Holy Hector

Hector, a 55-year-old Mexican who fixes cars.
He was asked to relocate the water pump.
To weld a steel plate to the frame holding the water tank.
To mount the water pump to this steel plate and re-route all the hoses and wiring.

The reason to have this job done was to have less strain on the water pump.
To have the water flow by gravity into the water pump so that all its power will be used to have good water pressure up in the Fuso Szulc.
But it turned out that a second reason justified this project.
A Shurflo Extreme Series water pump has a radiator to cool the engine.
It is a plate of special metal between the feet of the water pump.
This is why the installation manual prescribes to mount the water pump in a way that air can flow between the surface and the side of the water pump that is against that surface.
However, the water pump was mounted against the floor of the Fuso Szulc and for reasons of sound isolation in between the water pump and the surface a thick layer of foam was installed.
It blocked completely the radiator of the water pump, no air flowing and cooling there, and this might have been another reason why the water pump had not been working well.
Burning fuses and the SeeLevel Tank Monitor.


The job to relocate the water pump took 8 hours.
While Hector the mechanic was assisted by yours truly and his helper Noël.

Fascinating to assist them because they work in such a different way than an artist-photographer makes his images.
An artist photographer gets an idea and simply follows this intuition.
Usually this leads to nowhere except to a new idea.
And eventually something might come out of this process of being uncontrolled and letting things go as they seem to prefer to go.
Unleashing the fire and having it burn where the wind blows it.
Opening the dam and letting the water flow where it naturally wishes to stream.

This is not how a mechanic works.
Fortunately the job was mostly underneath the car.
Large pieces of carton where put on the sand and the three men were laying in the shadow watching the bottom of the Fuso Szulc.
And contemplating.
Considering.
Proposing technical solutions.
Weighing the different options.

This could take 10 minutes or more.
Just laying there and thinking.
Fantastic job compared to a photographer who has to stumble through all the possibilities before to reach the ideal solution.

It is also a way of enjoying the work to be done.
Priority is to do a GOOD job.
Not to make a quick buck, but to have joy and pride in what one is doing.
And have the best result possible.

Hence, it was like a spiritual experience to join Hector and Noël in their efforts.

It was no big deal to find out Hector belongs to the Evangelical Church in La Paz, Baja California, Mexico.
He goes to church to praise and sing twice a week.
With all his family: his wife and the kids.

What is that exactly, he asked, Buddhism?





.