So I am a moron...motor build idiocy....

Two things ,I once stuck a set of bearings in a Mack truck for extra money . After dropping the 4 ton oil pan ,the oil pump pickup kept dripping oil on me. So a bread wrapper and a wire tie fixed that .
10 hrs later the bearings are in and the 4 ton pan goes back on. Luckily halfway between the silicone setting up and before we tried to start it we remembered. Yep thats right ,4 ton oil pan off and on again.

Second one is a rich kid years ago bought a pretty wild small block for his Chevelle. When they installed it ,and started it up the things really hammered . I was ask to look at it ,and I did with an attitude (originally I wasn't good enough to build him a Engine).

The noise was different than lower end would normally be . I purchased the engine,and his Dad bought a new crate type engine for him.When I pulled it out and went to take the pressure plate off the bolts were jammed.Closer looks revealed they had used new bolts that were long enough to go thru the flywheel and hit the back off the block.

I ran that engine for two years ,it ran hard.

 

Good stories. I dont feel quite as stupid now as I did Thursday night....

The truck is back up on all fours now, pulled a trailer with it this weekend, and she runs like a champ....

 

That makes me happy to hear, as I blew both head gaskets the same way last August and am terrified about what I'll find when I pull the engine apart.

 

I think I may have told this story before but it fits so well here:

Years ago, I was working for a shop called B&L Corvette and we did all kinds of engine work, not just old vettes. So this guy tows his Ford Bronco in one day and say he has spent X amount rebuilding the engine himself and tried everything but it just won't make oil pressure.

I tear into it later in the afternoon after confirming no oil pressure. When I get the pan off, what do I find? A huge clot of oil soaked shop rags. Tough to make the OP when your pickup is full of wet rag. LOL!

Not only that but about a year later, homeboy pulls in, telling us that the engine (same guy, same truck) won't quit leaking oil. He says he can't imagine what is wrong because all he did was change the oil and filter. You guessed it boys and ghouls, he didn't get the rubber filter gasket off the mating surface before putting on the new filter. Voila! A leak. I think this particular guy should have just stayed away from engines.

So Keith, you are far from the biggest shop rag moron on the planet.

 

That's a funny story! But at least you found it before fire up!

Sam.

 

I put all new bearing in the rear end of I think a 02 suburban under waranty at work, after I was done I sprayed everything out with brake cleaner, then soaked up the rest with rags. I left a rag in the rear to get whatever else was in it while I went to clean the rear cover. U guessed it, I slaped the gasket on it and threw the cover on an filled it to spec with fluid, the expensive limited slip shit. Then as I was goin over what all I did in my head before I tested the rear on the lift, I remembered about the rag. Slaped my forehead and fixed my mistake.