The Stupid Things We Do
03-04-2012, 01:59 AM
#16
Three Wheelin'
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: formerly RI, then MO, now CA
Posts: 1,649
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Somebody forgot to tighten the head bolts on my engine 
I caught it today while doing a pre coolant fill, pressure check on the cooling system. It wouldn't hold any pressure, but all of the hoses were connected and clamps tight. Thinking I may have damaged something during engine R&R or when the parts were kicking around the garage, I proceed to fill the system with water (way easier to clean up than coolant) and start to pressurize the system. That's about when I realized I had forgotten a step.
In my defense, the engine reassembly has stretched out over a few months, while waiting for parts, traveling for work, renovating the house, preparing to relocate, and general sleep deprivation from the afore mentioned excuses . I think about a month had gone by since I put the head on and finger tightened the nuts, and when the cams arrived. Normally I don't start a project until all the parts are in hand (for this very reason) but a tight time schedule forced my hand. Even with the head removal, and vacuuming the water out of the cylinders and oil pan, I'm still ahead on time vs waiting for everything to arrive and starting then.
I caught it today while doing a pre coolant fill, pressure check on the cooling system. It wouldn't hold any pressure, but all of the hoses were connected and clamps tight. Thinking I may have damaged something during engine R&R or when the parts were kicking around the garage, I proceed to fill the system with water (way easier to clean up than coolant) and start to pressurize the system. That's about when I realized I had forgotten a step.
In my defense, the engine reassembly has stretched out over a few months, while waiting for parts, traveling for work, renovating the house, preparing to relocate, and general sleep deprivation from the afore mentioned excuses . I think about a month had gone by since I put the head on and finger tightened the nuts, and when the cams arrived. Normally I don't start a project until all the parts are in hand (for this very reason) but a tight time schedule forced my hand. Even with the head removal, and vacuuming the water out of the cylinders and oil pan, I'm still ahead on time vs waiting for everything to arrive and starting then.
03-04-2012, 02:29 AM
#17
Drifting
Since we are sharing "idiot" mistakes. I left a nut in my cam housing once when installing a PowerHaus stage 2 head on a 2.5. It didn't matter for many miles. I was running HARD one day, heard a loud noise, and noticed smoke from my engine. Pulled over, and the forgotten nut BLEW through my cam housing spilling oil everywhere. Looked like someone shot a 30-6 through the inside of my cam box. That nut is still hiding on the side of the road somewere.
03-04-2012, 10:25 AM
#18
Rennlist Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Northern NJ
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I've mentioned it before but will do so again to confirm my "idiot" status...
I have an attic above my 1 1/2 car garage. The pull down access stairs are above my car when it's parked. In recent years I've found if I pull the stairs down without unfolding them, put a ladder next to my car and climb like a contorted monkey, I can get myself into the attic space without moving my car.
Well while looking for a Christmas accessory last year my fat *** nudged a lug wrench (which was left too close to the opening) and as if in slow motion, I watched as it fell through the hole and onto the roof of my car.
2 dime sized dings was my reward for being stupid and lazy.
I have an attic above my 1 1/2 car garage. The pull down access stairs are above my car when it's parked. In recent years I've found if I pull the stairs down without unfolding them, put a ladder next to my car and climb like a contorted monkey, I can get myself into the attic space without moving my car.
Well while looking for a Christmas accessory last year my fat *** nudged a lug wrench (which was left too close to the opening) and as if in slow motion, I watched as it fell through the hole and onto the roof of my car.
2 dime sized dings was my reward for being stupid and lazy.
03-04-2012, 11:16 AM
#19
Nordschleife Master
03-04-2012, 11:18 AM
#20
Rennlist Member
Definitely forgotten to torque the lug nuts down before.
The last time i did a clutch job my friend (swear to god, wasn't me) was helping button up the top of the motor while I was underneath it reinstalljng the exhaust. Note: if you're in the middle of installing the exhaust on a clutch job, it means you're almost done. Well, my friend leans under the car and says "don't be mad....but I may have just dropped a nut into the bellhousing." Sure enough, it was there (after disassembling the whole shebang once more).
On my last t-belt replacement I installed a couple rollers backward, causing the belt to rub on the belt cover.
The last time i did a clutch job my friend (swear to god, wasn't me) was helping button up the top of the motor while I was underneath it reinstalljng the exhaust. Note: if you're in the middle of installing the exhaust on a clutch job, it means you're almost done. Well, my friend leans under the car and says "don't be mad....but I may have just dropped a nut into the bellhousing." Sure enough, it was there (after disassembling the whole shebang once more).
On my last t-belt replacement I installed a couple rollers backward, causing the belt to rub on the belt cover.
03-05-2012, 12:11 AM
#21
Burning Brakes
nah...you get points for trying something difficult. I do a lot of my own work and I usually find if I had paid myself about $10 and hour it would have been much cheaper to have someone else do it. But there is a sense of pride when you turn the key, the car fires up, and you roll down the road after you did the work yourself. It's the journey, not the destination, that counts.
Having worked on cars for over 20 years and making mistakes along the way I know how it feels. This being my first porsche it is different than anything else I have wrenched on in the past but every time I try I learn, mistakes so far have been cheap and at least I can laugh at myself.
