The most stupid thing you've done while working on your car?
11-03-2007, 02:10 PM
#46
Trying to remove a Rear view mirror on my old 87S... It looked like a simply tug upwards would slide the mount off of the piece glued to the windshield... Boy was I wrong.
Cracked the windshield, astoundingly easy. I still kick myself for that.
Also I "almost" did the "leave the ring gear on the floor trick" doing my first clutch job. One of the guys from my shop that was helping me caught it in time before we slid the bell housing back on place. he got a steak dinner for that.
IPSC
P.S Oh yeah I forgot, I just backed over my new Creeper in the dark the other day after finishing up my exhaust... does that count?
Cracked the windshield, astoundingly easy. I still kick myself for that.
Also I "almost" did the "leave the ring gear on the floor trick" doing my first clutch job. One of the guys from my shop that was helping me caught it in time before we slid the bell housing back on place. he got a steak dinner for that.
IPSC
P.S Oh yeah I forgot, I just backed over my new Creeper in the dark the other day after finishing up my exhaust... does that count?
Last edited by IPSC; 11-03-2007 at 08:12 PM.
11-03-2007, 06:48 PM
#47
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lies.
Oh I also didn't tighten down the rotary button once and my car died about 5 miles from the house. Had to call a tow truck in the rain cause I could see well enough to find out what the problem was.
Got home took off the front half of the motor in haste belts and all. Found out it was the stupid fire pin and put eveything back on NOT checking TDC. Cranked it and BAM 4 bent valves just like that.
Oh I also didn't tighten down the rotary button once and my car died about 5 miles from the house. Had to call a tow truck in the rain cause I could see well enough to find out what the problem was.
Got home took off the front half of the motor in haste belts and all. Found out it was the stupid fire pin and put eveything back on NOT checking TDC. Cranked it and BAM 4 bent valves just like that.
11-03-2007, 07:31 PM
#48
I unfortunatley cannot keep it to one. How about three?
1. Took a dremel to a stuck wastegate bolt and shot a shaving straight into my eye. Stupid me. I was "too cool" for goggles...that has since changed. Luckily no damage was done.
2. While disconnecting the battery, I laid my wrench across the battery and completed the circuit and popped myself.
3. I lifted my car to the the max of one of the jack stands and very low on the others. So much it was bending the one lift that was fully extended (and on two feet). I worked under the car for days...even pushed it side to side to see how stable it was (or lack there of). Oh, did I mention, I was under the car when I did that?!?!?! Yeah pretty f-ing stupid. Again, nothing bad happed, but I will clearly never do that again.
SAFTEY FIRST!!!!! You only get one free pass.
1. Took a dremel to a stuck wastegate bolt and shot a shaving straight into my eye. Stupid me. I was "too cool" for goggles...that has since changed. Luckily no damage was done.
2. While disconnecting the battery, I laid my wrench across the battery and completed the circuit and popped myself.
3. I lifted my car to the the max of one of the jack stands and very low on the others. So much it was bending the one lift that was fully extended (and on two feet). I worked under the car for days...even pushed it side to side to see how stable it was (or lack there of). Oh, did I mention, I was under the car when I did that?!?!?! Yeah pretty f-ing stupid. Again, nothing bad happed, but I will clearly never do that again.
SAFTEY FIRST!!!!! You only get one free pass.
11-03-2007, 08:53 PM
#49
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man now that i think of it- ive done about all of these things!
painted new vented nosepanel the first time. Take special care to color sand and buff perfectly. Install nosepan w/ kid gloves. Get it all bolted in and then decide to put in the vents- last screw, last vent, slip and run screwdriver right up the nosepan. Disassemble- repaint.
Few thousand miles later- rock chips and such on the nosepanel and i decide to repaint it while im painting something else. Pull it off- paint- color sand- buff- put it on the car but notice the headlights are down so i must flip the lights up to put the bolts in- turn on ignition switch, flip lights up- watch nosepanel fly off the front of the car and land on the concrete paint first... Fourth paintjob is a charm right?
painted new vented nosepanel the first time. Take special care to color sand and buff perfectly. Install nosepan w/ kid gloves. Get it all bolted in and then decide to put in the vents- last screw, last vent, slip and run screwdriver right up the nosepan. Disassemble- repaint.
Few thousand miles later- rock chips and such on the nosepanel and i decide to repaint it while im painting something else. Pull it off- paint- color sand- buff- put it on the car but notice the headlights are down so i must flip the lights up to put the bolts in- turn on ignition switch, flip lights up- watch nosepanel fly off the front of the car and land on the concrete paint first... Fourth paintjob is a charm right?
11-03-2007, 10:05 PM
#50
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OK’ I’ll take a shot at this….
Way back when I just worked on my own car I came up with a good one.
I was swapping out a head gasket and decided to change the head studs with the block in the car. The head was off but I had to roll the car out of the garage to do some other work. A week later I rolled in back in to finish up (a friend helped me roll in back in).
