:::RHMT::: Real Home Made Turbo
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: bryantaylor on May 25, 2009, 07:38:14 PM
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i need some input from guys that are dealership techs on here. lately i have been thinking about working on cars for a living. after finding out how much techs can make where i work now (im at a acura dealership) and that i actually know more than over half of the guys there, i think it would be a easy job to do. ideally i would want to be at a mazda or ford dealership, but whats the best way to get started in it? i was thinking just starting as a lube tech somewhere and move up. any input?
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i need some input from guys that are dealership techs on here. lately i have been thinking about working on cars for a living. after finding out how much techs can make where i work now (im at a acura dealership) and that i actually know more than over half of the guys there, i think it would be a easy job to do. ideally i would want to be at a mazda or ford dealership, but whats the best way to get started in it? i was thinking just starting as a lube tech somewhere and move up. any input?
worst idea ever. my buddy is a lube tech, fucking makes 2% off of every oil change he does. No hourly wage
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Get a job at delaership doing oil changes. Then work your way up. Then when you are a dealer tech move from dealership to dealership every few years at least thats what everyone does around here.
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im at a acura dealership
you will make more money behind the desk in time
Tech's have to be fast and correct. Mistakes cost you time and money
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Im a mechanic
Im very happy at my job
I make 27/h and will be at 30/h once I write my Class A in july.
If you love cars and injoy working on them its great.
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Im a mechanic
Im very happy at my job
I make 27/h and will be at 30/h once I write my Class A in july.
If you love cars and injoy working on them its great.
i do, and i already have plenty of tools. only would have to get a box and a couple of little things.
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you can never have enough tools as a tech, the list never ends
snap-on=strap-on
Be prepared for that.
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you can never have enough tools as a tech, the list never ends
snap-on=strap-on
Be prepared for that.
oh no doubt. i walked onto the snap-on truck on day and almost passed the fuck out.
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I have over 60g's in snap on tools.
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I have over 60g's in snap on tools.
Yeah well I have an empty snapon truck on my driveway. :D
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fuck that shit. i hate working on other people's cars. that's why i only do fab. let them install it.
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fuck that shit. i hate working on other people's cars. that's why i only do fab. let them install it.
I hear ya there, I miss sitting at a tig most of the day
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i dont know how anyone can make money in a dealership. if i were to do something like that, get into truck and trailer or heavy duty, then make bank. few of my friends work in a mine in fort crack alberta, making 70/hr, 12 hour days, 14 on 7 off hitch. niggaz got mad bank
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Its doesnt suck, but right now isnt the greatest time to try and jump into the industry. Dealers are laying ppl off right now, so if you can find a job, you will get the shit end of the stick.
As a rule of thumb, independent shops usually pay the techs better than dealers, and you dont have to deal with warranty. But you dont have anyone to back you up if you get stuck in a jam with a problem car. So kinda a double edged sword.
Location also makes a difference in certain car lines. For example, I could double what I make in this small town if I moved to say Atlanta or something, but then Id be living in Atlanta...
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atlanta aint so bad.
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I mock Atlanta.
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i dont care.
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atlanta aint so bad.
i dont care.
::)
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Why do we hear about all these poor mining towns, when they are paying 70/hr, working out to 200k a year if you calculate the hours based on the working days you posted. 200k Canadian is 177k american still a shit load. If that is true then I am going to look into getting my brother a mining job, screw college.
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The automotive field is trashed right now so stay where your at if it doesnt look like your getting laid off. The economy will recover but its a couple years away
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I live 45 min from 2 potash mines, soon to be the third and even working as a general labor man, you start at $21/hr which is awesome. Cost of living here is so low, I pay $600 a month for a 3 bed house, with a new garage. New siding, whole nine yards. And to top it off, there are no niggers in my town, just old folk. And the car scene for a 15k pop town is pretty awesome, lots of 10/9 sec cars roaming the streets.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potash_Corporation_of_Saskatchewan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potash_Corporation_of_Saskatchewan)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esterhazy_(town_of) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esterhazy_(town_of))
today the two joint mines, K1 and K2, combined produce more potash than any other mine in the world, granting Esterhazy the title of "Potash capital of the world." [1]
anyone gets on can live at my house :noel:
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i didnt mind being a tech at a dealership because at a dealership you kind of get into a rythem of things that tend to fail. like the same models that all have the same problems and you get quick and fixing them meaning big $. small shops tend to suck cause you never know what will come through the door. astro van one day, freddys old ass le baron the next. i couldnt do that shit.
personally the only thing i didnt like was communicating with people. i have more fun bullshitting and talking cars than i do working on other peoples shit. thats why i went after service writing. i make enough money and i love my job so thats another option to think about. and the shit ass economy is currently helping me out :yes:
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i didnt mind being a tech at a dealership because at a dealership you kind of get into a rythem of things that tend to fail. like the same models that all have the same problems and you get quick and fixing them meaning big $. small shops tend to suck cause you never know what will come through the door. astro van one day, freddys old ass le baron the next. i couldnt do that shit.
