admit to your stupidity

[Fergie]

Had a relatively rare 1968 MGC. The harmonic balancer was toast so I had to set the timing by feel and exhaust heat. I would turn the distributor a few degrees and go for a spirited drive and repeat until both felt right. I forgot to latch the aluminum hood for ter one of these test drives and the hood came up and smashed into the windshield at about 30 MPH. Could not see and panic stop. Try finding another MGC aluminum bonnet.

[Autoban]

Opened the top on my ‘86 Carrera last November when the temperature was close to 32 F. The rear window split all the way across. I received the new top, now have to find the time to put it on.

Juergen

[911SauCy]

The first 2 miles of ownership...Fan belt came off, I had no idea what this meant on an air-cooled car versus a water-cooled where if you're in motion the temp will remain reasonable.... Oil temps spiked to at least 280, which likely precipitated the engine rebuild required 6k miles later... (car never pinged but man she was cooking!)

Tossed my targa top on....in a hurry. Stabbed the rear guide pins right through the $600 seal...

Used too much muscle, not enough pen-lube, heat, and patience to remove oil line from external t-stat housing...the aluminum threads just, came off...

[bugstrider]

Making spot repairs to the paint damage due to my earlier DSM award.








Then I go to apply another light coat of primer..............and I blindly reach and grab the wrong can. Aaaaarrrggghhhh!


I’m done for now

Update: one step closer to the repair. Good way to spend extra time planned for something else.... still haven’t heard back from the company who makes the oil pan warmer.......shocking, I know.



Using 500 grit wetdry paper before fist coat

[dw1]

My latest stupid move:

I needed to re-index the torsion bars on my '87 for the '17's I finally purchased, and I proved you can loosen and re-tighten the high-torque rear suspension bolts (those requiring over 150 ft-lbs) with just hand tools.

I now have the severely torn rotator cuff to prove it. (I have seen the MRI. Ugly.)

I guess the pipe cheater on the breaker bar was just a bit too short.

[964TargaC2]

Originally Posted by Fergie

Had a relatively rare 1968 MGC. The harmonic balancer was toast so I had to set the timing by feel and exhaust heat. I would turn the distributor a few degrees and go for a spirited drive and repeat until both felt right. I forgot to latch the aluminum hood for ter one of these test drives and the hood came up and smashed into the windshield at about 30 MPH. Could not see and panic stop. Try finding another MGC aluminum bonnet.

Did you try Victoria British?

[mike sampsel]

Well ... I changed oil in my daughter’s Subaru one thanksgiving. .
Filled engine up with 5 quarts. Trouble was I dumped the transmission fluid instead by mistake. Fortunately the car warning lights went crazy so she did not drive it home.

Towed it to a dealer who remedied the issue 400 dollar oil change of course all Dad’s nickel.

And farther back, I was bleeding (bleeding s theme here) brakes/removing caliper for rebuild on SC and as the stuck bolt broke free (I had my head over brake and dust shield) my head went smack into the metal shield. Lots of blood, off to emergency. Luckily the cut went right across my brow wrinkle so no stitches and no scar!

[bugstrider]

Cleaned and painted my oleo strut on the ol C-150 heavy. In manipulating the strut and removing the cross through bolt, allowed a crispy, crunchy ancient O-ring to shift. Thus causing it to leak hydraulic fluid hours after a nice paint job.

Now I get to re-seal AND repaint due to the damage the fluid has caused.

Please give me strength!!!!!

Lots-o-elbow grease


Not a bad paint job


The culprit. The base cap that is held in place by the pass through bolt.


Can we all say........”do over”



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[bugstrider]

Another story too pathetic not to share.

Found a nice set of Horton fiberglass wingtips for the 150. They needed some cosmetic repair, some paint and good to go.

The past few days I’ve been multitasking working on a few different items. I made the repairs and then wanted to test fit them before going into work tonight. I finish up some wet dry sanding and they are looking really nice. Just need to run them up to the airport, fit, prime and let them dry while away.

Since I get home around 4:00AM, I wake up this morning and my phone immediately explodes from major work related drama regarding the unit schedule which I’m charged with. So, mentally distracted from work crap and ready to explode, I get in the car and off I go.........

“CRUNCH!” I run both of them over. White car, white wing tips partially blocking the driveway just below the hood line. I had thought I put them in the car. So much for the forward sensors.

“ARE YOU PHUCING KIDDING ME?!?!?” I honestly want to kill something. Not much to do now but try to see if there is a possible repair. Non-structural thankfully.

Just before the vehicular tip-slaughter on the wing tips


After my cock-up. Fiberglass survived by flexing but the gel coat, not so much.