The head studs were not pleased to come out. I decide that the ‘prudent’ thing to do was to head up the stud to help release the loctite. As I stood there heating up the stud I was suddenly engulfed in a ball of flames…after the initial shock wore of I went inside to check things out in the bathroom mirror – I looked just like Buckwheat….black face and tightly curled hair blown back (not much eyebrows…)
I laughed a bit and then scared the crap out of my wife. The skin pealed of my nose and ear after a couple of days.
It turns out that my friend had turned the key on when we were pushing the car back in the garage and the fuel pump came on without the injectors in place. The fuel went down the oil returns and partially filled the oil pan where it sat until I warmed it up with the torch. The fuel exploded in the oil pan and shot flames and oil out directly at me (imagine the angle of the engine in the car – it aims the oil (and flames ) right at you.
A couple of weeks later I looked somewhat normal again…
Way back when I just worked on my own car I came up with a good one.
I was swapping out a head gasket and decided to change the head studs with the block in the car. The head was off but I had to roll the car out of the garage to do some other work. A week later I rolled in back in to finish up (a friend helped me roll in back in).
The head studs were not pleased to come out. I decide that the ‘prudent’ thing to do was to head up the stud to help release the loctite. As I stood there heating up the stud I was suddenly engulfed in a ball of flames…after the initial shock wore of I went inside to check things out in the bathroom mirror – I looked just like Buckwheat….black face and tightly curled hair blown back (not much eyebrows…)
I laughed a bit and then scared the crap out of my wife. The skin pealed of my nose and ear after a couple of days.
It turns out that my friend had turned the key on when we were pushing the car back in the garage and the fuel pump came on without the injectors in place. The fuel went down the oil returns and partially filled the oil pan where it sat until I warmed it up with the torch. The fuel exploded in the oil pan and shot flames and oil out directly at me (imagine the angle of the engine in the car – it aims the oil (and flames ) right at you.
A couple of weeks later I looked somewhat normal again…
11-03-2007, 11:25 PM
#51
Three Wheelin'
Man this thread is great!
I was replacing a cam chain tensioner on a 928 S4 32V, it is similar to the one on the 16V 944s and 968s. Forgot that there was an aluminum crush washer on both sides of banjo end of oil feed line to the tensioner. I pull out the oil feed line, to see the washer that was on the underside of the banjo fitting fall down one of the vent passages that goes to the crankcase! And these are non-magnetic aluminum crush washers remember! So, I grab a coat hanger from the locker room and fashion a hook and start fishing for it, but my hands are oily and the coat hanger piece falls down the hole too. It is at this point that I realize that to remove a 928 32V head you have to pull the engine. . . . . Luckily after about a half hour of fishing with another piece of coathanger I was able to fish out both the other coathanger piece and the washer. So I lost plenty of money on that job but not as much as I could have!
Oh yeah a couple weeks ago I was doing a clutch on a 944S2, for some reason started bolting the pressure plate on WITHOUT the clutch disc underneath (but I did remember the ring gear!!!). But, luckily I realized my mistake by the time I had all the pressure plate bolts started. Guess it would be a better story if I'd put it all together first!
Keep the stories coming!
I was replacing a cam chain tensioner on a 928 S4 32V, it is similar to the one on the 16V 944s and 968s. Forgot that there was an aluminum crush washer on both sides of banjo end of oil feed line to the tensioner. I pull out the oil feed line, to see the washer that was on the underside of the banjo fitting fall down one of the vent passages that goes to the crankcase! And these are non-magnetic aluminum crush washers remember! So, I grab a coat hanger from the locker room and fashion a hook and start fishing for it, but my hands are oily and the coat hanger piece falls down the hole too. It is at this point that I realize that to remove a 928 32V head you have to pull the engine. . . . . Luckily after about a half hour of fishing with another piece of coathanger I was able to fish out both the other coathanger piece and the washer. So I lost plenty of money on that job but not as much as I could have!
Oh yeah a couple weeks ago I was doing a clutch on a 944S2, for some reason started bolting the pressure plate on WITHOUT the clutch disc underneath (but I did remember the ring gear!!!). But, luckily I realized my mistake by the time I had all the pressure plate bolts started. Guess it would be a better story if I'd put it all together first!
Keep the stories coming!
11-04-2007, 01:49 AM
#54
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11-04-2007, 01:19 AM
#55
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I broke off one of the copper studs on the starter on my old 85 944... it still worked.. had to put it in storage eventually... also ended up selling the car to some dude who spent a few grand on fixing the car... im glad i got rid of it... too much work for me!!!
My 951... I thought i had all the cam tower bolts removed... started prying... SNAP! i broke one of the "ears" off the cam tower... $70 later... got a new one... wasnt that bad :-)
My 951... I thought i had all the cam tower bolts removed... started prying... SNAP! i broke one of the "ears" off the cam tower... $70 later... got a new one... wasnt that bad :-)
11-04-2007, 11:10 AM
#56
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I was 15 and rebuilding my first engine, a VW 1600.