Nothing beats the connection of fixing and driving your car
03-05-2012, 08:46 AM
#22
Drifting
Props for the fact you could get your wife to come out to the garage to help (and that she drives a 944). All other sins are forgiven. ;-)
I dropped a socket into the inspection hole, too. Wasn't sure where it went but didn't hear it hit the floor. Spent 3 hours searching around the engine compartment w/ flashlight, mirror, magnet on a stick, etc. but couldn't find it. Spent another 3 hours turning the engine over by hand hoping it would fall out. Finally realized it was wedged in pressure plate. It came out easily w/ a magnet but for some reason wouldn't drop out when upside down.
Worst damage to the p-car occurred a few months after I owned it. I was rolling it out of the garage: door open, me guiding it and hold the hand brake. Apparently I didn't have the door closed enough because the trailing edge of the door caught my garage door opening. Busted the trim piece on the garage door and busted the trim piece of the car door.
Oh, I also learned never to adjust my torque wrench holding it over the hood of my wife's car. I was twisting it rapidly to set it, when the socket and extension fell off and bounced 3 times on her hood, creating a dent on each bounce....
And this bone-headed move. Careful, long read.....
I was finishing up a tire rack on my trailer and wanted to verify where the car should be positioned based upon the new additional weight over the tongue. I had been working on this for a while and wanted to watch the Tivo’d VIR race so started to hurry. Well, since I was only putting the car on for a few minutes and not driving anywhere, I didn’t hook up the power cable, safety chains, etc. to the truck.
So, I load up the rack w/ tires, put the car on, then back into my garage to measure tongue weight. Throw a scale under the tongue jack, jack the front up, then position the car where I need it. Lower the tongue back onto the ball, put away my scale, then go to unload the car.
Some background. The street in front of my house has a moderate grade, which is great for loading/unloading the car and saving the clutch. Park downhill for putting the car on, uphill for unloading. So, I proceed to pull out of my driveway, turn around in the cul-de-sac ~ 50 yards away and head back uphill. I stop across from my house and proceed to unload. My neighbor parks his older Jeep GC on the street (his 3rd car) but I’ll have a 3 or-so car length gap when I back the car off the trailer so I’m not worried. Of course, I don’t bother to chock the trailer wheels as this will only take me a second.
I put the car in reverse and start to roll the car off the trailer, when all of a sudden the front of the trailer kicks up, and I’m going backwards down the hill and I’m STILL ON THE TRAILER!!! At first I think I’ve lost my car's brakes but then realize the whole darned trailer is rolling with me still on it!!!!!
Trailer ramps and trailer tail are scraping on the street making a heck of a racket and I think to myself, WTF?!?!?!?! Then I see my neighbors Jeep getting closer and couple thoughts came to mind:
“Well, at least it’s his old Jeep that I’m going to run into and not his wife’s new MDX.
I hope I can fix the rear end and tail lights before the Mid-O club race. Maybe it’s a good opportunity to install a fiberglass bumper?
How in the heck am I going to explain this to my insurance agent?
At least his Jeep is there or I would have picked up a lot of speed by the time I reached the bottom of the hill.”
Well, I assume it’s better to sacrifice the P-car instead of my neighbor’s Jeep (and see my insurance costs escalate), so I gun the engine, popped the clutch, and got the car off the trailer. Hit the brakes immediately and the trailer’s front end crashes down and the trailer proceeds to roll into the car. Luckily the ramps stayed in place so they wedged under the front wheels and stopped the trailer. With the trailer’s nose all the way down, the ramps were steeply angled and pushing up on the bumper cover a bit but no damage was done. Whewww...... And heck, I still had all of a car length to spare between my car and the Jeep. All told, trailer had rolled about 20 feet.
So, I’m still thinking to myself “how in the heck did the trailer come loose??” Well, I had forgotten to put the ball lock down when I lowered the tongue back onto the truck. It will still pinned open.
I dropped a socket into the inspection hole, too. Wasn't sure where it went but didn't hear it hit the floor. Spent 3 hours searching around the engine compartment w/ flashlight, mirror, magnet on a stick, etc. but couldn't find it. Spent another 3 hours turning the engine over by hand hoping it would fall out. Finally realized it was wedged in pressure plate. It came out easily w/ a magnet but for some reason wouldn't drop out when upside down.
Worst damage to the p-car occurred a few months after I owned it. I was rolling it out of the garage: door open, me guiding it and hold the hand brake. Apparently I didn't have the door closed enough because the trailing edge of the door caught my garage door opening. Busted the trim piece on the garage door and busted the trim piece of the car door.
Oh, I also learned never to adjust my torque wrench holding it over the hood of my wife's car. I was twisting it rapidly to set it, when the socket and extension fell off and bounced 3 times on her hood, creating a dent on each bounce....
And this bone-headed move. Careful, long read.....
I was finishing up a tire rack on my trailer and wanted to verify where the car should be positioned based upon the new additional weight over the tongue. I had been working on this for a while and wanted to watch the Tivo’d VIR race so started to hurry. Well, since I was only putting the car on for a few minutes and not driving anywhere, I didn’t hook up the power cable, safety chains, etc. to the truck.
So, I load up the rack w/ tires, put the car on, then back into my garage to measure tongue weight. Throw a scale under the tongue jack, jack the front up, then position the car where I need it. Lower the tongue back onto the ball, put away my scale, then go to unload the car.