Scene of the crime






Today’s lesson: “mental distractions are real”

Seeing how extensive my royal cock-up goes








Getting some pointers from a buddy who is a composite owner/builder

[lateapex911]

Those can be saved. But yea, thats maddening. Stupid work!

I know this is supposed to be about MY stupidity...but....

This is a classic....

in college I lived in a dorm room that had an access drive to the basement under it. So, We would toss a huge tarp over it on the weekends and toss an extension cord out my window and have a makeshift car shop for a day. So, on Sat, a dorm buddy brings his 4000 mile old Z 28 down for an oil change. It's Rochester and it's January, so it's cold and snowy.

He drains the oil in a pan, breaks the filter loose, screws a new one on and refills it with 5 quarts of the fanciest Valvoline you could buy.
Checks the dipstick, which shows low (??) he says.
I suggest the car is at a bit of a tilt, he should check it on level ground.
"OH duh!" he says, "Yeah, it's FINE, I put 5 quarts in!"


So, he puts his shiny "Members Only" jacket back on, starts it up and pulls away. As he does, I notice the drain plug sitting on the cardboard he used to crawl under the car and a river of oil to a drain.
I yell, but his windows are closed so I quickly whip a snowball, and hit him in the back window.
He assumes I'm being an ass and flips me the bird.

And is gone.


5 minutes later he runs up huffing and puffing..
"Dude....it's got .....puff.....no..........huff.....oil pressure, what the fook!?!?!"

I hold up the drain plug ....with a disapproving scowl. No words from me.

That ride to get 5 more quarts cost him a 6 pack of something far better than Genny Cream, and a pizza. I was living large, ha!

[bugstrider]

Originally Posted by lateapex911

Those can be saved. But yea, thats maddening. Stupid work!

Great story!

Thanks, damage control currently in effect.









Reinforcing the insides then will tackle the exterior. So far it’s looking hopeful. Will further strengthen the nav light mounting points with a riv nut-plate. The exterior will take a bit of work with resin and shedded glass to get the paste constancy I need. Sanding and more sanding followed with Polly Fill with a sanding chaser.

Will set up while I’m at work tonight.

Wasted time on repairs due to me failing to just take a deep breath and looking twice before driving away.



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[geoff_k]

How many do you want???

Here is a quick one

Could not start car. Turning over but nothing. Checked fuel - no fuel pumping through..
Ordered a new fuel pump...waited a few weeks (Australia here and much cheaper to buy parts from overseas), received pump then changed it.Noted no fuel coming out of hose; dawned on the two of us there was no fuel in tank... suppose I have a spare fuel pump..

[MadeofOak]

Can't get ball off cup.

[theiceman]

Someone at our local get together asked about this post from way back , if it all wer true and I have to say every single word .. I remember it like it were yesterday.. think I'll bump it for some "entertaining " reading for the newer guys .. not a day I ever want to experience again ...


You guys wanna hear how my day went. Started off with trying to get the parking brake adjusted .seamed okay , went tight as I could then backed it off 4 clicks as the Bently mentioned. Got in the car tested it in the garage seamed fine now it stops after 3 clicks instead of five. great . I get out and decide to bring my Wifes Taurus in from the street and put it in the other side of the garage. As I am backing up I notice the door of my 911 open on the other side of the garage and get out to close it. I get back in the taurus and as I am backing it into the garage I look over and there is my 911 heading down the driveway towards the road. I jamed the taurus into park and dive out close the door so the open door isn't hit by the 911 and dive into the open window of the 911, I reach for the parking brake but it is already up. I squirm around as I hit the street and hit the brakes. totally relieved my car did not hit any kids adults or cream any cars coming down the street , not to mention my neighbours car in the opposite driveway.
I look up relieved and to my horror the Taurus is coming back down the drivewayI quickly scramlbe out of the 911 and dart over to the Taurus coming into the same street .. it is locked and the windows are up. In my panic to get out of it i just got it to neutral , not to park.. and when I got out the door must have locked. I scrambled to do something but watched helplessly as it rolled into the street. fortunately it went about 6 ft up my neighbours driveway and stopped ...so here I was with 2 cars in the middle of the street. I put the 911 away and my neighbour helped me push the Taurus back up the driveway and put wood locks in front of it and let it idle for an hour till the wife got home with the spare keys ... she saw I was non to pleased ... Rough day ?

Honey you have NO idea.. I think I am the luckiest guy in the world .. she smiles , says thanks and goes in the house ....

I am going to bed before anything else goes wrong...

[kfosburg]

Tonight... Brilliance... Since I have the plugs out and valve covers off, seemed like an ideal time to do a quick compression test. Hooked up cylinder 1 and cranked about 10 revolutions... I forgot that I had only drained the oil from the engine and not the tank though... what a mess... Geez.

