TheEnd said:
O.k fukwits.....who knows how to rebuild an engine here? Any one actually done it with there own bare hands before? Any of you smartasses know how to fix hydraulics or transmissions or differentials? I bet you fukwits cant even do a basic service on your own car you stupid censored.....No You all go and pay someone to do that for you cos your too fukin stupid.....What a bunch of hypocritical fukin morons....Go and get turtled!
Funny you should ask, because yes, I know how to rebuild an engine. I know how hard being a diesel mechanic is. Especially working for small firms who like to substitute lifting gear and hydraulic presses with muscle power and big hammers.
A potted story of my life for anyone who cares to listen;
Left school (UK) at 16 and got on what was then called the "youth training scheme". Basically show up at a company for six weeks, make tea, walk to the shop four times a day and sweep up inbetween, all for 25 quid a week. The other six weeks you attend college (TAFE) to work towards trade cretificates. I took an interest in the work and in heavy plant in general and must have been an OK worker because I was still patiently brewing up and going to the shop when I was 20 years and 364 days old. On my 21st birthday, I politely requested to to be employed on full wage. My request was politely tuned down so I politely walked out of the yard with cries of "no wait! you can have full money" ringing in my ears.
Couple of weeks later, I got a full time job on skilled wage. I made myself useful, watched and learned from other blokes who knew things I didn't and tought blokes who didn't know things I did. The work was physically hard but I enjoyed the challenge and got satisfaction from doing a good job (still do) and was informally promoted to leading hand.
Around this time, the internet was invented and BOOM, a whole world of knowledge opened up for the willing keyboard-carrot-spanker (Tm). At night, I went on message boards and forums, studied manuals, researched problems we had had during the day and generally became a diesel mechanic nerd.
Another few years passed and I was entering my thirties. The back and knee aches were starting to become more frequent and were starting to concern me a little (not to mention the 14hr days, pissing-down-rain, stinking of diesel, incidental cuts, burns, crap-in-the-eye, long term industrial deafness, piles and baldness) so I applied for and got a managers job.
Well, acouple of years passed and it began to dawn on me that I had reached the pinnacle of my career. Compared to Australia, not much heavy machinery business goes on in the UK and my future stretched out bleakly before me. I'd always fancied having a look at Australia. I'd get off on the images of the big mining machines, non-existent in the UK and I kinda thought that it wouldn't be so bad working hard, if you've got a bit of sun on your back.
Anyhoo, I convinced my better half, and some keyboard-carrot-spanking (Tm), 18 months and around $12000 later we were the owners of shiny new skilled-independent visas.
Took the kids out of school, sold the house, paid off the mortgage, flew to Aus, booked into a rental unit, bought the paper and started looking for a job.
3 weeks later, I'm back on the tools in a (reasonably) well paid job and, yes, the sun's on my back and a smile's on my face. Turtling fantastic!. A couple of years later, I buy a 10 year old ute, quit the job and start up on my own.
Fast forwrd to now, I've an acre of land, I've men I command and I've always a shilling to spare. So be easy and free when you're drinking with me, I'm a man you don't meet every day.
But anyway, TheEnd. IMO, being a good diesel fitter isn't a job. It's a vocation. (Much, I imagine, like cheffing) If you really want to get back into it you've got to get enthusiastic. Join some forums. Read some online manuals. Talk about it at the pub. You'll bore your non-diesel-fitter mates shitless but someone will overhear you and get into your conversationin. They'll introduce you to someone else who knows someone who's looking for an
enthusiastic fitter.
It may seem hard right now when you're at a low ebb, but honestly, you've got to make your own luck. Centerlink won't.