working on the same thing every day would fucking kill me, the common failures you see in a dealership will still fail after warranty so I will see the same common failures in an independent...I will just see the common failures on the hondas,chevs,fords,chryslers,etc instead on just one brand...I like working on an astro van one day and freddys old ass lebaron the next, which is why I could NEVER work dealership...I'll stay independent. :noel:
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Id go independant but the dealerships pay way more over here. BTW we also have snap on tools but our dollar is 1/2 of the american and then we have to pay the import costs as well :?:
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Id go independant but the dealerships pay way more over here. BTW we also have snap on tools but our dollar is 1/2 of the american and then we have to pay the import costs as well :?:
You'll find snap-on in my box only for things I use often, screwdrivers, sockets, etc. Everything else is matco or mac. I dont believe in paying large sums of money for something I only use once in a blue moon.
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i didnt mind being a tech at a dealership because at a dealership you kind of get into a rythem of things that tend to fail. like the same models that all have the same problems and you get quick and fixing them meaning big $. small shops tend to suck cause you never know what will come through the door. astro van one day, freddys old ass le baron the next. i couldnt do that shit.
working on the same thing every day would fucking kill me, the common failures you see in a dealership will still fail after warranty so I will see the same common failures in an independent...I will just see the common failures on the hondas,chevs,fords,chryslers,etc instead on just one brand...I like working on an astro van one day and freddys old ass lebaron the next, which is why I could NEVER work dealership...I'll stay independent. :noel:
i can see that, and thats for some people and not for others i suppose. but if youve been there long enough and its always the same shit, you can pump that stuff out in no time and thats where the money is at when youre flat rate. i mean dont get me wrong , an all-around good technician will do anything quickly but if you can cut any and all diag time out of something you do all the time its going to go much faster. but everyones different i guess
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Fifteen years ago I bought a lot of Matco stuff. I don't know where their product has gone in the interim, but at that time the stuff was 2/5ths priced Snap-on. I have a set of their (rebadged S&K) 1/4" drive floppy sockets that I used on an extension w/ impact gun and never had a problem with - stuff was prime.
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Fifteen years ago I bought a lot of Matco stuff. I don't know where their product has gone in the interim, but at that time the stuff was 2/5ths priced Snap-on. I have a set of their (rebadged S&K) 1/4" drive floppy sockets that I used on an extension w/ impact gun and never had a problem with - stuff was prime.
Yeah, Im happy with matco. I guess it helps that my tool guy owns a Cayenne and hooks me up/ vice versa.
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Joe Gaulin?
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well bitches. i actually have a interview tomorow morning at my local mazda dealer.
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Joe Gaulin?
Yeah he bought an 07 titanium edition. Not a bad looking truck.
(https://realhomemadeturbo.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rsportscars.com%2Feng%2Farticles%2Fimages01%2Fcayenne_titanium011600.jpg&hash=fd762260aa9938150a3b87d2405c0dc82839033c)
well bitches. i actually have a interview tomorow morning at my local mazda dealer.
Have fun replacing these.
(https://realhomemadeturbo.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.seriouswheels.com%2Fpics-2004%2F2004-Mazda-RX-8-Engine.jpg&hash=1b64d6f877447fddf44c20fb76e4e06b81a1346d)
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Joe's about the greatest guy ever. You'll rarely meet anyone so nice.
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well i went in to apply as a lube tech. the service manager is actually going to start me out in used cars and send me to mazda school after my probation period. hells yeah!
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its an amazing hobby and a terrible profession.
there is absolutely positively no money in being a car mechanic. i know, ive already done it. it is a HORRIBLE carreer with shit for earnings potential unless you are going to be an owner or manager somewhere.
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its an amazing hobby and a terrible profession.
there is absolutely positively no money in being a car mechanic. i know, ive already done it. it is a HORRIBLE carreer with shit for earnings potential unless you are going to be an owner or manager somewhere.
the techs at the acura dealer i was working at made anywhere from 30-75 grand last year.
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i dont think i have a single technician that makes less than 40k a year at honda
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well i went in to apply as a lube tech. the service manager is actually going to start me out in used cars and send me to mazda school after my probation period. hells yeah!
wait six months your gonna be so pissed when all that manager did was tell you what you wanted to hear. its an amazing hobby and a terrible profession.
there is absolutely positively no money in being a car mechanic. i know, ive already done it. it is a HORRIBLE carreer with shit for earnings potential unless you are going to be an owner or manager somewhere.
i have done it too and i made decent money for my age. the regular senoir techs at kia where making about 700/week after taxes and the master techs were making about 1,100/week after taxes and this was over a year ago when i last saw a paystub
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its an amazing hobby and a terrible profession.
there is absolutely positively no money in being a car mechanic. i know, ive already done it. it is a HORRIBLE carreer with shit for earnings potential unless you are going to be an owner or manager somewhere.
