I have to vent!

[Agnem]

My son Matthias is on the deans list at Drexel University, and at the top of his engineering class. He is a streight A student. Always has been. How then, is it, that he is broke down along side a very busy highway in the Night Moose, fighting a problem that he broke down with 2 nights ago (which by the way, I ended up towing him,and we both have dents in our bumpers to remember that night), due to a problem I told him he was going to have when we first built the truck 2 years ago? His problem - fuel filter gelling in cold weather. I told him when we built it - GET A 7.3 FILTER HEAD WITH AN INTERGAL HEATER! I only have this 6.9 filter head to put on right now, and we don't have a fuel heater! I told him 2 nights ago, IF YOUR NOT GOING TO RUN A HEATED FILTER, AT LEAST RUN A FUEL ADDITIVE! Has he lifted a finger to prevent this problem from re-occuring? NO! So, when I have to report back to you all that I lost my family because a dump truck took them all out along side the road, YOU KNOW that it was my sons Q#$%@#$%!! attitude that killed them! Holly ****! Where's the Tylenol?

 

[LCAM-01XA]

Mel, you live in PA, the land of loosely-maintained diesel-powered coal-hauling heavy trucks that are about to die of old age, how is it that with all of these running around you guys are having gelling issues with the fuel? You'd think the fuel stations should know better... When I'm up north for a family visit I see teens for days at a time on fairly regular basis, yet my fuel has never gelled - I do have a 7.3 filter but I don't even know if its heater works, and right behind it is a non-heated 6.9 filter too... Methinks it's more of a fuel quality issue there, of course he's still at fault for not addressing it properly.

And since we're on the topic - the 6.9 engines have that heater on the fuel line between the lift pump and the filter head, was that not effective enough that caused them to come up with the heated 7.3 head?

 

[yARIC008]

So... stop saving him? Let him sit on the side of the road all night. Bet he won't let it gel up again.

 

[Devilish]

This newer diesel formulation gels? The stuff from our pumps in NV reminds me more of a perfumed kerosene. My daughter knows it all at 18 too. But then again I take care of my daughter's problems for her so I don't have to worry. I'll bet Mattias is gonna be butt-hurt when he sees this thread on the board

 

[riphip]

Mel, you mean you didn't get him one last Christmas or this Christmas???

 

[Agnem]

So... stop saving him? Let him sit on the side of the road all night. Bet he won't let it gel up again.

The Scarlet Moose is currently towing him home. He will miss 2 hours of work at a minimum. And as far as he is concerned, his truck doesn't run. So, yes. There is no helping him at this point. I'm done. If he wants any help, I'll tell him to ask for it here.

 

[94turboidi]

Mel I can understand your frustration but......I only hope that when my two boys are older that this is the worst thing they do. I don't think the heated filter head would help with gelling though maybe an additive or winter blended diesel would. It sounds like he is doing really good in school. I have the 7.3 but I don't have any idea if its heating anything or not.

 

[Goofyexponent]

My son Matthias is on the deans list at Drexel University, and at the top of his engineering class. He is a streight A student. Always has been. How then, is it, that he is broke down along side a very busy highway in the Night Moose, fighting a problem that he broke down with 2 nights ago (which by the way, I ended up towing him,and we both have dents in our bumpers to remember that night), due to a problem I told him he was going to have when we first built the truck 2 years ago? His problem - fuel filter gelling in cold weather. I told him when we built it - GET A 7.3 FILTER HEAD WITH AN INTERGAL HEATER! I only have this 6.9 filter head to put on right now, and we don't have a fuel heater! I told him 2 nights ago, IF YOUR NOT GOING TO RUN A HEATED FILTER, AT LEAST RUN A FUEL ADDITIVE! Has he lifted a finger to prevent this problem from re-occuring? NO! So, when I have to report back to you all that I lost my family because a dump truck took them all out along side the road, YOU KNOW that it was my sons Q#$%@#$%!! attitude that killed them! Holly ****! Where's the Tylenol?

....Mel, I am sure my dad could tell you the SAME thing about me. I never took a class out of high school though. I kind of wish I did.

