Can you learn things from your Kids ?
Submitted: Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 08:55
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Robin Miller
Recently an early Patrol slid backwards and rolled on a really badly rutted steep track late one week night.
The kids took the call dragging themselves out of bed and arrived on the scene around midnight.
A high level of capability was required and they took a 4800 GU Patrol which had just been fitted with 37 inch Maxxis and a prototype dual plate clutch.
The rescue was really hardcore and went on for hours involving 3 cars belaying the stricken vehicle down the slope inch by inch.
The 4800 GU took the main load constantly re-positioning itself and it was to much for the on/off prototype clutch which shredded its ceramic linings on the last section of the recovery.
The rolled car was however recovered and the 4800 was jammed into 3rd and limped back home about 4am.
So what to do ? - I'm not a mechanic and the manual box in a GU is a really heavy truck grade monster and relacing a clutch in it can't be done with home tools.
This is where I learnt something from the kids , I didn't have time to tell them it couldn't be done and before I knew it they borrowed an engine crane and some mates and shoved it thru the drivers doors and lowered the gearbox
to the ground - thanks to the huge tyres there was reasonable working area under the car and a couple of days later it was all over and cost nothing.
They did however leave plenty of oil stains in the driveway just to make sure the parents got involved.
Didn't think this could work on a GU
Reply By: Olsen's 4WD Tours and Training - Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 08:58
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 08:58
Damn fine effort. Most of us who do this repair in the home workshop elect to remove the engine because that gearbox is a killer to get in and out.
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Follow Up By: Geoff in SA - Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 09:06
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 09:06
Kidz are Clever
Wonder why the drivers side and not the passengers side??
No steering wheel etc there
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 10:50
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 10:50
Hi Guys
I was seriously impressed actually - I have done an earlier Patrol (which is lighter ) and never again.
When I got my 4800 manual done - it cost 8 hours labour which was more than the parts - now theres a thought , maybe this is a way the kids can earn some more pocket money.
The drivers side leaves a big space on the passenger side to work thru the tranmission tunnel hole Geoff.
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Reply By: Allan B (Member, SunCoast) - Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 09:08
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 09:08
Never tell a teenager "It can't be done"!!
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 10:56
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 10:56
Serious credit was deserved Allan - they had just not done this sort of thing before - and I really did learn something as things have changed so much - at one point the transmission moved into a bad spot and with kids underneath lying on there backs they made a one handed phone call to a mechanic friend to get advice - how the world has changed !
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Reply By: Ross M - Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 09:33
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 09:33
G'day Robin.
Sorry, BUT,
Lots of people do repairs at home and a crane is often featured, no surprises there at all.
The only thing there is, I wondered why the parents didn't know how to, either do it, or know of the possibilities.
Perhaps no mechanical aptitude or abilities and low awareness of the features of the vehicle.
The reason the crane goes in the RHS is because it is thinner than a human and the human attending can get into the zone through the LHS. The steering wheel would prevent the human from easily accessing the top of the work area.
This way it will work.
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Follow Up By: Olsen's 4WD Tours and Training - Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 10:56
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 10:56
I'd call that assessment a little unfair.
Anyone who has removed a Patrol gearbox, including many mechanics I know, strongly advise against doing it this way. In fact for some models, I'm informed the gearbox has to be rotated through 90 degrees in order to come out. I've never weighed one but I am told it and TC weigh 220kg, that is a big ask!
The use of a crane for mechanical repairs may be nothing new, but replacing a Patrol gearbox at home in this manner is a big ask. Just shows that if you don;t know how difficult it is, you will probably give it a go- the rest of us take the engine out instead.
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Follow Up By: Olsen's 4WD Tours and Training - Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 11:02
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 11:02
correction "replacing a Patrol gearbox in this manner" should have read "replacing a Patrol clutch in this manner"
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 11:27
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 11:27
Yes Olsen , that huge box can't be taken directly out even with a proper transmission jack , it has to be manovered past the starter housing in two stages.
Hi
Ross
The parent (me) isn't completely without mechanical ability but I am
to logical an engineer not to access the risks up front and decide to let someone with the right equipment do it - but the kids have no money and to some extent work within these constraints and come up with some surprizing innovations espically when you consider this is their first.
They even used a heavy duty bike tie-down instead of a chain to hold the box to enable extra adjustments that need to be made independant of the engine crane.
Now thats a good idea
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Reply By: Shaker - Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 09:53
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 09:53
I would have thought that the owner of the rescued vehicle would have offered to pay for a professional repair.
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Follow Up By: Member - Frank P (NSW) - Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 12:49
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 12:49
He/(she?) probably hasn't got any money now either :-(
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Follow Up By: Shaker - Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 13:35
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 13:35
That would be a pretty poor excuse, you would find the money.