Some background. The street in front of my house has a moderate grade, which is great for loading/unloading the car and saving the clutch. Park downhill for putting the car on, uphill for unloading. So, I proceed to pull out of my driveway, turn around in the cul-de-sac ~ 50 yards away and head back uphill. I stop across from my house and proceed to unload. My neighbor parks his older Jeep GC on the street (his 3rd car) but I’ll have a 3 or-so car length gap when I back the car off the trailer so I’m not worried. Of course, I don’t bother to chock the trailer wheels as this will only take me a second.
I put the car in reverse and start to roll the car off the trailer, when all of a sudden the front of the trailer kicks up, and I’m going backwards down the hill and I’m STILL ON THE TRAILER!!! At first I think I’ve lost my car's brakes but then realize the whole darned trailer is rolling with me still on it!!!!!
Trailer ramps and trailer tail are scraping on the street making a heck of a racket and I think to myself, WTF?!?!?!?! Then I see my neighbors Jeep getting closer and couple thoughts came to mind:
“Well, at least it’s his old Jeep that I’m going to run into and not his wife’s new MDX.
I hope I can fix the rear end and tail lights before the Mid-O club race. Maybe it’s a good opportunity to install a fiberglass bumper?
How in the heck am I going to explain this to my insurance agent?
At least his Jeep is there or I would have picked up a lot of speed by the time I reached the bottom of the hill.”
Well, I assume it’s better to sacrifice the P-car instead of my neighbor’s Jeep (and see my insurance costs escalate), so I gun the engine, popped the clutch, and got the car off the trailer. Hit the brakes immediately and the trailer’s front end crashes down and the trailer proceeds to roll into the car. Luckily the ramps stayed in place so they wedged under the front wheels and stopped the trailer. With the trailer’s nose all the way down, the ramps were steeply angled and pushing up on the bumper cover a bit but no damage was done. Whewww...... And heck, I still had all of a car length to spare between my car and the Jeep. All told, trailer had rolled about 20 feet.
So, I’m still thinking to myself “how in the heck did the trailer come loose??” Well, I had forgotten to put the ball lock down when I lowered the tongue back onto the truck. It will still pinned open.
03-05-2012, 11:10 AM
#23
And this bone-headed move. Careful, long read.....
I was finishing up a tire rack on my trailer and wanted to verify where the car should be positioned based upon the new additional weight over the tongue. I had been working on this for a while and wanted to watch the Tivo’d VIR race so started to hurry. Well, since I was only putting the car on for a few minutes and not driving anywhere, I didn’t hook up the power cable, safety chains, etc. to the truck.
So, I load up the rack w/ tires, put the car on, then back into my garage to measure tongue weight. Throw a scale under the tongue jack, jack the front up, then position the car where I need it. Lower the tongue back onto the ball, put away my scale, then go to unload the car.
Some background. The street in front of my house has a moderate grade, which is great for loading/unloading the car and saving the clutch. Park downhill for putting the car on, uphill for unloading. So, I proceed to pull out of my driveway, turn around in the cul-de-sac ~ 50 yards away and head back uphill. I stop across from my house and proceed to unload. My neighbor parks his older Jeep GC on the street (his 3rd car) but I’ll have a 3 or-so car length gap when I back the car off the trailer so I’m not worried. Of course, I don’t bother to chock the trailer wheels as this will only take me a second.
I put the car in reverse and start to roll the car off the trailer, when all of a sudden the front of the trailer kicks up, and I’m going backwards down the hill and I’m STILL ON THE TRAILER!!! At first I think I’ve lost my car's brakes but then realize the whole darned trailer is rolling with me still on it!!!!!
Trailer ramps and trailer tail are scraping on the street making a heck of a racket and I think to myself, WTF?!?!?!?! Then I see my neighbors Jeep getting closer and couple thoughts came to mind:
“Well, at least it’s his old Jeep that I’m going to run into and not his wife’s new MDX.
I hope I can fix the rear end and tail lights before the Mid-O club race. Maybe it’s a good opportunity to install a fiberglass bumper?
How in the heck am I going to explain this to my insurance agent?
At least his Jeep is there or I would have picked up a lot of speed by the time I reached the bottom of the hill.”
Well, I assume it’s better to sacrifice the P-car instead of my neighbor’s Jeep (and see my insurance costs escalate), so I gun the engine, popped the clutch, and got the car off the trailer. Hit the brakes immediately and the trailer’s front end crashes down and the trailer proceeds to roll into the car. Luckily the ramps stayed in place so they wedged under the front wheels and stopped the trailer. With the trailer’s nose all the way down, the ramps were steeply angled and pushing up on the bumper cover a bit but no damage was done. Whewww...... And heck, I still had all of a car length to spare between my car and the Jeep. All told, trailer had rolled about 20 feet.
So, I’m still thinking to myself “how in the heck did the trailer come loose??” Well, I had forgotten to put the ball lock down when I lowered the tongue back onto the truck. It will still pinned open.
To the OP - been there, done that. First time pulling a TT out was last winter. RL posts say "pull, twist, pull." My buddy, who had done this a few times before, also said, "pull, twist, pull." For the life of me, I couldn't get the damned thing out. I had two friends helping (one of which a pretty experienced 944 guy who shall remain nameless) and we couldn't figure it out.