Some of the bonehead things I did when I was younger (and sometimes I still do today) would make you shake your head in shame. For example, I put together an S10....5 speed....and put the clutch disc in BACKWARDS. Took me and dad a fairly long time to do it too, like 4 nights as the bolts were all seized, limited supply of hand tools (which is why I bought my BIG took set) and working outside on the ground in the dark.

He will catch on to what he needs to do to get things working right. I am 100% sure he has the know how, it's just when you are young, you prioritze all backwards.....and think a lot about girls lol.

 

[GenLightening]

I think my local wrecker still has one from a '93 if you'd like me to pick it up. Youprobably can find one closer, but I thought I'd try to be helpful!

 

[nyteshades]

lol. I only laugh Mel, because my 13 yr old knows everything as well. As he and his sister live with their mother in Dallas, it seems when I have them I spend a lot of time teaching them common sense. Or at least trying to. For instance, last week we were ice fishing (first time for him) and I told him not to stand over the hole when he was pulling the fish in. Does he listen to me? No....he slipped and one leg went into the water hip deep. Wish the camera was in my hand when it happened.....that look was priceless.

Stuff like this had me saying stuff my Dad said to me growing up. IT's the stuff I swore I wouldn't say to my kid. Experience is the mother of all teachers. Being gelled up in the cold, without any help and having to solve it....will change his attitude. At least that would be my approach to handling it....

Best of luck....

 

[Agnem]

Thanks Doug. That's up to him to decide. The thing I don't understand, is that since he build this truck, he has a lot of pride in it, but aside from changing the oil, he doesn't much like to touch it. He just goes in the house, and happily plays his guitar as if he can drown out the noise of all of lifes problems. The truck is home now, safe. And he is going to work by virtue of his brothers truck, and the only reason he was allowed to take it, is they had a friend sleep over who needs to be returned home. Why I bet he didn't even take the 2 minutes it would have taken to hook the battery charger up to it.

 

[towcat]

Mel-
book-smart and street-smart are two completely different mindsets. A person who has both will go far in life. I'm not very book-smart but pretty street-smart. that's why I am where I am in life. your son is book-smart, hopefully by being on his own, his street smarts will kick in.

 

[oldmisterbill]

You are just in the early stages of "I don't want to listen". Its a viral infection of the front lobe that spreads thought the whole bone head cavity. Sometimes it heals its self when the patient gets into his late 20s. BUT!!!! I have a son in his late 30s that it has eaten away the bone coating -it flows like a loose stool. He just got out after his 4th stint in the striped suit club. I think its getting worse.

Consider your self lucky he listens to you more that you may realize. He has some values and wants to succeed he will be fine.Let him bear the brunt of unlearned lessons.
Enabling is a fine line.

 

[Darrin Tosh]

Mel-
book-smart and street-smart are two completely different mindsets. A person who has both will go far in life. I'm not very book-smart but pretty street-smart. that's why I am where I am in life. your son is book-smart, hopefully by being on his own, his street smarts will kick in.

That was my first thought aslo, but I have known the Agne family for 9 years now, and his kids are both, Street Smart and Book Smart. I read the first post earlier and didn't respond yet because I wasn't sure how to respond myself.

Matthias is a great kid, talented, smart, and well balanced. However I can see the somewhat laxidazy attitude on something like this. Why....Cause I have a tendency to do the same thing. let something little like this go, knowing there will be consequences, but well get to it eventually. Sometimes that is how we learn, and it is a great feeling when you get it done.

I'm with 94turboidi:

I only hope that when my two boys are older that this is the worst thing they do

You got some good young men there Mel, sometimes you just have to back off and let them learn the hard way..Too bad it sucks you into it also sometimes.

No matter how old they get,...your still the Dad,...

 

[Dsl_Dog_Treat]

Mel ya got some great boys and you've done well raising em but he's gotta learn to cover his bacon.
Everytime I use my filter wrench I think about how tight that oil filter was on the nightmoose that day. Have faith.
But on the lighter side, here's the pic we've spoken of in the past.