Boneheads at the Auto Bone

[unstable bob gable]

Reasons like this are why I'm in the biz...better than any comedy act! Anywho: 2 clowns sans big, floppy shoes and red ball noses come into the Bone today. They have a power steering pressure hose with 'em, and it has a split in one of the metal line bends. We don't have the part in stock, has to be ordered. Well, Moe and Larry insist they need the part "now," so they want to cut the split out, and span the area with a piece of fuel line and some worm gear hose clamps. I'm grinning from ear to ear, 'cause I think they are kidding. Nope, serious as a heart attack. I tell 'em "no way, Jose." They don't want to hear it. I suggest they call some other parts stores or go to the dealer. They don't want to hear it. I offer to call another parts store that I'm friendly with to see if they have the part. They don't want to hear it. So, I say "Sorry mates. I don't want to be responsible for youz guys crashing, and /or killing yerselves or someone else. So, I'm done here. See if anyone else in the store will back up your plan if yaz want." So, they bumble off to talk to my fellow parts peeps in the store. And they hear "No, no way, no how, will it work!" By this time it was time for me to leave, so I punched out, yelled "WHOOP! WHOOP! WHOOP!" in my Curly from the 3 Stooges voice, and RAN outa the store!

[WildBillyT]

Originally Posted by unstable bob gable

Reasons like this are why I'm in the biz...better than any comedy act! Anywho: 2 clowns sans big, floppy shoes and red ball noses come into the Bone today. They have a power steering pressure hose with 'em, and it has a split in one of the metal line bends. We don't have the part in stock, has to be ordered. Well, Moe and Larry insist they need the part "now," so they want to cut the split out, and span the area with a piece of fuel line and some worm gear hose clamps. I'm grinning from ear to ear, 'cause I think they are kidding. Nope, serious as a heart attack. I tell 'em "no way, Jose." They don't want to hear it. I suggest they call some other parts stores or go to the dealer. They don't want to hear it. I offer to call another parts store that I'm friendly with to see if they have the part. They don't want to hear it. So, I say "Sorry mates. I don't want to be responsible for youz guys crashing, and /or killing yerselves or someone else. So, I'm done here. See if anyone else in the store will back up your plan if yaz want." So, they bumble off to talk to my fellow parts peeps in the store. And they hear "No, no way, no how, will it work!" By this time it was time for me to leave, so I punched out, yelled "WHOOP! WHOOP! WHOOP!" in my Curly from the 3 Stooges voice, and RAN outa the store!

LOL. If they only knew. I remember being front and center when a guy at the Flemington NAPA went off on a customer about using compression fittings for brake line. Classic.

[unstable bob gable]

Originally Posted by WildBillyT

LOL. If they only knew. I remember being front and center when a guy at the Flemington NAPA went off on a customer about using compression fittings for brake line. Classic.

Yeah, I've been in that situation a few times myself over the years behind the parts counter. One guy argued with me once when he thought compression fittings were unions. Of course I was wrong for offering him the right parts and info...

[BigAls87Z28]

i have shops all the time buy comp fittings for brake systems....scares the **** out of me.

Good story today...
Im sitting at my desk area, and I overhear "I poured a bottle of power steering fluid into my master cylinder, and now my brakes dont work."
I ran out, cut off the girl that I work with, and tell them to start removing anything and everything with rubber in the brake system. He looked at me as if I was kidding.
I said "no, im being serious. You need to replace everything, and then you will have to flush the system out several times to get that nasty crap out so you dont do damage to the new stuff."
He says "well, I can just replace the master cylinder..." and then I cut him off again and told him no, you cannot just replace the master. You MUST replace everything.
He was driving around for a month like that...two mexicans. Yikes.

Future note, Power steering fluid, Oil, and ATF are almost damn near interchangeable.
Brake Fluid is not.

[Blacdout96]

I've had many of stories of Comp. fitting people usign them on brake lines. I had a guy a couple years ago come into Advance asking for them. I asked what he is using them for, he said for brake lines for his kids car. I said sir I can't sell them to you, nor will I assist you in finding them. He got very irritated and asked why. I had told him why and his response was : I and a plumber, I work with lines and fittings all the time, so I know what I'm talkign about.
I said it's your kid not mine, but go somewhee else to get them. he was furious and went to another cashier to try and have him get him the comp fittings. People are scary, and lazy these days to take that extra step to insure the job was done right the first time and safely.

[WildBillyT]

Originally Posted by Blacdout96

I've had many of stories of Comp. fitting people usign them on brake lines. I had a guy a couple years ago come into Advance asking for them. I asked what he is using them for, he said for brake lines for his kids car. I said sir I can't sell them to you, nor will I assist you in finding them. He got very irritated and asked why. I had told him why and his response was : I and a plumber, I work with lines and fittings all the time, so I know what I'm talkign about.
I said it's your kid not mine, but go somewhee else to get them. he was furious and went to another cashier to try and have him get him the comp fittings. People are scary, and lazy these days to take that extra step to insure the job was done right the first time and safely.

I think it's actually illegal for you to sell them to him.

[Blacdout96]

I believe so too. I still don't sell them to people here when they ask for them for their brake lines. better safe then sorry. It's like the party deal, they drink there, they kill or hurt someone, guess who gets blamed, I don't wantto be responsible for someone's suffering.

[WildBillyT]

Originally Posted by Blacdout96

I believe so too. I still don't sell them to people here when they ask for them for their brake lines. better safe then sorry. It's like the party deal, they drink there, they kill or hurt someone, guess who gets blamed, I don't wantto be responsible for someone's suffering.