Finally we decided we just weren't using enough force (duh!) and tried harder. Eventually... after a few forceful attempts, we got it back. SUCCESS! What I didn't realize until I put the car back together - we just pulled hard enough that we managed to pop the shifter out of the nylon cup. I pulled the shift boot up but never went so far as to unbolt the thing!
10k miles since the rebuild and no issues so it must be OK
03-05-2012, 11:40 AM
#24
Rennlist Member
Props for the fact you could get your wife to come out to the garage to help (and that she drives a 944). All other sins are forgiven. ;-)
I dropped a socket into the inspection hole, too. Wasn't sure where it went but didn't hear it hit the floor. Spent 3 hours searching around the engine compartment w/ flashlight, mirror, magnet on a stick, etc. but couldn't find it. Spent another 3 hours turning the engine over by hand hoping it would fall out. Finally realized it was wedged in pressure plate. It came out easily w/ a magnet but for some reason wouldn't drop out when upside down.
Worst damage to the p-car occurred a few months after I owned it. I was rolling it out of the garage: door open, me guiding it and hold the hand brake. Apparently I didn't have the door closed enough because the trailing edge of the door caught my garage door opening. Busted the trim piece on the garage door and busted the trim piece of the car door.
Oh, I also learned never to adjust my torque wrench holding it over the hood of my wife's car. I was twisting it rapidly to set it, when the socket and extension fell off and bounced 3 times on her hood, creating a dent on each bounce....
And this bone-headed move. Careful, long read.....
I was finishing up a tire rack on my trailer and wanted to verify where the car should be positioned based upon the new additional weight over the tongue. I had been working on this for a while and wanted to watch the Tivo’d VIR race so started to hurry. Well, since I was only putting the car on for a few minutes and not driving anywhere, I didn’t hook up the power cable, safety chains, etc. to the truck.
So, I load up the rack w/ tires, put the car on, then back into my garage to measure tongue weight. Throw a scale under the tongue jack, jack the front up, then position the car where I need it. Lower the tongue back onto the ball, put away my scale, then go to unload the car.
Some background. The street in front of my house has a moderate grade, which is great for loading/unloading the car and saving the clutch. Park downhill for putting the car on, uphill for unloading. So, I proceed to pull out of my driveway, turn around in the cul-de-sac ~ 50 yards away and head back uphill. I stop across from my house and proceed to unload. My neighbor parks his older Jeep GC on the street (his 3rd car) but I’ll have a 3 or-so car length gap when I back the car off the trailer so I’m not worried. Of course, I don’t bother to chock the trailer wheels as this will only take me a second.
I put the car in reverse and start to roll the car off the trailer, when all of a sudden the front of the trailer kicks up, and I’m going backwards down the hill and I’m STILL ON THE TRAILER!!! At first I think I’ve lost my car's brakes but then realize the whole darned trailer is rolling with me still on it!!!!!
Trailer ramps and trailer tail are scraping on the street making a heck of a racket and I think to myself, WTF?!?!?!?! Then I see my neighbors Jeep getting closer and couple thoughts came to mind:
“Well, at least it’s his old Jeep that I’m going to run into and not his wife’s new MDX.
I hope I can fix the rear end and tail lights before the Mid-O club race. Maybe it’s a good opportunity to install a fiberglass bumper?
How in the heck am I going to explain this to my insurance agent?
At least his Jeep is there or I would have picked up a lot of speed by the time I reached the bottom of the hill.”
Well, I assume it’s better to sacrifice the P-car instead of my neighbor’s Jeep (and see my insurance costs escalate), so I gun the engine, popped the clutch, and got the car off the trailer. Hit the brakes immediately and the trailer’s front end crashes down and the trailer proceeds to roll into the car. Luckily the ramps stayed in place so they wedged under the front wheels and stopped the trailer. With the trailer’s nose all the way down, the ramps were steeply angled and pushing up on the bumper cover a bit but no damage was done. Whewww...... And heck, I still had all of a car length to spare between my car and the Jeep. All told, trailer had rolled about 20 feet.
So, I’m still thinking to myself “how in the heck did the trailer come loose??” Well, I had forgotten to put the ball lock down when I lowered the tongue back onto the truck. It will still pinned open.
I dropped a socket into the inspection hole, too. Wasn't sure where it went but didn't hear it hit the floor. Spent 3 hours searching around the engine compartment w/ flashlight, mirror, magnet on a stick, etc. but couldn't find it. Spent another 3 hours turning the engine over by hand hoping it would fall out. Finally realized it was wedged in pressure plate. It came out easily w/ a magnet but for some reason wouldn't drop out when upside down.
Worst damage to the p-car occurred a few months after I owned it. I was rolling it out of the garage: door open, me guiding it and hold the hand brake. Apparently I didn't have the door closed enough because the trailing edge of the door caught my garage door opening. Busted the trim piece on the garage door and busted the trim piece of the car door.
Oh, I also learned never to adjust my torque wrench holding it over the hood of my wife's car. I was twisting it rapidly to set it, when the socket and extension fell off and bounced 3 times on her hood, creating a dent on each bounce....
And this bone-headed move. Careful, long read.....
