What have you done that's STUPID?

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Rat'l Trap

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 1, 2010
Messages
417
Location
Maryland
You've all heard of, or even done something stupid yourself before. You know what I'm talking about. Put a tranny in only to find the torque converter sitting in the corner...DOH! Or, didnt torque the lug nuts and a wheel fell off.

I'll start it off with something that was embarrassing, but not too damaging. I was changing the oil in my daughter's car. Drained the oil, changed the filter, and was halfway thru adding the 2nd quart when I looked down and see a stream of fresh oil running out from under the car. $h!t !! Forgot to install the drain plug...DOH!:eek:

So what have you done where you end up slapping your forehead??
 
I have been chasing a leak under my jeep for about 2 months. Turns out the tranny drain plug needed about a 1/16 of a turn and problem solved... not sure why I never thought of that before then.
 
I watched my trailer tire pass me on the freeway, cross 6 lanes on traffic while in a tunnel before getting crushed by a lifted truck.
 
It's the little things as a new rodder that people don't tell you... like don't tighten your spindle nut too much. I was going for the first real ride in my rod all the way across town. I get about 5 or 6 blocks from my house and my front right wheel locks up and sent me into the lane to the right of me (luckily no one was using that lane at the time). I pulled over and thought for some reason the caliper was stuck because I couldn't get it to let loose. It was screeching like it was the brakes. I called my father in law and asked if it could be the wheel bearings and he didn't think t could be since I had made it all the way across town... including cruising about 60 on the freeway (glad it didn't happen then). I tried to inch it to the house a few blocks and made it about 1 block before it wouldn't move forward at all. I got into a guys yard (that came out to help) pulled the moon cap off the wheel and saw the cotter pin was ate up... looked inside... yep wheel bearing. Took me a few days to get the parts and get it swapped out.

Like I said... it's the little thing that cost us. I know I've heard horror stories of people having a nut or screw from the air cleaner or carb punching a hole in their piston or completely trashing a motor.
 
Me and a business partner were installing new rear brakes on the Ford van the employees used. He did the drivers side and I did the passenger side. Finished and called the foreman to come get the van and pickup the guys and head on to the next job. Got a call about a half hour later, foreman said a wheel and tire passed them while they were going about 55mph on a dual lane highway. They were waiting on the shoulder for us. I asked which tire it was and was VERY relieved to hear it was the Drivers side!!!! Someone forgot to tighten the lug nuts!!![cl...Watched another guy install a new cam and springs in an AMX with a 390... he obviously didn't install the keepers correctly on an intake valve.soon as it fired up it let loose!..you can guess the rest!:(...CR
 
I have the kind of garage door that has two coiled springs, one on each side, which serve to lift the door when you push the button on the opener, or lift the door handle. A cable is used to actually pull the door up when the spring is activated. My cables were getting frayed and hanging up on some pulleys. I went to replace the cables by removing the cables so I could take them to the store and be sure to get the correct length and diameter cable. Finally got them all undone and coiled up to go to the store. Then I went to open the garage door so I could get my car out...Do you have any idea how heavy a 16 foot wide steel garage door is?? I dont know the weight, but that biotch is one heavy MF. I had to restring the cables to get the door open to get my car out, and then did it all over again. :mad: Practice makes perfect...
 
I have the kind of garage door that has two coiled springs, one on each side, which serve to lift the door when you push the button on the opener, or lift the door handle. A cable is used to actually pull the door up when the spring is activated. My cables were getting frayed and hanging up on some pulleys. I went to replace the cables by removing the cables so I could take them to the store and be sure to get the correct length and diameter cable. Finally got them all undone and coiled up to go to the store. Then I went to open the garage door so I could get my car out...Do you have any idea how heavy a 16 foot wide steel garage door is?? I dont know the weight, but that biotch is one heavy MF. I had to restring the cables to get the door open to get my car out, and then did it all over again. :mad: Practice makes perfect...

Now that's funny right there, I don't care who you are.
 
I remember a story my dad told me. He had left to go somewhere in his Galaxie and it died a street over. He worked on it the whole day. Replacing ignition parts, etc. Could not figure out why it wouldn't start. It was turning over. It seemed to be firing ok. Do you see where I'm going with this..... Yes indeed, it was.... Out of gas. [cl
 
another one... when I was first starting to paint cars. About the third or fourth time I went to prime a vehicle a went to pour the primer in the cup and it starts flowing out the bottom like crazy... duh, forgot to put the liner in the cup. That was fun cleaning up.
 
I usta run a Powerglide in my stock car, and got a pump drive to replace the convertor, and a valve hooked to a 'clutch' pedal to use the low band as a clutch.

