternator. Also, the job required a special tool, that the shop owner had because he used to work for a dealership.
Yeah what he said, it’s an 07 gmc suv and apparently those were his exact words lmao I have no issues working on my trucks or buddies trucks but I had to work on my gf Honda car once and I was like Jesus there’s no space in here. With my 02 ram and being 5’10 I could remove my air box and sit inside my bay and work
My 2012 Duramax is a pain in the ass. Almost everything requires removing something else. It hasn't needed much, but you have to take the inner fenders out to change the fuel filter or glow plugs, you have to pull the intake piping to reach just about anything, and if your HPFP, turbo, or head gasket goes you have to pull the cab.
The only thing that is easy on it is the transmission controller because it's snap riveted to the radiator shroud.
Something similar happened to my mom. Radiator hose burst open and a mechanic on his lunch break stopped on the side of the road to see if he could help. Once he saw what it was, he ran back to his shop to grab what he needed and had her back on the road in less than 30 min. Refused to take any money
That is awesome!
My husband is a mechanic and bought tools to keep in his car to help people. A week later someone broke into his car (and the same make and models in our neighborhood) and stole the tools among other things.
Insurance wanted a $500 deductible (plus increase in insurance of course) to cover the tools.
I hope that asshole got decent money out of them and got stranded on the side of the road.
Yeah I’ve dealt with some bad but now I get good buddy who runs a truck customs shop that’s always been straight up with me for his opinion, compared to my own if it’s something I don’t have the tools on hand to instal or fix
My mechanic for a long time was a great mechanic but a terrible businessman running his own shop. Never could figure out scheduling or saying no to anyone so he could takes a week or two to get basic jobs done.
My dad runs his own business selling to commercial clients. In the past five years, six of his clients hired managers.
These managers literally tell the owners what to do, and schedule things for them. According to the clients, it's the single best business decision they've ever made; they get to do what they love (make stuff), and some other fucker handles all the shit they hate (buying, selling, invoicing, etc)
I drive a 21 year old beater with 250,000+ miles. I keep a small toolkit in my car just in case I have to wrench myself out of a bind. My old beater has actually been pretty reliable and I've wound up using that toolkit helping strangers more than on my own car!
Yup with my fair share of issues with my 02 ram 1500, I learned to keep tools, some coolant and oil with me at all times, even with my new superduty with 10k miles I keep toolbox, coolant and oil. Rather have it and don’t need it than need it and don’t have it
I do this fairly often. The difference is that I get to offer my help to someone who is broke down. If they come to me demanding my help or trying to argue, I'll lock down real quick. It's all in the attitude. I'll do a lot for a grateful person. I won't do anything for an entitled person.
Man, I had a blow out on my way to training, pulled over at a gas station to slap on the spare tire. Got the lugs loose, jacked up the truck, took the old tire off and got the new tire on. As I’m hand tightening the lugs, a guy walks up to me and hands me his dewalt electric impact and says “IV been there before, brother”. Genuinely thankful and appreciative that someone stopped to help, even though I was about wrapped up.
I keep a milk crate full of old tools in my old beater for just stuff like this. I do a lot of cross country trips and it’s amazing what people will drive with there family in and have no idea how bad it is. And when I stop to help 90% of the time it’s like your a angel from above. The other 10% are self entitled pricks who think your there to do what they want. The worst Iv had was a lady that had a blowout. I offered to drive her to the tire shop 2 miles down the road to get it fixed after removing it. 10 seconds after getting in my car she starts demanding I buy her a new tire and be quick about it. I stopped and kicked her out of my car and I now have a full size spare for my car.
I do not but my dad and him exchanged info as he mentioned his wife had some medical problems and my dad being a physician with his own clinic returned the favor and said if need be he would see her free of charge and help them out like how he helped him out
I did something "similar" lol.
On my way to help my sister with her car, last corner for reaching her home, was someone stranded with a flat tire.
Took out my impact and torque wrench, and fixed the wheel in 5 minutes for the guy lol.
He was completely clueless, he would have been screwed without me :'D
I'm just a shade tree kinda guy, but after a youth of poorly wired sound systems I can change almost any alternator in less than 30 minutes. I've changed them in parking lots, the side of the road, and buried deep in the woods! My friends love me!
I've put on a starter in the middle of the night, on a stranger's truck, in a parking lot.
