wpgshark

Not to mention bolts that seem to range in length in 2mm increments.

Designs tend to move to complexity unless there is an overriding force moving them to simplification, as simplification requires more design.

tmpusfugit

Yeah, some way or another I forgot the length issues as well as socket headed bolts too, in addition to all the others mentioned. To that end the short bolt that comes to mind that causes major pain would be the bolts that hold the oil dipstick tube to the oil pan. Blind hole, too long bolt, equals a stripped out oil pan. To repair it properly only takes dropping the sway bar, the rack, lifting the motor a bit, removing the cross beam, dropping the pan, drilling and helicoiling the blind hole, then reassembly of all the same. All because of a non standard length bolt and a blind hole....of course the other option is just forcing in a larger diameter bolt, but that is not a recommended practice.....brings to mind a laptop computer a competitor (DEC) brought out a long time ago. 54 screws, very small (same) diameter, all the same Phillips head, 7 different lengths. Too long in the wrong place, right into a circuit board trace. Guess how well that worked out? Since we bought DEC right about then I got to write the business case to cease production...only cost a bit under $30 million in write down expenses.

walt_mink

Hey now Jim, if you're working on laptops from someplace near Huston then I wouldn't throw stones in your glass house.

I did comparative mobile system teardowns for a company in Redmond for years and have felt that pain many times over.

Oh well, I guess it's the ODM's world now anyway, huh?

tmpusfugit

Walt, we went with a pretty well defined set of requirements in commercial laptops (retail was another worse story). I worked on a number of product development teams. The last product I helped design had a total of 7 screws in it, they were all Torx heads, T5's and all the same length. There were a total of 8 parts that were end user replaceable including the keyboard, battery, hard drive, memory boards (2), floppy drive (sort of dates it huh?) CDROM drive, and I forget what the 8th was.....I would hate to be in the so called services businesses today attempting to repair laptops and tablets. I have friends that are and to that end they all drink a lot.... I moved into other things, still in the same business, but world wide customer facing market efforts...that was more interesting than counting screws....and like you I have done many product teardowns while in product development. Lots of how not to do things very often seen

walt_mink

Ha ha - couldn't resist giving you a hard time. You're right that commercial does a much better job than your friends in Taiwan. I wouldn't want the cost constraints that those poor guys are dealing with - it's brutal.

I used to laugh that I was sitting in a such a high tech lab with every tool known to man and was still fighting with them - I couldn't imagine what the poor guys in the field were going through.

Glad we're both on to bigger and better things!

grepin

Dragging up an old thread. This has been one of my favorite looks. I am right in the middle of a top end refresh and am considering having a few things replated.
Do the fuel regulators survive the experience. How robust are they fuel dampers and regulators. Not even sure what is inside of them. Also is there no issue running the fuel lines through it thinking internally.
Also did you paint the intake runners. Looks standard color which I dont mind any way.

grepin

Another good look. Can I ask what you did with your fuel rails. Nice and clean. The silver looks ok as well. Post 66 for pic.