David Tracy rant...

"ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com" (ita97) 09/27/2016 at 14:55 • Filed to: None

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Does anyone else get pissed off reading David Tracy’s stories about wrenching? I know not everyone has turned wrenches for a living, or always has the funds to do the best repairs possible, but this dude’s articles on wrenching kill me. They are doubly worse because he is a mechanical engineer. While that doesn’t necessarily make him a mechanic, it does give him enough education to either know how to do a repair properly or to know how to find out how to do a repair properly. Having worked as an engineer for an automaker, he ought to have also had an idea at the conditions the manufacturing process took place in. The scary part is that some people will likely read one of his articles and then attempt to do repairs like he does.

In today’s article, his engineering degree ought to have been enough to know that cleanliness when building a transmission is critically important to its longevity. He didn’t even manage to get the case clean, much less anything else. I know he is on a budget, but a roll of quarters and trip to nearest self-serve car wash would’ve done wonders on that case. Then, he builds the tranny on the floor in a dirty garage. To make it worse, they’re building it with dirty hands. He shows dirty hands applying grease, which means the dude probably contaminated his supply of grease in addition to his transmission. Some of the later pictures show bits of dirt on the internals of the assembled tranny.

Back when I turned wrenches for a living as a hydraulic mechanic, we got seriously nasty hydraulic components from customers all the time, especially things like drive motors on earth moving equipment. Something like David Tracy’s tranny was not even allowed inside of the shop before being cleaned. After unloading it from the customer, something like that would’ve gotten worked over with the pressure washer before bringing it inside. After disassembly, everything got thoroughly cleaned in the solvent tank. After taking something apart, the mechanic thoroughly washed their hands and arms, if your shirt or pants got dirty taking something apart, you put on a clean uniform.

Prior to reassembly, the mechanic was clean, your work area was spotless, the floor around your work area was clean and your tools were spotless. Every part got a second trip to the solvent tank and a blow dry with filtered shop air. Then every part got a final spray down with brake parts cleaner and/or acetone and another blow dry to remove any remaining residue. Your clean work surface was covered with fresh, clean rags, the clean parts placed on clean rags and then everything immediately covered to prevent as much dust in the air as possible from contaminating the clean parts and work area. The only parts uncovered were the ones you were working with at that particular moment.

None of this would’ve been expensive for DT to replicate. Cleaning your garage and mopping the floor is free. A roll of quarters at the self-serve car wash goes a long ways, and a package of shop rags and a case of brake parts cleaner doesn’t cost much.

Applied to David Tracy, he should’ve been able to build that transmission on his Mom’s kitchen counter, because that is the level cleanliness that should be involved in assembling an engine/transmission/differential.

^faIEzv

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 09/27/2016 at 14:58

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Hey, you know what’s against the rules? CALLING PEOPLE OUT ON OPPO.

Sincerely,

Me

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 09/27/2016 at 14:58

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I assumed he’d get it warmed up once and swap the fluid (what I do when I swap clutches outside, which allows a bit of junk into the gearbox where the driveshafts slide in).

Jcarr > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 09/27/2016 at 15:00

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Is this really calling out, though? OP’s making a fair and valid criticism.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Jcarr 09/27/2016 at 15:03

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Yes. He called out the author by name several times.

yamahog > Jcarr 09/27/2016 at 15:03

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Yes, it is literally calling someone out by name. Doesn’t get much more cut and dry.

Berang > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 09/27/2016 at 15:05

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I thought that just applied to oppo people, not criticisms of professionals and their work. Why would they be beyond criticism?

(not implying I agree or disagree with OP BTW)

Jcarr > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 09/27/2016 at 15:07

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He thoughtfully criticized something done by an author on the FP. It’s not like he said, “oh man, that David Tracy is such a tool, I hate him” and just left it at that.

Party-vi > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 09/27/2016 at 15:08

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It’s a T90 in a CJ. He’s not exactly building another Antikythera mechanism.

Berang > Party-vi 09/27/2016 at 15:11

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Shovel some sawdust in for extra quiet.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Berang 09/27/2016 at 15:11

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He’s also a member of Oppositelock...

There are better ways of making professional criticism.

