It never ends.....Something always happens

So I go to the yard and drop some iron off. I flipped a desk off the back of the truck It bounces off the tailgate and I snapped a tailgate cable. Ok, I can deal with that, so I call an Autozone by me to get the cable. He has them in stock for my truck, okay cool i'll be up in a hour to grab them. I go up get the cables (for both sides), about a half inch short. Take them back and get refund. So I asked the guy what year they are for he says a 2002, okay I said 2000 on the phone, if you didn't have them why am I here, he just looks at me and says nothing. They can't get them, so his manager tells me to call the dealer. Go to Advanced Auto Parts about a 1/4 mile away, they can't get them either. Okay, whatever so I come home get the number for Pep Boys. They can get them but I have to go to the store, pre-pay for them and he has to order them from Indianapolis. Finally getting somewhere.

I get back to the house, do my daily maintenance check, pop the hood checking the oil. So I get done with the oil and I start it up and stick my head in the motor, I hear something grind about every 15-20 seconds. So I shut the truck off check the radiator and I can't see antifreeze. Slide under the truck and sure enough I have a slow drip of coolant. Guess I need a new water pump, so that's what i'll be getting done Monday. That kills any calls I get for the weekend and my Sunday trash run.

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Originally Posted by ScrapperNJ26

I get back to the house, do my daily maintenance check, pop the hood checking the oil. So I get done with the oil and I start it up and stick my head in the motor, I hear something grind about every 15-20 seconds. So I shut the truck off check the radiator and I can't see antifreeze. Slide under the truck and sure enough I have a slow drip of coolant. Guess I need a new water pump, so that's what i'll be getting done Monday. That kills any calls I get for the weekend and my Sunday trash run.

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I AM IMPRESSED! and while you may miss a few days, it is better than breaking down, paying for a tow and possibly more damage to your truck. I have a 1998 Silverado, with 118xxx. it is my bread and butter and baby. I am constantly checking everything on it, and my trailer.
So, enjoy a little down time and maybe get a few others things done that have been put off. You may actually be saving more than you would have made, had you not done that "daily maintenance check". my 2. BroJer

We've been running my dad's truck hard lately, 2000 Ram 1500 with a 318 5 speed. It's floating around 165,000 miles. 2nd water pump as of this upcoming one. Not bad, but the throw out bearing just went in the clutch about 2 months ago which was done at 120,000 miles. That was $1400 because everything had to be replaced. I have some low-grade boards and 3 monitors to rip down so I guess I'll get that done.

I hear ya,
This has been the worst weekend I've had in along time. Go to leave work Friday start the car and think man this thing sounds a little loud by the time I got home it was real loud 42 miles end up blowing a 2" hole in muffler. Go to get a new one and they'll have it in at
8am great, go home start taking the old one off and my sister in law shows up goes in the house to bs with my wife a few hours, comes out to leave and her car wont start GREAT. Starter wire is broke (the little braided wire from solenoid into starter) tell her she needs a new one & jump it with a piece of my #12wire scrap.
It's about 10pm by now and to top off my Friday I go to shut the garage and the top section come off the track and gets wedged against the arm on opener (A FEW CHOICE WORDS) is going on. Bearings fell out of guide roller for the cable.

Saturday spent working on cars: 1 hr to change muffler and 2 pipes, starter 6 hrs, (TO CHANGE A STARTER, CRAZY).
If any of you have a Grand Marquis/Crown Vic I'd suggest taking it to a garage for something like this. It realy sucks doing it laing on the ground. Had to disconnect the A/C compressor just to get 1 bolt out with a bunch of extensions hooked together.
Sunday: Work on garage door, changing 2 pullies & got a few new rollers.
Well thats about it for my weekend endeavors.

Car troubles make me want to puke I am scrapper not a mechanic. I can take anything apart but putting it back together is a completely different story. Which is why I have two vehicles with under 55,000 miles in my driveway. I can't stand being broke down. I finally had to give up my 02 ford f-150 with 190,000 miles on it 5 months ago because it needed more work then the truch was worth to pass inspection. Sometimes you gotta know when hold em and when to fold em. Nothing better then waking up and knowing your truck is gonna start and get you to point a to point b with no problems in between. Good luck on your problems I hope its not more then a water pump.

Don't mind fixing my own mechanical problems cause its always cheaper faster and often better. I won't lie its often frustrating, but aside from front end alignment, automatic transmissions, and carb work I'm not afraid to tackle the rest. Last fall transfer case blew up on my pick up, rebuilt one cost 1200$, used one from junkyard $900, bought 2 rebuildable transfer cases and rebuild kit and built one for under 500

I can deal with a $400 water pump. I would do it but I have no place to work on anything where I live. Oh well lol. Comes with the territory.

In over 40 years of driving, I could almost count the times I've let a shop work on my vehicle on one hand, but to count the times I didn't regret it one little finger is more than enough.

um, the bright side, you have a truck. just sayin.