I was finishing up a tire rack on my trailer and wanted to verify where the car should be positioned based upon the new additional weight over the tongue. I had been working on this for a while and wanted to watch the Tivo’d VIR race so started to hurry. Well, since I was only putting the car on for a few minutes and not driving anywhere, I didn’t hook up the power cable, safety chains, etc. to the truck.
So, I load up the rack w/ tires, put the car on, then back into my garage to measure tongue weight. Throw a scale under the tongue jack, jack the front up, then position the car where I need it. Lower the tongue back onto the ball, put away my scale, then go to unload the car.
Some background. The street in front of my house has a moderate grade, which is great for loading/unloading the car and saving the clutch. Park downhill for putting the car on, uphill for unloading. So, I proceed to pull out of my driveway, turn around in the cul-de-sac ~ 50 yards away and head back uphill. I stop across from my house and proceed to unload. My neighbor parks his older Jeep GC on the street (his 3rd car) but I’ll have a 3 or-so car length gap when I back the car off the trailer so I’m not worried. Of course, I don’t bother to chock the trailer wheels as this will only take me a second.
I put the car in reverse and start to roll the car off the trailer, when all of a sudden the front of the trailer kicks up, and I’m going backwards down the hill and I’m STILL ON THE TRAILER!!! At first I think I’ve lost my car's brakes but then realize the whole darned trailer is rolling with me still on it!!!!!
Trailer ramps and trailer tail are scraping on the street making a heck of a racket and I think to myself, WTF?!?!?!?! Then I see my neighbors Jeep getting closer and couple thoughts came to mind:
“Well, at least it’s his old Jeep that I’m going to run into and not his wife’s new MDX.
I hope I can fix the rear end and tail lights before the Mid-O club race. Maybe it’s a good opportunity to install a fiberglass bumper?
How in the heck am I going to explain this to my insurance agent?
At least his Jeep is there or I would have picked up a lot of speed by the time I reached the bottom of the hill.”
Well, I assume it’s better to sacrifice the P-car instead of my neighbor’s Jeep (and see my insurance costs escalate), so I gun the engine, popped the clutch, and got the car off the trailer. Hit the brakes immediately and the trailer’s front end crashes down and the trailer proceeds to roll into the car. Luckily the ramps stayed in place so they wedged under the front wheels and stopped the trailer. With the trailer’s nose all the way down, the ramps were steeply angled and pushing up on the bumper cover a bit but no damage was done. Whewww...... And heck, I still had all of a car length to spare between my car and the Jeep. All told, trailer had rolled about 20 feet.
So, I’m still thinking to myself “how in the heck did the trailer come loose??” Well, I had forgotten to put the ball lock down when I lowered the tongue back onto the truck. It will still pinned open.
I did have a scary instance, I had had some wheels on my Toyota and decided to put them on my new accord. For some reason they had this plastic spacer on them that interfered with tighening down on the rear of my accord. I new something was up when I torqued them down but wasn't sure. I decided to drive around the block a few times and then retorque them. Well coming back down the second block I hear a ping ping ping noise and then the back left drops to the ground and I get passed by my left rear wheel going down the road and across some peoples yard and for a guys Jeep. Thankfully it hit a tree and bounced about 10 feet into the air and stopped. I grabbed the jack and torque wrench and put it back on and drove very very slowly to my house. Put the OEM wheels back on and drove to the place I orignally got the wheels from for them to install. Apparently they couldn't figure out the back for a minute unti they removed the plastic spacer.
03-05-2012, 07:00 PM
#25
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Props for the fact you could get your wife to come out to the garage to help (and that she drives a 944). All other sins are forgiven. ;-)
I dropped a socket into the inspection hole, too. Wasn't sure where it went but didn't hear it hit the floor. Spent 3 hours searching around the engine compartment w/ flashlight, mirror, magnet on a stick, etc. but couldn't find it. Spent another 3 hours turning the engine over by hand hoping it would fall out. Finally realized it was wedged in pressure plate. It came out easily w/ a magnet but for some reason wouldn't drop out when upside down.
Worst damage to the p-car occurred a few months after I owned it. I was rolling it out of the garage: door open, me guiding it and hold the hand brake. Apparently I didn't have the door closed enough because the trailing edge of the door caught my garage door opening. Busted the trim piece on the garage door and busted the trim piece of the car door.
Oh, I also learned never to adjust my torque wrench holding it over the hood of my wife's car. I was twisting it rapidly to set it, when the socket and extension fell off and bounced 3 times on her hood, creating a dent on each bounce....
And this bone-headed move. Careful, long read.....
I was finishing up a tire rack on my trailer and wanted to verify where the car should be positioned based upon the new additional weight over the tongue. I had been working on this for a while and wanted to watch the Tivo’d VIR race so started to hurry. Well, since I was only putting the car on for a few minutes and not driving anywhere, I didn’t hook up the power cable, safety chains, etc. to the truck.
So, I load up the rack w/ tires, put the car on, then back into my garage to measure tongue weight. Throw a scale under the tongue jack, jack the front up, then position the car where I need it. Lower the tongue back onto the ball, put away my scale, then go to unload the car.
Some background. The street in front of my house has a moderate grade, which is great for loading/unloading the car and saving the clutch. Park downhill for putting the car on, uphill for unloading. So, I proceed to pull out of my driveway, turn around in the cul-de-sac ~ 50 yards away and head back uphill. I stop across from my house and proceed to unload. My neighbor parks his older Jeep GC on the street (his 3rd car) but I’ll have a 3 or-so car length gap when I back the car off the trailer so I’m not worried. Of course, I don’t bother to chock the trailer wheels as this will only take me a second.
