How long should things last?

[ultrarunner]

My guess is there will be a slew of those submerged wet belts driving the oil pumps failing in the future. Of course outside of Fords warranty and a real pain to replace and that is assuming the driver shuts down the engine before the main, rod, and cam bearings seize do to oil starvation. On the 2.7's the engine has to be retimed since the cam chains gears have to be removed first. Brilliant.

Not that any engine never fails, Just had to pull the head on the Wrangler 4.0 and fix a bad seat and exhaust valve at only 204K.

I remember when these engines first appeared and the praises received for fuel economy and power…

 

[Oaktree]

I bypassed it so the mower starts, and I have the components (cheap) to force the mower to perform the ECM's lost functions. The important ones, anyway.

Curiously, what function does it serve in that the mower will run with it bypassed?

 

[sd455dan]

I remember when these engines first appeared and the praises received for fuel economy and power…

They are impressive engines.
The bottom ends are way overbuilt.

I just think the wet belt for the oil pump is a mistake due to long term maintenance that will be needed versus driving direct off a crank gear or off the cam with a shaft. When the belt starts to age the debris finds it's way into the oil pump pick up screen as well.

 

[Oaktree]

Personally, I like the challenge of finding problems, the proper parts or something I can make into a part, and repairing things. Same for building things.

Always have. No accounting for tastes I guess.

Same here. A co-worker once commented that I was the only guy he knew who'd try to fix a $5 radio.
I've always joked that my sole marketable skill is the ability to fix things.

Longevity always depends on how you take care of something.

Taking care of things certainly helps longevity, but it's no guarantee. If something's a POS, it's a POS no matter how well you take care of it.

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

Curiously, what function does it serve in that the mower will run with it bypassed?

When you read the stuff below, it's important to remember that there is a distinction between preventing ignition and shutting the engine down.

The ECM does only three things.

1. Checks the safety switches and prevents the mower from starting if it doesn't like what it sees.

2. Shuts the mower off if you get off the seat AND the PTO is engaged.

3. Allows you to shut the mower off with the key.

The safety-switch ignition check can be bypassed with one jumper. I figured this out and did it. The system can be rigged so the safety switches work to prevent ignition, but that takes more jumpers.

Ordinarily, I hate seat switches, but this one is actually okay, because it will not shut the mower off unless the blades are turning. The mower has a seatbelt, however, so the likelihood of falling in front of the blades is extremely low. At least it should be. My seatbelt latch is screwed up, so until I fix it, my strategy is to hold on tight. I have not tried to restore the seat shutoff function yet, but I may do it later.

I have come up with a cheap circuit to shut the mower off with the key. I have the parts, but I haven't done the breadboarding, testing, and assembly. It works in simulation.

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

I forgot: the ECM also blows a horn if the mower overheats. There is a temperature gauge on the control panel, though.

 

[MossRoad]

Knowledge of what your working on really helps

I have one tech in my shop that i've about given up on. He's dumber than a stump.

If you tell him something to make his job easier..... he does the opposite.

He was replacing a starter solenoid the other day. I told him it's a 3 wire solenoid. So it grounds through the case. Do Not Hook the ground to the "I" post.

Small posts were labeled S and I. That means start post, and accessory post.

He comes back to me 20 minutes later complaining that the solenoid is bad.... it's not working.

I didn't even leave my office to go look at it.

I replied "You hooked the ground wire to the I post!!!!! Now..... do what I told you to start with and move the ground wire to the flipping frame bolt!!!!"

His reply " well it looked identical to the one I was replacing!!!"

My reply "just because it looks the same, doesn't mean that it is the same!!!!"

The posts are labeled, i've explained what they mean multiple times.

He's done some other really dumb stuff this week, so my my boss and I both have been all over his butt....

He's the only tech I've ever worked with that is fixing to get a demotion to "Yard Bi#ch" And made to start all over again.

I had a guy that set a small fuel truck on fire checking the tank level with a lighter.... while at a fuel farm to boot!

Every time I think about it, I think of this....

 

[Dftodd]

I had a guy that set a small fuel truck on fire checking the tank level with a lighter.... while at a fuel farm to boot!

Every time I think about it, I think of this....

View attachment 3886487

Ive seen the after effects of someone checking battery water level using the same method

 

[ponytug]

I had a guy that set a small fuel truck on fire checking the tank level with a lighter.... while at a fuel farm to boot!

Every time I think about it, I think of this....

View attachment 3886487

Darwin award nominee #1 and

Ive seen the after effects of someone checking battery water level using the same method

Darwin Award nominee #2.

Though I think technically the nominee has to die, or take themselves out of the breeding pool...

 

[MossRoad]

Darwin award nominee #1 and

Darwin Award nominee #2.

Though I think technically the nominee has to die, or take themselves out of the breeding pool...

The fuel truck guy was really the first time I realized people can be absolutely clueless. I walked into the office at 8:00am and asked the receptionist why XXX was leaving early? She said Butch (our vehicle mechanic) fired him. I said "He can't do that, XXX is my employee." She said he lit the little 100 on fire by checking the level with a lighter last night. I laughed hard and said something like yeah right! I walk in the back hangar and Butch is scrubbing ash off the fuel tank lid on top of the tank!

I called XXX back in to get his side of the story.... then confirmed he's fired! Lucky to be alive.