Karl

[bugstrider]

[QUOTE=bugstrider;10445354]Cleaned and painted my oleo strut on the ol C-150 heavy. In manipulating the strut and removing the cross through bolt, allowed a crispy, crunchy ancient O-ring to shift. Thus causing it to leak hydraulic fluid hours after a nice paint job.
QUOTE]
Update! And more entertainment.

So I checked in with the shop that is resealing my front strut with a FAA/PMA kit that I provided. Now I fully understand that I am not a certified airplane mechanic. Everthing I am doing is under the direct supervision of an A&P mechanic. Nothing is structural and all are little no nothing jobs.

The nose strut is the first item to see the inside of a FAA repair station in years because I wanted to leave that job to the “subject matter experts” and my A&P is out of the state on a job for another month. I was suppose to pick up the strut last week but due to schedules, yesterday was the first chance I had to stop by before work. Logistically, its easier to utilize a shop by my office since I am there more on a daily basis. I also “DO NOT” trust the on field shop by my county rental hangar/home field due to shenanigans they have pulled with some of our older/veteran owners. Shops or people that do those types of things takes me to a very dark place where not very nice things begin to run through my head. I just become protective of our older generation. Anyway, back to the story.

I walk into the shop and I am greeted by “just the guy I needed to talk to”. Now, in the aviation world, that is like getting a message on your answering machine from your doctor saying “please call the office”. It’s never positive and usually leads to some form of bad news.

He proceeds to tell me that the threads stripped off of the “guide pin” which goes through the base plate of the strut.


In looking at the wee little nut, I am not sure how that was possible other than his high school ROP student assistant hit this thing with an air tool. I understand that there is now no physical way to determine the cause, age, corrosion, don’t force it just get a big ass tool and make it submit, who knows?!?




All I do know, is that the Cessna aircraft company wants $3,800.00 for this stupid thing. For an airplane that is valued between 18-20K, this is where owning one becomes a P.I.T.A. and borders on stupidity. And here I thought I thought Porsche’s were pricy to maintain. I guess where this makes me frustrated is that if a bolt is frozen, then take steps to carefully remove it without destroying an insanely expensive part. I know time is money but my god, common sense people. This is exactly why I like overseeing these types of things. It’s also another reason for me to go back to school at the local A&P school 50 miles away.

All of this was caused by me trying to cosmetically enhance the plane. Will I ever learn?

Luckily, I just found a viable replacement at our local aviation wrecking yard. Yup, we have one here is Sacramento. It’s the same yard the Mythbuster team got all of their aviation items for all the aviation myths. Chicken gun, spiral cut wing, etc.

Anyway, for the most part, it’s identical with the exception that it’s about 1/4” longer. Although, in taking a closer look, it seems that my original might have been machined sometime in its past. It’s all about the journey, right?

Original on the left, replacement in the right.




Original


Replacement

[kent olsen]

15 years ago I bought one of the first M&K 2 in 2 out mufflers in my efforts to reduce weight. To load for the street so they sent me two baffles to slip in the tail pipe held in by a small bolt I drilled into the tail pipe. Still very load so they sent one tail pipe extension that was welded closed about 2" into the extension. For years I ran that combination on the street and then would take the plug out for a track day.

Couple weeks ago I went over the Oregon Raceway Park and pulled and replaced the plug with an open extension. After I got home I went out to replace the plugged side. I didn't notice that the small bolt I'd put into hold the baffle was missing and then when I wiggled the extension on I didn't get it up all the way so when I pushed the small bolt I used to hold the extension on I was short of the bolt holes. I later took her out for a test drive for another reason and on the way back the exhaust sound increased. When I looked in the rearview there goes my extension bouncing down the road.

Well never found the baffle but I did find the extension with the plug in it so I'll have to just leave it as is with the one side plugged .

[bugstrider]

Redeemed my earlier stupidity of running over my new/used wingtips.

Before



After







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[smadsen]

Just last week I rebuilt the rear calipers on the 911. To bleed the brakes from full drain can be problematic. My good friend was on the pedal as I worked the bleeders. Went twice around the car but couldn't get any fluid at any corner. My helper fessed up. He was pushing the far left pedal.

[Locker537]

Most recently, my father's SUV slipped off the jack while I was lifting the car in the street. I was trying to work fast and didn't see that the jack wasn't moving but instead the car slipping off the pad.

My ego took the brunt of it, as did the radiator and fan shroud. That quick oil change turned into a radiator, fan shroud, hoses job in my driveway. Age and New England took their toll on the transmission cooler lines as well. After getting everything back together I discovered the lines leaking from the transmission side, which attach ON TOP of the trans. Yea, that was a $500 trip to the mechanic as I wasn't equipped to solve that.

Fortunately, accidents happen but I was safely away from the car when it fell.