DIY Mechanics Fail Stories
Discussion
1. Changing a rear wheel bearing on a classic mini - needed a scaffolding pole to undo it - well, you would as it's a left hand thread! Luckily did not damage the stub axle..
2. Changing a spare on to be SWMBOs Herald. Popped my bottle jack through the (rusty) outrigger. Then I followed her home and was astonished to see her wheel fly off into the distance and her car career down the road on the hub in a shower of sparks.. ..luckily the wheel nuts (which I hadn't tightened) were still in the hub cap.
2. Changing a spare on to be SWMBOs Herald. Popped my bottle jack through the (rusty) outrigger. Then I followed her home and was astonished to see her wheel fly off into the distance and her car career down the road on the hub in a shower of sparks.. ..luckily the wheel nuts (which I hadn't tightened) were still in the hub cap.
Managed to round off the slider fixing bolts on my rear brake calipers by trying to tighten then instead of loosening. Consequently I wasn't able to tighten them up properly.
While driving 600 miles south to look for a house to rent, started hearing a loud knocking sound over bumps. Had to drive another 50 miles or so in hilly country before I got the car to a garage.
Once it was up on the ramp it was obvious that one of the rear brake calipers was dangling from a single bolt, the other having dropped out somewhere...
While driving 600 miles south to look for a house to rent, started hearing a loud knocking sound over bumps. Had to drive another 50 miles or so in hilly country before I got the car to a garage.
Once it was up on the ramp it was obvious that one of the rear brake calipers was dangling from a single bolt, the other having dropped out somewhere...
Changing the fuel filter on my mate's Mk1 MR2 about 9 years ago, I was undoing the top banjo bolt whilst he was keeping the filter steady with a spanner from underneath. The top banjo was bloody tight and came off with a crack, I lost my grip on the spanner and dropped it.
The spanner hit him square between the eyes just after a fairly substantial quantity of unleaded.
He still reminds me of it to this day.
The spanner hit him square between the eyes just after a fairly substantial quantity of unleaded.
He still reminds me of it to this day.
Another MR2 story...
Three of us were pulling an engine out of my smashed up car. It was up on ramps, but not chocked...
One of my mates had his head under the vehicle, in front of the rear wheel. He moved just as my other mate lent over the back of the car to reach the centre of the engine. The car rolled forwards off the ramps, across the area we were working in.
If Malc hadn't have shifted his head when he did, it could have got rather interesting.
Three of us were pulling an engine out of my smashed up car. It was up on ramps, but not chocked...
One of my mates had his head under the vehicle, in front of the rear wheel. He moved just as my other mate lent over the back of the car to reach the centre of the engine. The car rolled forwards off the ramps, across the area we were working in.
If Malc hadn't have shifted his head when he did, it could have got rather interesting.
I have had a few but the best ones belong to two mates.
First one offers to service car for acquaintance, turns up, no one in, drains oil and water, makes a cuppa then as he is aptly nicknamed Broken Brain wanders off without leaving a note. Owner turns up, thinks all is done drives off in car, not to far before car s
ts itself.
Second one, helped a mate shove a GSXR 1100 engine in a 750 frame, all went well until I left leaving him with a few small jobs, one being the throttle assembly, the guy was a renowned bodger and in a rush. Not sure what he did but the throttle jammed open in third while on one of those epic slip road knee down join the motorway bends. Spat him off at 110 plus, the rucksack saved his back, bottom half looked like the singing detective.
First one offers to service car for acquaintance, turns up, no one in, drains oil and water, makes a cuppa then as he is aptly nicknamed Broken Brain wanders off without leaving a note. Owner turns up, thinks all is done drives off in car, not to far before car s
ts itself.Second one, helped a mate shove a GSXR 1100 engine in a 750 frame, all went well until I left leaving him with a few small jobs, one being the throttle assembly, the guy was a renowned bodger and in a rush. Not sure what he did but the throttle jammed open in third while on one of those epic slip road knee down join the motorway bends. Spat him off at 110 plus, the rucksack saved his back, bottom half looked like the singing detective.
liner33 said:
A fail
Yay 370Z friend 
this is precisely the reason I've left the dingy yellow bulbs in my Z, I really can't be arsed to faff about inside the wheel arch. You'd have thought Nissan would have just made the light cluster removable for ease of maintenance. Bah.A fairly recent fail for me involved changing the rear brakes on another PHers car. The lefty-loosey confused us both when going from one side of the car to the other and we ended up turning a torx head bolt into a pretty nifty 10mm hex head. I still think we're pretty lucky we didn't completely round the bolt as otherwise we'd have needed a new caliper.
