Unusual answer engine shaft length

[Binman]

Asked a person the length of the shaft on the engine he had for sale, he replied 70cms from the ground to the underside of the tiller handle. I've had some strange replies in the past and this is just one of them.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Asked a person the length of the shaft on the engine he had for sale, he replied 70cms from the ground to the underside of the tiller handle. I've had some strange replies in the past and this is just one of them.

How is shaft length officially measured? Axis of (lowest) cylinder to axis of propeller?

 

[VicS]

Asked a person the length of the shaft on the engine he had for sale, he replied 70cms from the ground to the underside of the tiller handle. I've had some strange replies in the past and this is just one of them.

Perhaps not all that surprising if the person did not know what is meant by/ how to measure shaft length.

At 70cm It'll be a short shaft. I'd expect around 90 cm for a long shaft

How is shaft length officially measured? Axis of (lowest) cylinder to axis of propeller?

Underside of clamp bracket ( ie top of transom/ mounting) to WL ie a point a little above the AV plate

but IIRC Hondas are measured slightly differently to the rest

 

[prv]

At least it's legible, coherent, and unambiguous. I have to deal with gibberish like this:

HI MATE I CAN SURE YOU IT IS ALL THERE I ONLY TOOK IT OFF MIND IN THE GARDEN LAST MONTH UNLESS IT IS DIFFERENT ONE TO WANT YOU THINK COULD BE SOMEONE ELSE ASKED THE SAME QUESTION I PUT MORE PICTURES ON HE SAID IT WAS ALL THERE ONLY THING I HAVE NT PUT ON IS THE RED KEY CHEERS

I'm trying to buy a slightly rare car part at the moment, one which is often offered for sale with bits missing, so I'd emailed to check that some pieces not shown in the pictures were included.

I don't think his "I CAN SURE YOU" was worth very much, because I sent back the manufacturer's diagram with the missing parts arrowed and he said:

I NOW WANT YOU MEAN I WILL LOOK FOR THEM CLIPS ARE NOT THERE CHEERS

None of the missing bits could really be described as "clips", but it's clear that not everything is there. Is he going to look for them? Has he looked and concluded that he doesn't have them? He has some of the bits but not the ones he thinks of as "clips"? Who knows?

I don't want to play the grammar snob, but compared against other listings for the same part by people who can communicate, this nonsense is costing him about £150 because buyers don't want to risk the uncertainty.

Pete

 

[JumbleDuck]

I don't want to play the grammar snob, but compared against other listings for the same part by people who can communicate, this nonsense is costing him about £150 because buyers don't want to risk the uncertainty.

I feel your pain. Here is my translation:

HI MATE I CAN SURE YOU IT IS ALL THERE I ONLY TOOK IT OFF MIND IN THE GARDEN LAST MONTH UNLESS IT IS DIFFERENT ONE TO WANT YOU THINK COULD BE SOMEONE ELSE ASKED THE SAME QUESTION

Hi Mate. I can assure you it is all there - I only took it off mine, in the garden, last month. Unless it is a different one to what you think? Could be, as someone else asked the same question.

I NOW WANT YOU MEAN I WILL LOOK FOR THEM CLIPS ARE NOT THERE CHEERS

I know what you mean. I will look to see whether the clips are not there.​

I don't think you're being a grammar snob at all. I don't care whether people write "should have" or "should of" as long as the meaning is clear, but, as you say, this chap is deterring purchasers through sheer incomprehensibility. The upside is that if you can penetrate his illeteracy you may get a bargain ... that's how I landed a NOS overdrive mainshaft for a Spitfire Mk3 for a tenner.

 

[prv]

I NOW WANT YOU MEAN I WILL LOOK FOR THEM CLIPS ARE NOT THERE CHEERS

I know what you mean. I will look to see whether the clips are not there.

Whereas I translate it as "I know what you mean. I will look for them. Clips are not there." Still a bit puzzling, unless he wrote the last sentence later, after having looked. But whatever the sequence of events, the last sentence seems fairly conclusive hence I'm not bidding.

There is further mystery, in that if he took it off his car last month then he must have had the corner pieces then - the item is not useable without. These are the only bits that could remotely be described as "clips". The other parts are trim pieces which could reasonably be missing without being noticed, but they cannot be his "clips", so what about them? No mention at all.

(Also not a sniff of an apology for his completely bogus assurance in the first response.)

The upside is that if you can penetrate his illeteracy you may get a bargain ... that's how I landed a NOS overdrive mainshaft for a Spitfire Mk3 for a tenner.

I know what you mean, but if it turns up with bits missing then it's not much use to me. The bits are practically never obtainable separately. I could probably sell it on for about what I'd pay for it, in the very likely event of missing parts, but it's bulky to transport so the courier overhead would suck value from each transaction and involve a fair bit of effort.

Pete