Whats your worst wrenching mistake?

[hellno]

My biggest mistake was helping a good friend change a intake gasket and radiator on his mid 80's rustang . I refuse to work on Ford's but he WAS a good friend and he didn't know the difference between a ratchet and a toilet plunger. The job went as well as could be expected. The real problem was every time something broke in the car it was some how my fault ....... The rear tail light burns out its some how my fault because I touched the batter and wiring under the hood . Brake pads wore out it was my fault they wore out to quick . Etc he also told the guy that he sold the car to call me when stuff breaks because I probably had something to do with it .
We are not friends any more lol

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Did you not explain before hand that Ford was an acronym for FIX OR REPAIRED DAILY 😂😂

 

[Hunter]

My biggest mistake was helping a good friend change a intake gasket and radiator on his mid 80's rustang . I refuse to work on Ford's but he WAS a good friend and he didn't know the difference between a ratchet and a toilet plunger. The job went as well as could be expected. The real problem was every time something broke in the car it was some how my fault ....... The rear tail light burns out its some how my fault because I touched the batter and wiring under the hood . Brake pads wore out it was my fault they wore out to quick . Etc he also told the guy that he sold the car to call me when stuff breaks because I probably had something to do with it .
We are not friends any more lol
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True story:
Had a friend tell me he was going to change the engine oil on his Fairlane.
Went to check on his progress, and had to ask what he was doing.....
He was under the back side of the car, pulling the differential plug out (to drain the engine oil).
After I had stopped laughing and explained where and what he should be doing, he got mad at ME...

 

[SunnyS]

First job at seventeen I was a Oil change tech at a Mopar dealer. First car was a big Chrysler and started to put grease in the ball joints. was talking to the tech next to me and just keep holding the trigger on the grease gun until the boot exploded. very load bang that woke up the shop.What a mess and the had to put a new boot on it.

 

[FatCat]

First mistake at 16. My uncle had a '63 Dodge....forget the model. It had a flat rear tire. Being a good nephew, I told him I would change it for him. After breaking off 2 studs my uncle came out and explained that Dodge cars have left hand threads on the rear wheels.......who knew?????? We only had GM products at our place. So much for "righty, tighty, lefty, loosey.

 

[Purerock105]

Me too....I quit wrenchin….

That's kinda where I'm at now too. I'll recruit my friends who know THAT model/make and Jedi mind trick them into doing most of the work. I'll even hand them the tools and buy the beer. 🍻😁

 

[Jimmy N.]

And another memory resurfaced: Had to remove the transmission in my Jeep to fix the clutch.
These were extremely lean days, so to save on gaskets and oil, I pulled the trans and transfer case as one.

Not having a floor jack, I set it down on my chest. Since I was on a creeper it was really only a matter of scooting out from beneath the Jeep, except...

I forgot about the speedo cable, which was on there more than hand tight. The adjustable pliers were about six inches farther away than I could reach, while balancing the trans and transfer case on top of me. Which didn't feel all that good anyway.

To this day I have no idea how I managed to reach those pliers, but I did, and didn't have to buy a new speedo cable, which I definitely couldn't have afforded.

 

[BULL]

And another memory resurfaced: Had to remove the transmission in my Jeep to fix the clutch.
These were extremely lean days, so to save on gaskets and oil, I pulled the trans and transfer case as one.

Not having a floor jack, I set it down on my chest. Since I was on a creeper it was really only a matter of scooting out from beneath the Jeep, except...

I forgot about the speedo cable, which was on there more than hand tight. The adjustable pliers were about six inches farther away than I could reach, while balancing the trans and transfer case on top of me. Which didn't feel all that good anyway.

To this day I have no idea how I managed to reach those pliers, but I did, and didn't have to buy a new speedo cable, which I definitely couldn't have afforded.

I've had more than one trans on my chest while on a creeper because of a clutch.

Or a throw out bearing

Or two....

 

[Jimmy N.]

I've had more than one trans on my chest while on a creeper because of a clutch.

Or a throw out bearing

Or two....

Yeah, but you weren't dumb enough to forget to disconnect everything, were you?

 

[BULL]

Yeah, but you weren't dumb enough to forget to disconnect everything, were you?

Lol, no, but I forgot about the time that all of the trans fluid came out of the DS hole and poured out onto my lap...

