Women Drivers

OK, aside from what has now just entered your head..."That Hillbilly guy, I figured he'd be a chauvenist!" , I just need some input here after working on wifey's one ton dually after a 12 hour work day. Also, I'm hoping to save someone else not in the know, some grief due to lack of knowledge of combustion engines.

You're 5km from home, your truck starts acting sluggish, so for a change (good lord) you look at your guages. Your temp is through the roof. You send hubby a text, asking him if you should keep going or not. He doesn't answer, of course, because he's working. Now the temp guage drops to nothing. You're now 3-4km from home. What do you do?
Continue on because you're so close to home, because you don't want to leave your vehicle? Or park it and wait?

My wife, not hearing from me, continues on, as "it doesn't seem that bad"
By the time she's home and parked, the engine light is on, and there's steam coming out from somewhere she is unsure of.

Well, what's happened is quite simple. The bottom radiator hose has exploded off the outlet, dumping all the coolant out. Nothing serious at all.
However, now the vehicle has been driven further with no coolant, so it's overheating. This could lead to a multitude of expensive problems.
Fortunately, she didn't have too far to go, and I'm praying I don't have further extensive repairs to do.

In her defense, I must mention, she is scheduled for a disc replacement next month, so walking even 1k is NOT an option.

Hope it didn't do too much damage! Thanks for the warning, it may save someone else a lot of grief in the future....

I think the oil gauge is the other one you should keep an eye on, if it starts to fluctuate and then drops to nothing you should also park your vehicle as you may be out of oil and that is the way to seize an engine..

I know my hubby always asks me Did you check the oil? every time I start up the vehicle and of course I never think to do that...(You have to check it when it is cold and level apparently)

although I think you can include men drivers in your title as well as not everyone mechanics their own vehicles these days (men or women)!

oh dear! This happened to friends last week, except "he" decided to "limp it home" with a leaking radiator and cracked the block. I think he just wanted to be able to buy another car
Hope that didn't happen to you though!
Bet she feels bad, and I hope she feels better after surgery/recuperation!

LOL my mother did that to my brother and it wasn't a short drive! My brother lost his license (idiot male driver lol) and so my mother was driving him up to Campbell river daily so he could finish his college courses. Apparently with her car not working she drove him in his car and as she was coming into black creek (before the new hwy) she heard a noise and the car acted funny with steam but she just kept driving all the way to the house in Cumberland. Absolutely amazing that she made it home but boy was my brother pissed when he spent the next year of his license loss fixing his car (lots of $$$) that never did run right again hehe. Yes always best to stop it's not a good thing to let the radiator run dry

The thing to remember, whether male or female, is guages and warning lights are there to tell you there's a problem.

Years ago my exwife stopped when the block heater suddenly fell out of the engine. She got a ride from the neighbours. We repaired the van where it sat on a side road in the dark with the same block heater, but had to use a Chevy inner heater retainer to replace the broken Dodge part.

Ah the magic workings and failings of the eternal frustration engine!

Hillbilly, in the case of your wife, sometimes the answer isn't cut and dried. Like you say, she is not very mobile with her bad back so for her walking home was not an option. She was between a rock and a rebuild.

Had the same situation once, but it was winter and gee, it just wasn't warming up in the truck, why was it so darn cold in here...uh oh! Steam comes roiling out just as I realize I have a problem. I limped it a few feet into some farmer's driveway and (with his permission) left it there. Called a friend who gave me and kid ride back to town. But that decision would have been harder to make if it was night and I saw no farmyard to pull into. I do NOT want to be walking down a rural road (curvy and narrow) in the dark with my kid! HAd that been the situation I might have said, screw the 350, we have 4 others in the bush, and limped homeward. HUbby would have been upset, but has the task of motor replacement down to a fine art. Takes him about an hour to pull a motor and drop in a rebuild. (that might be a slight exaggeration, maybe 2 hours)

Wow! He must be strong!

Super Duper strong!

I'm certainly not letting her grasp the idea that engine swaps can be done in a day! Then I'd have to find another 454, and a place to park it!

I have to say.. MEN DRIVERS!

I am the mechanic of the family. When I tell you that your truck should not be driven because of _____, then you SHOULDNT drive it, until it is repaired, (by me of course .. heaven forbid the man that owns the vehicle should know anything about it.. even being a farm kid born and raised )

So I met my best friend TJ, about 3 years ago. He has a very nice '91 GMC 1ton dually. As long as I have known him, there as been a clinking sound comming from underneath when he shifts in low gears. This went on for 2 years, with me constatnly telling him "hey, I think your transfer case is bad, you should get it looked at". Darned near every day Id tell him that when I heard the god-awful sound. And every day hed say 'Oh its just the spare tire holder banging against something'. No its not.. Ive checked.

So last summer we decided to drive to Saskatachewan, way up north to a small town called Wadena, to go to a large machinery auction to purchase a tractor. We had been told by many you can find small tractors cheaper there, than here in AB. So off we went. (never did come back with a tractor, just a square baler he paid too much for, and it didnt work.. big surprise) So on the way back, we are just about 10 km from the East side of North Battleford. I'm driving, cruising along a comfy 100kms, when all of a sudden BANG! Transfer case blew Don't ask me why it didnt go before then, in those 2 years, with all that clinking I warned him about.

