The big box auto stores
Do a pretty good job of getting all the pieces in place, and having most of what you need for the common vehicles.
And ain’t no more common vehicle than an Explorer, just about.
So the idea that something as common as a gauge sender would flummox them is amusing at best.
So I hied me hence to the local REAL auto parts store. A big Dorman display of nuts and bolts and specialty fasteners. A whopping load of starters, alternators and gasket kits.
Even the MOPAR topped stools with the chrome legs and etc.
Frankly, the only thing they were missing was the big blown pistons used as ashtrays, and the giant racks of books- now replaced by computers.
After Three trips to AdvanceZone, the guy in the refular auto parts store walked up to the shelf and grabbed the part I wanted. it was nine bucks. And now the temp gauge in the daughters’ sploder works, really the only non-regular maintenance item it has ever needed in over 400,000 miles.
I wish it werent’ such a rustbucket, I would steal it back from her and go back to driving it myself. Well, if it survives four years of college it will more than have done it’s duty.
When I was rebuilding the Escort drivetrain to put into the red car, I simply COULD NOT find a reverse switch to replace the one I bunged up taking the drivetrain out of the donor vehicle. I looked everywhere, and no one listed the part–not even Ford! I ended up taking the reverse switch from the drivetrain that was being replaced.
Some times it is good to run older USA iron. The store around here is Arnold’s, but they are not open much on weekends. I have also had good luck at NAPA, but that is a Midwest thing.
Hope the care does her well at college.
Since I have been driving my daughter’s Honda I have also had thoughts of keeping it for myself. But she doesn’t want to pay for the gas of the 4runner.
Yeah, I’m posting nearly a week after the fact, but gimme a break–my Box of Imps has been in the shop for 3(!) weeks.
I’m definitely a mechanic’s kid. One of my ashtrays is a piston head, bore about 5.375″, wrist pin milling about 1.3″. I don’t know what the donor was, but it was a big sumbitch (relatively speaking–I’ve stood next to running locomotive diesels on/in test stands/bays, & I’ve seen pictures of those godawful-big container-ship diesels).