PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post

t walgamuth · #23 04-23-2006, 04:51 AM

well, there may be some aftermarket mounts NOT made by the OE manufacturer too. the original statement was regarding parts made by the same company as the oe equipment.

my late uncle was a manufacturing engineer. to be sure, he worked in the US for several different large companies in his career, not germany. we once were discussing cars and the mercury cougar came up. in all my twenty something wisdom i stated that the 289 small block ford engine that was in the cougar was the same motor as in the mustang. he just kindof rolled his eyes. he believed that the big us manufacturers DID use different quality parts in a 289 destined for a cougar (higher quality) than in a 289 destined for a mustang. now personally, i always had a hard time believing that they were different but he was an extremely knowledgable, smart guy and an engineer involved in the us automotive scene, so it is one of those little things that has remained unresolved in my mind for the last 30 years.

he used to drive oldsmobiles but one of the last cars he owned was an 82 300sd which he owned when he died.

when a new engineer was sent him as a little test he always would ask them how to figure a rear end gear ratio. if they didnt say "count the gear teeth and divide" he figured they weren't too bright.

one of the things that he did in the late stages of his career while working for the DANA corporation, was, and i am not sure of the title of his position, folks would call him in his office located in the Ft. Wayne Indiana area with a problem with a machine that they used to make one of their products. they would describe the problem to him over the phone and he would talk through it with them and often he could help them fix the problem over the phone. if it didnt work he would jump on a plane and go there to help them.

kindof like what we do here but he did it for money.

tom w

tom w