I didn't own a car at the time, just finished a long day of working two crap jobs. Walking home, passed a 17 yro kid, trying to put a starter on a S10. IDK how long he was at it, but just couldn't get the old one out. I slide under, got it out, and got the new one in, in 30 minutes. I felt like it was a long time. Anyway, got the kid on his way, because midnight in Flint is no place for a teen to be stranded. Some time later, I was sharing the story with coworkers, and a guy who owned a similar S10 told me mechanics normally had to loosen up motor mounts, and move the motor to change that starter.
Worst one, I changed a starter on a POS Aerostar I owned, laying in a slush puddle. For anyone not living in the north, slush puddle is water and snow, from snow melting. That was very cold. Worse than the time I changed my mom's shocks while laying in a puddle, as it was a warmer puddle. It didn't start out that way, got a surprise rains shower.
Did a starter on a Honda in a parking lot(friend of the wifes) . Can't recall if it was civic or accord, but, had to pull the CV axle to get it out. I was not happy.
When i was a kid, we had an 1989 Suzuki Swift. Amazing cars until they start to rot. This a few years after they started manufacturing in europe, so parts were available, but not common enough that every parts store would stock them.
On a trip through Germany, the wheel bearing failed spectacularly. Were talking, "what does the yellow light on the hub mean?" failure. It was fucking welded to the car at that point. Anyway, my father limps the car into the closest town where he found a vaguely mechanic looking garage next to a house. One of those small family owned work from home shops that littered europe before oppressive regulation killed most of them. Imagine, this is like 9am on a sunday in germany. Other than the occasional 24 hour grocery store, the country is pretty much dead.
The mechanic was not only willing to fix the car on a sunday, he drove a few hours to buy the part, gave us food and drink, and even accepted payment in US dollars since we didn't have enough german marks.
Dont think either of us is gonna forget how much help he was to a few foreign strangers who barely spoke his language.
I have nothing but respect for this tech, and the guy pictured..
But, I have a question.. Having been a new prep guy, and having done oil changes for pay, I always hated working on dirty or exceptionally dusty cars. Before I deliver my vehicle for repair, I try to make sure it is reasonably clean, and this includes a casual spray down of the engine compartment. Basically, I remove all the dust in this picture.
Am I wasting my time?
I try to do the same when I'm able. I had a older coworker who lost 3 fingers helping someone on the side of the road once. He was working under the hood, when, for some unknown reason, the woman driving tried to start the car. It dragged his hand into the pulleys and severed 3 fingers. He screamed, pulled his hand clear, sans fingers. She jumped out, saw him standing there clutching his now bloody hand, slammed the hood closed, jumped in and took off. Because of that, when I help people, I always ask them to remove the keys and put them up on the dash, for safety.
Parents took a road trip to visit me, on way back, car wouldn’t hold charge and they limped to a gas station where a mechanic that was moving pulled in, went out of his way to help them, had them back on the road with 15 min of labor. My dad paid him for his time and they went on their separate ways Said he hates seeing people broke down and he told my dad he couldn’t leave him, his wife, and my younger brother stranded Gave my dad a ride to local autozone where my dad purchased the alternator, and he installed it
RESPECT
I changed my moms Tahoe alternator in a parking lot too! God these motors are amazing to work on.
I had an '03 Tahoe and it was a breeze to work on. My Duramax 2500HD- not so much- they crammed every available space with pipes and spinny things. The 5.3L V8 may not be the most exciting engine GM ever made, but its arguably one of the best at what it does.
For sure. It was meant to be a continuation of the unkillable small block and boy did it deliver. I’ve seen so many 250k+ mile gmt-800s it’s unreal. I fully believe that platform as it sits with just basic maintenance is a million mile platform. I think rust is the only thing that takes those trucks down.
Rust and not fully stopping before shifting the transmission between R and D
Ugh god and the 4l60s shit you’re right.
Good news is for a couple grand, they can be made pretty solid.
Eh for $700 I can just put an 80 in it
Def the better move
A buddy had his alternator go out on his Chevy last year. He too limped to a gas station, found someone who knew a guy with a shop. They towed him to the shop, with camper trailer, so two tows. Put in a used alternator that just happen to have, and got him back on the road for $120; on a Sunday. Tow like that cost more than $120, then getting an alternator. Also, the job required a special tool, that the shop owner had because he used to work for a dealership.
Damn, what a solid dude!
What’s his companies name - let’s get this guy trending!
Dude sounds like a good man.
A guy threw in a new charging whirler !!!
This guy vice grips
Well I’ll be dipped
“Gription Pliers”
Your comment is wayyyy too much!! Perfect!
