That altitude is rough on gear. Did you try cleaning the jet or was it just totally dead? My old one would sputter but a good scrub sometimes bought it another trip.

Agree, that many coats defeats the purpose of a wipe-on.

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. My friend had a client ask for "just a contact form" that somehow needed a full user login system behind it. The original quote was a joke. You have to watch out for those "simple" add-ons that turn into entire other projects. Scope creep is a silent budget killer for sure.

That "metallic groan" description is perfect. It reminds me of a friend's old Peugeot. The bottom bracket made a sound like a ship's rigging in a storm. He kept riding it, saying it added character. One Tuesday, it just went silent halfway up a bridge. Not a good silence. The crank was just hanging there, spindle worn to a smooth nub. We had to walk it back in the rain.

My buddy found a blueprint labeling a broom closet as the "electrical substation.