Sxrxrnr

We've all seen many and likely all have cursed the engineer or his boss that let let some of their brilliant ideas find their way into the car that you are now working on.

Today it was on my 71 where I've often cursed the dope who decided it was a flash of creative genius to place the fuse panel on the inner firewall under the dash, making changing a fuse or even to find if one is blown a miserable task,,and then to find that the flasher is located in the very top of this fuse panel, where if your hand is any larger than that of a 5 year old child you are almost totally screwed. Well today I just spent over 1 hour upside down,,it's a a lot tougher on a C3 than on a C1 or C2,,,under the dash trying to remove the old flasher from the very top of this fuse panel, and than replacing it with another. But I did make it and only have 2 or 3 cuts on my hands as evidence of my effort.

And of course this whole area is populated with a rats nest of wiring and completely dark so that you must somehow hold a light while fishing around to get the flasher turned at the proper angles to plug it into the socket,,,at the same time that you are needing 2 hands to shove all the wiring out of your way.

That's my nomination for the day,,,,I am certain that others likely have examples of greater engineering marvels.

Oh, by the way my hazard lights still do not flash,,,,I don't even want to think about what will face me as I replace the turn signal mechanism which is my next task as I will be again back into the same rats nest of wiring ,,,still working on why my brake light fuses are blowing,,,noted in another recent thread.

Plasticman

Try finding the flasher on an early C4............then there is the process of getting behind the dash, requires removal of the console on a C5. But the best (worst) one is the location of the battery on a C5 right above the PCM and it's wiring (don't ever let a battery leak acid!).

But for C1s, I would offer both the wiper "system" and the front engine mount (located between the water pump and the engine block) as prime examples.

And then there is the battery location that requires you to tip the battery to remove and replace (at least they fixed that on the C3).

Plasticman

wmf62

the C1 X-frame..., and the kingpin frontend...
Bill

Fawndeuce

The totally bizarre and complex vacuum washer system on my '62!
They had electric wipers (sort of anyway ), why not just a simple little electric pump?



Paul

gbvette62

The installation of the heater core in 68-82 air conditioned Corvettes, is one of the most half a$$ed engineering feats, I've ever encountered in a car.

It's such a miserable job, that Chevrolet's own Flat Rate Books allowed their GM trained mechanics, 7 or 8 hours to replace a core!

If you've never done one, I can tell you it's a heck of a job. The core is removed from the inside of the car, requiring removal of some of the dash. You don't need to remove the outer heater box, to change the core, but you do have to remove it to get to a bolt. All of the other bolts are accessed from inside the car. The heater hoses have to be removed from under the car. The whole process is just plain crazy!

Procrastination Racing

I had most of my dash out of my '68 getting in there.

Likewise, the heater motor isn't so great either. If you are left handed, you have a better chance from above. If not, hope you have a lift.

The late '68 up with the rear frame diagonals make changing the rear trailing arm bolts a nightmare. Of course, that was before most discovered Sawzalls.

Number 2 spark plug on a big block air car.

Getting the #8 cylinder bolts out of the exhaust on a big block air car.

Much of the major work on a big block with air is such it is probably easier to pull the engine and do it than to work on it in the car.

Following any of the factory suggested rear end replacement procedure. Definitely drop the cross member with the full pumpkin.

Rear tail lights on the rubber bumper cars.

Changing dash lights in a C3.

Transmission replacement. They couldn't have made the cross member bolt in for manuals? Or moved it back another 4 inches?

Plasticman

C2/C3 rear bearings (press fit) and shim adjustment, and rear end Toe adjustment.

Plasticman

champs65

The location/access/removal of the right front fender emblem on my 65 was pure genius!!!!

And I just had moments of pure ecstacy and joy removing the #4 body bolts on that car and my 68

sub006

Cuts on your hands changing a turn signal flasher? I would have picked the sharp little brackets left over each spark plug AFTER you've removed the igniton shielding.

Ditto on the heater core on a C2 also!

Dave Tracy

Anything involving working on or around the C2 factory A/C

AZDoug

'93 S-10 pickup.

The dash must be disassembled, or get a person with really small arms, after partial dis-assembly to replace turn signal flasher.

After I figured out what the problem was, i called up the local Chev place and they said, well, disassemble the under dash, then , take out the heater vents, then, etc, etc, etc.

Being more of an old school engineer, one of the primary objectives of building something, was to also make it practical to work on, and build economically in the first place. It takes a lot more thought and creativity, to accomplish that, but I suppose most modern engineers either don't give a ****, or the thought of repair never occurred to them , or they are simply goaded to get the design out fast, and don't worry about the details.

And, of course, the electrical guy has no input on where his wiring harness is going to be placed, and the body engineer fits the fuse block some place convenient it will fit and not interfere with the rest of the under dash stuff and sends it back to the electrical guy to figure out wire lengths, so no one person really has any accountability for the lack of maintenance ease.

I can't tell you how many designs, in different industries, I have seen, that were conjured up by engineers, that were almost impossible to machine, or assemble in real life, but it looked good on paper, and were easiest to draw.

Doug

aworks

Anything to do with a 68-82 car is a nightmare. You have to love the highlight and wiper systems. Then there is the way the firewall is shaped. Under the hood is as ugly as can be even it's brand new. I'm making myself sick thinking about the motor swap I need to do in my 69.

MikeM

Part of the process of launching a new model vehicle where I worked was to have Systems Engineers follow the designs to ensure part compatibility, ease of assembly and serviceability. Parts/Service reps also follow along with the programs and their buyoffs are included before the vehicle gets the okay for production.

We even found it to our (plant) benefit to have reps on site during the early design stages and following through all the way through the prototype builds to Job 1 production. This started back in the late '70's and continued at least until the start of the century.

Today, each sub-system engineering group is represented in the plants where the product is built and much of the oversight is now handled by "engineers" who can now have "hands on" experience. That wasn't the case several years ago when most/many of the design engineers hadn't even been inside a factory and before the advent of computers, really had no idea how their part related in function/space to the rest of the vehicle. For example, one guy might release a heater control and the guy at the next desk might own the glove box and the next guy, the radio. All three of them sitting in adjacent cubby holes and none of them talking to one another and not realizing their parts are fighting for the same space.

It's not that way today.

BarryK

reminds me of a thread started a few years back after working on my '65 for the first time:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...t-project.html

Frankie the Fink

Apparently the dome light on my 2006 Durango goes thru some electronic module behind the dash so the computer can dim the light in a sexy fashion when it goes off. That module went out...the cost to replace it from the dealer ? $1200. So now I have a late model car without a freakin' interior light.

SledgeHammer 2.0

My 06 CTD 2500 has the same module. On mine I hooked up to a friends trailer and he had a shorted turn signal wire. Module is not fuse protected, burnt up the module. Dodge replaced it for me under warranty, but told me they only give one of their poor designs away for free. I cut the wires and put a fuse in each one.

As far as Corvettes, I would have to agree the C3's are the worse for working on, I had a 68 Vert... everything was a nightmare to fix.

DansYellow66

Battery replacement access on a C2

Access to pinion bracket bolts on rear differential before switching from one long bolt to two. Drilling the floor pan for access - not good.

Removal of two body mounts on the crossmember behind the seats after 63.

RatDog

Frank - I understand Chrysler engineers have come out with a solution to that problem :

wombvette

C4 Optispark. Under the water pump, front oil seal, and road grime. Brilliant! We learned not to do that in the 30s, but the young uns don't remember history.

Frankie the Fink

Ha! I actually considered one of those push on/push off battery powered closet lights