Scrap truck don't last long unless you maintain and don't be afraid to spend money on your silent partner, right hand man. I do all the work on our trucks and trailers. Not really by choice but I just can't get over paying someone $1500 for something I can do on a Sat and Sun with some beers and friends.

Just dropped it off, it'll be done as soon as autopart international shows up with the pump. 2 hours on the pump not bad, so I'll have it back by 6.

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Originally Posted by ScrapperNJ26

I can deal with a $400 water pump. I would do it but I have no place to work on anything where I live. Oh well lol. Comes with the territory.

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Blew a timing chain in my 72 Chevy Impala, hitched a ride into town got parts along with a cheap puller to remove the vibration damper then replaced everything where the car had broke down, an hour and half later I'm back on the road.

It had actually taken me longer to get into town and back with parts than doing the repair.

When my buddy's Van coughed a transmission he left it in a parking lots, took a bus home then called me to fix the transmission. I grabbed a rebuild master box kit and a permit for my Yamaha 650 for the return trip home after delivering the Van back to Nick.

Yea I rebuilt the transmission in the parking lot, it makes me ill when I read you have no place to work.

A good place to look for scrap in Canada at least is in the Canadian Tire parking lots, guys will go in buy their parts then do the Re: and Re: right there in the lot leaving the old parts were they fall.

Water pumps, brake shoes and drums along with old rotors are a common sight, if Canadian Tire sold crate engines it would not surprise me to find an old engine laying in the parking lot.

I guess in the last 3 years I've replaced the clutch, water pump, radiator, drivers side window, plugs and plug wires on my sons 91 Explorer. Plugs, plug wires and coil for my wifes Windstar and a clutch in my Ranger. I've got a 66 Chevy in my garage that i'm trying to restore but I never seem to have any extra money to spend on it. It is frustrating having to work on these vehicles but I am thankful that I'm able to do it.

Gustavus, Your comment reminded me of something. Had to go to Auto Zone in Memphis to pick up and engine,they have a 24 hour store, two guys had the tranny out of chevy right under the lamp post,This was around 1.00 a.m. there was little groups all over the lot under the lamps working on various rides.

i find auto zone useless i stopped calling them years ago. if its just a slow leak fill a jug or two full of water and keep going man i wouldn't worry about it just keep checking every other hour.

I feel for you - hubby's fuel pump ( 2 months old) went out last Wednesday WHILE I was in the next town scrapping and he had to use my truck for 3 days which put ME out of the loop for 3 days until we had the time to fix it ourselves. I couldn't even use either of my sons cars to scrap since they work 2nd shift.

so, even being a multi car family doesn't help sometimes when you depend on scrapping to make a living I can't imagine if you are a single person losing the use of your vehicle.

heck, no tailgate cables can at least be worked around, but losing coolant is a big issue!

Scrapping is hard on a truck, I've put over $4000.00 into mine before and after using it to scrap. You just never can plan on anything not going wrong, it seems to come with the territory. I have learned to save money by replacing most parts myself but dang, when something DOES go wrong it sucks big time whether you have to send it to the shop or spend the time fixing it yourself because time is money in this business.

Thank god I can at least claim the repairs at tax time to help offset the ''****, this is gonna kill me today to have to spend money losing money today'' blues.

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Originally Posted by newattitude

Thank god I can at least claim the repairs at tax time to help offset the ''****, this is gonna kill me today to have to spend money losing money today'' blues.

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If you use the Standard Mileage Deduction.... IIRC repairs are figured into that number so you can't double dip.

Scrappernj, $1400 for a clutch in a pickup seems extremely high. I've had clutches professionally installed in my international dump truck for less. I know things cost more in the north, but sounds like you need to shop around. I would guess that's a $500 job here. Good luck.

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Originally Posted by KzScrapper

If you use the Standard Mileage Deduction.... IIRC repairs are figured into that number so you can't double dip.

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Correct, I didn't specify that in my post, what I was getting at was that in the end, it was at least deductible to help take that edge off. You still have to give your tax person the figures.

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Originally Posted by carolinajunkman

Scrappernj, $1400 for a clutch in a pickup seems extremely high. I've had clutches professionally installed in my international dump truck for less. I know things cost more in the north, but sounds like you need to shop around. I would guess that's a $500 job here. Good luck.

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1400 would be a good deal in my rig

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Originally Posted by cummins

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Originally Posted by carolinajunkman

Scrappernj, $1400 for a clutch in a pickup seems extremely high. I've had clutches professionally installed in my international dump truck for less. I know things cost more in the north, but sounds like you need to shop around. I would guess that's a $500 job here. Good luck.

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1400 would be a good deal in my rig

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3800 for a heavy duty rebuilt automatic in mine. And thats with me doin the install...