Discussion
...always starts out as a good idea doesn't it?
Changing my exhaust at the moment from the cat back.
Rusty bolts are a b
h. And just managed to clart myself on the head with a lovely 17 spanner.
Any tales of woe from yourselves?
And anyone know the best way to tackle the rubber holds for the exhaust?
Changing my exhaust at the moment from the cat back.
Rusty bolts are a b
h. And just managed to clart myself on the head with a lovely 17 spanner. Any tales of woe from yourselves?
And anyone know the best way to tackle the rubber holds for the exhaust?
While helping a friend change his clutch (using axle stands, laying on the floor etc 
) while laying under the car trying to remove the gearbox on an old Datsun 160SSS I managed to dip my head in some lovely gearbox oil which had escaped from the prop tube 
Only had to wash my hair about 50 times to rid of it 
) while laying under the car trying to remove the gearbox on an old Datsun 160SSS I managed to dip my head in some lovely gearbox oil which had escaped from the prop tube Only had to wash my hair about 50 times to rid of it Whilst doing my suspension overhaul on a week off from work, I took the precaution of getting some cans of Waxoil to help preserve the car this winter.
After stripping out the old suspension, i went and got the cans out, and sprayed up the arches.
After an hour of it going off, I got to work installing the new parts.... and then lent my head into the arch, cue my hair getting a few bits of still damp waxoil in it. Took me a few days to get it all out
After stripping out the old suspension, i went and got the cans out, and sprayed up the arches.
After an hour of it going off, I got to work installing the new parts.... and then lent my head into the arch, cue my hair getting a few bits of still damp waxoil in it. Took me a few days to get it all out
406 shocker - compressed spring let go when - for some reason (and I've done loads of them and know never to do this) - my face was over the end of the leg as I refitted the top.
Godalmighty bang and I thought my skull had been caved in - and on a 406 the locating peg is an inch long spike. Blood everywhere (still got the stains all over the garage floor to this day). it was like being smashed in the face with a vigourously wielded sledge hammer.
A ride to A&E in an ambulance followed, the paramedic couldn't believe I wasn't dead. Luckily the assembly had hit me in the upper right part of my face mostly on the ridge of bone above my eyebrow. If it had hit my nose or jaw (or the spike had been on the part that hit my face) I'd not be such a handsome chap anymore. I was very very lucky. Ended up with 15 stitches on my eyelid/eyebrow and whoever did them was very, very good indeed as they are almost invisible.
And there was the time I sawed my finger off (but it got put back on).
Godalmighty bang and I thought my skull had been caved in - and on a 406 the locating peg is an inch long spike. Blood everywhere (still got the stains all over the garage floor to this day). it was like being smashed in the face with a vigourously wielded sledge hammer.
A ride to A&E in an ambulance followed, the paramedic couldn't believe I wasn't dead. Luckily the assembly had hit me in the upper right part of my face mostly on the ridge of bone above my eyebrow. If it had hit my nose or jaw (or the spike had been on the part that hit my face) I'd not be such a handsome chap anymore. I was very very lucky. Ended up with 15 stitches on my eyelid/eyebrow and whoever did them was very, very good indeed as they are almost invisible.
And there was the time I sawed my finger off (but it got put back on).
Ah rusty bolts the pain in the ass for any DIY mechanic with no access to a angle grinder/oxy acetylene set up.
I've injured myself a few times doing silly things e.g. lying under a car and rolling over to grab a tool I managed to flick a screwdriver up on its end with my elbow and poked myself in the eye. My natural reaction was to flinch away from said screwdriver causing me to then smash the corner of my head against the back axle.
(describes the feeling after)
On another occasion I was helping a couple of friends get a car started and with one sat cranking the ignition over an one stood next to me I spotted the source of the problem. Cue me reaching to the hall sender wiring and my friend cranking the ignition giving me one hell of an electric shock.
Whilst swapping a steering rack with a friend of mine we had the car on axle stands and were really struggling to get enough clearance to remove the rack so I suggested lowering the rear most part of the front subframe. I undid the bolts on my side 2/3 of the way giving me a good couple of inches extra room, my friend on the other hand got carried away and undid his side completely causing the subframe+engine to drop 6-8 inches and very nearly landing on my legs.