More a mate failure than my own.
I had a Nova with 1.8 Astra/Cav engine. I had cylinder head issues so for a quick fix fitted a 1.6 head to keep me mobile.
Mate decided to change head gasket on his Cavalier 1.8 SRi. Remembering the above tale he decided logic states 1.6 and 1.8 head gaskets must be the same, so unknown to me stole a spare head gasket set from my garage and got to work on the SRi.
Feeling smug with quick progress of gasket change (and free gasket) he started car up to hear a constant tick tick on idle.
1.8 pistons hitting slightly smaller 1.6 gasket at TDC !
Admitting defeat he decided to dismantle engine again, snapping head bolt almost flush with block, and took ages to remove broken part.
I had a Nova with 1.8 Astra/Cav engine. I had cylinder head issues so for a quick fix fitted a 1.6 head to keep me mobile.
Mate decided to change head gasket on his Cavalier 1.8 SRi. Remembering the above tale he decided logic states 1.6 and 1.8 head gaskets must be the same, so unknown to me stole a spare head gasket set from my garage and got to work on the SRi.
Feeling smug with quick progress of gasket change (and free gasket) he started car up to hear a constant tick tick on idle.
1.8 pistons hitting slightly smaller 1.6 gasket at TDC !
Admitting defeat he decided to dismantle engine again, snapping head bolt almost flush with block, and took ages to remove broken part.
Just given up trying to refit an Aygo gearbox. It was going so well too. Got the old one off in 3 hours, nothing seized or snapped.
Trying to get the new one to line up with the clutch with one hand while located the bolts with the other all while water torture as the coolant drips away is an absolute Ballache.
Trying to get the new one to line up with the clutch with one hand while located the bolts with the other all while water torture as the coolant drips away is an absolute Ballache.
ChocolateFrog said:
Just given up trying to refit an Aygo gearbox. It was going so well too. Got the old one off in 3 hours, nothing seized or snapped.
Trying to get the new one to line up with the clutch with one hand while located the bolts with the other all while water torture as the coolant drips away is an absolute Ballache.
If you've got any old bolts with the correct thread you could cut the head off, or use a bit of threaded rod, screw it finger tight into a top bolt hole in the engine then try fitting the gearbox.Trying to get the new one to line up with the clutch with one hand while located the bolts with the other all while water torture as the coolant drips away is an absolute Ballache.
It sometimes helps get it lined up and located, and can prevent the gearbox being 'hung' off the centre plate.
Martin350 said:
ChocolateFrog said:
Just given up trying to refit an Aygo gearbox. It was going so well too. Got the old one off in 3 hours, nothing seized or snapped.
Trying to get the new one to line up with the clutch with one hand while located the bolts with the other all while water torture as the coolant drips away is an absolute Ballache.
If you've got any old bolts with the correct thread you could cut the head off, or use a bit of threaded rod, screw it finger tight into a top bolt hole in the engine then try fitting the gearbox.Trying to get the new one to line up with the clutch with one hand while located the bolts with the other all while water torture as the coolant drips away is an absolute Ballache.
It sometimes helps get it lined up and located, and can prevent the gearbox being 'hung' off the centre plate.
Worked in a dealership many years ago. Guy next to me doing a yearly service on a Metro Gti using a 2 post ramp.
We used to check each others lights to save time. One person in the driving seat operating the switches and one person checking the lights outside. He checks his himself as he couldn't wait for someone to help him. Ignition on, into reverse gear, reverse lights working OK. Carried out the rest of the service, drops the car down off the ramps. both front doors are open whilst he does other stuff inside (checking seatbelts, lubing door catches etc). Fills the oil, reaches through to the key to run the engine to recheck the level - click, bang, cue the new gull wing door edition of a metro as it jumped back six feet and folded the doors into the front wings. Nearly broke his arm as the door malleted into him!