Gamecat235 > Jcarr 09/27/2016 at 15:13

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Here’s where this gets blurry, and where I understand your argument. The points are valid, I have no issue with the points, it’s more in the way it is written. This is kind of an attack piece on DT. Which, regardless of how legitimate, or what you bring to the table as a subject matter expert, we still expect people to be excellent to each other.

To put another way, if this was written as a “ways that DT could improve his process from someone who has been there” perspective, I would probably be on the side of the “this is constructive feedback” argument with you.

Sadly though, we do have to keep in mind that perception does impact responses and color experiences.

Taking off the mod hat, I appreciate what DT wrote, because it was ugly, warts and all, he didn’t try to pretty it up, and when in 6 months or 2 years his transmission fails because of something in this article, none of us will be surprised. Of course it was on a Willys, so when none of these things fail in 3 years, we’ll also just sort of shrug and chalk it up to some things are just hard to kill once you bring them back to life.

But the feedback here, in a slightly tweaked format, is awesome. This is the sort of knowledge we want to encourage sharing of in oppo, just in a slightly more constructive manner.

crowmolly > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 09/27/2016 at 15:14

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I hear what you are saying, and I personally would have washed/degreased the entire case and associated parts until there was nothing left to easily remove.

But this isn’t an auto trans we are talking about, it’s a crude Jeep manual. You could probably fill it with Laffy Taffy and it would work OK. I would hope he does a fluid change after a break in period. Other than that it will probably survive just fine.

I like seeing his posts but yeah, there’s some risky stuff in there. My machinist told me once that people trying to free stuck engines via the crank bolt helped put his kid through college. LOL.

MonkeePuzzle > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 09/27/2016 at 15:17

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were it too clean it wouldnt match the patina of the remainder of the drivetrain

aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 09/27/2016 at 15:18

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You’d hate to know how I rebuilt the engine in my car then.

90% of it was done outside in a plastic tent with no sides. Year later and its still going.

notsomethingstructural > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 09/27/2016 at 15:19

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I mean, I’m an engineer, and I agree that adhering to best practice (wherever possible) should be done. I won’t say “Shame on David Tracy” but YMMV.

But also, as an engineer, there’s always a risk/return proposition. Did you see the gears that were pulled out of the car? Out of a RUNNING AND DRIVING car? I’m gonna go out on a limb and say whatever dirty grease he had on his hands or tiny bits of sand won’t annhilate the rebuilt transmission. There’s going to be plenty of debris in there after a few hours of running while everything is setting up.

Jcarr > Gamecat235 09/27/2016 at 15:19

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I see your point. Thanks Gamecat.

Berang > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 09/27/2016 at 15:20

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Neither fact changes anything here. Maybe it’s just the tone which needs policing.

CalzoneGolem > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 09/27/2016 at 15:21

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http://thegarage.jalopnik.com/1787137407

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 09/27/2016 at 15:21

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“Does anyone else get pissed off reading David Tracy’s stories about wrenching?”

Not me!

“it does give him enough education to either know how to do a repair properly or to know how to find out how to do a repair properly.”

A mechanical engineer is not the same thing as a car mechanic.

But one thing you clearly don’t get... the ‘comedy of errors’ aspect to his stories.

The point of his efforts is that he’s not a car mechanic who is fixing things on his own on the cheap... and the hilarity of the folly that can go with that.

So in summary, I say that you need to lighten up.

Rykilla303 > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 09/27/2016 at 15:21

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Nope. doesn’t bother me one bit. I’ve done it his way, and I’ve done it yours. Both have merits. Besides, most of that grime was on the outside, where it doesn’t really count.

Gamecat235 > Berang 09/27/2016 at 15:23

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That was my takeaway as well (that the only concern is that this was more tone and type of feedback - constructive vs negative criticism, than content). And honestly, this is kind of a perfect encapsulation of where the line gets blurred. Because I can see both sides of this argument really well.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Gamecat235 09/27/2016 at 15:26

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Well said.

Comes over to help work on your car and only drinks beer > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 09/27/2016 at 15:30

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You know who’s a real stinker? That “Comes over to help work on your car and only drinks beer’s posts” guy.

Batman the Horse > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 09/27/2016 at 15:31

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So much calling out calling out in here. Cmon be excellent! Right?! THIS IS EXCELLENCE!

