Yesterday, I went to NAPA to get grease seals for my little camp trailer. Now, I know that with non-automotive applications, the guys at the counter are going to have to do some research. Usually there's a cross reference book they can look up the part number etched on the edge of the seal rubber and find an NAPA replacement. The young fellow there was trying quite hard to figure it out, but after inputting several numbers into the computer, he's "if it's not in the computer, it doesn't exist."
He hunted up the old paper version of the books, tried measuring it with a digital micrometer, and still couldn't figure it out, kept mumbling "if it's not in the computer, it doesn't exist."
Finally the old parts geezer who had been on the phone this whole time hung up, walked over and glanced at the seals, asked me "Trailer?" and walked back into the shelves, from where he hollered, "How many?" and emerged with four identical seals, as required.
Always put your money on the old guy.
2 comments:
Old guy at local Mom and Pop hardware store. You walk in and it's just a jumbled mess. Just ask him, though, and he'll go right to it.
I had a couple of favorite old guys at our local Ace, who could always help me kluge something together on a project. Sadly, they keep retiring, and leaving me to the mercy of the teenagers.
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