I put the car in reverse and start to roll the car off the trailer, when all of a sudden the front of the trailer kicks up, and I’m going backwards down the hill and I’m STILL ON THE TRAILER!!! At first I think I’ve lost my car's brakes but then realize the whole darned trailer is rolling with me still on it!!!!!
Trailer ramps and trailer tail are scraping on the street making a heck of a racket and I think to myself, WTF?!?!?!?! Then I see my neighbors Jeep getting closer and couple thoughts came to mind:
“Well, at least it’s his old Jeep that I’m going to run into and not his wife’s new MDX.
I hope I can fix the rear end and tail lights before the Mid-O club race. Maybe it’s a good opportunity to install a fiberglass bumper?
How in the heck am I going to explain this to my insurance agent?
At least his Jeep is there or I would have picked up a lot of speed by the time I reached the bottom of the hill.”
Well, I assume it’s better to sacrifice the P-car instead of my neighbor’s Jeep (and see my insurance costs escalate), so I gun the engine, popped the clutch, and got the car off the trailer. Hit the brakes immediately and the trailer’s front end crashes down and the trailer proceeds to roll into the car. Luckily the ramps stayed in place so they wedged under the front wheels and stopped the trailer. With the trailer’s nose all the way down, the ramps were steeply angled and pushing up on the bumper cover a bit but no damage was done. Whewww...... And heck, I still had all of a car length to spare between my car and the Jeep. All told, trailer had rolled about 20 feet.
So, I’m still thinking to myself “how in the heck did the trailer come loose??” Well, I had forgotten to put the ball lock down when I lowered the tongue back onto the truck. It will still pinned open.
I dropped a socket into the inspection hole, too. Wasn't sure where it went but didn't hear it hit the floor. Spent 3 hours searching around the engine compartment w/ flashlight, mirror, magnet on a stick, etc. but couldn't find it. Spent another 3 hours turning the engine over by hand hoping it would fall out. Finally realized it was wedged in pressure plate. It came out easily w/ a magnet but for some reason wouldn't drop out when upside down.
Worst damage to the p-car occurred a few months after I owned it. I was rolling it out of the garage: door open, me guiding it and hold the hand brake. Apparently I didn't have the door closed enough because the trailing edge of the door caught my garage door opening. Busted the trim piece on the garage door and busted the trim piece of the car door.
Oh, I also learned never to adjust my torque wrench holding it over the hood of my wife's car. I was twisting it rapidly to set it, when the socket and extension fell off and bounced 3 times on her hood, creating a dent on each bounce....
And this bone-headed move. Careful, long read.....
I was finishing up a tire rack on my trailer and wanted to verify where the car should be positioned based upon the new additional weight over the tongue. I had been working on this for a while and wanted to watch the Tivo’d VIR race so started to hurry. Well, since I was only putting the car on for a few minutes and not driving anywhere, I didn’t hook up the power cable, safety chains, etc. to the truck.
So, I load up the rack w/ tires, put the car on, then back into my garage to measure tongue weight. Throw a scale under the tongue jack, jack the front up, then position the car where I need it. Lower the tongue back onto the ball, put away my scale, then go to unload the car.
Some background. The street in front of my house has a moderate grade, which is great for loading/unloading the car and saving the clutch. Park downhill for putting the car on, uphill for unloading. So, I proceed to pull out of my driveway, turn around in the cul-de-sac ~ 50 yards away and head back uphill. I stop across from my house and proceed to unload. My neighbor parks his older Jeep GC on the street (his 3rd car) but I’ll have a 3 or-so car length gap when I back the car off the trailer so I’m not worried. Of course, I don’t bother to chock the trailer wheels as this will only take me a second.
I put the car in reverse and start to roll the car off the trailer, when all of a sudden the front of the trailer kicks up, and I’m going backwards down the hill and I’m STILL ON THE TRAILER!!! At first I think I’ve lost my car's brakes but then realize the whole darned trailer is rolling with me still on it!!!!!
Trailer ramps and trailer tail are scraping on the street making a heck of a racket and I think to myself, WTF?!?!?!?! Then I see my neighbors Jeep getting closer and couple thoughts came to mind:
“Well, at least it’s his old Jeep that I’m going to run into and not his wife’s new MDX.
I hope I can fix the rear end and tail lights before the Mid-O club race. Maybe it’s a good opportunity to install a fiberglass bumper?
How in the heck am I going to explain this to my insurance agent?
At least his Jeep is there or I would have picked up a lot of speed by the time I reached the bottom of the hill.”
Well, I assume it’s better to sacrifice the P-car instead of my neighbor’s Jeep (and see my insurance costs escalate), so I gun the engine, popped the clutch, and got the car off the trailer. Hit the brakes immediately and the trailer’s front end crashes down and the trailer proceeds to roll into the car. Luckily the ramps stayed in place so they wedged under the front wheels and stopped the trailer. With the trailer’s nose all the way down, the ramps were steeply angled and pushing up on the bumper cover a bit but no damage was done. Whewww...... And heck, I still had all of a car length to spare between my car and the Jeep. All told, trailer had rolled about 20 feet.
