change of pace...

mr fix it has been repairing primarily power equipment for the last 25 years, but he has always had a love affair with the automobile...more precisely old MOPARS......60's muscle dodge and plymouths...so beginning in the spring he began weeding out power equipment and working on old mopars....i am going to chronicle our day to day victories and failures.....

mopar garage is here....

chryslers at carlisle pa. 2011

a visit to the machine shop.....



 today was a field trip for me.....i was sent to the machine shop on my own with precise instructions to gather information and drop off some valves to be modified....we have some heads at this shop that we found through word of mouth....we have visited with Larry twice ( he is the owner of this shop since 1968.....and in this same location since 1972....he must be doing something right.....) after talking to him for a short while i realize that first, he is a nice guy and second he has alot of good information to pass along..... 



MADE IN U.S.A. Bridgeport Ct.  



.....his shop has all machines that are more than 30 years old...all made in the U.S.A.      Bridgeports aplenty.....none of this new CNC stuff that cant get out of its own way.... ridiculous $200,000.00 dollar machines that ruin perfectly good heads and blocks, because the blockheads running them think they are infallible........people thing that new and more expensive is better.........please...once you realize that slow and simple wins the race you will come out way ahead of the game.....dont be fooled by new, shiny stuff....it will suck you in with promises of better, faster, bigger...ect.....stick with the old stand- by that has been working for a long time...the grass isnt always greener on the other side......

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larrys automotive head area



summer off...slipping and sliding....

tal & kat next to the fix-it shop

i took the summer off unplanned, i had a class that started, june 27 thru sept 2..it is over so i am back blogging....

watch for new and unedited stories in the informal adventures of ronnie the repair guy...aka mr. fix-it....

he spent the summer on the slip n' slide with the kids!!!!

honda walk behind with bbc bearing...

One of our customers recently brought down a 1986 honda walk behind....this thing looks bullet-proof...but apparently it isn't stump-proof...his wife hit a stump with it ...bending the bearing, blade and all attached paraphinelia underneath...yet it still runs!!!!! Conundrum...blow it up for fun or give it to the metal guy down thw street to cut his 1/4 mile driveway going into his salvage yard...he wont care if the cut is a littlle crooked.... Mr. Fix-it with his crazy eyed intent to blow this baby up!!!!!I am trying to convince him to fix it.......... You see he always fixes things, he never gets to break things......stay tuned, I will let you know what happens!

possible sheared timing key

Mr. Fix-it's cousin brings a walk behind mower in every year for service..he requests the $50.00 SPECIAL.
I advised him we don't have a $50.00 SPECIAL and never did....he said " then how about the family discount?"... I advised him we learned along time ago not to give family any discount, as a matter of fact, we try to avoid doing any work for family unless it is absolutely necessary...several years ago it seemed we were working on family stuff at least 50% of our time. Its one thing to discount labor...but most friends and family can't even come up with the parts money.....

On to the fix of the day......

Cousin Joe is complaining the machine won't run, if you look at the picture , you probably realize that this is a "throw-away" lawnmower. But, with the "family discount" it is worth it for Cousin Joe to fix it.....He says he has already changed the oil and replaced the blade....when you see a new blade...what do you look for?     A SHEARED TIMING KEY! He probably hit something...root, stone, toy hidden in the tall grass.....Mr. Fix-it takes off the flywheel to investigate.....what does he find? A sheared timing key. 

He asked his cousin if he hit something with the machine....What do you think he said? Nnnnnoooooo, not me...... A customer will never admit to wrongdoing. 

Remember: The customer is always right!