Admit your Garage Mistakes - Page 16

greens_tuf · 18-08-2009, 08:48 AM

When I was younger, I was checking all the fluid/oil levels in the car before a fishing trip. I got a phone call to go pick someone up and I had the bonnet down but not fully locked... Driving 80Km/h downhill the bonnet flies up in my face, I was approaching lights at a major intersection, luckily I was able to see sticking my head out the window and I slowed down. The bonnet still could close but it had bent the arms.

xy500 · 18-08-2009, 10:20 AM

With my first car, an old mercedes, i was using a breaker bar on the harmonic balancer bolt to slowly turn the engine over - i cant remember what for, but i forgot to remove the breaker bar and started the car up. The breaker bar broke half the blades off the fan and took the harmonic balancer bolt out nicely! too bad i didnt need it out!

vandrsxr6 · 24-09-2009, 03:02 PM

This is really embarissing but here goes,

On sunday I was driving back from the shops and started to hear a really loud knocking sound, I thought it may of been the diff bush/bolt or maybe the diff itself (BA XR6T are common for these, especially with 300rwkw).

Limped the car back home, only 3 mins, and had a quick look but couldn't see anything and decided I'd get it towed on Monday up to Bluepower so they could look at it.

Turns out that after a $200 tow it was the rear passanger wheel.

The nuts where loose and the wheel neally feel of.

rancidpunx · 24-09-2009, 07:32 PM

In my old Ranger we were all loaded up about to go camping, stopped to meet some other people in a car park and went to get the trip under way and the passenger window would not go up. Drivers side was fine but we decided we couldnt flog along the highway with a window down for the 5hr drive also had our 2 dogs in the car. We let everyone know we would have to play catch up and would have to head to Ford for some quick repairs. It was early so had some time to kill before they opened so went to get some breky. I stayed in the car (obviously) and had a look at all fuses, managed to get the door skin off to check the plugs but it was all fine. About 10 mins before service opened all of a sudden started working. Was livid at myself when i realised the switch to lock the windows was pushed. Just doesnt lock the drivers. The missus still thinks it was still a glitch in the electrics. So lucky we didnt make it into the service dept when they opened.

1LOUDXFUTE · 24-09-2009, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rancidpunx

In my old Ranger we were all loaded up about to go camping, stopped to meet some other people in a car park and went to get the trip under way and the passenger window would not go up. Drivers side was fine but we decided we couldnt flog along the highway with a window down for the 5hr drive also had our 2 dogs in the car. We let everyone know we would have to play catch up and would have to head to Ford for some quick repairs. It was early so had some time to kill before they opened so went to get some breky. I stayed in the car (obviously) and had a look at all fuses, managed to get the door skin off to check the plugs but it was all fine. About 10 mins before service opened all of a sudden started working. Was livid at myself when i realised the switch to lock the windows was pushed. Just doesnt lock the drivers. The missus still thinks it was still a glitch in the electrics. So lucky we didnt make it into the service dept when they opened.

hahahahahaha

wonder how much fraud would have charged you to "fix" that?

ED Ford Falcon · 24-09-2009, 11:06 PM

Same as post #193 (from ages ago:P)

Mum and Dad borrowed my car, but took off the air freshener thing, and left it in the letter box...I went and got the mail while they were still out only to discover it there, when mum/dad got home i politely asked mum to put it back where she got it from...she put it on upside down and it leaked over the cd player, and screwed it and into my dash...which caused all my receipts to go see through and my pens stuck together and what not...I was not impressed, i couldn't get in the car unless at least one window was down cause it was such a strong smell!

LOCO XP · 03-12-2009, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vandrsxr6

This is really embarissing but here goes,

On sunday I was driving back from the shops and started to hear a really loud knocking sound, I thought it may of been the diff bush/bolt or maybe the diff itself (BA XR6T are common for these, especially with 300rwkw).

