Admit your Garage Mistakes

[MNM96]

Originally Posted by AUII_SE_Ute

Ask Racecraft about mine.

OK, I'll bite.
Tell us Racecraft!

[Windsor220]

I thought of another one I did, not car related but part of the garage.

Had to work late on a friday so i was told to turn off the compressor. Forgot about it and went home. The oil supply system is pressurised by the compressor. Went to work on monday morning to find apprentices and mechanics cleaning the floor. At some point during the weekend one of the oil lines in the roof of the workshop had burst and covered the entire floor with engine oil. Ended up costing the company $1000 in oil.

[Karnage]

PMSL.......and not feeling soo bad about all the stupid things I have done.

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

when doing a head on an EA Falcon, watched a lifter fall out of the tappet and down the oil gallery.........never having taken much notice thought I could pull the sump off and fish it out (lmao as if) pulled the motor out dropped the sump, no lifter, search through out motor nothing!!! found it wedged in the plenum when i was reinstalling the motor!!!! DOH!!

Letting my Mum buy an EA was also a silly garage mistake!!!!

After flooding a motor don't pull a lead off and check for spark against the air cleaner!!!

Lending tools would have to be my most costly garage mistake!!!

Why do we have to check that something we know is going to be really hot, is in fact really hot by touching it?

Welding a bench together in a shadehouse (damp ground) I decided to change the electrode without turning off the welder, metal bench on damp ground with earth connected + fool kneeling on the ground now latched onto electrode = about a minute wait while my friend decided to unplugg the welder...........was not fun and in reality should be gratefull i survived that one.

And last but not least more something interesting.....I have never had a shock off a twelve volt circuit even touching the terminals on a truck battery.........since I had the plates and screwsinstalled in my hip, I'm even getting shocks from AA batteries? WTF?

[svo347]

Originally Posted by rrpilot

Welding a bench together in a shadehouse (damp ground) I decided to change the electrode without turning off the welder, metal bench on damp ground with earth connected + fool kneeling on the ground now latched onto electrode = about a minute wait while my friend decided to unplugg the welder...........was not fun and in reality should be gratefull i survived that one.

Ive been under a car welding a broken towbar bracket, i went to change the electrode, and whilst spinning it around poked myself in the temple whilst i was grounded to the chassis...
Now that smarts..

[damo03]

Originally Posted by rrpilot

And last but not least more something interesting.....I have never had a shock off a twelve volt circuit even touching the terminals on a truck battery.........since I had the plates and screwsinstalled in my hip, I'm even getting shocks from AA batteries? WTF?

Yeah, this has something to do with the fact that skin is quite a good insulator for small voltages and therefore u only start to feel 40 volts plus with dry hands. Of course if you put some batteries on a open wound you will feel it, also try the 9volt battery on the tongue. Now that you have metal into your bones my guess is that it helps carry the electricity through your system alot better through ur nerves.

[FORD5]

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

[gtfpv]

FIREDANCING.
it is amazing what you can forget . middle of winter freezing cold, went to do some welding in the workshop. any welder knows when you are having a really good weld run you dont stop until the rod is finished or the weld comes to an end so the job looks tidy.( even when your gloves are getting hot you will bare the pain for the last inch of a weld right . ) on this day this is exactly what i was doing except i forgot to take my nylon parker off it was getting hotter and hotter brighter and brighter till i had to stop. when the weld stopped the brightness didnt nor the pain my parker was engulfeds in flames . had to get welding gloves off so i coud try to remove parker . failing miserably i proceeded to FIREDANCE WHILST SINGING A WHALING SONG. fat guy does 100metre dash and pulls off parker.my overalls saved me . just a very burnt ego for a while.

[Falcon Freak]

My first car was fitted with the 2.6 liter Astron 4 cylinder engine. The car and engine were both tired when I purchased the car in my late teens. One of the problems which used to annoy me was that a lot of oil fumes used to accumulate in the air filter. This would result in sump oil making a mess of the air filter.

After having to clean this area often and change the air filter a number of times I got fed up with the situation. So I decided to detach the hose which fed the fumes from the engine into the air filter and let the free end dangle in the engine bay. This solved one problem but caused another one. My engine bay became very dirty due to the oil fumes.

So one day a had a 'bright' idea. To stop the oil fumes from making such a mess I taped up the free end of the hose which was originally connected to the air cleaner.

I got into the car, backed it out of the driveway and then proceeded to drive the car. I only travelled approximately 100 meters from home when there was a loud bang under the bonnet. I pulled over immediately and opened the bonnet. I found that the pressure in the engine had built up so much that it blew the cap off the rocker cover and a large quantity of sump oil had also come out and was all over the engine bay. Doh! Lucky for me the cap was a push on and not a screw on type otherwise who knows where the pressure would have been released.