It has been discussed here several times, that if you break something snatch strap etc., helping somebody out of a situation, then the person being rescued is morally liable.
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 14:32
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 14:32
Certainly in this case money is the issue and from what I have seen is motivation for some interesting trends - amongst them the use of earlier Patrols for so much of the hard stuff these days - its not that they are any better but you can just do stuff to them more easily.
What I have also seen is a great amount of battering and helping out and creation of things like facebook sites which have more connections and bits available than what we would call normal shopping channels.
Overall its probably good stuff.
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Follow Up By: Member - Des Lexic - Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 18:35
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 18:35
I think that a group of youngsters like that would build up a genuine sense of commerarderie between themselves and a huge amount of satisfaction from completing the project at little cost. It will be something that they will talk about around a campfire for years.
Well done
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Follow Up By: Member - PJR (NSW) - Thursday, Feb 14, 2013 at 09:28
Thursday, Feb 14, 2013 at 09:28
I built and installed a communications sytem for my son's Datsun rally car. Both internal and back to base functions. I did not accept nor did I ask for any payment. It was a labor of love. Just the same as when they helped us to lay our 30 meter driveway.
And yes I would learn from them. They are adults and as such have their own ways of doing things just as I would from others on a trip where something broke.
But hats off to them Robin.
Well done.
Phil
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Reply By: Axle - Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 12:25
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 12:25
G/Day Robin, They did
well, Nice to have a good size acess panel there to!, good thinking Nissan!,....Yes we do learn from our kids as we get older,Whatever you do don't stuff the clutch up,"..or your on your back with that monster dangling over the top of you..LOL.!
Cheers Axle.
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 16:39
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 16:39
Hi Axle
Yep easy to work with but its a dubious advantage , the transmission tunnel is wider than 100 series so less sideways leg room.
Before it was finished it was driven with the shroud off that gearbox hole and on a hot day it was unbearably hot with air flowing in direct from extractors.
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Reply By: TerraFirma - Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 12:58
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 12:58
I love your stories Robin and this one shows the kids have been blessed with your talents. Maybe it's time for the old man to move over if he already hasn't? LOL
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 20:58
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 20:58
Not ready to move over just yet Terra - we are still in the phase when cunning experience and cash is up against I can do anything and I won't be told how !
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Reply By: Member - John (Vic) - Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 19:27
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 19:27
Good on them!!
They learn by doing :))
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 21:05
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 21:05
It is good John but I wish the learning phase wasn't so expensive.
My motto is "Its better to learn from someone elses experience than your own" especially if your paying the bills.
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Reply By: Rockape - Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 19:35
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 19:35
Robin,
I for one love to see
young ones having a go. Great to see them using their brain and looking outside the box.
One thing I have learned over the years is you can always learn something from
young or old, smart or not so smart people.
I congratulate them on just getting on with the job and having a go.
May there be no bolts left over,
RA.
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Follow Up By: Alan S (WA) - Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 20:08
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 20:08
RA
They tend to think outside the box, because often no one has told them what the box is. So they have no preconceived ideas as to how to do something.
They just look and work out a solution. It is refreshing as they bring new ideas to the table.
Alan
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Reply By: Bazooka - Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 20:23
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 20:23
I wanna borrow your kids Robin. Not right now, but sometime in the future. Good on 'em.
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 20:42
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013 at 20:42
Believe me Bazooka - their are times when I would give them away - maybe that will next occur just when you need them.
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Follow Up By: Bazooka - Thursday, Feb 14, 2013 at 14:12
Thursday, Feb 14, 2013 at 14:12
Yes they all have their moments Robin. Overall I'm happy with my two "girls" even though they aren't much help from a practical viewpoint. Mostly trouble-free for a couple of decades+, fuel and servicing costs a bit high, but overall I'd repeat the "purchase". Just hope they don't offload me when I'm old and worn out.
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Reply By: Member - Captain (WA) - Thursday, Feb 14, 2013 at 00:57
Thursday, Feb 14, 2013 at 00:57
Great to see kids giving it a go and having success. What a refreshing difference from grumpy old men too self righteous to give kids credit for giving it a go and succeeding!
Cheers
Captain
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Reply By: Member - Old Girl - Thursday, Feb 14, 2013 at 21:24
Thursday, Feb 14, 2013 at 21:24
How proud are you Robin? Great story.
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Reply By: Member - Craig F (WA) - Sunday, Feb 17, 2013 at 23:40
Sunday, Feb 17, 2013 at 23:40
You all forget...
The kids of today do one thing we don't. Before removing the gearbox they would have got on line and "Googled" In the space of 1hr they would have seen it done several different ways and made a call on how they would continue. Throughout the removal they again would be on line each time they were faced with a question.. Clever stuff.....
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