This happens often with his trucks. Just today, this morning... We loaded up 100 square bales last night to haul into the local cattle auction this morning (they sell hay aswell) Off we go, me mentioning he should check the oil, as the drain plug has been leaking. Him, scoffing, says its fine! Off we go, get no more than 12kms from the farmyard... temps spiking, oil pressures low. I mentiont o him, he maybe you should REALLY check the oil... still nothing. Then PING PING PING PING PING.... blew a lifter. FINALLY after the truck turns itself off out of not wanting to die.. he checks the oil. Bone dry

SO I dont say women drivers... I say MEN drivers

Hillbilly, you need a 454? Just let me dig around a bit, I think there's one under some tin behind the tool shed, I'll get back to you on that... You have acreage? Why aren't you living in a wrecking yard? What is wrong with you?

Oh there's plenty wrong with me, where would you like to start?

Uno, would you happen to have a nice 440 somewhere at your place?

I'm betting its all bowties in the yard. If there's an NP205 close to that 454, I think you might get my attention.

This discussion reminded me as to the reason there are no bowties in our yard. In the summer of 1973 I made a serious mistake and traded my 1969 GTX for a 1973 Blazer. Just to be fair the salesman told us it had an axle suitable for towing a travel trailer, but in fact had an axle entirely unsuited to towing. Just before Christmas of 1974 my youngest son was born. We lived in Coutts at the time and I was to go to Lethbridge to see my ex and son the day after his brith. There was a blizzard the next day and I stayed home. The following day was bitterly cold, but sunny. As I reached the bottom of Breezy Point I looked in the mirror to see a huge cloud of white (antifreeze). I stopped and the bread truck gave me a ride to Milk River to get McTaggert's tow truck. The Blazer was hauled to McTaggert's where the radiator was taken out. The radiator was taken to the farm machinery shop to be repaired (the upper rad hose fitting had dropped out of the radiator). Once repaired I headed for Lethbridge, but the radiator was leaking by the time I got there. This time I took the radiator out at my parent's place and had it repaired at a radiator shop. I returned home not having seen my family and a week later ordered a 440 Dodge Ramcharger. Today we have a bunch of Mopars here. There is a spare small block V8, an extra 12 Valve Cummins and an extra 3.3 V6.

While we are on the subject!!
We are looking for an Engine for
our RV (converted 35ft school bus)
It has a industial 306 with a whole
the size of you head in it.
Hubby said the following would work
Chev big block 427,409,396,366.
So start looking under and over.
Have to move the bus this weekend
neighbor coming over with his loader.
Sure would be nice to be able to
fire it up and move it or god forbid
us it for a vacation, instead of
a guest house. By the way it is
real nice has solar power etc.

Not being a General Motors fan, but if the 396 would work, then the 454 should work as well. If the 406 would work then the 348 should work.

Wow, the 348. There's an oldie. The 409 replaced it, and I dont think that's been made since the mid sixties. That would be a shame to put in a bus!

Hillbilly, yes. There are 2, 205s here, one auto, one 4 speed. Hubby is rubbing his chin and trying to remember which had a bad spline (or did he mean spleen?) There are also 2 208s. I am so ashamed. We are white trash.

Sorry, no bus motors. Thank gawd! Shhh, don't want to give the man any ideas.

Note, this is how history repeats itself in catastrophic ways. Daughter, who drives a 1986 Chevy beast drives past a place on some backroad and sees that it is populated by more Chevy beasts of the 80's vintage. She wheels in and attempts to buy a truck or two, you know, for parts. (the bad apple doesn't fall far from the bad tree) Young guy comes out and explains that he is very attached to all his wrecks, but for several thousands of dollars can help transform her jalopy into a work of art, that is utterly worthless, but he didn't say that part.

In the strange and distinctly stupid method of young people nowadays, they exchange cell numbers so that they never have to have a conversation but can text each other illegible gibberish. Next thing we know he's dropping in on her lunch hour at work, which happens to be 11:45 at night and bringing her TimBits. I'm thinking roses, but maybe I'm just old fashioned. Next he'll be making her jewelry out of lug nuts. Is it me or is this weird? And scary?

Wow, the 348. There's an oldie. The 409 replaced it, and I dont think that's been made since the mid sixties. That would be a shame to put in a bus!

Yes, it was the 409 and not the 406. The 406 was a big Ford motor. I remember some neat SS Chevies with the 409.

I was 2 years old when my dad taught me that Chev's are the best....
Nothing like a 454

uno wrote:Hillbilly, yes. There are 2, 205s here, one auto, one 4 speed. Hubby is rubbing his chin and trying to remember which had a bad spline (or did he mean spleen?) There are also 2 208s. I am so ashamed. We are white trash.

Sorry, no bus motors. Thank gawd! Shhh, don't want to give the man any ideas.

Note, this is how history repeats itself in catastrophic ways. Daughter, who drives a 1986 Chevy beast drives past a place on some backroad and sees that it is populated by more Chevy beasts of the 80's vintage. She wheels in and attempts to buy a truck or two, you know, for parts. (the bad apple doesn't fall far from the bad tree) Young guy comes out and explains that he is very attached to all his wrecks, but for several thousands of dollars can help transform her jalopy into a work of art, that is utterly worthless, but he didn't say that part.

In the strange and distinctly stupid method of young people nowadays, they exchange cell numbers so that they never have to have a conversation but can text each other illegible gibberish. Next thing we know he's dropping in on her lunch hour at work, which happens to be 11:45 at night and bringing her TimBits. I'm thinking roses, but maybe I'm just old fashioned. Next he'll be making her jewelry out of lug nuts. Is it me or is this weird? And scary?

The lug nut will be the engagement ring.

Make sure his nuts aren't swollen.

^ Lmao!!!


Dj, my dad also taught me Chev's are the best.