Only 20 minutes

[Deleted]

Tuesday evening. A member at church needed his starter replaced in his 05 Cavalier. 2 bolts, 3 wires simple.
Went over, raised car, placed jack stand, it's now getting dark, get a flashlight.
Job done, start it before lowering the jack.
Turn the car off, start lowering jack, it's dark. Floor jack does not roll back, did not notice..... it's dark.
Jack slides of jack point and into the side of the transmission. I notice fluid running very fast down the driveway.
Look under with flashlight, hole in transmission 4" x 6".
Go home get dolly, tow car to my house, drive it off the dolly and into the garage. Mess all over my blacktop.
Take out transmission, what a pain, had to press out the drive axles.
While the transmission is sitting on a 3 foot high steel table with the harbor frieght transmission jack under it it leans to the side and keeps going.
Lands on the new starter, need a starter now also.
Wednesday morning, take transmission to u-pull-it since they have transmissions on the shelf. Compare the 2, pay 175 bucks for a transmission and 20 for a starter, go home.
Finish the job by 4 pm.

Only a 20 minute job

[DynoDave]

Holy cow Bob. Sorry to hear about all of that.

Where the part about finishing the evening on your new upper desk with some sort of cold drink?

[bob bob]

Nov 14, 2013 16:54:24 GMT -5 DynoDave said:

Holy cow Bob. Sorry to hear about all of that.

Where the part about finishing the evening on your new upper desk with some sort of cold drink?

A little to chilly for that.
Hey Dave, need your starter replaced?

[Deleted]

I posted without logging in. Hmm, I did not think that was possible.

Bob Bob

[e5charger]

That sucks! Why does that always seem to happen when you are trying to help someone?

[DynoDave]

These things happen. I don't know anyone who works on cars at home or professionally that has not had accidents happen in one form or another.

I think you're a great guy for helping out. And I'd trust you to work on anything I own.

[Deleted]

In the mechanics world it is sometimes said that "no good deed goes unpunished"
While I don't really believe that, sometimes it feels like the truth.

I try to keep my automotive favors to a minimum. Pretty much only when the wife insists that I do something for someone she knows that is in a position of need.

I can't even count how many people have asked me if I could pick up a transmission for them at a U-Pull its.
They usually don't like my answer.

[brigond]

I cringed as I was reading your post .On the positive side you had the know how to replace the transmission and quick access to a used one at a reasonable price . It could have been a lot worse .
I recently had my wifes trany replaced on an 07 Saturn aura 3.6 liter. The GM dealer had trouble getting one . The whole job was ( to embarrassed to say) a lot of money. It could have been one of those.

Now your all primed and loosened up to rebuild your Chargers trany.

Sent from my PC36100 using proboards

[Deleted]

Through the whole thing I never got upset. A little disappointed in myself but I did not get upset. The owner of the car is a slow adult so he really did not know what happened. I only told him that I would repair his transmission. Since the Church ask me to change the starter I did not hesitate to help. I did get reimbursed from the Church. They did not have to do it but a little arm twisting and I finally accepted.
I would not hesitate to help again in this same situation.
The good old boy thing from friends and family is a little different if they just want free labor. It all depends on the situation.

[Deleted]

Nov 15, 2013 8:06:28 GMT -5 Bob said:

The good old boy thing from friends and family is a little different if they just want free labor. It all depends on the situation.

absolutely. I will and do help people in need. It's the right thing to do.