i'm nearing the final stages of my first project car after 3yrs. when i started i knew only one person with mechanical ability to help me and he didn't have a lot of time so i was on my own the majority of the time, well except the shop manual that kept me company. over time i've met more people that have helped me out and for some reason don't let me forget the little mistakes i've made along the way so i thought i'd try to gain a little dignity back by seeing mistakes others may have made in the past.... my mistake is bolting the intake on backwards, i had everything bolted back up with the exception of a vacuum line, and two electrical lines and as i was staring at the engine trying to figure it out why those lines weren't falling into place it dawned on me what i'd done. I'll never be living this one down but i sure as hell won't make that mistake again.
that's alright man, i just installed a cam but didn't put the dizzy in until after i tightened the crank bolt. it turned. when i put the dizzy on i just pointed it at #1, not even realizing that the crank was no longer at TDC. popped through the carb when i tried to start it. tried it 180, didn't work. lined up the damper mark and then re pointed the dizzy at #1. still didn't work. took the engine apart again, the dizzy was 180 and cam and crank in proper position...i lined up to the mark on the wrong revolution. if i'd have just turned it 180 from the current position, i'd have saved myself a TON of trouble. now it's still 2-3 hours of work out that hopefully will get done tomorrow. don't ya just love learning the hard way?
Wondered why my engine was running at such high rpm. First thought it wasnt shifing out if second, that wasnt the problme. THen figured the company must have sent me the wrong diff gear, and those gear ratio calculators pointed to a different gear than i ordered. That wasnt the problem. Well.. come to find out i had the tach set to 6cly instead of 8.
My carpenter buddy let me borrow his sandles for a while, so I don't make mistakes....And I'm going to hell for lying. heheh Can't think of any ONE particular item...Wait. There was the rebuild on the ex-wife's transmission. Tore it down and replaced the reverse sun shield, went ahead and did a rebuild on it while I had it pulled. Went to put it back in, and didn't find the second set of torque converter/front pump keys on that 4L60E(TH350's & 400's only have one set of keys). So when I cranked it up, it destroyed the front pump and torque converter. A day later she told me she was leaving me, so I called a tow truck for her. I figured I could at least make a phone call for her. *****. heheh
oh yea, nothing like feeling the need to kick yourself in the ***! but the lesson will always stick with you.
I make errors on a daily basis--I just built a deck and managed to cut the power cord to the jigsaw....with the circular saw! Tucker
got the brodix headed bbc roller cam biggest hp motor i have ever built or had built for that matter. installed it hooked up the msd box ready to go fired that puppy up open 2in primary headers loud as hell runs good real good blip the throttle and the dam thing falls on its face. check timing same thing change dizzy same thing i worked on this dam thing for a week and it just won't rev.. i say f this thing walk back twords the house discussted as hell and it hits me like a brick msd 6al + 2000 rpm test pill for the rev limiter = 1 dumb *** tom
We all do dumb stuff! Last week I help my son with his exhaust on his car. I heated up a mount on the muffler red hot with the torch, turned the mount 180 degrees, turned off the torch and then picked up the muffler by the mount I had just heated up. Instant skin remover, not to smart, hurt like hell. It always helps when you can laugh at yourself.
How's this? Last night I was sitting in my roadster looking at the dash (which I hand formed from sheet aluminum) and thought, hey I can drill the holes for the guages. Well, short story, three of the four holes run in to the roll cage hoop or mount for the steering box (cowl steering). Now I have to figure something else out. r
Did the same **** two weeks ago w/ a bumper bracket I had to cut off. Cut the bolts, dropped it, picked it up, threw it across the yard. Damn...
