Dumb-ass Attack While Performing Maintenance?

[Gixxus Christ!]

On my old Honda 750 I added an oil pressure gauge. I drilled and tapped the main oil gallery plug, screwed in a fitting with a plastic line ans ran it up to the clocks and mounted the gauge. Everything was fine until I swapped the 4-2 exhaust for a 4-1 header. The new pipes were just close enough to the plastic line and one day while getting on tallmadge circle, the ass end about got away from me because I had run over my oil spot. Brand new chrome headers now covered with burnt oil. I parked the bike, walked to a hardware store, bought a crescent wrench and a plug and was good to go.

Edited June 12, 2013 by CrazySkullCrusher

[Pokey]

Forgot to put oil cap back on once, made a nice mess when I started up the bike.....otherwise I have been pretty fortunate in my maintenance dealings.

[dustinsn3485]

Cut one too many links out of a brand new chain once...it got two rivet type masterlinks.

Working on a customers KTM, didn't put oil cap back on before starting.

That's all that comes to mind right now...

[madcat6183]

I was rushing to change the oil on one of my former cars, a '03 Taurus. No problems draining it and replacing the plug, but when I took the folter off I failed to notice that the filter gasket was stuck to the engine block still. Since I can't see it and have to use my minds eye to find the stud, I didn't feel it whenI put the new filter on, nor did I notice how quickly the new filter found the mouning face. Filter now on, drain plug in, added oil...time to fire it up and check for leaks. Start the engine and at first no big deal. Then suddenly something is pissing all under my car. The whole garage floor under the car was covered in fresh synthetic and my exhaust was well lubricated also. Smelled wonderful. This was the price paid for rushing a job.

Did this on my F150 once, nightmare.  Then there was the time I was doing a fuel filter swap on my F250, for some reason I hadn't drained the lower fuel seperator where the main filter is, unscrewed it and got soaked with diesel.  Had an F150 I was doin a fuel filter swap for an for some reason it just wouldn't release, ended up when it did, there was still pressure for some rason and soaked me with fuel then too.  Both gas and diesel burn real bad when left on skin very long.

 

I've over filled the bike twice, finally read in the manual and add exactly the right amount now and don't even try adding more until I get to the track and check it once it's been hot and rode hard.

[20thGix]

While this wasn't a maintenance dumbass moment but dumb non the less. This happened about an hour and a half ago.

So I haven't rode the bike since I went down to Norris Lake a couple weekends ago. Being that the wife and kid went to Florida that same weekend nobody would be home for a 3 day stretch. I keep the bike in the garage and figured I would add a bit more security to the bike than just locking the garage door. So before I head out for the weekend I threw some padlocks on the brake discs. One on the front and one on the back. If someone was going to steal it I wanted them to at least mildly work for it.

Today I decide to take a spin on the bike. I get my gear on, throw my leg over the bike, put in it neutral and start back peddling it out of the garage. Next thing I hear is CRUUUUUUNCH-SNAP. MY first thought was what the fuck did I run over. Then it dawned on me THE LOCKS!!!!!! I am still pissed at myself for forgetting.

 

Hear is the damage. Totally fucked up my front fender.

 

 

[C-bus]

^^^^ that sucks!!!

[Gixxus Christ!]

Facepalm.

[OsuMj]

I got so excited about my first ride of the season last year that when I put my battery in all charged up, i forgot to tighten one of the terminals.  Couldn't figure out what was wrong for 2 days because it was on good enough that I could ride around for about 10 minutes before i would hit enough bumps to have it start cutting out. 

[Gixxus Christ!]

Been there before on my old 750-four.

[scottb]

One of my first car repairs was helping a friend replace the brakes on a 80's Ford Festiva, the little POS 2 door style.

The front brakes, no problem.

Replacing the left rear brake shoes, no problem.

Moving over to the right rear side, I could not get the hub nut removed with a breaker bar. Not a big deal, fire up the air impact gun, still the nut is not moving, just the sound of the impact gun going Bat-Bat-Bat and then a sudden ZING. The nut is turning, but not moving off the spindle.

It turns out that on this car, the right rear nut is LEFT HANDED THREAD!! I trashed the nut and the spindle.

That was kinda awkward when your friend is stand there next to you.

[Gixxus Christ!]

Google is your friend. Typically before I do something I think I can do, I look it up.

[scottb]

My story above happened in 1992.

[Kent2406]

Google is your friend. Typically before I do something I think I can do, I look it up.

