Grandson Quinton is driving my pickup truck to school for his final semester of high school. He came home yesterday and said that it was making a funny noise. My truck is an '01 F150 with something over 210K miles on it. I've taken care of it, and cranks and starts and goes and stops ever time I turn the key. The AC is still cold and the radio works.
I went outside, we drove it, and sure enough, it's making a funny noise. I thought it was the rear end, but we took it over to my son's house, where he has a lift in his shop. Put it on the lift. Swing bearing. A whole lot less expensive than a rear end. Some parts houses call it a center shaft bearing.
In another hour we'll be installing a new swing bearing. He let me drive an old beater jeep today that he keeps around the place. It has a little 4-banger and a 5 speed manual. I haven't driven a manual transmission in, probably, fifteen years, but I certainly haven't forgotten. I taught all my kids how to drive a manual transmission, but I thin that is a dying skill set today.
4 comments:
If you didn't have the lift, that job would be much, much tougher.
I agree that being able to drive a manual is a good thing. I'm glad I learned and get to do it occasionally. So few people know how to do it, that it has become a good way to keep your car from getting stolen!
Manual transmissions are the ultimate anti theft device today... LOL
I learned to use manual transmission back in late 1970's ('66 VW Bug), but my vehicles have all be automatic since 1983. I could do it, but there would be some grinding gears until it came back to me.
If you rent a car in Europe, chances are you will pay extra for the automatic tranny. At least you used to. I'd forgotten how much fun the stick was to drive, unless you are creeping in traffic with a stiff clutch.
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