Limped the car back home, only 3 mins, and had a quick look but couldn't see anything and decided I'd get it towed on Monday up to Bluepower so they could look at it.

Turns out that after a $200 tow it was the rear passanger wheel.

The nuts where loose and the wheel neally feel of.

Yeah, that one has got me before.... except the wheel came off the car, at 60km/h, almighty death shake, wheel off, collected rear guard when it ejected then I skidded to a stop next to the curb watching the wheel take a leisurely stroll along the footpath for half a block or so..... Don't know how or why, but know that it took a little straightening of the rear quarter

Also caught me another time, this time was due to my negligence, I thought it was a tailshaft/uni or diff, but it was the drivers side front wheel

Anyway, enough of my mistakes, this one is a ripper.

Last week, my mate Davo who works in the workshop for a large fertiliser/transport mob, was given the job to machine the discs on the work car, an AU Falcon, which was also getting a brand new set of pads up front. The job was given to the apprentice mechanic to fit said brake pads. Within an hour, one of the senior diesel mechanics Scott comes and visits Davo "You wanna machine those discs again?".... to which he replied "I only just did them, they were fine when I was finished, everything within tolerance...."

"Well perhaps you should come have a look" said Scott

The apprentice had replaced the pads, fitted them against the nicely machined discs, taken it for a quick squirt and stomped on it a few times to bed them.....

Pads were put in backwards, that is, metal side against the disc.....

||| · 03-12-2009, 03:27 PM

one day i was changing the oil in the beast when out comes the missus and starts gasbaging about some rubbish. im trying to ignore her and concentrate on the job at hand but she must have distracted me because i didnt put the sump plaug back in. the next thing you know she's yelping about oil on her shoes and i'm wondering just how much oil this car takes. the driveway was a mess lol

trippytaka · 03-12-2009, 04:21 PM

Too many to list... my mate dropping a gearbox while I was under it (my head directly under it) could have ended a lot worse than it did. Lucky for reflexes! Caught the bugger.

Countless firing order mistakes :P countless!

LOCO XP · 03-12-2009, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trippytaka

Too many to list...

Countless firing order mistakes :P countless!

Yeah, 6cyl TE Cortina, somebody knocked off the leads so pieced together a set of leftovers, plugged em in, must have been on the wrong stroke, 180 degrees out or something, wicked backfire, that mixed with a little excess fuel tipped down the carby and the paper element aircleaner, had a bit of flameage, run for the extinguisher at the dairy about 100m away, got it, didn't work, carefully grab the aircleaner housing and turfed it away, covered it with dirt, but still needed a new aircleaner. Oh yeah, my uncle then tested the extinguisher, got it to work, and promptly emptied itself. So also had to get a new extinguisher

Antwon · 03-12-2009, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vandrsxr6

This is really embarissing but here goes,

On sunday I was driving back from the shops and started to hear a really loud knocking sound, I thought it may of been the diff bush/bolt or maybe the diff itself (BA XR6T are common for these, especially with 300rwkw).

Limped the car back home, only 3 mins, and had a quick look but couldn't see anything and decided I'd get it towed on Monday up to Bluepower so they could look at it.

Turns out that after a $200 tow it was the rear passanger wheel.

The nuts where loose and the wheel neally feel of.

I did the same thing, just had all new bushes, shockers, unis etc replaced, then a knocking noise started so I took it back. He took it for a drive and said it sounds like the tail shaft, put it on the hoist and the rear left wheel was loose....

:

trippytaka · 03-12-2009, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LOCO XP

Yeah, 6cyl TE Cortina, somebody knocked off the leads so pieced together a set of leftovers, plugged em in, must have been on the wrong stroke, 180 degrees out or something, wicked backfire, that mixed with a little excess fuel tipped down the carby and the paper element aircleaner, had a bit of flameage, run for the extinguisher at the dairy about 100m away, got it, didn't work, carefully grab the aircleaner housing and turfed it away, covered it with dirt, but still needed a new aircleaner. Oh yeah, my uncle then tested the extinguisher, got it to work, and promptly emptied itself. So also had to get a new extinguisher

Bahaha! Sorry, shouldn't laugh... hehe.