Cool dude.
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and when you have shit for benifits and aint pulling down $20/h... afew years from now youll wake up and say hey! time for a different job! just like all the other smart techs.
you will make more, with better benifits & hours being an industrial mechanic with smarts and no training anywhere than you will being a brand trained SAE car mechanic.
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the senior techs at that delaer ship were only 23-30years old and making 20-30 an hour
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Being a tech totally has its up's and down's.. Right now I think it would be a little sketchy starting out. There are alot of good techs out there looking for jobs. Being a entry level guy with no experience or tools might be hard to get hired? I've been a tech for over 11 years, and I honestly love my job. This year has been pretty hard financially. People are not spending money like they were last year. And if your flat rate it can really starve you. Our shop believes in stacking the sales floor and the shop. Not costing the owner really any extra money, but it really pushes everyone to work even harder. I never started out as a lube tech or anything like that, but just make sure whatever you do the first year or so.. make sure your pay is hourly. To basically learn the product and understand how flat rate works. I did a 1 year in-house training program with our shop-Forman and it worked out pretty well. 11 years might sound like alot at one shop. But the guys ahead of me are 16 years, and the Forman at 24 years. I worked with a mazda dealer for awhile (just temp) and really enjoyed it.
Don't blow your load on the matco/snap-on/mac tool truck either. My first few years all I did was buy shit... and every week I dreaded that fucker making my payment. You don't need a tripple bay, hutch, locker setup. This is my suggestion.. Buy a really nice cart. 3 drawer setup, locking lid. Keep the majority of your shit in there. Get a decent sized box. I wouldnt even buy a new one. Used ones are ususally in decent shape and way fucking cheaper. Keep track of what you are borrowing from other guys in the shop and just buy it. Honestly there are some things at harbor freight that will work totally fine, some stuff you will need to go baller on. I started with all mainly craftsman stuff, and I still use some of it today. I just hate seeing the new guys get fucked with like 10g's in debt right off the bat.
Anyhow, I'll stop rambling, good luck and remember... flat rate is lifestyle :)
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i didnt even read this thread so my post is probly completley worthless, but anyways here goes and maybe after ill go read the whole thing.
i was a detailer at a bmw/benz dealer in town when i was like 18. i have never heard so many people bitch about how long shit took compared to actual flag hours in my life, truthfully i had never heard of a flag hour before til one explained it. but they were all good workers and great machanics but some reason they always felt as if they were up against some unbeatable required time they had to get it done. maybe they complained too much, but whatever. im not sure i could work for free if it took longer then a book said it should. but then again im drunk and have never been a tech so disregard my post lol. im gonna go read the whole thing now.
cliffs: kiss my ass
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Joe's about the greatest guy ever. You'll rarely meet anyone so nice.
nicer than me? :(
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buk, if you met Joe Gaulin he'd offer to buy you lunch, ask you about your CRX, and then front you a tool you need and not ask about payment for two months because he heard you were having a hard time. Great fucking guy.
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between me and my dad, i have plenty of tools to start out with. and i bought a box the other day. sears had a decent ball bearing box on sale for 270, so i picked up one of those.
one of the perks of living at home is that i can take a chance on something like this. the only bill i have is my motorcycle payment. i know i am not going to make shit for atleast the few months.
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well when you start out harbor frieght is you friend youll find your self going there alot and dont expect to make decent money for the first year or so
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Fuck all that hard work. Charge $60/hr doing what other people can't and work 15 hours a week. Fuck the dumb shit.
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im a tech at a semi dealership and the days are totally up or down. some days i love it and other days i ask why i went to school for this. first starting always sucks. you gotta work your way up and prove your better than being on the lube rack. from there its all a matter of how far and how well of a tech you wanna be.
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The moral of this thread is buk is a faggot.
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Being a tech today sucks ass. I have no appointments, no layovers, and no cars waiting on parts. In short, im sitting on my ass doing web-based training stuff.
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Being a tech today sucks ass. I have no appointments, no layovers, and no cars waiting on parts. In short, im sitting on my ass doing web-based training stuff.
Do you guys get paid for your online tests? we get to atleast flag 1 hour per test. It would be cakewalk, but with the blistering speeds of dialup at work, it actually takes more then an hour.
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I got paid an hour for polishing scratched BigStuff3 software install CDs. Now I need to find something to occupy the other 14 hours I'll work this week.
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Being a tech today sucks ass. I have no appointments, no layovers, and no cars waiting on parts. In short, im sitting on my ass doing web-based training stuff.