Takuro Spirit > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 09/27/2016 at 15:31

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o/

Batman the Horse > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 09/27/2016 at 15:32

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I don’t think ITA is a professional writer here so I’m not sure what “professional criticism” you seek.

BKosher84 > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 09/27/2016 at 15:45

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Dude he bought a 600 dollar beater and is trying to make it run as cheaply as possible (probably not because he HAS to, but because he wants to).

Let it go, plus, if you don’t like the articles, don’t read them.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 09/27/2016 at 15:56

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Hey guys. I wasn’t really aware that there were a lot of hard rules here, but as it appears that I have crossed a line, I apologize. I would not have written this piece about an author here on Oppo, as this place has a neat, community vibe to it.

However, I did think that a professional writer for Jalopnik was open to the criticism. I equated that to the difference between a private citizen and a public figure. When you put yourself out there, you also put yourself out there for people to take figurative shots at.

The tone was not my best piece of writing, but it was my reaction to his piece on the FP. Because I thought his methods in this piece were more in the ill advised/ he should know better category, I thought the folks here at oppo might find that more interesting. 

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > notsomethingstructural 09/27/2016 at 16:09

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Your points are good. Hopefully, he would change out that oil after some break in. Although, even most manual transmissions have a magnet somewhere in the case, or as the drain plug itself, for just the reason you mentioned. However, a magnet probably won’t do much to capture dirt.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Rykilla303 09/27/2016 at 16:23

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My problem with the gime on the outside was two-part: It was lazy, and it would be almost impossible to not touch it and thus contaminate the internals in the process of building the gear box. If one was rebuilding that box on the side of a mountain after having to hike out to get help, that would be one thing.

Gamecat235 > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 09/27/2016 at 16:33

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Like I said in my response to jcarr ( http://oppositelock.kinja.com/1787149301 ), I think your insight and knowledge and the actual meaningful content, are all spot on.

And your criticisms are not necessarily off base at all. But the approach, just because we do try to hold the community to a few relatively simple rules, could have been a bit different. (Constructive vs negative criticism, essentially). That said, I think the intent is pretty obvious. I would not necessarily change your piece at all. But rather use it as a learning lesson for everyone.

DipodomysDeserti > Rykilla303 09/27/2016 at 17:04

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What’s the merit to assembling a transmission and not making sure all the parts stay clean?

notsomethingstructural > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 09/27/2016 at 18:03

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To the extent my opinion matters (which is to say, not at all relative to others who chimed in here) I didn’t personally have a problem with the piece, but I can see why there would be resentment over “he should know better” in particular. He’s a professional writer, he is not a professional mechanic or transmission rebuilder. I think it’s fair to say “there is bad advice in this” but I don’t think it’s fair to accuse someone of doing that maliciously, which is basically what’s implied when you say “they should know better.”

wiffleballtony > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 09/27/2016 at 18:28

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I never noticed, I just assumed all repairs involved getting filthy. But then I don’t fix my own stuff because I don’t know how.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > wiffleballtony 09/27/2016 at 18:53

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In a shop environment, that can be a good way to quickly deduce the experience and/or skill of the guys in it. Sometimes, a job will entail getting filthy and there is no way around it. More often, staying clean comes with experience and the right tools. I.e., you know exactly how to do something and the best way to do it, so you’re not rolling around in the parking lot struggling against something. That can also mean you know when to pull out the pressure washer and clean up that area before you start pulling something apart. I can’t really think of anything on a car that you really want dirty when putting back together.

When I was first learning to wrench as a 16 year old kid using a mentor’s shop to build my racecar, I looked like had been wrestling pigs after an hour of working the car. After a few years turning wrenches for a living, my uniform was often as clean at the end of the days as it was at the start. While I longer turn wrenches for a living, I’ll sometimes do routine maintenance on my cars wearing the same clothing I’ll wear for the rest of the day simply because I know I’m not likely to have to do more than wash my hands when I’m done.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > crowmolly 09/27/2016 at 20:04

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Sometimes, his insight as an ME adds his articles. I think it can also bring some higher expectations. Assuming it went together correctly, his gearbox will probably work for awhile, and maybe even a long while on a weekend toy.