I had my powerglide rebuilt in high-school. Reinstalling it, I filled the converter as told, bolted it up, reconnected everything and was ready for lift-off. Started the car, shifted into gear - nothing. Rechecked everything. Still nothing. Put more fluid in. Nothing. I decided it had to come out again. Unbolted everything, poured 5 quarts of fluid all over my face, Inspected everthing, re***embled, more fluid. Still nothing. I decided the guy who rebuilt it was an ***hole. I took it out again, poured 5 more quarts of fluid on my face and brought it back to him. "This p.o.s. doesn't work!" "Did you spin the converter as you pushed it on? You know it has to engage on those tangs for the pump to work." I have many more stupid stories. Did you know that a really long screwdriver works well to separate those stubborn carb bodies from their baseplates? They work even better when you remove all of the bolts holding them together. Oh yeah, like an idiot I had a shift kit installed in the Powerglide. I enjoyed those jarring shifts for the first mile or two.
The great thing about making newbie mistakes is that we tend to learn from them and subsequently do it right after that.
Built a battery hold down for my t-bucket. Made the measurements then crawled underneath to drill the holes. Remove battrery first. Hell I drilled through the battery Acid running out the bottom, all over my arm. Good thing there was a sink real close.
When I worked at the Honda dealer, one of the newbies was putting a ****** in a car. Bolted it all up, and was getting ready to put fluid. i went over to check on his work and spied the new converter sitting on the bench.... No he didnt put the old one back either.
Dont test an electric fuel pump in a 5 gallon bucket of gas. You can guess what happens when the battery sparks when you touch the wire to it
Last week I tried to sit up after checking the rearend on my car. Only problem was that I was still about a foot short of clearing the rear bumper... BANG!!! .. forehead to bumper impact. I never seem to learn from that one.
Most of us saw Jesse and the crew drop that Caddy motor...you don't have to be a beginner to make mistakes
well i was welding a frame up no one at the shop to help. was holding a peace of dom in place to tac it on was not waring my welding gloves and and pice of slag fell on my hand and down my boot me being realy smart i dint want to let go of the dom till it cooled so i was a dancing fool i still have a scar on my hand from that
Not a beginner mistake but a life extender.. I was having a buddy weld on a hitch and he was laughing at me hitting my head while walking under the lifted(but not high enough)rear of the car he slipped with the wire feed tip ad hit the gas tank causing a drippin /streaming hole he panicked to pull away and pulled the trigger welding up the hole as he pulled away..leaving it dry and no flame. Absolutly true and I get shivers/flashbacks still when I smell raw gas. PAPERDOG
Many years ago when a street rod wasn't a slur, I wanted power windows in my 34 P/U. I worked all day mounting an old GM power regulator with the 34 arm welded on. With everthing properly mounted it was time for a test run. Up it went smooth as can be. It went down just as nicely except the unit didn't have enough through to open the window all the way. The unit hit the stops with 3" of gl*** still exposed. oops. I know...should have chopped the top.
Bolted the torque converter to the flexplate and shoved it in the ******. Then could not figure out why it would not turn...
Two of my cl***ics. 1. I'm a so-called/self taught welder. Years ago I was given a mig welder (still use it) I spent an entire day trying to light it with a flint sparker when that didn't work I tried a cigarette lighter! I never did weld anything that day. 2. I had to install a electric fuel pump in my merc. The second time I drove it was with my wife to dinner party. I thought I'd be all cool if I drove up in my new/old car. I got as far as the local market to pick up some wine. When we get back in the car it won't start. I figure it must be that pump. I leave the car there and go to the party. Later a friend give me a ride to the 24hr auto parts store. New pump installed in the parking lot and still wont start. It's getting late decide to tow it home. Call AAA Finally get home at 2:30am! I don't touch the car for a week (too pissed) Replace pump a third time, rewire, the whole bit. Still no start! Eureka! Check gas tank. EMPTY!!!!!! Shoot me now! -stick
I was selling my sisters Fairlane for her. I had some people coming over to look at it so I needed to get it out of the garage. I went to start it and it wouldnt start. So I start going thru EVERYTHING. I end up replacing the starter, coil, wires. Still wouldnt start. I was about to call the people to tell them not to come. then my mom comes out and reminds me it has to be in neutral to start.
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