AU2 Pursuit Ute · 03-12-2009, 06:25 PM

Replaced noisey rear axle bearings on an AU Wagon. Still noisey, arked up at the Spare Parts man for selling me Crap, he gave me better ones for free. Did the job again. Still noisey....mmm must be the diff. Replaced the diff, using the new w/bearings (that I went back, apologised, and paid for). STILL NOISEY!!!
I spat it BIG. Took the car to the workshop...the apprentice shyley said "you think it could be the handbrake drum in the rear disc rotor?"
Oooww.... of course it was!!... warped to buggery!

wkd-windza · 04-12-2009, 01:21 AM

Took carby off and nos plate off but first had to remove the nitrous line to the plate.. this is when i squeezed the NOS jet from my fingers and it shot straight down the manifold. Tried searching for it with the magnectic pickup but no good as its stainless, removed manifold and seen it resting against a valve.. could not get the b*stard out so i blew it out with compressed air and it went further down into oil drain hole and it now sat on top of a cam lobe. In walks "351capri" with vacuum and macdonalds straw fixed to the end of it.. eureka! retrieved at last.

351capri · 04-12-2009, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wkd-windza

Took carby off and nos plate off but first had to remove the nitrous line to the plate.. this is when i squeezed the NOS jet from my fingers and it shot straight down the manifold. Tried searching for it with the magnectic pickup but no good as its stainless, removed manifold and seen it resting against a valve.. could not get the b*stard out so i blew it out with compressed air and it went further down into oil drain hole and it now sat on top of a cam lobe. In walks "351capri" with vacuum and macdonalds straw fixed to the end of it.. eureka! retrieved at last.

ah yes, remember it well.

FORD5 · 05-12-2009, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karnage

a notable mention is laying under a car (on stands) loosening a handbrake cable, dirt falls in my eye.........I tried to sit up out of instinct and belted my head on the floorpan........as if thats not bad enough I recoiled from that impact and mashed my head into the concrete......had a headache for about 3 days

dear god laptop nearly slid off my lap lmao

wkd-windza · 05-12-2009, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 351capri

ah yes, remember it well.

do you think that vacuum and straw will remove a certain windsor block, crank, rods ect??? hint hint

Uncle Grumpy · 09-12-2009, 08:49 AM

the only one i'll own up to is trying to undo the passenger wheel on a old valiant.

No matter how hard I tried it wouldn't budge. I put a decent length of pipe onto the socket handle to get a bit more leverage and it still wouldn't go.

Scratched my head, swore a couple of times about rattle guns and gave up.

Two hours later I decided it might work if I tightened it hoping to crack it. When I did this I ended up flat on my face next to the wheel. It was my first experience with left hand threads.

Fev · 09-12-2009, 09:07 AM

Just yesterday - cleaning out my Escort carby 32/36, pulled it apart not knowing what i was doing. Cleaned it out, degreased the crud out of it, put the jet things and little port looking things in a icecream bucket with degreaser - then proceeded to not count them all when i pulled them and and threw one of them down the drain when i emptied the bucket.

I'll be going to a carby shop at lunch lol.

Woodsa · 09-12-2009, 02:58 PM

hmmm, the first one that comes to mind...

My EA wagon would vibrate under power.. I thought it was the rear bearing on the auto causing the vibrations... did a 5-speed conversion.. problem was actually loose wheel nuts! a common problem here it appears..

I dropped the hose clamp for the crank case vent down the oil cap in a different EA.. a few months later the timing chain snapped.. guess what I found lodged in the broken chain? thats right a hose clamp.