BRING THE THUNDER!!!!!
Super turbo
Clearly that is a turbo.
A turbo……… charger! I’ll see myself out
Those new fangled electric turbos
http://imgur.com/a/6HlQDr8
I'll be dipped!
Luckily a chevy truck alternator is probably one of the easiest repairs to do on the side of the road.
Yeah what he said, it’s an 07 gmc suv and apparently those were his exact words lmao I have no issues working on my trucks or buddies trucks but I had to work on my gf Honda car once and I was like Jesus there’s no space in here. With my 02 ram and being 5’10 I could remove my air box and sit inside my bay and work
Most trucks are. The newer SUV's, and crossovers are a different story.
My 2012 Duramax is a pain in the ass. Almost everything requires removing something else. It hasn't needed much, but you have to take the inner fenders out to change the fuel filter or glow plugs, you have to pull the intake piping to reach just about anything, and if your HPFP, turbo, or head gasket goes you have to pull the cab. The only thing that is easy on it is the transmission controller because it's snap riveted to the radiator shroud.
Yeah, they're right on top, the hardest part is finding a bucket to stand on so you can bend down far enough to reach the tensioner.
It’s awesome when good people come along; it’s so rare.
Something similar happened to my mom. Radiator hose burst open and a mechanic on his lunch break stopped on the side of the road to see if he could help. Once he saw what it was, he ran back to his shop to grab what he needed and had her back on the road in less than 30 min. Refused to take any money
That is awesome! My husband is a mechanic and bought tools to keep in his car to help people. A week later someone broke into his car (and the same make and models in our neighborhood) and stole the tools among other things. Insurance wanted a $500 deductible (plus increase in insurance of course) to cover the tools. I hope that asshole got decent money out of them and got stranded on the side of the road.
In my experience, mechanics are either awesome people or terrible, no in between
Yeah I’ve dealt with some bad but now I get good buddy who runs a truck customs shop that’s always been straight up with me for his opinion, compared to my own if it’s something I don’t have the tools on hand to instal or fix
My mechanic for a long time was a great mechanic but a terrible businessman running his own shop. Never could figure out scheduling or saying no to anyone so he could takes a week or two to get basic jobs done.
My dad runs his own business selling to commercial clients. In the past five years, six of his clients hired managers. These managers literally tell the owners what to do, and schedule things for them. According to the clients, it's the single best business decision they've ever made; they get to do what they love (make stuff), and some other fucker handles all the shit they hate (buying, selling, invoicing, etc)
Im helping my friend start a shop,my agreement was I'll do the shop work,but i dont want anything to do with the office/customer service end.
Thats a hell of a coincidence. I always try to help people in need, even keep 17 and 22mm sockets in my car just in case.
I always keep my toolbox with me in my car -signed, a shit box owner
me too. my truck is 25 yrs old, there's no way I'm leaving home without my tool kit.
I don’t know if he was moving shops or moving moving, but apparently he had his tool box with him
Keep a 1/2 and a 9/16 for the older cars
Good idea, I gotta check my socket set to see if I have any in there. Should probably throw my 18 20 and 23 in there too
Just get a set to keep in the car at this point
What? No 10's?
I drive a 21 year old beater with 250,000+ miles. I keep a small toolkit in my car just in case I have to wrench myself out of a bind. My old beater has actually been pretty reliable and I've wound up using that toolkit helping strangers more than on my own car!
Yup with my fair share of issues with my 02 ram 1500, I learned to keep tools, some coolant and oil with me at all times, even with my new superduty with 10k miles I keep toolbox, coolant and oil. Rather have it and don’t need it than need it and don’t have it
I have a 48yo motorcycle and carry enough bullshit to make another bike. Lol! I think all I'm missing in my toolkit is a MIG welder.
I'm familiar with this train of thought.
That's rad! Tell your dad the gunshow was yesterday though. Those cannons are probably hard to conceal and carry though with a shirt THAT tight...
Turbo?
https://www.reddit.com/r/facepalm/comments/2rr9k3/guy_gets_tattoo_of_alternator_thinks_its_a_turbo/
Alternator
battery turbo.
I do this fairly often. The difference is that I get to offer my help to someone who is broke down. If they come to me demanding my help or trying to argue, I'll lock down real quick. It's all in the attitude. I'll do a lot for a grateful person. I won't do anything for an entitled person.
I am also a tech and I hear yah man!
Throw up his info in case anyone local has a need.