Whilst checking for a fuel problem on a K-JET metering head a friend cranked the ignition before I had fully done up all the fuel lines an I got unleaded to the face & eyes which was pretty savage.
I still love working on cars though.
dave
I've injured myself a few times doing silly things e.g. lying under a car and rolling over to grab a tool I managed to flick a screwdriver up on its end with my elbow and poked myself in the eye. My natural reaction was to flinch away from said screwdriver causing me to then smash the corner of my head against the back axle.
(describes the feeling after)On another occasion I was helping a couple of friends get a car started and with one sat cranking the ignition over an one stood next to me I spotted the source of the problem. Cue me reaching to the hall sender wiring and my friend cranking the ignition giving me one hell of an electric shock.
Whilst swapping a steering rack with a friend of mine we had the car on axle stands and were really struggling to get enough clearance to remove the rack so I suggested lowering the rear most part of the front subframe. I undid the bolts on my side 2/3 of the way giving me a good couple of inches extra room, my friend on the other hand got carried away and undid his side completely causing the subframe+engine to drop 6-8 inches and very nearly landing on my legs.
Whilst checking for a fuel problem on a K-JET metering head a friend cranked the ignition before I had fully done up all the fuel lines an I got unleaded to the face & eyes which was pretty savage.
I still love working on cars though.
dave
Changing the oil in my mondeo a few weeks back. I managed to convince my wife that i could get it done before we were due to go out for our aniversary day out. Car up on axel stands, large piece of cardboard on the ground to protect the drive from drips, bucket resting on the cardboard, left it to drain... Notice the weather was starting to turn (getting gusty and storm louds coming over) I came back outside just in time to see an enormous gust of wind lift the cardboard and with it the bucket of used oil with such force that it emptied itself all over the underside of the car and all over my drive (about 3 litres of the stuff judging by how much of the remainder i collected) Then the rain came- i attempted to mop up the oil on the drive but heavy rain made it more than a bit difficult. I then tried to finish off the job in the pouring rain with oil dripping down on me from the underside of the car. It was a total disaster. I then had around 20mins left to get the oil out of my hair and my best clothes on before we had to go out. I was not very popular that day.
Not DIY as such.
My Boss at the garage a few years ago dropped a gearbox on his face from a transit van. His head was against the floor when it fell.
Heard it, as did my supervisor. We both dropped everything and I remember doing a flying dive toward the van, the supervisor came in on his side, removed the gearbox from his head with me.
Blood everywhere, over our hands aswell as bits of his face. We both jumped up, I grabbed his ankles and pulled him from underneath. He (the boss), was still concious and holding his face with a towel. We put him into the supervisors car and drove strait to the hospital which was 200 meters or so up the road.
After that, we got back into the car and realised that the seat and indeed the footwell thin layer/puddle of blood.
That made us a bit teary eyed when we arrived back at the garage and the adrenaline had worn off.
My Boss at the garage a few years ago dropped a gearbox on his face from a transit van. His head was against the floor when it fell.
Heard it, as did my supervisor. We both dropped everything and I remember doing a flying dive toward the van, the supervisor came in on his side, removed the gearbox from his head with me.
Blood everywhere, over our hands aswell as bits of his face. We both jumped up, I grabbed his ankles and pulled him from underneath. He (the boss), was still concious and holding his face with a towel. We put him into the supervisors car and drove strait to the hospital which was 200 meters or so up the road.
After that, we got back into the car and realised that the seat and indeed the footwell thin layer/puddle of blood.
That made us a bit teary eyed when we arrived back at the garage and the adrenaline had worn off.
read5458 said:
Not DIY as such.
My Boss at the garage a few years ago dropped a gearbox on his face from a transit van. His head was against the floor when it fell.
Heard it, as did my supervisor. We both dropped everything and I remember doing a flying dive toward the van, the supervisor came in on his side, removed the gearbox from his head with me.
Blood everywhere, over our hands aswell as bits of his face. We both jumped up, I grabbed his ankles and pulled him from underneath. He (the boss), was still concious and holding his face with a towel. We put him into the supervisors car and drove strait to the hospital which was 200 meters or so up the road.