So, I’m still thinking to myself “how in the heck did the trailer come loose??” Well, I had forgotten to put the ball lock down when I lowered the tongue back onto the truck. It will still pinned open.
03-05-2012, 07:23 PM
#26
Nordschleife Master
Props for the fact you could get your wife to come out to the garage to help (and that she drives a 944). All other sins are forgiven. ;-)
I dropped a socket into the inspection hole, too. Wasn't sure where it went but didn't hear it hit the floor. Spent 3 hours searching around the engine compartment w/ flashlight, mirror, magnet on a stick, etc. but couldn't find it. Spent another 3 hours turning the engine over by hand hoping it would fall out. Finally realized it was wedged in pressure plate. It came out easily w/ a magnet but for some reason wouldn't drop out when upside down.
Worst damage to the p-car occurred a few months after I owned it. I was rolling it out of the garage: door open, me guiding it and hold the hand brake. Apparently I didn't have the door closed enough because the trailing edge of the door caught my garage door opening. Busted the trim piece on the garage door and busted the trim piece of the car door.
Oh, I also learned never to adjust my torque wrench holding it over the hood of my wife's car. I was twisting it rapidly to set it, when the socket and extension fell off and bounced 3 times on her hood, creating a dent on each bounce....
And this bone-headed move. Careful, long read.....
I was finishing up a tire rack on my trailer and wanted to verify where the car should be positioned based upon the new additional weight over the tongue. I had been working on this for a while and wanted to watch the Tivo’d VIR race so started to hurry. Well, since I was only putting the car on for a few minutes and not driving anywhere, I didn’t hook up the power cable, safety chains, etc. to the truck.
So, I load up the rack w/ tires, put the car on, then back into my garage to measure tongue weight. Throw a scale under the tongue jack, jack the front up, then position the car where I need it. Lower the tongue back onto the ball, put away my scale, then go to unload the car.
Some background. The street in front of my house has a moderate grade, which is great for loading/unloading the car and saving the clutch. Park downhill for putting the car on, uphill for unloading. So, I proceed to pull out of my driveway, turn around in the cul-de-sac ~ 50 yards away and head back uphill. I stop across from my house and proceed to unload. My neighbor parks his older Jeep GC on the street (his 3rd car) but I’ll have a 3 or-so car length gap when I back the car off the trailer so I’m not worried. Of course, I don’t bother to chock the trailer wheels as this will only take me a second.
I put the car in reverse and start to roll the car off the trailer, when all of a sudden the front of the trailer kicks up, and I’m going backwards down the hill and I’m STILL ON THE TRAILER!!! At first I think I’ve lost my car's brakes but then realize the whole darned trailer is rolling with me still on it!!!!!
Trailer ramps and trailer tail are scraping on the street making a heck of a racket and I think to myself, WTF?!?!?!?! Then I see my neighbors Jeep getting closer and couple thoughts came to mind:
“Well, at least it’s his old Jeep that I’m going to run into and not his wife’s new MDX.
I hope I can fix the rear end and tail lights before the Mid-O club race. Maybe it’s a good opportunity to install a fiberglass bumper?
How in the heck am I going to explain this to my insurance agent?
At least his Jeep is there or I would have picked up a lot of speed by the time I reached the bottom of the hill.”
Well, I assume it’s better to sacrifice the P-car instead of my neighbor’s Jeep (and see my insurance costs escalate), so I gun the engine, popped the clutch, and got the car off the trailer. Hit the brakes immediately and the trailer’s front end crashes down and the trailer proceeds to roll into the car. Luckily the ramps stayed in place so they wedged under the front wheels and stopped the trailer. With the trailer’s nose all the way down, the ramps were steeply angled and pushing up on the bumper cover a bit but no damage was done. Whewww...... And heck, I still had all of a car length to spare between my car and the Jeep. All told, trailer had rolled about 20 feet.
So, I’m still thinking to myself “how in the heck did the trailer come loose??” Well, I had forgotten to put the ball lock down when I lowered the tongue back onto the truck. It will still pinned open.
I dropped a socket into the inspection hole, too. Wasn't sure where it went but didn't hear it hit the floor. Spent 3 hours searching around the engine compartment w/ flashlight, mirror, magnet on a stick, etc. but couldn't find it. Spent another 3 hours turning the engine over by hand hoping it would fall out. Finally realized it was wedged in pressure plate. It came out easily w/ a magnet but for some reason wouldn't drop out when upside down.
Worst damage to the p-car occurred a few months after I owned it. I was rolling it out of the garage: door open, me guiding it and hold the hand brake. Apparently I didn't have the door closed enough because the trailing edge of the door caught my garage door opening. Busted the trim piece on the garage door and busted the trim piece of the car door.
Oh, I also learned never to adjust my torque wrench holding it over the hood of my wife's car. I was twisting it rapidly to set it, when the socket and extension fell off and bounced 3 times on her hood, creating a dent on each bounce....
And this bone-headed move. Careful, long read.....
I was finishing up a tire rack on my trailer and wanted to verify where the car should be positioned based upon the new additional weight over the tongue. I had been working on this for a while and wanted to watch the Tivo’d VIR race so started to hurry. Well, since I was only putting the car on for a few minutes and not driving anywhere, I didn’t hook up the power cable, safety chains, etc. to the truck.