Yeah. Ask them "Do you know what PSI your brakes operate at?" and "Do you know what PSI a compression fitting can hold?"

[jims69camaro]

Originally Posted by Blacdout96

People are scary, and lazy these days to take that extra step to insure the job was done right the first time and safely.

see, that's the ticket right there. ok, most of the time NOS/original parts are not necessary, but if it has to do with something like being able to stop on a dime, i am not messing around with it. i don't think laziness has anything to do with it. somewhere along the line they got some bad information and they just propagate it. it's not rocket science. it's a system, and all of the parts are there for a reason.

if you are having a hard time with this, just imagine the husband/father of the wife and kids you killed because your brake system failed because you were too stupid to get it right.

brakes? do it right the first time.

[unstable bob gable]

Originally Posted by jims69camaro

i don't think laziness has anything to do with it. somewhere along the line they got some bad information and they just propagate it.

I have to disagree, Jimbo. I've dealt with these jabronies face to face, and they are cheep and lazy...it's always "I need to fix the car NOW," and/or "I can't spend a lot of money on it," as they aren't planning on keeping the car, blah, blah, blah! I don't put a whole lotta faith in my fellow man any more. They wanna spell "team" with a big "I."

[WildBillyT]

Temporary fixes that become permanent...

[NJ Torque]

Ive heard the "its a lease im trading it in next week..." Story plenty of times.

[BigAls87Z28]

Ugh yeah..I used to force people out at that point.
Just tell them "oh well then dont bother spending money at all. Just keep your spare on when you turn it in. At that point its the dealers problem, not yours, sir/ma'am"
I used to call customers bluffs all the time. Guess who still was walking out with 4 tires...

As for "i dont have enough" bs, that doesnt work for the fittings. Its not like real brake fittings are THAT much money!! Its the same price!!

[Blacdout96]

Originally Posted by BigAls87Z28

As for "i dont have enough" bs, that doesnt work for the fittings. Its not like real brake fittings are THAT much money!! Its the same price!!

the fittings are cheap, it's that buying the flare tool, and the time to flare it is what deters peopel from doing it properly, thats the major problem.

[Czop418]

..hmm flaring blocks are rather inexpensive as well. I just belive that people are stupid and i learned over the years YOU CANT FIX STUPID!

[Blacdout96]

I just had a guy come in yesterday and said he's going to join his lines together, I asked with compression fittings? he said yeah, I said I highly suggest you don't, he told me, and I qoute, "It'll work." once again I proceeded to tell him of the consequences, and what kind of pressure is going through the lines, and he asked me " Ok, then what do you suggest I do?" I told him, " Do it the right way, so you only have to do it once, flare and use a proper union." Guy got a little mad and didn't say much afterwards.

[wrong generation]

talking about compression fittings and auto part stores. i went into autozone a couple months ago to buy a compression fitting. (dont worry i didnt need it for brakes or anything car related for that matter). the guy at the counter had no clue what a compression fitting was. he kept insisting that he had to look it up in his computer and that his computer didnt show anything for compression fittings. the guy thought it was some sort of tool that was used to adjust the pistons or the compression ratio in an engine. at that point i left because it wasnt worth dealing with such a moron and went down the street to advance auto. found the compression fitting i needed on a shelf brought it to the counter. where i had a problem with the guy at the register. he demanded to know what i planned on using the compression fitting for and wouldnt ring it up until i told him. sense it was non of his buisness what i was going to use it for i asked to see his manager and his manager gave me a hard time about it as well. so instead of walking down the street to an auto part store i ended up driving 10 miles to home depot to get the compression fitting where i wasnt asked any stupid questions and where people actualy knew what things were and what they were for.

moral of my story is. if people at auto part stores dont know what they are selling or refuse to sell them. then why on earth do they have them in the store's ? it just doesnt make any sense

[Blacdout96]

I just went to my old auto parts store last night cause I'm workign on a friends car after work. Anywho, I've never stood there so long for my parts ( I used to just go in the back and ge tmy parts) and I just listened in on what these guys were tellign people, I wanted to fall out laughing. There's only 1 person I know there yesterday, the rest are newbie's, they must be having their turn over time there. I'm glad I moved up the autochain to NAPA instead of that circus of a store anymore.

[DevilDougWS6]

you guys would crack up at some of the crap that spews out of the mouths of military truck drivers, they come to our shop and actually try to TELL us what is wrong with their truck AND how to fix it. Good thing Im QC as well, god forbid something other than an IED messes up a truck.

[Mulletbird]

I've had some great advice at autoparts stores, but some bad advice too. Once, I went into Autobone out on Olden Ave in Ewing (right by Rt. 31) and the four kids behind the desk had NO clue what a "measuring caliper" was. I just wanted to, real quick, double-check the size of the breather cap for my f-body before buying one (low on $$$, don't want to throw it away on the wrong part) and they kept asking me "what make and model do you want a caliper for" and "why do you want a caliper to measure something?" I then realized ... these are the very same people who beat me out of a job there!

Finally, this older guy (probably the manager or something) came out from behind the desk and pulled out the measuring caliper, 2 seconds later I had a measurement ... 1.503" if memory serves (close enough to 1.5 to call it one-and-a-half), picked my part out, and paid for it. I then heard him explaining to the other four what a measuring caliper is...

[unstable bob gable]

Originally Posted by Mulletbird

"why do you want a caliper to measure something?"

THAT part of the story is gonna get mucho mileage in retelling from me!

[BigRocsFirebird]

haha nice UBG