After that, we got back into the car and realised that the seat and indeed the footwell thin layer/puddle of blood.
That made us a bit teary eyed when we arrived back at the garage and the adrenaline had worn off.
What happened? did he recover?My Boss at the garage a few years ago dropped a gearbox on his face from a transit van. His head was against the floor when it fell.
Heard it, as did my supervisor. We both dropped everything and I remember doing a flying dive toward the van, the supervisor came in on his side, removed the gearbox from his head with me.
Blood everywhere, over our hands aswell as bits of his face. We both jumped up, I grabbed his ankles and pulled him from underneath. He (the boss), was still concious and holding his face with a towel. We put him into the supervisors car and drove strait to the hospital which was 200 meters or so up the road.
After that, we got back into the car and realised that the seat and indeed the footwell thin layer/puddle of blood.
That made us a bit teary eyed when we arrived back at the garage and the adrenaline had worn off.
After changing the brake pads on my old impreza, I decided to go for a drivw to check for squeals etc. In itself, not a problem, until I approached teh round about and went to brake...... S!!t!!!!! no brakes, I can tell you I have never reached for the handbrake so damn quickly!
Yup, you've guessed it. I'd forgotten to pump up the system afterwards to rebed the brake pistons back to the pads.
Yup, you've guessed it. I'd forgotten to pump up the system afterwards to rebed the brake pistons back to the pads.
Pete Franklin said:
read5458 said:
Not DIY as such.
My Boss at the garage a few years ago dropped a gearbox on his face from a transit van. His head was against the floor when it fell.
Heard it, as did my supervisor. We both dropped everything and I remember doing a flying dive toward the van, the supervisor came in on his side, removed the gearbox from his head with me.
Blood everywhere, over our hands aswell as bits of his face. We both jumped up, I grabbed his ankles and pulled him from underneath. He (the boss), was still concious and holding his face with a towel. We put him into the supervisors car and drove strait to the hospital which was 200 meters or so up the road.
After that, we got back into the car and realised that the seat and indeed the footwell thin layer/puddle of blood.
That made us a bit teary eyed when we arrived back at the garage and the adrenaline had worn off.
What happened? did he recover?My Boss at the garage a few years ago dropped a gearbox on his face from a transit van. His head was against the floor when it fell.
Heard it, as did my supervisor. We both dropped everything and I remember doing a flying dive toward the van, the supervisor came in on his side, removed the gearbox from his head with me.
Blood everywhere, over our hands aswell as bits of his face. We both jumped up, I grabbed his ankles and pulled him from underneath. He (the boss), was still concious and holding his face with a towel. We put him into the supervisors car and drove strait to the hospital which was 200 meters or so up the road.
After that, we got back into the car and realised that the seat and indeed the footwell thin layer/puddle of blood.
That made us a bit teary eyed when we arrived back at the garage and the adrenaline had worn off.
Liquid Knight said:
Welding a patch to a the floor/sill of an old Metro I managed to burn through the hydrogas pipe. Got covered in the stuff and was trapped under the car for a good ten minutes.
Years ago whilst welding a floor into my Metro, my Dad managed to set fire to the dashboard - the only mint part of the car.Celtic Dragon said:
After changing the brake pads on my old impreza, I decided to go for a drivw to check for squeals etc. In itself, not a problem, until I approached teh round about and went to brake...... S!!t!!!!! no brakes, I can tell you I have never reached for the handbrake so damn quickly!
Yup, you've guessed it. I'd forgotten to pump up the system afterwards to rebed the brake pistons back to the pads.
LOL - on a run round Scotland last year a mate of mine did the same after a bit of tinkering in the hotel carpark. Rather than run into the back of me at the end of the hotel's drive he (Thankfully) veered left leaving a set of tracks about 50 feet across their nice lawn. We gingerly left and heard nothing more about it.Yup, you've guessed it. I'd forgotten to pump up the system afterwards to rebed the brake pistons back to the pads.
Couple of years ago I was under a car grinding the head off a bolt with an angle grinder when the disc broke, a piece fell out and the grinder kicked back and hit me in the head.
