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Maybe I should just jump


Waipio Valley valley is closed to all but local traffic due to storm damage in the valley. You really wouldn’t want to go in there anyway dodging the debris in the streams and such. Of course I’m just guessing at that since I haven’t been down there myself this week.

The continuing saga of my car. My car IS a hot-potato. Mechanics don’t want to work on my car, like it’s got the Ebola Virus or something. Or maybe not that bad, just SARS or Anthrax. Doug at D&R Automotive called me today with the usual good news/bad news routine that folks like to deliver to people.

The good news: No bent or broken valves, stems, rods, cones, lenses, corneas, etc. Oh, was that eyeballs or a motor? Only the timing chain is broken.
The bad news: Doug doesn’t want to work on the car. He’s going on vacation starting next week Monday and will be gone for a whole week. Plus he doesn’t want to work on the car, he gives me a little ‘in’ by saying he would have to work on it after he got back, but really he’d rather not work on it. I tell Doug that I’ll try and get someone else to do it since he’ll be gone so long.

I called KGE Automotive to see if they can replace my timing chain. Told them that’s the only problem since Doug already tested the rest of the engine. Keola on the other end of my poor cellphone connection seemed to gasp over the phone when I mentioned the timing chain. Oh, a chain, I thought you said it was a belt? I gotta get back to you and give you a new estimate, a chain…. A timing chain to a mechanic must be like a crucifix to Dracula, Kryptonite to Superman or deodorant to a hippie. Mention it and even the toughest mechanics wither.

This timing chain must be a bitch to work on for mechanics these days. In the olden days (circa 1990s) many cars had timing chains, then they started using belts. Sure belts are easier to work with but will nobody step-up their game as a mechanic to deal with this? What’s it gonna be like 100 years from now?

Future Mechanic: Your car has a gas engine, I’d rather not work on that, I mostly deal in hydrogen fuel-cell motors.
Future Me: But this car is brand new, it’s a Chevy.
Future Mechanic: Yeah, I know. We only work on Japanese cars, they all have fuel cells.

See, you just can’t win.

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