Do you guys get paid for your online tests? we get to atleast flag 1 hour per test. It would be cakewalk, but with the blistering speeds of dialup at work, it actually takes more then an hour.
Yeah it counts toward the paycheck. Depends on what training it is, and lists how long its supposed to take, so thats what we flag. Usually I do em on the BB as its quicker than the work connection lol.
I got paid an hour for polishing scratched BigStuff3 software install CDs. Now I need to find something to occupy the other 14 hours I'll work this week.
Bostick's car run good? I figured ol' App motorsquirts would have fucked it up proper.
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It spools late for the size of the snail and doesn't feel like it should, IMO. As to whose fault that is, I can't say as I've not experienced it before nor do I know anything first hand about it's history. I am the world's best problem solver, and I can fix it, and that's all that matters.
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to bad you spend your time fixing peoples problems on the internet instead of turning this time into productive money making oppurtunities.
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Ugh, that sounds like work. Thank god I only have 14 hours more of that to do this week.
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true.
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you do get to play with alot of cool cars being a tech. I have a R35 GTR sitting on my hoist atm and a 22B STI in my bay, get to drive a few Ferrari's and GT3s as well. I still enjoy going to work (about 50% of the time haha). I would like to get into tuning but it seem hard to get a job.
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you do get to play with alot of cool cars being a tech. I have a R35 GTR sitting on my hoist atm and a 22B STI in my bay, get to drive a few Ferrari's and GT3s as well. I still enjoy going to work (about 50% of the time haha). I would like to get into tuning but it seem hard to get a job.
Let me guess, swapping a transmission on that GTR? lol.
Ive never been impressed with Ferraris product in general. Yeah they look bad-ass, but if you ever have to drive one, its alot less of a car than you imagine. Decent in a straight line, but nothing that couldnt be achieved with some vitaras and a dirty D. Even in the twisties, they give you the illusion your cornering faster than you really are because they have zero body roll. Ferrari = compensating for a small dick. Thats about it.
Gt3 on the otherhand, that is a fantastic car you can drive everyday and flog at the track on the weekends. They seriously have no problems, maybe a rearmain seal once in a while, but no glaring weakspots.
In truth, I honestly think that being happy in your job isnt just doing something you like, its fooling yourself into believing that you dont actually have to do that job, and that you could quit at anytime. Just ignore reality.
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Ferrari = compensating for a small dick. Thats about it.
that small dick is probably connected to a smart ass who shits away more money that any tech will see in a year tho
i think being a tech would be fun for a while, but get old eventually. no one touches my car but me. i don't trust anyone else turning wrenches on a vehicle that i've paid for.
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no one touches my car but me. i don't trust anyone else turning wrenches on a vehicle that i've paid for.
I hear that a lot from people I don't trust to change their own oil.
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Let me guess, swapping a transmission on that GTR? lol.
Ive never been impressed with Ferraris product in general. Yeah they look bad-ass, but if you ever have to drive one, its alot less of a car than you imagine. Decent in a straight line, but nothing that couldnt be achieved with some vitaras and a dirty D. Even in the twisties, they give you the illusion your cornering faster than you really are because they have zero body roll. Ferrari = compensating for a small dick. Thats about it.
Gt3 on the otherhand, that is a fantastic car you can drive everyday and flog at the track on the weekends. They seriously have no problems, maybe a rearmain seal once in a while, but no glaring weakspots.
In truth, I honestly think that being happy in your job isnt just doing something you like, its fooling yourself into believing that you dont actually have to do that job, and that you could quit at anytime. Just ignore reality.
LoL that piticular GTR has already had one gear box @1500kms last year :noel:. We had to send it back to japan. Haha I remember watching a ferrari trying to do a powerskid at the track and hitting the wall. gotta love ferrari drivers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkTNhmwTGc8#lq2-hq-vhq) .
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I farted in the driver's seat of a Fauxbra yesterday. Today I hook a fuel pressure gauge to a turbo EM1 that looks like Darth Vader done up in carbon fiber. WHO KNOWS WHAT'S NEXT???
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WHO KNOWS WHAT'S NEXT???
Chocolate flavored light bulbs.
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Fuck all that hard work. Charge $60/hr doing what other people can't and work 15 hours a week. Fuck the dumb shit.
Thats some smart thinking, and your smartenough to do it using other peoples shit, harder to do when you have to pay the overhead on this idea.
It spools late for the size of the snail and doesn't feel like it should, IMO. As to whose fault that is, I can't say as I've not experienced it before nor do I know anything first hand about it's history. I am the world's best problem solver, and I can fix it, and that's all that matters.
Don't forget about your pimpass tech support O0, theres a reason that thing feels wrong and doesnt spool, whoever tuned it just doesn't get it.