It took 30-40 pounds off the crank and you got great throttle response.

It also took the flywheel action off the motor and it would spin up right NOW. Nuthung to hold it back.!!

So the first time I started it up in the shop I was winging the throttle and I sucked a valve down in the motor..

I don't learn good unless I bleed.

PA41
 
I don't learn good unless I bleed.

PA41
I know what you mean. I'm kinda thick like that too.

Picture019.jpg
 
built a cool:bike in my bedroom when i was a kid.piece by piece and about 3 months later got it all done.guess what?wouldnt fit thru the door and around corners to get out of house.had to tear it all the way down take it outside and put back together.my best freind still give me crap 35 years later for that:eek:
 
In September of 2006 i wrecked my '91 jeep YJ. Among other damage it bent the frame pretty good. The right side front frame rail was about two inches lower than the left side. Instead of fixing it i took the insurance money and bought a '94 jeep YJ. My plan was to switch the lift, transfercase and a few other parts from the '91 onto the '94, and eventually have the frame on the '91 fixed and turn it into a trail rig.

I wanted to be able to move the jeep if need be so i ordered a new front spring, got the spring hanger kind of back in the right location, welded it back on and installed the new spring. Later i decided i didn't really want a trail only rig (to much $$ to build, have to buy a bigger truck and trailor, no place to park trailor, etc) so i gave the jeep to my buddy for a Christmas present (he wanted a jeep to build for his girl friend).

Instead of having it towed to his house (about 50 miles) he decided to go ahead and have the frame fixed. Since it was only about five miles to the shop i decided if i drove slow it would be okay to drive it to the frame shop.Off we go. With a bent frame, no right front shock, sway bar disconnected, bent tie rods and the front tires kind of pointing straight i find out real quick this is going to be a slow trip. I pull up to a four way stop sign. The jeep dies. Great. I motion for the cars behind to go around, pop the hood open, see the the coil wire came loose (my fault), put the coil wire back on while my buddy fires the jeep up. I close the hood while my buddy heads back to his truck. Just as he gets back into his truck i see a Fresno PD car pull up beside him. I see the cop pointing to the jeep. Great. This thing is one big rolling violation and looks the part. Sitting lop sided, no bumpers, no front license plate, no flares, i have no idea where the registration papers are and i'm not sure if the right front tire has enough tread on it to be legal. He follows us for awhile then makes a right turn.

We finally get to the shop (after replacing the radiator but that's another story) and i ask my buddy "So what did the cop say?" "He wanted to know if that thing was legal. I said yeah the license are still good." "Is it street legal?" "I suppose it is." He just kind of shook his head and said "If you're sure." The shop owner comes out, i tell him i had called earlier about getting an appraisal, he starts checking it out and says "How did you get it here? Did you have it towed? "Nope. I drove it." He looks at me like i'm crazy. He notices the front shock is missing. I tell him i have a new shock at home and i'll bring it by. "Do you have any extra lug nuts? You might want to put a couple more on the left front wheel." I walk around to the left side and there's only two lug nuts on the left front rim. When people ask me "Why didn't you just have it towed to the shop?" i just smile and say "Where's the fun in that?"
 
I remember a story my dad told me. He had left to go somewhere in his Galaxie and it died a street over. He worked on it the whole day. Replacing ignition parts, etc. Could not figure out why it wouldn't start. It was turning over. It seemed to be firing ok. Do you see where I'm going with this..... Yes indeed, it was.... Out of gas. [cl


Did this with my first motorcycle and 80's kawasaki xs650... Spent hours messing with the battery, stator, etc.. Didn't know about the reserve level under the tank either until the tow truck guy showed up and decided to check it out for me. Fortunately, he didnt' charge me for the free advice since I was so embarassed.
 
I tried my hand at cutting, bending and double inverted flaring new brake hard lines for the first time on my rat project last weekend...

You would think I would learn after the first couple I goofed on, but for each of the first 16 flares I did (I got great flares btw) I realized I didnt' put the nut on first and the other ends were usually too bent to shape to slide the nut on from the back...

After each one I reminded myself and STILL screwed them up!
 
Built a perfectly balanced single axle trailer and was proud of my effort. While travelling down the Freeway at 60mph with my Studie in tow, I suddenly felt the back of my truck pull sharply to one side. I looked in the mirror to see my trailer trying to pass me on the right, than the left, than the right, than the left, well ........ you get the drift. I kept a cool head, while my heart pounded through my chest and let off the gas until the trailer leveled off. Darn near flipped my project on it's side, phewwwwwww that was close. I guess I should have had more tongue weight and placed the trailer axle further back on the frame. DUH.
 
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