Subject to Change

Suitable

Well, another suit photo. This is the tan one. What do I need with two suits?

I don’t know. Some how dressing up makes me feel better. I do know that I have already spent more on clothes this spring than I had spent the previous several years. It had been my practice to buy nearly the cheapest stuff I could. My basics have been khakis and polo shirts, although I had several nicer shirts that were bought on extreme mark downs.

Now I have a couple of cheap suits. The ties are left over from former more affluent days. What amazes me is the price of dress shirts. I used to buy them for $10-$15 now they are $20-$40 each.

Fixing the truck has me broke next month, but if luck holds at all I want to get a dark blue suit too. Dark blue, gray pinstripe, and tan in my opinion makes a pretty good set. Two to wear, one at the cleaners. Or wear one with two in the suitcase. They make good combinations to give a variety of looks. Blue coat with blue, gray, or tan trousers. Tan coat with tan or blue trousers, gray coat with gray or blue trousers.

Of course most folks these days, if their job does not require them to have more, only have one suit if they have one at all. Most folks seem to not mind looking like a bum even at church, wedding, and funerals. I look at the university students wearing tee shirts and ragged jean shorts to class and think how much nicer it was when they at least wore slacks and a button down collar shirt.

Of course, I only think I have to dress this way because I am old. In my youth old folks tended to dress nice. So I have to dress nice now. How silly.

Actually I find that wearing a suit these days is a nice conversation starter. “Why are you all dressed up?”

“I thought it was Halloween.”

“I am planning on taking over the rackets in town.”

“I thought we were getting married.”

“I like myself.”

There are a lot of answers. They seem to draw a smile and a laugh.

Also, I am finding that I get treated better when wearing a suit and tie. It is kind of amazing. In places where you are normally ignored, someone comes up and wants to help you. Often someone walks you to the front of the line. “That guy has a suit, he must be someone important”, seems to be the thought. People are more polite to you than they are when you dress shabbily

20 Minute Flat Rate Job

The starter on the Blazer went out Monday. It was not unexpected, it had been flaky for months. I was planing on replacing it next month anyway.

In the old days that was a 20 minute job in the shop, 30-45 minutes in the driveway. Now?…

This is what the Factory Shop Manual says for a 1994 S10 Blazer 4WD with 4.3L V6:

1. Disconnect negative battery cable.
2. Remove brush end Mounting Bracket (if equipped).
3. Raise vehicle on hoist.
4. Disconnect the Solenoid wiring (from in Wheel Well).
5. Remove the Skid Plate (if equipped).
6. Remove bolts, and two brackets holding the Brake Pipe to the Cross Member.
7. Remove Cross Member (3 bolts each side).
8. Remove Bracket holding Transmission Lines to the Flywheel Housing.
9. Remove Rod Brace to Flywheel Housing.
10. Remove Lower Flywheel Housing.
11. Remove two Starter Bolts.
12. Remove Starter.

Replace in reverse order (it may be easier to connect Solenoid Wiring prior to bolting in the starter).

(I did clarify some things in that, they were more criptic)

That was pretty close. I did not have to so steps 3a to 7 (My Blazer came with skid plates however I have them off, the other four steps are not actually required as you can work around them). However it does not say anything about having to drop the front drive shaft to move the flywheel housing far enough to clear the starter. If they had allowed a half-inch more clearance you would not have to do all that extra stuff, but then I guess the dealers have to make a profit on repairs.

I had to walk to the auto parts store, and carry the new starter back with me. The auto parts store is only 2.5 miles from the apartment, but I am a 64 year old disabled guy. That was the first ordeal.

When I got home I took a bit of a rest, then jacked up the truck, and tried to remove the starter. No, I did not check the manual, after all I had R&R’ed maybe 200 starters over the years, I knew how to do it. Two hours later, exhausted, I decided I didn’t know how to do it, and knocked off for the day. That was the second ordeal.

In the morning I dug out that Factory Service Manual and got the above listing of steps. The third ordeal begain. Under the truck again I removed this part, and that part, and disconnected this and that. I scraped up my hands getting the wires lose, you have about two inches between the frame and exhaust header from in the wheelwell to get at them. About three hours later with some contorted twists and turns I had the old starter out.

Then came the fourth ordeal, getting the new starter in place and connecting the wires. Putting the parts I had to remove to get the old starter out back on took about an hour.

I picked up the tools and put the tire back on. Oops, I could not get the safety pin out of the jack with the tire on. So I removed the tire again, pulled the pin, replaced the tire, lowered the truck, connected the battery, put down the hood, and got into the truck. I turned the key and she spun over for a few seconds, then fired up. That was not an ordeal at all.

So that 20 minute flat rate job took only eight hours total, including the walk to the auto parts store and back, and cost me $120. No wonder they want so much to do it at the shop. I imagine it is a two hour job if you know exactly what you are doing, have power tools, and a hoist.

For those looking for HOWTO information, this is how I would do it in the future

1. Disconnect negative battery cable.
2. Raise the passenger front of vehicle on jack.
3. Remove right front wheel.
4. Remove the Skid Plate.
5. Disconnect universal joint and move front drive shaft out of the way.
6. Unbolt Rod Braces at Flywheel Housing and move aside.
7. Remove the four bolts holding Flywheel Housing
8. Drop and move aside the Flywheel Housing.
9. Loosen the two bolts holding Starter so it will drop about an inch.
10. Disconnect the Solenoid wiring (from wheel well).
11. Remove the two Starter Bolts.
12. Remove Starter (It will take some twisting and turning to get it out).
13. Replace in reverse order.