I was trapped and couldn't get away from the oil pouring out.

 

[Jimmy N.]

Ah, yes, oil stains. A friend and I once managed to empty an entire laundromat when washing off two blankets we had used as creepers during a rear axle swap in a beach parking lot.

Not that 90 weight smells good, but it really reeks when in a good clothes dryer.

 

[Jungle Cat]

When I was in my twenties I owned several rare 442’s. I was changing the oil sender switch which was right in front of engine on a Olds 455. I took the old one out and went off and did something else. Several ours later I went back and started the car! I could see the geyser of oil through the space under the hood because I left it opened. Thank God I did or it could have been by by engine. I turned it off within a few seconds. That great move cost me about an 8 hour nasty cleanup.

 

[Jimmy N.]

More not-so-good memories:

Fiddled with something electrical on my Jeep one morning, in a rush to head out for a trail ride.
Reached in and hit the starter button, just to turn the engine a hair, or hear it click. Sure enough, without any choke, the engine fired instantly.

I got the Jeep stopped just before it hit the landlord's car, but not before the hood had folded over the roll cage as it hit the open garage door.

 

[BULL]

More not-so-good memories:

Fiddled with something electrical on my Jeep one morning, in a rush to head out for a trail ride.
Reached in and hit the starter button, just to turn the engine a hair, or hear it click. Sure enough, without any choke, the engine fired instantly.

I got the Jeep stopped just before it hit the landlord's car, but not before the hood had folded over the roll cage as it hit the open garage door.

Me and a good friend of mine have had a conversation related to this...


Nearly every car he's had did NOT have a clutch safety switch.


I've never owned a car that didn't...


He's talked about using the starter to get him out of an intersection more than once in his life (stalled vehicle), I can't image being able to do that...

 

[Jimmy N.]

He's talked about using the starter to get him out of an intersection more than once in his life (stalled vehicle), I can't image being able to do that...

There are many advantages to not having to push the clutch in...but sometimes the nut behind the wheel needs all the help he can get.
And in my case above I wasn't even behind the wheel.

 

[Hunter]

Ah, yes, oil stains. A friend and I once managed to empty an entire laundromat when washing off two blankets we had used as creepers during a rear axle swap in a beach parking lot.

Not that 90 weight smells good, but it really reeks when in a good clothes dryer.

Used to use a little MEK with laundry soap.
Everyone gets hydraulic fluid on them working in a UH-1 Hellhole.

 

[Hunter]

When I was in my twenties I owned several rare 442’s. I was changing the oil sender switch which was right in front of engine on a Olds 455. I took the old one out and went off and did something else. Several ours later I went back and started the car! I could see the geyser of oil through the space under the hood because I left it opened. Thank God I did or it could have been by by engine. I turned it off within a few seconds. That great move cost me about an 8 hour nasty cleanup.

Needed a PDM Log and a Red X?
@BULL

 

[DGatzby]

Oh, lots of screw-ups growing up and teaching myself how to wrench. The time I must have installed the throwout bearing wrong changing the clutch out I don't remember how many times on my '78 T/A that we had fun modifying was a big screw up. That cost me.

Reading some of the above also reminded me of the time I was synchronizing twin carbs on the MGB I used for a few years commuting to college. When the patience finally wore off, I just pounded my fists into the top of the front 1/4 panel. Yep, got to view those two little dents until the day I sold it. SOB finally got mid-30's MPG's

Now do we want to begin telling motorcycle stories??

One...a fun night driving them in the Florida Keys. One had its charging system go down. Well screw that, we wanted to get down the road. It was a custom chopper too. We purchased the largest battery we could find (oh yes a car battery), strapped it on the back. Okay, long battery cables?? Late at night? Sure, try some lamp cable the service station found. Dude hit the starter button. Guess what? Watched the apparent ground wire vaporize in less than one second. We doubled them, actually got it where we wanted it that night AND barely back to Miami the next day, running each and every toll booth leading back.

 

[DGatzby]

Me and a good friend of mine have had a conversation related to this...


Nearly every car he's had did NOT have a clutch safety switch.


I've never owned a car that didn't...


He's talked about using the starter to get him out of an intersection more than once in his life (stalled vehicle), I can't image being able to do that...