I removed the tape from the hose, reconnected the hose to the air cleaner and drove the car home. And I left the hose connected for the remainder of the time I owned that car.

FF

[nb_351]

doing plugs, leads and oil change on my eb 3.9 mpfi... first took off the oil filter, then took off the air flow sensor to gain a bit more access to the leads... getting carried away with the leads, started the car to check they were on properly... car went of its tree, hit the limiter, oil ИИИИed out everywhere and it took me about ten seconds to realise... oil all over driveway, me and engine bay...

second one, on a mates r32, doing a clutch... had it up on ramps, had to rip bar off to get it up...
couldnt figure out why the talishaft wouldnt turn... ill let yall figure it out...
just to name a few, dont want to let out what ive done at work...

[RegSpec]

Yep, done the oil change without sump plug thing.
Modifiying battery bracket without removing battery on the race car and drilling a 5/16 hole right through a $350 race battery :
And the classic!
Mate was tuning 360 Charger on chassis dyno when it broke a return spring,
jumped off the rollers,did the biggest burnout across the factory and went right through the back wall. Nearly 60 grands worth of damage :

[Des]

Originally Posted by BlueBAXR8

Mate was tuning 360 Charger on chassis dyno when it broke a return spring, jumped off the rollers,did the biggest burnout across the factory and went right through the back wall. Nearly 60 grands worth of damage :

Now that would of been a sight to see!

It took me 4 hours to bleed the clutch in an econovan once. Because I didn't notice it was sitting down the back, cause it was fully laden. Hence there was an air bubble stuck at the front of the master cylinder. Jacked up the back and bled it in a minute.

[TheSneakiness]

Ok, here's mine...

It involves a pump under loads and loads of pressure, transmission fluid and my head.

[chief]

Has anyone seen the show bush mechanics. Its on ABC and I think DVD. It follows Aboriginals and their mechanic skills. Have a flat tyre, put spinix in the tyre. The car lost 1st, 2nd. 3rd and 4th gear. So one person would sit on the boot and direct while the car just drove in reverse. The fuel pump stops working so use the pump for the window washes, to get the fluid pumping need to sphyon the fuel through the pump, so what does a guy do, starts sucking till the fuel comes through, gets a mouth full than spits it in the carbie.

Great show and just great for laughs.

[LUXO_8]

Originally Posted by chief

Has anyone seen the show bush mechanics. Its on ABC and I think DVD. It follows Aboriginals and their mechanic skills. Have a flat tyre, put spinix in the tyre. The car lost 1st, 2nd. 3rd and 4th gear. So one person would sit on the boot and direct while the car just drove in reverse. The fuel pump stops working so use the pump for the window washes, to get the fluid pumping need to sphyon the fuel through the pump, so what does a guy do, starts sucking till the fuel comes through, gets a mouth full than spits it in the carbie.

Great show and just great for laughs.

love the way they findjust the right part over behind that bush, or over by the nearest tree etc...

[howey]

Originally Posted by MADNC_8

love the way they findjust the right part over behind that bush, or over by the nearest tree etc...

The tree branch that becomes a makeshift leaf spring and the omo and water mix as brake fluid are the two that stand out in my mind

[azaxr8]

Originally Posted by chief

Has anyone seen the show bush mechanics. Its on ABC and I think DVD. It follows Aboriginals and their mechanic skills. Have a flat tyre, put spinix in the tyre. The car lost 1st, 2nd. 3rd and 4th gear. So one person would sit on the boot and direct while the car just drove in reverse. The fuel pump stops working so use the pump for the window washes, to get the fluid pumping need to sphyon the fuel through the pump, so what does a guy do, starts sucking till the fuel comes through, gets a mouth full than spits it in the carbie.

Great show and just great for laughs.

Oh mate, did i ever. Was great for a laugh and i do really miss that show and forgot what its called.

Is it still on air?

[LOCO XP]

Originally Posted by azaxr8

Oh mate, did i ever. Was great for a laugh and i do really miss that show and forgot what its called.

Is it still on air?

Bush Mechanics, thanks for the reminder, one of my favourite shows of all time. Almost forgot about it completely, but briliiant

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=H-tsKPlDn7U

[Ringo]

They cut down bits of woods for a new set of brake pads....

Question: They were in the bush without a hoist or a jack and needed to fit that 'new' tail shaft - what did they do?

They rolled the car onto its side and then stand there fitting the 'new' shaft...! Don't you wish you could do that?

I remember one of the guys on the show saying how much he liked fords - cause they run forever...!

[chief]

Also just watched it again. Love it where they will cut down a tree and make a new clutch plate.

