Look ma! No bolts

Sven Jantzon, of Sunset Volkswagen of Courtenay, B.C., sent in this picture of an innovative – and dangerous – way to secure the front end of an engine. One half of the starter and the bracket for the motor mount were completely bolt-less. Not to worry, though… the customer had secured the engine with a tie-strap.

It was a solution that surprised both Sven and his coworker Ken Anderson, the technician who actually discovered the DIY disaster.

“We could hardly fathom it,” Sven wrote, “so we thought we’d share it!”

They found that the front mount was completely disconnected. “On this setup, it uses the starter motor bolts, via a bracket, to hold the front of the engine steady,” he explains. “Well, the bracket was effectively useless and the mount had collapsed – or so it appeared. Thankfully, the strap was away from the belts and fan… but it is still hard to believe!”

Being technicians, they did not get a chance to chat directly with the customer, but they made a strong recommendation that the mount issue be addressed. Especially since the customer simply came in for a service and a power steering belt. No mention at all of the most egregious safety issue!

Have you seen other examples of crazy makeshift repairs? Send high-resolution pictures and a full description of what you found to allan@canadiantechnician.ca