Engine quit

Unclewolverine · Dec 31, 2020

I'm an rca and just want to get my ducks in a row before anything happens. For weeks I've been saying my jeep sounds terrible I need a couple days off to do some major repair work but because im the only rca and it was christmas, the only day I had off in the last month was christmas and I wasn't going to spend that working on my jeep! Now I'm sitting on the side of the road with a rod sticking out of my oil pan, waiting for the pm to come pick me up so we can finish the route in their car. (I have no backup.) Last time I had to put in an engine it took a week. Im not even sure if I have the money to get one until next payday. Whats going to happen? Are they going to try and discipline or fire me for being unable to work?

stillfirstclass · Dec 31, 2020

sorry about your ride and sorry about the laughter, you will not be fired for that,, if your pm/supe shows any emotion besides empathy, time to move on...

DB.Cooper · Dec 31, 2020

Pm should loan you the $$$ money for an engine.... and his car if he wants you to work in the mean time... js... we're a team... right????

hockey94 · Dec 31, 2020

Just say to pm "we are in this together" !

eomr · Dec 31, 2020

Happy New Year. Let's hope 2021 is better than 2020.

RDruckus · Dec 31, 2020

Unclewolverine said:
I'm an rca and just want to get my ducks in a row before anything happens. For weeks I've been saying my jeep sounds terrible I need a couple days off to do some major repair work but because im the only rca and it was christmas, the only day I had off in the last month was christmas and I wasn't going to spend that working on my jeep! Now I'm sitting on the side of the road with a rod sticking out of my oil pan, waiting for the pm to come pick me up so we can finish the route in their car. (I have no backup.) Last time I had to put in an engine it took a week. Im not even sure if I have the money to get one until next payday. Whats going to happen? Are they going to try and discipline or fire me for being unable to work?

You shouldn't have to worry about being unavailable.
I'm sure they've been working you and your POV into the ground.

Grieve all disciple, if they're callous enough to try it.

I've borrowed rides and rented rides, and not been available because my POV was being repaired. I even paid another RCA to drive me when I was sick, because I was too dizzy to do it safely.
I was never disciplined for any of that.
(Now that I vogue in an LLV, I just wait to spontaneously combust.)

You're a good carrier and a reliable employee.
Your PM should do what they can to help you.

(I'm sorry your ride let you down. That always stinks.)

Rt2mailman · Dec 31, 2020

If you're near enough to a bigger city, there should be a junk yard that will have an engine for you and may be even install it for you, with some type of warranty. Some even check compression and record miles, so you know what you're buying.
Your pm could help you by allowing so much overtime to come your way that it pays for your "new" engine. It does take "a lot longer" amount of time to carry mail in an unfamiliar vehicle, like his car.

Unclewolverine · Dec 31, 2020

My pm drove me the rest of the route and I believe I was more frustrated about the situation than they were! It seems like everything is going to be okay besides me having to temporarily return to my former life of an auto mechanic and get greasy ? Thank you all for your kind words and offers of help, I may have found a donor motor a couple hours away in Iowa, won't be able to call until Monday, but I gotta take the old one out anyway! Can't wait until I have a consistent regular paycheck and I can afford to get a back up

Voglio-il mio · Jan 1, 2021

eomr said:
Happy New Year. Let's hope 2021 is better than 2020.

All thing considered I don't think its possible to get worst!

DB.Cooper · Jan 1, 2021

Unclewolverine said:
My pm drove me the rest of the route and I believe I was more frustrated about the situation than they were! It seems like everything is going to be okay besides me having to temporarily return to my former life of an auto mechanic and get greasy ? Thank you all for your kind words and offers of help, I may have found a donor motor a couple hours away in Iowa, won't be able to call until Monday, but I gotta take the old one out anyway! Can't wait until I have a consistent regular paycheck and I can afford to get a back up

I think the USPS doesn't really give us the recognition of how much effort it takes to keep route vehicles on the road for them. I drive a long rough route that beats vehicles to death.... so far, they've never even considered putting a Gov't vehicle on routes like mine, as it would obviously cost them much more than EMA....

Twistofcain · Jan 1, 2021

Unclewolverine said:
My pm drove me the rest of the route and I believe I was more frustrated about the situation than they were! It seems like everything is going to be okay besides me having to temporarily return to my former life of an auto mechanic and get greasy ? Thank you all for your kind words and offers of help, I may have found a donor motor a couple hours away in Iowa, won't be able to call until Monday, but I gotta take the old one out anyway! Can't wait until I have a consistent regular paycheck and I can afford to get a back up

I love seeing XJs still on the road after 20 years. Let us know how much of a battle it was to swap. The 4.0l was always easy to work on, but I never swapped an engine. Good luck, and hope your back on the road soon...

Windindaface · Jan 1, 2021

DB.Cooper said:
js... we're a team... right??

Mention this at the next read off of offices that are Covid positive in area and yours is not on the list.

Let's get on the Covid list as a team?

Windindaface · Jan 1, 2021

@Unclewolverine .. Sorry about piston rod/end cap through oil pan. A major OUCH as a DYI or pay for labor event.

LostinDakota · Jan 1, 2021

Windindaface said:
Mention this at the next read off of offices that are Covid positive in area and yours is not on the list.

Let's get on the Covid list as a team?

They actually read off a list of offices that are Covid positive????!!! Here everything is hush, hush. Even in our own office it will be reported that there is a positive case here and we have to figure out who is missing to find out about the contract tracing should we work closely with them.

Unclewolverine · Jan 4, 2021

Picked up a used motor today. Started prepping it for new seals, change all the things over, etc. Get called by the pm. My regular thinks they have covid so they need me to come in tomorrow and they are going to have the brand new hire drive me on the route. I was hoping to be back on the road by Thursday-friday now thats out the window, lol.

Gotrope · Jan 4, 2021

The new kid is going to drive you? I hope you wear a surgical mask. Other than violating the mou on driving and training it's "fine." ? Can't they ask the vmf for a loaner?

Unclewolverine · Jan 4, 2021

I dont think there is a rural route in 50 miles that isn't pov out here. When the pm was finishing the route with me in their car there we almost got stuck several times

Gotrope · Jan 4, 2021

Well, at least they will appreciate you for a while.

DB.Cooper · Jan 4, 2021

Gotrope said:
Well, at least they will appreciate you for a while.

I think everytime anyone complains about how we do something on our routes, they should let us follow them and observe how a real pro would do it as they deliver it for a single day.... ?‍

Altoonaflyer · Jan 5, 2021

DB.Cooper said:
I think everytime anyone complains about how we do something on our routes, they should let us follow them and observe how a real pro would do it as they deliver it for a single day.... ?‍

I hear a local PM got stuck in their POV while trying to help deliver a parcel on a dirt road, welcome to our world every day! Would have been stuck a lot earlier if they’d taken my old LLV?