[wickedxe]

i have been reading for a while some of the mistakes in the garage and thought that its time i post some of my best, I owned an EL falcon fitted with tickford d/fuel system which i was trying to sell the car had not been started for 6 months and it wouldnt start, after injecting petrol into the inlet manifold the car back fired through the inlet manifold and ignited the LPG which had been filling the crankcase via a faulty lockoff solanoid and blew the alloy rockercover to bits (a large pice landing 20 feet form the car). removeing the extractors off the head on my xf without first dissconecting the neg terminal of the batt and frying the ECU, a fuseible link, and the altenator.

overtightening No 1 sparkplug on my xf, starting the engine, standing over engine and being hit very hard in the chest by the sparkplug while reving the engine and getting 4 stiches to fix my chest. im sure there many more good ones, Please do tell.

[naughtyfalcon]

testing the compression in my hz kingswood and setting the engine bay on fire.
pulling spark plug lead off with out insulation on hands,,that hurts,,

[GT-P 390]

I think you both need to have the shed keys confiscated

[agony]

Originally Posted by wickedxe

i have been reading for a while some of the mistakes in the garage and thought that its time i post some of my best, I owned an EL falcon fitted with tickford d/fuel system which i was trying to sell the car had not been started for 6 months and it wouldnt start, after injecting petrol into the inlet manifold the car back fired through the inlet manifold and ignited the LPG which had been filling the crankcase via a faulty lockoff solanoid and blew the alloy rockercover to bits (a large pice landing 20 feet form the car). removeing the extractors off the head on my xf without first dissconecting the neg terminal of the batt and frying the ECU, a fuseible link, and the altenator.

overtightening No 1 sparkplug on my xf, starting the engine, standing over engine and being hit very hard in the chest by the sparkplug while reving the engine and getting 4 stiches to fix my chest. im sure there many more good ones, Please do tell.

SOUNDS LIKE YOU SHOULD NOT BE LEFT ALONE AND STAY AWAY FROM MY CAR

[XE351B]

just today i was tightening up the extractor bolts when i arced the spanner from the starter motor relay to the motor and the motor started to turn over,, gave me a big scare......also jacking up a old car that i had and the jacking point gave way, it was rusted out from the inside.

[Simmo]

watching my mate try for 20 mins to loosen the fanbelt tensioner. i couldnt bring myself to tell him the threads are reversed. was too funny.

[wickedxe]

I do have pics of the el's motor after it blew up. im sure everyone has made at least one bad mistake. im happy to laugh at mine(tho they wernt funny at the time) the el was 4 years ago.
One of my mates owns an xb with a mod' 351 running a mechanical fuel pump, and last week it wouldnt start and he checked everything with no obvious cause. well after an hour of him working on it the smell of petrol became apparent, and he could find no leak. after checking the oil (it was the only thing he had not checked) he found it was a fair bit over the full mark and on draining it found that it contained petrol. the fuel pump had split the diaphram and when it was cranked over petrol was going into the sump. a new pump was all that was needed.

[ronwest]

didn't happen to me but around 20 years ago I knew a fella who jacked his car up, crawled underneath and the car fell on him. Many months in hospital, not expected to walk again etc.

He got to the stage where he could be released from hospital on weekends and his brother decided to take him fishing in his boat. The injured guy was in a wheelchair at this stage so his brother wheeled him down to the boat, lifted him up and placed him on the rear seat (so he could have a turn steering the outboard).

Brother proceeds to fill fuel tank but unfortunately is smoking at the time. Fuel catches alight, tank explodes and causes burns to 80% of the wheelchair guy's body.

Back to hospital for another 12 months.

Happy ending though. He's been up and about for years now. Even started his own business.

[EA2BA]

Back to hospital for another 12 months.

Happy ending though. He's been up and about for years now. Even started his own business.

Let me guess making and selling fire extinguishers

or

Fire proof clothing

[AWD Chaser]

Originally Posted by EA2BA

Let me guess making and selling fire extinguishers

or

Fire proof clothing

Or making fire proof cloths with built in jacks!:nutsycuck

Mine would be fitting my brand new vielside kit to my Swift. 4 days later, did a fishy on a dirt road....came back and refitted the original kit... I was so p***ed and upset at myself for being so stupid.

Also doing 155Kph on an old backroad (sealed road) with about 1/2 a litre of water in my front wheel (same car). Was like sitting on a washing machine on spin cycle! lol.

Was working at Mobil once. Guy came down to the back of the servo (where we serviced the cars) and said he just filled his Toyota LandCruiser with 160L of unleaded.... we ended up having to drain all the fuel in the tank and then he had to refill the tanks again with Diesel... lol - expensive