Many moons ago...installing a 389 Poncho/4spd into a 55 post...got all the mounts welded up...made sure everything was ready...fired it up...lit off after just a crank or two...idled like a dream....took it out...stepped on the gas...fell on its face..this went on for about as long as it took for the vacuum line from the carb to the distributor to empty the windshield squirter bottle (where, in my haste I had inadvertently routed it)...no..there were no tell-tale bubbles emanating from the tailpipes... "pull hard Lemuel" dj
for "some" reason I couldnt start the my car, I could see that itseemed like it didnt get enough gas. So I rebuild the pump, even took the carb apart and cleaned it all, but no result... So I took the pump off againg to see if I had put it right together! Everything seemed right, and I mounted it again! Tried to throw some gas directly in the carb, and the car was running a few secs, did that a few times, when it struck me... ofcourse all that was wrong was - no gas at all in the tank!
i fiddled with headlights on my van for about 3 hours thinking i only had highbeams....then i forgot the switch was on the floor and the first click of the switch was for parking lights, etc. haha. i did this this weekend, trying to prepare for the drive to jalopy showdown.....i was beeing "too" concerned checking everything and completly just had a brain fart. i drive it daily, inthe dark, etc. not sure what the fuck i was thinking
Not a real big mistake but a dumb one. Installed new headlights in my freinds bomber (old Packard housings). No garage, just the usual rolling around in the dark in the driveway with a trouble light. After everything was buttoned up, I did the usual tool check. Missing one box wrench. Looked everywhere for it until it dawned on me that I probably left it inside the head-light. Tore it all apart again to retrieve my wrench.
First one - 45 years ago I've got a full-boogie 394 Olds; Isky roller, 10.5 Jahns pistons, 2 AFB carbs, Vertex Mag and worked-over Hydro stuffed in a 54 Olds 2-door sedan. It runs OK, but not like it should; I trade it even-up for a 58 Chev convert with a 348 and trips. The guy I traded with (he still has the motor!!!) puts the engine/combo in a 56 Chev pickupo and it runs like crazy!!! Seems like I forgot one small detail; the Vertex Mag had NO centrifugal advance and I set it to 8 degrees initial advance, which of course was TOTAL advance. My buddy who made the trade knew the problem and wouldn't tell me!!! We were both happy with the trade and are still friends! Second one - last year I put an Isky cam in my 216 Chev 6. Time everthing up, wires in the right spot and it fires right up first time, runs and sounds good. No oil pressure, I figure the oil pump lost its prime so I run the engine at least one full minute before shutting it down. Check all the fluids, fire it up again, still no pressure, so I run it at fast idle for about 2 minutes, figure that pump just has to prime soon. I do that 2 more times before I figure out that the distrubutor is not all the way down - enough to engage the cam gear but not to get into the slot in the oil pump.
I think I do something stupid on every car I work on, even if it's as dumb as scraping my arm when a rotty fan belt breaks from me trying to see if I can turn the motor over on a car that's sat out for 20 years. The S10 beater I am trying to get going, I swapped out the distributor, the one in it had the coil off. I installed the new one with the rotor pointing where the small side of the base had been - but that's not right. It's about 1/5th of a turn off. Still doesn't run, I had it sputtering but it wouldn't catch - the damn distributor hold down is still loose, too. My 50 Chevy master cylinder has a brake line installed in what is apparently just a pressure fitting for a brake light switch. Heck, back at school we were reparing a then fairly new Camaro, I got under it to hook up the gas lines, opened up the hose on the tank and got a face full of nasty old gas - I never stopped to consider it might still have fuel in the tank, or that on a fuel injected car it might still pour out by simple gravity. Now, I hope I calculated the ratio for a 50:1 gas-oil mix right for one gallon (like 3 ounces) for the new 1200 watt Generator I bought.
after installing a new top end on my brother's Lincoln, we broke in the cam and took it for a short drive. We knew the coolant level was low, but I didn't think it had warmed up that much since it was only about 20 degrees outside. I started to pop off the radiator cap, and about 2 seconds later it was burning my hand and I couldn't hold it any longer- I released it amidst a 20 foot geyser of coolant! I'm dancing around getting burned in falling coolant and then to top it off I had to go into the supermarket drenched and buy a bunch of water!
I've had an '83 Harley XLX for about 3 years. I've ALWAYS had problems with the charging system. The thing's never charged right in the bike. I even started using a battery tender for a few years, but got annoyed with the extra wiring and pulled it out. Found out a monthg ago (Thanks, Jalopy Journal!) that you have to polarize the generator. I guess that would have come up with our Olds eventually as well, but it's not roadworthy. Man, I feel dumb.
Well there ya go, mistake one. Starting, if we were all smart we wouldnt touch old cars at all. Me, Im fucking stupid!! Just started another fuckup not long ago, A40 Gasser. Doc.
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