I considered it....
No, no, no,, not kneecapping the design team (or person) that designed the carburetor/gas tank/throttle assembly abortion that was part of the power unit for the leaf vacuum....(Although just for moment, the thought of HIRING someone to do that (I know a dude..) did make me smile...) I mean, seriously, 3 different wrenches and a screwdriver just to take the assembly OFF the motor? Plus 2 more to break the carb from the gas tank?
Nope, I'm referring to the thought that I could (and maybe should?) replace the thing...I mean, it is over 25 years old (I've had it for 22 and it was ancient and sorta "well used" when I acquired it at an auction...) and I have the scratch to buy a new, even more powerful one.... I mean, I thought about it really hard....
But then I came to my senses and just found some shirt cardboard and simply made the gasket that had deteriorated and replaced it instead.. I should be good for another couple of years, really.
Now, after cleaning the varnish out of the carb (hey, I was 7/8 of the way there already, so finishing the teardown wasn't too much work, and they are fairly simple) and sealing up the air leak with the new gasket, it runs like the proverbial....ape.
I'm not sure what came over me...buying something new? Not fixing something? Jesus...
I must be getting old. ...or lazy.
No, no, no,, not kneecapping the design team (or person) that designed the carburetor/gas tank/throttle assembly abortion that was part of the power unit for the leaf vacuum....(Although just for moment, the thought of HIRING someone to do that (I know a dude..) did make me smile...) I mean, seriously, 3 different wrenches and a screwdriver just to take the assembly OFF the motor? Plus 2 more to break the carb from the gas tank?
Nope, I'm referring to the thought that I could (and maybe should?) replace the thing...I mean, it is over 25 years old (I've had it for 22 and it was ancient and sorta "well used" when I acquired it at an auction...) and I have the scratch to buy a new, even more powerful one.... I mean, I thought about it really hard....
But then I came to my senses and just found some shirt cardboard and simply made the gasket that had deteriorated and replaced it instead.. I should be good for another couple of years, really.
Now, after cleaning the varnish out of the carb (hey, I was 7/8 of the way there already, so finishing the teardown wasn't too much work, and they are fairly simple) and sealing up the air leak with the new gasket, it runs like the proverbial....ape.
I'm not sure what came over me...buying something new? Not fixing something? Jesus...
I must be getting old. ...or lazy.
2 comments:
Good on ya.
I always shake my head in disgust whenever I go to the dump or the recycling outfit to get rid of stuff and see basically brand new lawn mowers lined up like cars at a used car lot.
That stupid red primer bulb is usually all that is wrong with them.
That or a broken cable or gunked up carb.
Nothing that either you or I couldn't fix in a couple of hours or less.
But no, it's too haaaaaaaaaard. Let's just go get a new one honey.
Well, they are starting to make stuff that just plain isn't fixable.
I know, many moons ago, when my almost brand new tv blew the screen, it freaked me out that the "warranty" was to give me a whole new tv and toss the old one out, no, thanks, don't bring it in, just toss it to the street, thank you for buying XYZ brand. And that was for, to me, a fairly expensive tv.
Grew up remembering tube testers and such, being able to open up stuff and actually replace various parts. No more. Small Appliance repair shops have gone the way of the dodo. I see the same thing happening to small motor repairs, heck, looking under the hood of my Ram/Fiat van, the same thing is happening to large motor repairs. (Just look at the whole fight by farmers for 'illegal' software for their very expensive 'proprietary' vendor farm equipment. Yes, farmers illegally hacking their combines is a thing. Strange World.)
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