Amateur mechanics

[LoHo]

My fork seals have been fork leaks for a while now, and I've demurred on a couple of rides because I had doubts, so I got into them today. Pushed F*****g B***h to the driveway, jacked up the front, grimmaced at the fork oil all over the front end, and disassembled everything. Rigged up the 19mm tool, got everything loose, took the wire keeper out of the slider, and easily pried the seal out. Excited, I opened the new seals and noticed it didn't seem big enough. It went in tooo easily, in fact, was rattling around in the seal groove. Damn! Then I noticed that XS1100 was not listed among the numerous Yammies it fit. Oh well, it will fit the XV500 I have.

Okay, let's do the other one, so that all I need to do is put in the new seals when I get them. This one was a booger to get out. Lots of prying, cussing, and abusive force. Finally, I got an edge to budge and got it out. Then I noticed that among the pieces was the wire keeper, which I had failed to lift out, and which had been obscurred by the oil/dirt mess.

It's now ten at night and I need to close up the garage. But I can't move Effing B, and she's in the driveway, which was great this afternoon when I planned to be done in a couple of hours, but won't be so great tomorrow, when we're all gone to school and work. She'll be fine under a sheet, right?

This is probably why my wife always tells me to take it to a professional. I don't think I'll relate this little story to her...not right away, in any event.

[prometheus578]

We "professionals" sometimes end up doing the same thing, so you're now one of us.
Actually, next time... take out the wire keeper, remove that hex-bolt from the bottom, hold the lower leg with your left hand, and with your right hand, jerk the fork tube upwards several times. It will bring the seal out nicely with it when the tubes seperate.
But you knew this... You probably just couldn't get that damned hex bolt out. (Sometimes we professionals can't get it out, either)

[HobbyMan]

Thats what makes a professional a professional. Making all of the mistakes before and trying not to make the same mistake again (Hopefully).

[Dragonrider]

Originally posted by HobbyMan
Thats what makes a professional a professional....

Heh...what makes a professional a professional is...they get paid to practice on your bike LOL!

[prometheus578]

Same as doctors. They practice medicine.

[wingnut]

That’s why they call it practicing medicine. They practice on you till they get it right. But they still charge the same no matter what. Same as most professionals

[Geezer]

Originally posted by HobbyMan
Thats what makes a professional a professional. Making all of the mistakes before and trying not to make the same mistake again (Hopefully).

You're a pro when you've made more money with your tools than you paid for them.

Geezer

[GNEPIG]

You're a pro when you've made more money with your tools than you paid for them.

.. does that ever happen?

..mistakes are just little lessons in life. the person who makes the most mistakes, is the person who ends up being the smartest.

..the mistakes i dislike the most, are the one that i make the second time around, because the first time i had made it was so long ago that i didn't remember it until after i'd finished fckin it up again.

[Geezer]

I made a living turning wrenches on bike for over 15 years and that's a few years longer than most guys before they bail for better a payng job.

Experience and wisdom are what you get when you don't get what you want...

Geezer

[prometheus578]

You're a pro when you've made more money with your tools than you paid for them.

..mistakes are just little lessons in life. the person who makes the most mistakes, is the person who ends up being the smartest.

Experience and wisdom are what you get when you don't get what you want...

What... everyone took the summer off to read Philosophy books? Oh, the educated minds, here.
(I was impressed with LoHo's use of the words "demurred" and "grimmaced", until he threw in "Booger")

[LoHo]

(I was impressed with LoHo's use of the words "demurred" and "grimmaced", until he threw in "Booger")

I was going to use "recalcitrant," but didn't want to seem pedantic, which is a nuance of being pedantic.

[Pat Kelly]

"A smart person learns from their mistakes.
A wise person learns from someone elses mistakes"

[prometheus578]

"Pedantic?"

(I thought fer a second he was calling me a child molester till I looked it up)

[oseaghdha]

Ben Franklin

"Experience is a dear teacher, and only fools will learn from no other."

As in," Don't touch that, it's hot."

"Owch!"

[Special Ed]

Originally posted by LoHo
(I was impressed with LoHo's use of the words "demurred" and "grimmaced", until he threw in "Booger")

I was going to use "recalcitrant," but didn't want to seem pedantic, which is a nuance of being pedantic.

Eschew obscuration.
E.Liberty