#ScrapyardWoes

"Boneyard Rendezvous" (BoneyardRendezvous) 08/10/2014 at 21:32 • Filed to: None

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A buddy of the owner comes in yesterday, wanting brakes changed on his f250 because one side is dragging badly on the rear. He brought the stuff with him, so I dont even have to make a parts run. Except he brings out some 7-lug rotors and single piston pads, when his truck has 8 lugs and dual piston calipers.

Send him off for the correct parts while I tear into it. The caliper bracket has a pin that could be welded in for as much as it moved. I know this game. Those shitty pins are hollow because the caliper bolt threads into it. 9/10 will break off and hurt knuckles with. I call the guy quick, and tell him I found his issue, and that he needs a new bracket and pins. I like this guy, because he says he was halfway back, but will swing around and go get what he needs. We talk a minute, and decide that its already late in the day, and I got a car on jackstands at my house to finish, and he wants to have an early night because he has an early-ass-thirty wedding to be at on Sunday. He will have a kid drop off parts early the next day and we can wrap it up.

So, today, we broke out the torch and pieced out some scrap until 2 pm when this scrawny punk kid finally shows up. This time, correct rotors and pads, but with a rebuild kit for the shitty caliper bracket. No pins, no bracket, just some rubber boots. I call the guy, hes at the wedding reception, halfway across the state. FML. My rule is that I'm not getting paid, so I dont buy parts. I decide that I'm going to take a crack at getting this shitty ass pin out. I put on some thick welding gloves, because I love my knuckles, and try and slowly work this thing out. 30 seconds and it snaps, and my fist hits the vice.

At this point, I wonder if I'm a genius for wearing gloves, or an idiot for working and not getting paid. I sent a picture of the parts I need to the guy, and he says he will pick them up on his way back, but hes not going to be back until late. I decide that I'm an idiot, because this brake job is going to take 3 days to complete.

TL;DR- I'm an idiot for hanging out at a junkyard for free parts.

Bonus pic of the parts I needed yesterday.

thebigbossyboss > Boneyard Rendezvous 08/10/2014 at 22:23

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Scrap yard question? How can I tell if a headlight assembly works before I buy it from the yard? My brackets snapped off, so I don't even need the bulb to work, I just want to make sure the connector (definitely using wrong word forget proper word) doesn't short. \

Thanks in advance

Squid > thebigbossyboss 08/10/2014 at 22:42

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Bring a multimeter with you and check the resistance of the part you are wanting to replace. That is the only way you can hope to find good electrical parts at a pick and pull yard.

Rainbow > Squid 08/10/2014 at 22:55

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Unless you're lucky. I once watched a car get put on the yard and quickly made my way to it, hoping to be the first to any money or jewelry left inside (which I do find often, actually). Anyway, I opened it up, the keys were in the ignition, and... I heard the door chimes. So I left it with the wipers and flashers going, just because.