 

The internet has definitely played a major role in changing the backyard mechanic! But like scottb said, in the late 80's, early 90's we didn't have that luxury.

[Strawboss]

I think those Festiva's were built for Ford by Kia in Korea, or was it the Aspire? All the old Chryslers had left hand threads. I also mounted a tire in the wrong direction.  

[Kmanlyst]

Well had my carbs apart today and found my issue, broken e-clip.

 

 

 

but now for the dumbass part get the carbs put together slapped back in the bike, throw the tank on and try to start it...nothing then my dad looks at me and said " Hey numb nuts whats that spring for?"

Yup forgot to put the spring in one of the carbs.

[Gixxus Christ!]

Well there's your problem....

[Kmanlyst]

Well there's your problem....

 

Yup, fixed and running fine, glad I tore it apart instead of paying a shop to fi it and paying an arm and leg.

[Steve Butters]

Forgot to unset parking brake on my mustang before doing rear pads.. Thought caliper was seized on and hammered it off... Only to realize I had the brake set... Had to buy new caliper after... /facepalm

Edited June 17, 2013 by Steve Butters

[grapesmuggler27]

Didn't pay attention where I out my hand on a running AC and grabbed a handful of capacitior whit the unit running. Lets just say there was a whole lot of numbness in my right arm

[Ziggy]

_{Had my forks off the bike to do some clean up work, and hastily put them back on and mounted the wheel.  Elected not to get the torque wrench out because it was getting late and I was tired.  Fast forward a couple of days, and I was excited to get everything finished up and go for a ride.  You guessed it, forgot I hadn't torqued the pinch bolts down and didn't remember until I hit the first bump in the road and the left fork tube slipped upward about a 1/4".  Fortunately, I was just going around the block, but it scared me all the same...}

[smashweights]

Last year took my new-to-me Subaru to the base auto hobby shop for it's first oil change by me, put it up on the lift, drained some dark black fluid, lowered it back down and put the recommended amount of oil in.  Started it up and drove it out the garage.  Almost immediately it was having a really hard time shifting and would hang in neutral for a few seconds.  After about 200 yards I realized the huge fuck up I had done: I'd drained the transmission and doubled up on oil...  Carefully pushed it back to the garage and onto a lift.  Checked the oil and sure enough, there was WAAAAY too much.  Had to call a friend to take me down to Wagner Subaru at 4pm to pick up 5 new quarts of Subie tranny fluid, swing by and grab another 5qts of Mobil 1, and head back to fill up the tranny, drain nearly 10q of half bad, half brand new Mobil 1 out of the engine.  Best part was getting to do all this over the course of 3-4 hours in front of a bunch of other guys working on their cars and the staff mechanics at the hobby shop.  That was the last time I bothered doing my own car oil changes.

[Kent2406]

Man, I miss being able to use the auto hobby shop on base! Oh yeah, that had to of sucked! That's one thing I didn't like about the shop, everyone else there, knew all your business.

[Tigerpaw]

Man, I miss being able to use the auto hobby shop on base! 

On autos,  brought the G8 GXP into the base hobby shop for a quick oil change.  It was kind of a spur of the moment situation, as the wife was with me and they were about to close.  They are super strict about starting projects close to closing time.  I assured them I was competent enough to complete the job in 15 minutes, and be out of their hair.  Well, I get the car on the lift, and realize maybe driving around all morning before a rushed oil change wasn't the smartest idea.  i had no access to gloves or anything to protect me from the boiling hot oil.  I had to just man up, and tolerate the burned skin.  LOL.

 

On bikes, I have accidentally doubled up on the new/old filter gaskets.  Leaking oil everywhere when cranked up  Had me confused all night.

 

On planes, I had recently transitioned from 707s to a 747.  I hopped out of the truck to top off the engine oil after a flight.  I grabbed the type of oil I had used for 5 years.  Noone told me the 747 engines used a different oil.  Spent the rest of the night draining/flushing the engine.

 

 

I have loads more.  Not enough time to type them all.

[smashweights]

Man, I miss being able to use the auto hobby shop on base! Oh yeah, that had to of sucked! That's one thing I didn't like about the shop, everyone else there, knew all your business.

 

Yeah, they just built an entire new building for the wood shop and auto shop.

[smashweights]

I should also add to add insult to injury, I went to Cadillac Jacks in Fairborn afterwards and got HORRIBLE food poisoning and spent the next 24 hours vomiting and blowing my ass out every hour.