makers dumb back in 78 too

[38racing]

A friend has a 78 briggs 8 hp on the original tiller. It lost spark. I pulled shroud and found fresh nest (green grass) over the coil. Probably not the first. Coil lead wire down to centre core. To put a new style coil on I went to remove shroud. It can't be removed completely but enough to replace coil and redo kill wire. I go to put it back on and I could not get the lower shroud bolts in place. I had to loosen the motor mounting bolts and front of engine just lifted enough that after repeated efforts I got those bolts started. Ugh

[RoyM]

I muttered a few expletives at that arrangement too. Fine for Briggs but no obviously one there was concerned about what happened after it was installed.

[KE4AVB]

Just wait until you get to work on ATV's and today's autos. Then there are the ride-ons that you got to take rear fenders off get so you can get wrench on what once was a carriage bolt replaced by hex head cap screw so you can change out an idler pulley. The worse thing is they still had the square hole for the carriage bolt.

My old '78 Chevy Malibu with small block V8 when you had change the front transmission oil seal you had to pull both the engine and transmission as one piece because you could not get to the top two bolts to separated the two; no room slide the trans back even I had gotten the bolts loose. My '85 Honda Accord you had unbolt the engine so you move it 3 inches forward just to replace the alternator which was on the engine next to firewall.

Manufactures and designers don't consider the repair-ability just how they can save time on the assembly line.

[38racing]

the 90 lumina had lifting points as engine had to be tilted forward to change rear plugs.

[KE4AVB]

Yelp, today's vehicles are not for the homeowner without a shop full tools and tons of patience . My '00 Silverado P/U requires me to pull the front wheels just to change the #3 and #6 spark plugs. At least I have the extra long extension to get in there. Barely enough room to plug the wire back on. I need to change out the heater core but I have found the time to tear in to it as it requires removing the dashboard. Preferably I would like a second vehicle online before I do.

[RoyM]

I serviced my neighbor's Yardman rider, what a pain. The whole front shroud plus the engine cover had to come off just to access the spark plug. I need to repair the air blend doors in my 05 Ram ctd, the whole dash needs to come out meaning discharging the a/c. My manual says this is not a job for the diy'er, i have been quoted $700.00 The serpentine belt is getting noisy but I am not sure how to get at that without removing the whole front clip. My winter beater, a 97 Ranger, needs a starter. I have done it before but it's not a fun job.
It's getting to a point where we run them for 5 years then send them to the scrap yard, too costly to repair.