Reminds me, it was not a wrenching mistake, but a mechanical mistake I have not made many times ever. Was a smart ass with a MC one night. The one time I forgot it was in gear (really should have not been driving either) leaving a bar. I was going to be the big guy and just hit the starter button and let the HD warm a bit in the chilly Black Hills early morning air. No, of course I was not straddling it. It did not fall over either. Ask me about my right shoulder sometime.

 

[ChargerChallenger]

Good entertaining and learning thread Hunter lol. Oh do we have to share our stupidity lol and sure we all have our moments. Mine have been some years back and sure some present lol. But the biggest one that always sticks in my head is the Spring of 1982 I take my dads 1978 Chevy Stepside Silverado 4x4 truck which was his first new truck he ever owned. I and my 2 friends decide after a major rain to go 4wheeling in a area with a creek that is always a creek and after the rains that creek was now a river LOL. It was late at night and we couldn't see that the stream really had become a river which my friends and I sat there initially evaluating the situation. Then my best friend says just nudge in a little more to see how she feels lol and sure enough the truck starts floating and all the water starts entering the truck. We are now floating down the stream (river) holly crap everyone is flipping out since its night and water is now up over the bench seat and the doors are not openable lol. The truck miraculously is nudged up agains a tree in the middle of the stream (river). We climb out of the cab being its a single cab into the bed of the truck and I tie off on the tree with a rope. Now we need to get to land lol and my friend decides to jump in and swim for help holly crap he just about goes down river OMG that was crazy. He then runs to my friends house which is about a mile away to get help. My personal friend is not a good swimmer and this is the friends moms house he goes to. When his mother answers the door at 11 at night he says "don't worry your son isn't going to drown" he's stuck in the river in the bed of a truck LOL. Now after telling the cause and effect story you will understand my possible stupidest mistake wrenching ever and amazed I'm here to write it. Once the truck was towed home we immediately drained the motor and trans and differentials and transfer case. A few days later we drained the fuel tank lol. And I say drained the tank by using a wet shop vacuum lol. My friend and I stuffed the vacuum hose down into the gas fill hose and then watched the gas be sucked out to the point we created such a vacuum we could pull the hose out and gas was visible as it was sucked up LOL. My friend and I got all the gas out and went on doing our business which it was about 3 hours later we are eating lunch and look at each other and think holly crap.

 

[Demon1]

H

Good entertaining and learning thread Hunter lol. Oh do we have to share our stupidity lol and sure we all have our moments. Mine have been some years back and sure some present lol. But the biggest one that always sticks in my head is the Spring of 1982 I take my dads 1978 Chevy Stepside Silverado 4x4 truck which was his first new truck he ever owned. I and my 2 friends decide after a major rain to go 4wheeling in a area with a creek that is always a creek and after the rains that creek was now a river LOL. It was late at night and we couldn't see that the stream really had become a river which my friends and I sat there initially evaluating the situation. Then my best friend says just nudge in a little more to see how she feels lol and sure enough the truck starts floating and all the water starts entering the truck. We are now floating down the stream (river) holly crap everyone is flipping out since its night and water is now up over the bench seat and the doors are not openable lol. The truck miraculously is nudged up agains a tree in the middle of the stream (river). We climb out of the cab being its a single cab into the bed of the truck and I tie off on the tree with a rope. Now we need to get to land lol and my friend decides to jump in and swim for help holly crap he just about goes down river OMG that was crazy. He then runs to my friends house which is about a mile away to get help. My personal friend is not a good swimmer and this is the friends moms house he goes to. When his mother answers the door at 11 at night he says "don't worry your son isn't going to drown" he's stuck in the river in the bed of a truck LOL. Now after telling the cause and effect story you will understand my possible stupidest mistake wrenching ever and amazed I'm here to write it. Once the truck was towed home we immediately drained the motor and trans and differentials and transfer case. A few days later we drained the fuel tank lol. And I say drained the tank by using a wet shop vacuum lol. My friend and I stuffed the vacuum hose down into the gas fill hose and then watched the gas be sucked out to the point we created such a vacuum we could pull the hose out and gas was visible as it was sucked up LOL. My friend and I got all the gas out and went on doing our business which it was about 3 hours later we are eating lunch and look at each other and think holly crap.

I’m surprised you survived to tell about it. Not drowning, but dad.