So far, So good...
I picked up a replacement fuel-filter for the Chevy 2500 Diesel truck last week, and I finally got around to installing it this morning. NAPA has redesigned their version of the filter to include a built-in locking ring, and a separate gasket. My guess is that this redesign eliminates the possibility of any intolerances in the manufacturing causing the installation to fail, as happened with the filter from Canadian Tire. The new filter slid into place easily, and with the locking ring secured, I wasn't able to detect any signs of leaking, so I'm going to assume that the gasket is doing its job and that everything is installed correctly. I took the truck on a quick test-run in the morning, and then on a longer trip to town and back in the afternoon. It seems to have more power now, and there was no sign of any stalling or stuttering, so I'm hoping that this means the previous problems really were the result of a dirty filter.
I contacted the Parts Orders Desk at Sears to get parts for the two most recent customers. Sears is telling me that the parts will have to ship from the central warehouse, and the expected date on some of the parts will be February 22 ??!! WTH Sears???!!! Why, in this day and age, should it take almost a month to get parts from your central warehouse?! These are parts for snow-blowers, in January, in Canada. We're expecting major snowfalls, and Sears is farting around getting the parts. Fortunately, the customers are still able to use their machines, but they're not working as well as they should. I have another customer with a much older machine that needs a new drive chain, but I can't do anything about that until I can get my neighbour to help clear away the 4' of snow blocking the shop here on the farm. Thankfully, Noreen and the other ladies at the Sears routing-desk for my area are much more helpful; They told me that I won't need to get a service-order for my own machines (despite what the tech-desk said), but that I can just order parts directly by calling or sending a fax to Sherry, who will arrange to send the parts out. This can also be done for non-warranty work that I do for other people who have Sears machines that we can't find 3rd-party parts for. The biggest concern is whether or not we can still get parts for my 14-year-old snow-blower!
(Sherry is part of the local routing-desk, not the central parts-ordering dept. that I have to deal with on warranty-related parts.)
I also got a call back from Dave Holland, the fellow in charge of the iPad contest with Joey's Only. He asked me to make a copy of the original stub and fax it to their offices with my contact information, as well as to mail the original to them. The point of the fax being to get the process moving faster than waiting for the physical mail to arrive. I'm keeping copies of everything for my own records of course, and I sent the stub in via Registered Mail to make sure that it actually gets there. The price on Registered Mail has sure gone up! Just over $9 after taxes for a basic envelope! The last time I used it, it was only a couple dollars. Ah well, this isn't the sort of thing I'm willing to risk sending by just regular post. Also, Dave told me that instead of the basic iPad, they're going to give me the upgraded version which has built-in 3G wireless so I can use the connectivity features outside of WiFi zones! With any luck, I may actually have the thing in my hands sometime next week! Here's hoping! :)
My legs are still pretty sore yet, but they're a lot better today than they were yesterday. Hopefully by tomorrow the muscles will loosen up enough that I can get up and down the stairs without the pain of the last couple of days.