So, I load up the rack w/ tires, put the car on, then back into my garage to measure tongue weight. Throw a scale under the tongue jack, jack the front up, then position the car where I need it. Lower the tongue back onto the ball, put away my scale, then go to unload the car.
Some background. The street in front of my house has a moderate grade, which is great for loading/unloading the car and saving the clutch. Park downhill for putting the car on, uphill for unloading. So, I proceed to pull out of my driveway, turn around in the cul-de-sac ~ 50 yards away and head back uphill. I stop across from my house and proceed to unload. My neighbor parks his older Jeep GC on the street (his 3rd car) but I’ll have a 3 or-so car length gap when I back the car off the trailer so I’m not worried. Of course, I don’t bother to chock the trailer wheels as this will only take me a second.
I put the car in reverse and start to roll the car off the trailer, when all of a sudden the front of the trailer kicks up, and I’m going backwards down the hill and I’m STILL ON THE TRAILER!!! At first I think I’ve lost my car's brakes but then realize the whole darned trailer is rolling with me still on it!!!!!
Trailer ramps and trailer tail are scraping on the street making a heck of a racket and I think to myself, WTF?!?!?!?! Then I see my neighbors Jeep getting closer and couple thoughts came to mind:
“Well, at least it’s his old Jeep that I’m going to run into and not his wife’s new MDX.
I hope I can fix the rear end and tail lights before the Mid-O club race. Maybe it’s a good opportunity to install a fiberglass bumper?
How in the heck am I going to explain this to my insurance agent?
At least his Jeep is there or I would have picked up a lot of speed by the time I reached the bottom of the hill.”
Well, I assume it’s better to sacrifice the P-car instead of my neighbor’s Jeep (and see my insurance costs escalate), so I gun the engine, popped the clutch, and got the car off the trailer. Hit the brakes immediately and the trailer’s front end crashes down and the trailer proceeds to roll into the car. Luckily the ramps stayed in place so they wedged under the front wheels and stopped the trailer. With the trailer’s nose all the way down, the ramps were steeply angled and pushing up on the bumper cover a bit but no damage was done. Whewww...... And heck, I still had all of a car length to spare between my car and the Jeep. All told, trailer had rolled about 20 feet.
So, I’m still thinking to myself “how in the heck did the trailer come loose??” Well, I had forgotten to put the ball lock down when I lowered the tongue back onto the truck. It will still pinned open.
too funny! a true comedy of errors!
03-05-2012, 09:26 PM
#28
Drifting
I've mentioned it before but will do so again to confirm my "idiot" status...
I have an attic above my 1 1/2 car garage. The pull down access stairs are above my car when it's parked. In recent years I've found if I pull the stairs down without unfolding them, put a ladder next to my car and climb like a contorted monkey, I can get myself into the attic space without moving my car.
Well while looking for a Christmas accessory last year my fat *** nudged a lug wrench (which was left too close to the opening) and as if in slow motion, I watched as it fell through the hole and onto the roof of my car.
2 dime sized dings was my reward for being stupid and lazy.
I have an attic above my 1 1/2 car garage. The pull down access stairs are above my car when it's parked. In recent years I've found if I pull the stairs down without unfolding them, put a ladder next to my car and climb like a contorted monkey, I can get myself into the attic space without moving my car.
Well while looking for a Christmas accessory last year my fat *** nudged a lug wrench (which was left too close to the opening) and as if in slow motion, I watched as it fell through the hole and onto the roof of my car.
2 dime sized dings was my reward for being stupid and lazy.
I could go on, but I hate rembering all the stupid **** I've done over the years.
03-06-2012, 12:40 AM
#29
Jerome wins, hands down. Mine doesn't come close, but its in the same vein.....
At the track, truck and trailer parked and I'm starting the prep to run it off the trailer. Ramps down, tie-downs off, car sitting happily on the trailer ready to be started up and rolled off. Then a friend rolls up with his new enclosed trailer and [the main attraction] his new Ruf Turbo inside. I walk over to say Hi and witness the unveiling. A crowd gathers, etc. Everything is going fine until someone yells "Loose CAR!!" I spin around to see my car travelling backwards at a decent clip headed towards a gaggle of cars, trailers tow vehicles and people. Turns out that the paddock has a very slight fall, which was just enough for the car to roll ever so slowly backwards until the rear wheels hit the ramps. It then achieved escape velocity.
I managed to intercept and stop the bloody thing before it caused any damage [by a margin of maybe three feet].
At the track, truck and trailer parked and I'm starting the prep to run it off the trailer. Ramps down, tie-downs off, car sitting happily on the trailer ready to be started up and rolled off. Then a friend rolls up with his new enclosed trailer and [the main attraction] his new Ruf Turbo inside. I walk over to say Hi and witness the unveiling. A crowd gathers, etc. Everything is going fine until someone yells "Loose CAR!!" I spin around to see my car travelling backwards at a decent clip headed towards a gaggle of cars, trailers tow vehicles and people. Turns out that the paddock has a very slight fall, which was just enough for the car to roll ever so slowly backwards until the rear wheels hit the ramps. It then achieved escape velocity.
I managed to intercept and stop the bloody thing before it caused any damage [by a margin of maybe three feet].