What's your biggest mechanical mistake?
- Thread starter Quickstop [UK]
- Start date
the baPhoon
Active member
Re: What's your biggest mechanical mistake?
Bit of a long one.
Couple of years ago I wanted to get my cooling system flushed before summer.
Took the ty here and there and ended up at a place who informed me my Rad was cracked. Bought a new radiator and and decided to really route my ic lines. In the process of removing the lines I snapped the terminal off my coolent temp sensor. No biggie.
After the new lines and Rad were in I replaced the coolant temp sensor and torqued it to 13 ft lbs. Not 13 NM. Cracked the lower intake manifold.
Oops.
Bit of a long one.
Couple of years ago I wanted to get my cooling system flushed before summer.
Took the ty here and there and ended up at a place who informed me my Rad was cracked. Bought a new radiator and and decided to really route my ic lines. In the process of removing the lines I snapped the terminal off my coolent temp sensor. No biggie.
After the new lines and Rad were in I replaced the coolant temp sensor and torqued it to 13 ft lbs. Not 13 NM. Cracked the lower intake manifold.
Oops.
![Quickstop [UK]](/forums/data/avatars/m/5/5165.jpg?1570199786){kind=avatar}
Quickstop [UK]
Combating adversyty.
Re: What's your biggest mechanical mistake?
Another classic of mine - over torqued the water pump bolt to 85 ftlbs. Snapped off the head and tried to easy out it.
Misaligned the drill and torqued it up. Ended up cracking the block
Another classic of mine - over torqued the water pump bolt to 85 ftlbs. Snapped off the head and tried to easy out it.
Misaligned the drill and torqued it up. Ended up cracking the block
JSM
Active member
Re: What's your biggest mechanical mistake?
And your goal is to move on to working on people?
Another classic of mine - over torqued the water pump bolt to 85 ftlbs. Snapped off the head and tried to easy out it.
Misaligned the drill and torqued it up. Ended up cracking the block
And your goal is to move on to working on people?
Quickstop [UK]
Combating adversyty.
Re: What's your biggest mechanical mistake?
I plan on being taught how to operate rather than learning myself. If I were in Bulgaria though, that would be possible!
I plan on being taught how to operate rather than learning myself. If I were in Bulgaria though, that would be possible!
Re: What's your biggest mechanical mistake?
yes...my most expensive oil change ever, back when oil wasn't even as expensive.
I'd just rebuilt the 4.3 in #2320 and had finally gotten it home after a couple of failed attempts and broken parts, tranny swaps, etc. Decide to change the oil and check for debris, then give the truck a nice wash.
I drain the oil, no problem. Dump in a fresh new full amount of Mobil 1 5w30. As i'm screwing the cap back on i look down at the floor to see roughly 4.5qts of oil on the floor. Damn drain plug. Luckily I had another 5qt jug-o-oil, and couldn't be mad at the truck, figured it was worth another $20 of oil.
So i pour it in, check the floor....no oil! woohoo success!!
Fire up the truck and back it out of the garage so i can give it a bath. As i'm backing out i look forward to see another pond of oil on the floor. Cut the motor off immediately. WTF?!?
Apparently, one needs an oil filter installed to prevent oil from spewing everywhere.
After i cleaned up that mess and washed the truck, and stopped laughing at myself...i had to drive my other car to walmart to buy some more oil since i'd used up all my new oil. Classic case of just not paying attention to what you're doing, and being in lala land / euphoria of your truck.
yes...my most expensive oil change ever, back when oil wasn't even as expensive.
I'd just rebuilt the 4.3 in #2320 and had finally gotten it home after a couple of failed attempts and broken parts, tranny swaps, etc. Decide to change the oil and check for debris, then give the truck a nice wash.
I drain the oil, no problem. Dump in a fresh new full amount of Mobil 1 5w30. As i'm screwing the cap back on i look down at the floor to see roughly 4.5qts of oil on the floor. Damn drain plug. Luckily I had another 5qt jug-o-oil, and couldn't be mad at the truck, figured it was worth another $20 of oil.
So i pour it in, check the floor....no oil! woohoo success!!
Fire up the truck and back it out of the garage so i can give it a bath. As i'm backing out i look forward to see another pond of oil on the floor. Cut the motor off immediately. WTF?!?
Apparently, one needs an oil filter installed to prevent oil from spewing everywhere.
After i cleaned up that mess and washed the truck, and stopped laughing at myself...i had to drive my other car to walmart to buy some more oil since i'd used up all my new oil. Classic case of just not paying attention to what you're doing, and being in lala land / euphoria of your truck.