I have also hit my head on the car then concrete a few times.. I feel for you

RedHotGT · 09-12-2009, 03:59 PM

I was removing the bonnet off my EB F/Ghia...
(honestly can't remember why... I think it was to do remove the head to get it machined)...
I undid all the fixing bolts on the hinges, and called a mate over to help me lift off and put down somewhere safely... So with a help of a mate to lift and carry it away, we got on either side of the bonnet, and started walking away from the car with the bonnet laying flat....
I'd forgotten to remove the pneumatic arm that holds the bonnet up!!!
So that stopped us in a real hurry, snapped off, dinted the front guard, we dropped the bonnet and dinted one side of that...
I then decided that if I stuffed up removing the bonnet.... then maybe pulling apart the rest of the motor wasn't such a good idea...

So it went to a mechanic, then past the panel beater/spraypainter...

Reason why Loftie is not a Mechanic

351capri · 10-12-2009, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wkd-windza

do you think that vacuum and straw will remove a certain windsor block, crank, rods ect??? hint hint

No mate the vac and straw wont do it but im sure i will and soon.....

RSgerry · 10-12-2009, 11:19 PM

this morning...have been working hard on the Anglia project and was applying the final coats of clear to the doors usng a gravity fed gun. i mixed up the paint and thinners, taking care not to get it wrong and spill anything, picked up the mixing jar, picked up the bottle, carefully poured from the jar into the bottle, only to realise that i hadnt attached the gun to the bottom of the bottle. clear paint went straight out the bottom. on the bright side, when i get a chance to buff my legs, i am sure they will have a lovely shine.

Copie · 11-12-2009, 12:14 AM

Luckily i havent done anything too stupid, except for draining the oil out of the BF when i first got it home, only to find the bucket i was using to drain the old oil into, had a large hole in it, so 2 tins of degreaser later it was fixed.

SLO AU XR8 · 11-12-2009, 01:53 AM

Removing the flywheel off my AU XR8 Last weekend, forgot to mark where it was sitting (50oz imbalance)..... lucky there was previous markings on it from prior removal...

xy500 · 11-12-2009, 02:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLO AU XR8

Removing the flywheel off my AU XR8 Last weekend, forgot to mark where it was sitting (50oz imbalance)..... lucky there was previous markings on it from prior removal...

i thought flywheels only went on one way, the bolt holes don't line up until it is correctly lined up?

jjv · 13-02-2010, 11:03 AM

did the sump plug thing aslo, noticed after put 4ltrs oil in and watched it running down the driveway... never touched a motor since and that was least 15yrs ago :P

pottery beige · 13-02-2010, 11:54 AM

Changed diff centre.. Went for spin around block.. Tidying up noticed full bottle of diff oil sitting on bench..

**SSD-85** · 13-02-2010, 03:26 PM

Id have to say the silliest thing ive done was unbolting something on my magna around the battery. The ratchet somehow made contact with both terminals. Got quite a kick out of it, and it melted the contact points on the ratchet hahaha.

Numerous times ive forgotten to label spark plug leads to their correct terminal, but somehow have winged it correctly.

jamesson1980 · 13-02-2010, 04:32 PM

After rebuilding the motor, I put a Holley 650 on my former 351 XE Ghia Clevo and had the rotate-adjustable fuel inlet nipple (if you understand from that description) in a fairly upright position.. Put the Air cleaner back on which didn't sit just right for some reason.. but with the torque of the centre retaining wingnut it sat down beautifully.. albeit, pushing the fuel nipple down anti-clockwise, loosening the lock nut and breaking the seal beautifully (obviously unknown to me at this point). Kicked it in the guts, purred like a charm... then ignited like a demon.

So in addition to the motor rebuild, the car received carby overhaul, total engine bay re-wire, new aircon/heater/fuel hoses and a re-sprayed bonnet :(
...oh and a new pair of Ghia headlights which, in 2001 were rare as rocking horse ************ and equally as expensive :( :( :(