I was just about done with the thing and accidently dropped
a 10mm nut into the oil fill hole. I really didn't want to take the engine apart so I decided that the nut will work it's way
to the bottom of the crankcase and I'll take it out when I change the oil after running it a bit.
Well the engine ran well for 3-5 mins then stopped!
I was just about done with the thing and accidently dropped
a 10mm nut into the oil fill hole. I really didn't want to take the engine apart so I decided that the nut will work it's way
to the bottom of the crankcase and I'll take it out when I change the oil after running it a bit.
Well the engine ran well for 3-5 mins then stopped!
11-04-2007, 12:13 PM
#57
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3) Starter problem on a VW bug.. Want to check and see if it's the solenoid or the cable? Great - do NOT do this... Take a screwdriver, leave car in gear - and turn key to the "on" position. Next crawl under car - in FRONT of left rear tire, with said screwdriver to cross the solenoid and see if it will crank... Don't look up as VW starts and rear tire runs over you - as car drives away without a driver. Fortunately - there were some hedges to slow it's progress, so after getting run over, you have a chance to catch it....
My stories:
on my previous red 951
1. I was alone and the car was not running at the time. I needed to back my car out of the storage garage it was in and thought to myself that it was obvious that I couldn't push it from the front, as no one would be in the car to hit the brakes before it hit the row of storage garages across from mine. So, instead I decided it would be best for me to crack the driver's door open and use my left foot to roll the car back. Well, apparently I didn't know the dimensions of the car well yet (only had it a month maybe). The back tires rolled over the raised lip of the garage and the car accelerated, so abruptly that I did not have a chance to close the door and it stopped the car as it hit the wall next to the garage door and got caught. Luckily there were only two small paint chips on the inner side of the door.
2. I also cracked my windshield by overextending it while installing hood shocks. I had a friend helping and don't necessarily blame myself for this one. Free windshield replacement covered it anyway.
on my current 951
3. I dropped my AFM on the front nose panel when I removed it to install the Vitesse MAF. Only a small paint chip, but that is still an event that will leave you flipping ****!
Last edited by badass951; 11-04-2007 at 12:32 PM. Reason: add another comment
11-04-2007, 04:26 PM
#58
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No story, only a question, if someone were to "theoretically" leave a wheel lock socket on the wheel and drive off and lose the lock socket somewhere on the freeway, what is required to get the wheel locks off without the lost socket? "Theoretically" speaking of course!
Another question, if my timing belt is rubbing against the block, what went wrong? Is it an incorrectly installed roller? How long before my timing belt fails from rubbing against the block, and what would you say to the experienced mechanic friend who installed your rollers if they were, in fact, installed incorrectly?
Another question, if my timing belt is rubbing against the block, what went wrong? Is it an incorrectly installed roller? How long before my timing belt fails from rubbing against the block, and what would you say to the experienced mechanic friend who installed your rollers if they were, in fact, installed incorrectly?
11-04-2007, 06:23 PM
#59
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"Theoretically" speaking of course!
Another question, if my timing belt is rubbing against the block, what went wrong? Is it an incorrectly installed roller? How long before my timing belt fails from rubbing against the block, and what would you say to the experienced mechanic friend who installed your rollers if they were, in fact, installed incorrectly?
Another question, if my timing belt is rubbing against the block, what went wrong? Is it an incorrectly installed roller? How long before my timing belt fails from rubbing against the block, and what would you say to the experienced mechanic friend who installed your rollers if they were, in fact, installed incorrectly?
Theoretically speaking, it is impossible to install a timing belt roller backwards since the only removable roller is an adjusting eccentric that if installed backwards (besides sticking out about 1" too far) would leave it impossible to tension the timing belt. Another possible option is installing the crank gear backwards which would leave you with less then 1 bar of oil pressure, if any at all, and machine itself into the water pump and make a horrible sound.
However, it is very likely that someone had the PS pulley on incorrectly which did not fully seat the cam pulley which made it misalign forward by about 10mm and damage the inside of the belt on start-up. I doubt your "experienced mechanic friend do would something that bone head" but now the belt would always be more likely to ride on the inside edge of the gear then the outside which will cause to ride to the back of the motor and quite possibly rub against the engine. Another option is a bent tensioner stud, misaligned cam gear or a bent water pump shaft.
Since your experienced mechanic friend theoretically may have permanently shut down free open shop Saturdays until all of his projects are completed (at least a year) you may need to call Leroue Automotive Repair (602-625-8224) to replace the belt and properly diagnose the problem. He’s a nice guy that I just helped him diagnose an issue and he’s a good mechanic at a decent rate.
Your experienced friend may have very recently changed his policy to a $40 a hour labor rate ($50 if the owner wants to help) to compensate for the time lost on his own projects and time away from his family. This may now be a no exceptions policy and he may already be booked up for a couple of months. I'm not sure of anyone locally who gets that type of traffic though. If it is rubbing that badly you may want to replace it pretty quickly before it breaks and does serious damage. Theoretically speaking of course.
Last edited by Jeremy Himsel; 11-05-2007 at 12:48 PM.
