Is it my impression, or do even the simplest appearing jobs take a lot
longer than they first appear? Items that are supposed to be "bolt in"
replacements don't fit, screw holes don't line up, etc.

Installing HID lights in my plane took four hours, even though it only
involved two wires and didn't involve any metal bending or other
replacements.

I have a tool box with some great Snap On and Craftsman stuff, but I always
think twice before doing anything. It seems easy to get stuff apart, but
putting things back together in a working fashion is apparently a different
story!

Do other owner/pilots see the same thing? I am just hesitant to dive in and
start taking things apart.



I have lived a life repairing, building, and installing things. My
earliest jobs were at machine shops as a fabricator and assembler. I did
sound systems for rock n' roll bands for 12 years. On the road, I fixed
everything from the tour busses to the lighting/sound systems to the
rental cars. My dad owned a body shop for 22 years and I worked there
doing body work, painting, mechanical work, fiberglass repair, stereos,
and interiors. At home I do all the plumbing/electrical/carpentry/etc.
Around 1985 I got involved with repairing computers and did so until
today. I am the family "go to guy" whenever anything breaks. If I don't
fix it, I give them the rundown on what is involved and all the ways the
repairman can screw them. 13 years ago we bought the airplane and I
pretty much did everything in partnership with a mechanic (including
painting the beast and redoing the interior).

In my youth I used to attack every job fearlessly and think it would
take little time to get things apart, fixed, and put back together (and
was seldom wrong). Cars and other mechanical stuff were simpler then. I
now find that the opposite is true for me. I look at any job and figure
out EVERY step, tool, process, and nuance. I go over it again and again
replaying the job in my mind for a day or more before doing it. I try to
anticipate and prepare for EVERY oddball thing that might come up. I
have a plan B... and C... and D. I estimate wildly in excess of what it
actually will take.

In the end, I breeze through most operations pretty well unscathed. But,
as I got older, my experience in doing things made me much more hesitant
to start things. I farm out the knuckle busting garbage I would never
consider letting anyone else do a few years ago. Having a few more
dollars in the kitty to do so makes this more and more attractive. I
actually TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER AND PAID OFF-THE-RACK PRICES!! Even
though I had all the OEM parts and special tools lined up, I anticipated
many potential pitfalls and decided to let the local Audi dealer tackle
the job (bumper off, core support back to the "service" position, timing
belt, water pump, cam/crank seals, valve cover gasket, tensioners,
idlers, etc.). I did this job on nearly every car I have owned before.
Not this time. The personal satisfaction of doing the job would be
offset by the nagging feeling that something may have been overlooked or
improperly done. If that nice new timing belt breaks and YOU put it on,
so sorry, here is a new belt. Too bad you have to do a $4000 valve job
because our part was defective out of the box. Now, if the job blows up,
I actually have a warranty for 12 months.

I have now done enough work that I know better when to walk away and let
someone do it who does it all day. Yeah, I hate it when they take 4
hours and charge me 9 because that is the "book price". But it would
take me 6-8 hours IF everything went as planned.

I think the reason a lot of nonprofessional mechanics always
underestimate is because they really don't have an extensive background
to anticipate problems. They also seldom have the extensive special
tools required. Also, I believe many things are much more difficult or
impossible to repair outside a specialty shop. Many electronic "modules"
can only be "tested" by swapping them out with known good units. Many
internals of things are made of crappy plastic that cannot be repaired.
Parts are hard to get for things unless you are an "authorized" repair
shop. Hell, they are talking about banning the sale of water heaters to
the public because we might hurt ourselves. What crap. The stupid ones
are SUPPOSED to get bumped off. Its natural selection. This is AMERICA
dammit! I have the RIGHT to kill myself!!!!! But I digress.

To all those brave souls who blindly tackle a job, I say "Go get 'em".
Ya never know until you try. When you do so on an airplane though, I ask
that you please work with a wrench to keep from making your passengers
very much dead.

Good Luck,
Mike