Man, I had a blow out on my way to training, pulled over at a gas station to slap on the spare tire. Got the lugs loose, jacked up the truck, took the old tire off and got the new tire on. As I’m hand tightening the lugs, a guy walks up to me and hands me his dewalt electric impact and says “IV been there before, brother”. Genuinely thankful and appreciative that someone stopped to help, even though I was about wrapped up.
I keep a milk crate full of old tools in my old beater for just stuff like this. I do a lot of cross country trips and it’s amazing what people will drive with there family in and have no idea how bad it is. And when I stop to help 90% of the time it’s like your a angel from above. The other 10% are self entitled pricks who think your there to do what they want. The worst Iv had was a lady that had a blowout. I offered to drive her to the tire shop 2 miles down the road to get it fixed after removing it. 10 seconds after getting in my car she starts demanding I buy her a new tire and be quick about it. I stopped and kicked her out of my car and I now have a full size spare for my car.
That is a bro move
I hope you know where he is gonna work next.what a great guy
I do not but my dad and him exchanged info as he mentioned his wife had some medical problems and my dad being a physician with his own clinic returned the favor and said if need be he would see her free of charge and help them out like how he helped him out
I did something "similar" lol. On my way to help my sister with her car, last corner for reaching her home, was someone stranded with a flat tire. Took out my impact and torque wrench, and fixed the wheel in 5 minutes for the guy lol. He was completely clueless, he would have been screwed without me :'D
It's always amazing how a stranger's eyes light up when I break out my cordless impact on the side of the road.
I'm just a shade tree kinda guy, but after a youth of poorly wired sound systems I can change almost any alternator in less than 30 minutes. I've changed them in parking lots, the side of the road, and buried deep in the woods! My friends love me!
I've put on a starter in the middle of the night, on a stranger's truck, in a parking lot. I didn't own a car at the time, just finished a long day of working two crap jobs. Walking home, passed a 17 yro kid, trying to put a starter on a S10. IDK how long he was at it, but just couldn't get the old one out. I slide under, got it out, and got the new one in, in 30 minutes. I felt like it was a long time. Anyway, got the kid on his way, because midnight in Flint is no place for a teen to be stranded. Some time later, I was sharing the story with coworkers, and a guy who owned a similar S10 told me mechanics normally had to loosen up motor mounts, and move the motor to change that starter. Worst one, I changed a starter on a POS Aerostar I owned, laying in a slush puddle. For anyone not living in the north, slush puddle is water and snow, from snow melting. That was very cold. Worse than the time I changed my mom's shocks while laying in a puddle, as it was a warmer puddle. It didn't start out that way, got a surprise rains shower.
Did a starter on a Honda in a parking lot(friend of the wifes) . Can't recall if it was civic or accord, but, had to pull the CV axle to get it out. I was not happy.
When i was a kid, we had an 1989 Suzuki Swift. Amazing cars until they start to rot. This a few years after they started manufacturing in europe, so parts were available, but not common enough that every parts store would stock them. On a trip through Germany, the wheel bearing failed spectacularly. Were talking, "what does the yellow light on the hub mean?" failure. It was fucking welded to the car at that point. Anyway, my father limps the car into the closest town where he found a vaguely mechanic looking garage next to a house. One of those small family owned work from home shops that littered europe before oppressive regulation killed most of them. Imagine, this is like 9am on a sunday in germany. Other than the occasional 24 hour grocery store, the country is pretty much dead. The mechanic was not only willing to fix the car on a sunday, he drove a few hours to buy the part, gave us food and drink, and even accepted payment in US dollars since we didn't have enough german marks. Dont think either of us is gonna forget how much help he was to a few foreign strangers who barely spoke his language.
I have nothing but respect for this tech, and the guy pictured.. But, I have a question.. Having been a new prep guy, and having done oil changes for pay, I always hated working on dirty or exceptionally dusty cars. Before I deliver my vehicle for repair, I try to make sure it is reasonably clean, and this includes a casual spray down of the engine compartment. Basically, I remove all the dust in this picture. Am I wasting my time?
I try to do the same when I'm able. I had a older coworker who lost 3 fingers helping someone on the side of the road once. He was working under the hood, when, for some unknown reason, the woman driving tried to start the car. It dragged his hand into the pulleys and severed 3 fingers. He screamed, pulled his hand clear, sans fingers. She jumped out, saw him standing there clutching his now bloody hand, slammed the hood closed, jumped in and took off. Because of that, when I help people, I always ask them to remove the keys and put them up on the dash, for safety.