We used to check each others lights to save time. One person in the driving seat operating the switches and one person checking the lights outside. He checks his himself as he couldn't wait for someone to help him. Ignition on, into reverse gear, reverse lights working OK. Carried out the rest of the service, drops the car down off the ramps. both front doors are open whilst he does other stuff inside (checking seatbelts, lubing door catches etc). Fills the oil, reaches through to the key to run the engine to recheck the level - click, bang, cue the new gull wing door edition of a metro as it jumped back six feet and folded the doors into the front wings. Nearly broke his arm as the door malleted into him!
Relatively minor, but I had been going out with my girlfriend for about two weeks. Mention I was going to do an oil change, she says "Oh do it on my parents' drive, don't do it by the side of the road".
The bucket I used to catch the oil had a rather large crack in it that I hadn't noticed.
I was still cleaning the stain off the next weekend.
Hooray for good first impressions
The bucket I used to catch the oil had a rather large crack in it that I hadn't noticed.
I was still cleaning the stain off the next weekend.
Hooray for good first impressions
ChocolateFrog said:
Just given up trying to refit an Aygo gearbox. It was going so well too. Got the old one off in 3 hours, nothing seized or snapped.
Trying to get the new one to line up with the clutch with one hand while located the bolts with the other all while water torture as the coolant drips away is an absolute Ballache.
You need this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-53095-Floor-Transmi... . Replace the supplied strap with a ratchet strap because it's rubbish.Trying to get the new one to line up with the clutch with one hand while located the bolts with the other all while water torture as the coolant drips away is an absolute Ballache.
It's the third hand you need when trying to re-fit a gearbox and I can recommend it wholeheartedly.
I like to think i'm reasonably good under the hood, but sadly, none of us are immune to stupidity.
Only a couple of weeks ago, after the cambelt service on my Clio 172, what I thought was a battery issue (loose terminal or flat) causing the old starter "click" but no turn over....wasn't.
After reseating the terminals and putting my boost charger on it, still the same.
Until I realised the crank locking pin was still in place.
Have you ever tried to remove a bent crank locking pin? I won't forget to remove one again, I can tell you!!!
Only a couple of weeks ago, after the cambelt service on my Clio 172, what I thought was a battery issue (loose terminal or flat) causing the old starter "click" but no turn over....wasn't.
After reseating the terminals and putting my boost charger on it, still the same.
Until I realised the crank locking pin was still in place.
Have you ever tried to remove a bent crank locking pin? I won't forget to remove one again, I can tell you!!!
SBDJ said:
The Black Flash said:
Ah, I've been there 
. Grinding with goggles on, took them off to look, then "just needs a tiny touch more" which I of course did without the goggles. Cue shards in eye, and a similar trip to A&E for the needle treatment.
"Now don't move your eye" said the Dr as the needle approached. "That would be really bad". He'd turned my eyelid inside out so I couldn't blink, but it's incredibly hard not to look away. Not a great way to spend an hour!
Also been there, except I had to wait until the next day to see the specialist. She also used the light at an angle which was much more tolerable than the nurse in A&E who shone it directly in.. Grinding with goggles on, took them off to look, then "just needs a tiny touch more" which I of course did without the goggles. Cue shards in eye, and a similar trip to A&E for the needle treatment."Now don't move your eye" said the Dr as the needle approached. "That would be really bad". He'd turned my eyelid inside out so I couldn't blink, but it's incredibly hard not to look away. Not a great way to spend an hour!
You will feel a tapping sensation on your eyeball!
Never again.
Still not as bad as arc-eye though. Jesus Christ.
masermartin said:
There's more than DIY Mechanics fail going on there, I'm afraid to say.
In my defence, I did cut a slot in one of the caliper bolt heads and try to tighten it up using a flat bladed screwdriver, but it wasn't enough. Thank god for dual-circuit brakes.....Oh, and every time I've done an engine or gearbox oil change, half of it ends up on the driveway and takes about 3 times as long to clean up as the oil change itself took....
Gassing Station | Home Mechanics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff