A favorite saying of my late father, and I am my father’s
son. I need to replace the windshield wiper control module on my 1995 Ford Taurus. It is secured by two 5.5 mm
bolts. Problem? Location.
This is located under the dash near the firewall and my fat
75 year old body cannot twist and slide enough for me to see it. I’m trying to
use a mirror and flashlight (yes, it is
dark under there) to get my verdamnit tomsadasity socket wrench on the bolts
without success.
I’m not yet defeated but need a bigger mirror and better
lighting. What doesn’t help is my cheapskate ways and unwillingness to spend
any real money. Next up is the $60 or so for a new part.
Another petard I hoist myself on is my unwillingness to ask
anyone for help. Yeah, it is a character flaw.
Spend money and take it to a pro? Surely you jest.
What I am going to spend some money is for a professional
print, probably on canvas of this picture my daughter-in-law sent me taken
Thanksgiving. Her friend who took the picture photo shopped my late son’s image
into the background.
That will be framed and go on my wall.
14 comments:
Since I changed all the exterior lights on the Supra to LED units, I was going to do a preemptive strike and swap out the flasher for one guaranteed to work with LED's.
WELL.....I can see a corner of it taunting me from way up under the dash, but I won't have a hope of getting it out unless the seats are out, and I can stretch out under there.
I'll find out this summer when I pull the interior to replace the carpeting and heater core.....otherwise I'll just swap back to bulbs if the existing flasher won't work.....
drjim
You are about 2/3 my size. I would have a problem even with the seats out.
I say thee money spent on the photo is money well spent. As for the windshield wiper, either ask for help, take it to pro or sit home when it rains. Good luck with your decision.
CP
Inclement weather I take my truck.
Smart use of money. Saying that, I've got some small repairs pending on the rig which I've been putting off since before Christmas. Hate giving $$ to car shops.
Agreed, the pic takes priority!
LSP
I understand the economic reality of the shops. Between taxes and insurance it costs them $$s just to turn on the lights. Oh, and "fees" - can't call those taxes, oh no. That said, my overhead and hourly rate is hard to beat.
Old NFO
That will get handled this morning.
The photo is a blessing, and I'm glad you are having it framed.
Size is not my limiting factor in auto repairs, smarts is...
Thank goodness for my son, grandsons and a friend who has an auto repair business (that refuses any payment beyond cost of parts). I do compensate him for his time in ways that he can't refuse.
You gotta have the right tools for the job.
Lots of light, mirrors, sure. HOWEVER: snaking tools up into a spot where only a mirror reveals where the nuts are, you will need a special tool that has the length you need and can bend around cables, wires, steering columns, whatever.
It is possible that you may have to fabricate one. That, and take the seats out. And maybe even the steering column, but sure; you can cheat a professional out of his bread and butter.
And take 20X longer than Bob the Professional. Much like making your own butter, you can milk the cow, separate the cream, pour it into your butter churn which of course you have at the ready, and churn away for a few hours. Sure, you can do that.
Or walk down to the Piggy Wiggly and buy a pound of the stuff from your grocer, $1.99.
Brig
Ordered the canvas print this morning at a local print shop that did one for my sister. Should have it in a few days.
Fredd
Actually have the tools - just a matter of gathering them from a storage shed I rent.
Butter? Buy Amish at $9 for 5 lbs. I've made butter from milking to seperating to churning to butter press.
OK, you got me on the butter analogy.
$60.00 for the part? I would bet that there are a couple of 1995 Ford Tauruses (Tauri?) in your local junk yard. Just jerk one out of one of those beaters, $5.00. And no need to mess around under the dash, just cut the chunk of metal out from the firewall side with a cutting disc, because of course you have a portable generator that you can drag into the junk yard with you to power up
Fredd
You are out of date on salvage yards. $20+ minimum. There are two other electrical components off wrecked Taurus serving already.
Fredd *is* a bit out-of-date on junkyards.
Nobody would bring a generator to run their chop saw. We use a big gel-cell battery and an inverter.....
drjim
Another tactic is to have some of the other pickers do it for you. Amazing what a $20 bill will do!
Post a Comment