[sorner]

Great answer Jonathan. Here's another example I just remembered of my standing by my work. Someone brought me an old Snapper tractor to work on last summer, the starter was fried. I forget the tractor model, but it's an old one, with a Briggs opposed twin engine in it. I replaced the starter for $20 over the cost of the new OEM starter. He took it home and mowed with it several times. Called me back a month later saying the starter is making a grinding sound and not working. I told him to bring it back to me. I looked at it, and the starter bolts came loose and the starter ground the plastic gears off. I replaced the starter gear, and locktite'd the bolts to hold it in and didn't charge him a thing because I didn't know if I just didn't get them in tight or they came loose on their own somehow, he still gave me $20 for the additional work but I didn't charge him and I even told him that wasn't necessary because it might have been my fault.

As for my engine rebuild, I think you and I have different definitions of "half assed" and "rebuild". Putting back together an engine that is broken inside with whole used parts qualifies as a "rebuild with used parts" in my opinion. Half assed would be something like if the rod went through the side of the engine and cracked it, if I would go and "weld" or something like that to seal it up. Obviously that's extremely half assed. Or, when splicing an electrical wire just twisting two wires together and wrapping with electrical tape rather than using a crimped butt terminal for the correct wire gauge with heat shrink to splice a wire would be an example of a half assed repair. These definitions could come down to splitting hairs too, just like the original topic of discussion.