Neanderpundit

But there is a sort of a “dot” in the image below. This is the face of a car part immediately after machining.

The “dot” is a clever bit of differential tempering. Outside the dot, the only tool that will touch the surface is Cemented Boron Nitride, or CBN. Basically, the closest thing in hardness to diamond. Inside the dot, you can cut it with a pocketknife. The reason is, after heat treat, holes have to be very accurately drilled and reamed in these spots. Can’t be done prior to heat treat, because the holes would distort. This is the capability of modern manufacturing, and it borders on witchcraft.

Another old service report culled from the distant past. (In this case, I think 1998)

Still struggling with XXXXX aftermarket auto door. Door manufactured in such a way as to cause large gaps in many locations and the process sprays coolant directly at these gaps. I suspect that XXXXX may never have actually seen a machine tool, nor have any idea how they actually operate. Little else could explain the reckless disregard for the laws of physics in the way the doors are made. I have covered some of the gaps, adjusted for others, will be calking some gaps with silicone and creating “Troughs” for the coolant where no other course of action is possible. The design of the doors is dismal and I disreccomend we ever approach them again for auto door. I can easily design something that will cost less than this, significantly outperform it, and not require extensive modification to function.

It is my decided intention to find the person who designed this specific door, in all it’s glory, and insert it in him, in the orifice of his choosing. In the interim I will do the best to please the customer, though they continue to come out to the machine and discuss in other languages why it is leaking, and pull out all the little plugs of foam and rags I have inserted in it to tone the leakage down, causing it to leak more. I have to remake and reinsert the plugs almost hourly to counter this action, and if I spend another day doing this I will call in air support.

has been leaking for a while now. The valve cover gaskets get stiff and perish, and while it’s not a difficult job it is sort of a pain. And while I enjoy giving Mother Gaeia back the oil she so generously gives us, I have to pay for it.

Local auto parts stores had the gasket set, some off brand, for $72. I bought an honest to god FelPro for $32 online. I don’t know how they do that. One way or another, I was happy to get it.

The intake manifold has to be removed to make this work, and I did, but I’m always paranoid about dropping things down it, so I put in blue shop towels. I number them to make sure they come back out. I got it all back together, and could only find 1,2,3,5,and 6. Tore the garage apart looking for 4, finally found it in my own damned pocket.

Anyway, it’s together again. Maybe I can finally take the Harley Cookie Sheet out from under it.

While I was working on the front valve cover, I had to disconnect the power steering. The fluid, unbeknownst to me, took a look at the drain pan and said ‘Oh, I don’t want to mess up the shiny new drip pan, I’ll run down this frame rail so I can end up on the BRAND NEW CONCRETE FLOOR.

When I got done, I test drove it, and changed the oil. In the driveway, dammit.