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The Water Cooler
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Tell us your traveling troubles over your lifetime.
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<blockquote data-quote="Forgalspop" data-source="post: 3673484" data-attributes="member: 46636"><p>This is a “Feel-Good” pleasant travel experience I had a couple years ago.</p><p></p><p>Two years ago when traveling from New Mexico to Oklahoma I was exiting I-40 at Vega, TX to use the restroom at the Flying J travel stop and all the warning lights came on and the engine died in my Chevy 3500 Express van. I was able to coast into the Flying J parking lot. Fortunately I ended up facing south. There was a 30 to 40 mile an hour cold wind blowing out of the north.</p><p></p><p>I pop the hood and see the serpentine belt has been shredded and with further inspection I see why. The pulley that is built into the water pump had the center weld break that attaches to the shaft of the water pump.</p><p></p><p>I always carry a fairly complete set of tools with me to handle small repairs, so I resign myself to taking everything apart and seeing if I can find a parts house. I go do my restroom business and ask the counter clerk if there is a parts store close by. Just happens there is a parts store about 4 or 5 blocks north of the Flying J. I get the number for the parts store and call and see if they have a water pump, fan clutch, thermostat and serpentine belt in stock for a Chevy 6.0 engine. They do, but they can’t deliver because only one person is working that day. I think to myself, I’m going to have to carry the fan and fan clutch 4 or 5 blocks into the cold north wind and all the parts including anti-freeze back and most likely two trips to carry everything. The fan attaches to the fan clutch with a threaded shaft and without a belt holding tension on the pulley, I can’t un-thread the fan from the clutch.</p><p></p><p>So, I’m in the process of taking everything apart when a this guy in a beat up old car pulls up and rolls down his window to talk to me. This guy has a dirty floppy hat on a long gray beard and looks like a bum. His car makes Swampratt’s camo themed car look good. I’m thinking to myself, “He’s going to hit me up for money.” Often times when stopping at truck stops people hit me up for gas money.</p><p></p><p>This old guy that looks like a bum and driving a beat up old compact car that hasn’t been washed in years, asks me if I’m broke down and if I am going to need to go to a parts store. I tell him that yes, I’m broke down and yes, I will need to go to a parts store. He tells me he is headed to the parts store and offers me a ride. I tell him I’m only half-way getting things disassembled and it will be a little longer before I am ready to go get parts. He says. “No problem, I’ll go check on my cows and be back in about a half hour.</p><p></p><p>I get everything disassembled and he shows up and I load everything in the back seat and he pushes all the junk and trash off the front seat to the floor and we head to the parts store.</p><p></p><p>Turns out this old guy has a large ranch nearby and is a heck of a nice guy who is quite intelligent and with a great sense of humor. He also knows the people that own the parts store very well. The parts store is a brand new very nice Car Quest parts store with a machine shop and auto repair shop next door and he has them remove the fan from the fan clutch for me at no charge.</p><p></p><p>I get all the parts I need to make the repairs and he takes me back to the Flying J and refuses to let me pay him anything.</p><p></p><p>When I get back to Oklahoma I call the parts store and speak with the fellow who sold me the parts and get the gentleman’s address that gave the ride then go to Tractor Supply and purchase a gift card and send the gentleman a nice thank you card and enclose the gift card.</p><p></p><p>I do my best never to judge a person by their looks and this experience reaffirmed, “Never judge a book by it’s cover”.</p><p></p><p>Traveling can be an adventure and some adventures are more rewarding than others, even if they involve difficulties.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Forgalspop, post: 3673484, member: 46636"] This is a “Feel-Good” pleasant travel experience I had a couple years ago. Two years ago when traveling from New Mexico to Oklahoma I was exiting I-40 at Vega, TX to use the restroom at the Flying J travel stop and all the warning lights came on and the engine died in my Chevy 3500 Express van. I was able to coast into the Flying J parking lot. Fortunately I ended up facing south. There was a 30 to 40 mile an hour cold wind blowing out of the north. I pop the hood and see the serpentine belt has been shredded and with further inspection I see why. The pulley that is built into the water pump had the center weld break that attaches to the shaft of the water pump. I always carry a fairly complete set of tools with me to handle small repairs, so I resign myself to taking everything apart and seeing if I can find a parts house. I go do my restroom business and ask the counter clerk if there is a parts store close by. Just happens there is a parts store about 4 or 5 blocks north of the Flying J. I get the number for the parts store and call and see if they have a water pump, fan clutch, thermostat and serpentine belt in stock for a Chevy 6.0 engine. They do, but they can’t deliver because only one person is working that day. I think to myself, I’m going to have to carry the fan and fan clutch 4 or 5 blocks into the cold north wind and all the parts including anti-freeze back and most likely two trips to carry everything. The fan attaches to the fan clutch with a threaded shaft and without a belt holding tension on the pulley, I can’t un-thread the fan from the clutch. So, I’m in the process of taking everything apart when a this guy in a beat up old car pulls up and rolls down his window to talk to me. This guy has a dirty floppy hat on a long gray beard and looks like a bum. His car makes Swampratt’s camo themed car look good. I’m thinking to myself, “He’s going to hit me up for money.” Often times when stopping at truck stops people hit me up for gas money. This old guy that looks like a bum and driving a beat up old compact car that hasn’t been washed in years, asks me if I’m broke down and if I am going to need to go to a parts store. I tell him that yes, I’m broke down and yes, I will need to go to a parts store. He tells me he is headed to the parts store and offers me a ride. I tell him I’m only half-way getting things disassembled and it will be a little longer before I am ready to go get parts. He says. “No problem, I’ll go check on my cows and be back in about a half hour. I get everything disassembled and he shows up and I load everything in the back seat and he pushes all the junk and trash off the front seat to the floor and we head to the parts store. Turns out this old guy has a large ranch nearby and is a heck of a nice guy who is quite intelligent and with a great sense of humor. He also knows the people that own the parts store very well. The parts store is a brand new very nice Car Quest parts store with a machine shop and auto repair shop next door and he has them remove the fan from the fan clutch for me at no charge. I get all the parts I need to make the repairs and he takes me back to the Flying J and refuses to let me pay him anything. When I get back to Oklahoma I call the parts store and speak with the fellow who sold me the parts and get the gentleman’s address that gave the ride then go to Tractor Supply and purchase a gift card and send the gentleman a nice thank you card and enclose the gift card. I do my best never to judge a person by their looks and this experience reaffirmed, “Never judge a book by it’s cover”. Traveling can be an adventure and some adventures are more rewarding than others, even if they involve difficulties. [/QUOTE]
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