Hospital visit - Lucky it wasn't worse.
I am now known as tyre backslash tread due to the backslash scar on my forhead.
Hospital visit - Lucky it wasn't worse.
I am now known as tyre backslash tread due to the backslash scar on my forhead.
For the rubber supports, getting them off is almost a joy, getting the new ones back on not so.
One side is quite easy for the other side I made a simple tool using a nut and bolt a washer and a wedge shaped tube. The idea being that tightening the nut pulls the wedge through the rubber opening it enough to accept the exhaust hanger. Still not easy though.
There is probably a simple tool somewhere on eBay!
One side is quite easy for the other side I made a simple tool using a nut and bolt a washer and a wedge shaped tube. The idea being that tightening the nut pulls the wedge through the rubber opening it enough to accept the exhaust hanger. Still not easy though.
There is probably a simple tool somewhere on eBay!
Sometimes it's just the simple bits and bobs that piss you off.
Attacking a stubborn drain bolt on a friend's Fiesta. In perhaps one of the most common tales of mishap, the drain bolt shot free on the last part of the thread, covering my face with warm oil. The car was up on stands and I was underneath it, and my reflexes kicked in - I jumped up, and smacked my face on the (still quite hot) exhaust midsection. As I pulled back from this I conked the back of my head on the ground and at this point settled for the free face colouring I was getting.
When I was moving house, I took the pax seats out of my Impreza so I could put a table in it. Remember thinking to myself that the bolts were fine when undoing, but I'd need to be careful tightening them up as the angle wasn't going to be ideal. Sure enough, I forgot, and this didn't come to fruition until I went to get a takeaway - gave the car a bootful away from some lights, nothing overly exuberant but enough to cause the passenger seat to come off its mounts, fall backwards, and deposit curry all over the rear bench. I also remember being quite miffed at having to spend another £10 and half an hour waiting for my food, and wanting a Lamb Madras for dinner every day when I drove home from work until my new back bench arrived.
This spring, a friend of mine came into work and was obviously disgruntled. I asked him what had happened and he told me to follow him. Took me to his car parked outside, which had a pretty big crack in the windscreen. I asked him how it had happened - he was changing his wiper blades and had just taken off one of the blades (you can see where this is going). As he went to put the new blade on the arm, he accidentally knocked it and it sprang straight back into the windscreen, putting a small crack in it. As the night had been quite chilly and the following drive rather bumpy, the crack had propagated into quite a large one. I did offer sympathies, but not until the entire department had heard and had a good laugh about it.
Attacking a stubborn drain bolt on a friend's Fiesta. In perhaps one of the most common tales of mishap, the drain bolt shot free on the last part of the thread, covering my face with warm oil. The car was up on stands and I was underneath it, and my reflexes kicked in - I jumped up, and smacked my face on the (still quite hot) exhaust midsection. As I pulled back from this I conked the back of my head on the ground and at this point settled for the free face colouring I was getting.
When I was moving house, I took the pax seats out of my Impreza so I could put a table in it. Remember thinking to myself that the bolts were fine when undoing, but I'd need to be careful tightening them up as the angle wasn't going to be ideal. Sure enough, I forgot, and this didn't come to fruition until I went to get a takeaway - gave the car a bootful away from some lights, nothing overly exuberant but enough to cause the passenger seat to come off its mounts, fall backwards, and deposit curry all over the rear bench. I also remember being quite miffed at having to spend another £10 and half an hour waiting for my food, and wanting a Lamb Madras for dinner every day when I drove home from work until my new back bench arrived.
This spring, a friend of mine came into work and was obviously disgruntled. I asked him what had happened and he told me to follow him. Took me to his car parked outside, which had a pretty big crack in the windscreen. I asked him how it had happened - he was changing his wiper blades and had just taken off one of the blades (you can see where this is going). As he went to put the new blade on the arm, he accidentally knocked it and it sprang straight back into the windscreen, putting a small crack in it. As the night had been quite chilly and the following drive rather bumpy, the crack had propagated into quite a large one. I did offer sympathies, but not until the entire department had heard and had a good laugh about it.
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