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-   -   most memorable mishaps, oops! (https://www.racingjunk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22480)

cepx111 12-11-2008 11:38 PM

most memorable mishaps, oops!
 
Here's a couple that make me laugh when I think about it.

Ford motors are built ford tough right? Right.
I had just got done putting a motor in my 87 ford truck, I had the remote starter button hooked up to the solenoid on the fender.
For reasons I can't remember now I went to crank the thing over and didn't realize I had the ignition on, well you guessed it, that thing fired up on the first revolution, which wasn't so bad, least I knew I had the timing pretty close...lol but there this one little detail I forgot to mention, the upper plenum wasn't on yet!
It went from start to 10 thousand rpm or somewhere near there in the blink of a eye.
I ran over and killed the ignition as quick as I could, my heart was pounding wondering if I just grenaded my new motor, nope.
Buttoned it all up cranked it up and it ran great, needless to say I was easy on the throttle a few days before I opened it up but heck I drove that truck for 2 years before I ended up selling it, now that's the proper way to break in a motor....lol


Now this is more of a testimonial than a mishap but I thought ya'll ford guys would like it.
I had worked at several ford dealerships over my career as an automotive tech.
One day this customer brought in this beaten down work truck, under warranty of course> it was knocking its butt off - so knowing how the warranty system works, the service writer had asked me to grenda the thing so we could just put a complete motor in rather than patch together a worn out motor.
So I promptly drained the oil and went for a drive, I drove it and I drove it and I drove it, I stopped and floored it, I did burn-outs, it got louder but I could not make that thing come apart. finally gave up and just took it apart hoping I had caused enough damage to warrant a whole motor, mission accomplished....lol
Have a little fun and tell on yourself or if know of someone elses funny mishap, tell it, lets keep this thing going.
later, Charles

mytmouz 12-12-2008 12:16 AM

Somewhat similar to your first one. Just out of high school I bought a 74 Datsun pickup. I got some watery fuel and drained the system. (The tank had a drain plug.) I removed the carb and filter to clean and replace when I decided to spin it over to remove the watery fuel in the line so I would be all fresh and clean. :roll: . Well, when I hit the starter, the fuel line was directly over the gaping hole in the intake where the carb used to be. It started right up, with flames shooting 20 feet high. I panicked and ran for the garden hose. The fire didn't go out (or the engine die), until water ran back out of the intake. Yes, after removing the plugs and letting the water drain, I reinstalled the carb and it fired right up... :oops:

ashtrak 12-12-2008 02:21 AM

I use to work at a G.M. dealer when i was setting timing on a chevette. I had another guy put it in gear for me to check ruffness of motor so he puts it in reverse and didn't look to see if the parking brake was set. Well needless to say there was an open pit across from me we did alignments on and the car took off. I'm running after the car trying to hop inside and just barely got the car stopped as one of the back wheels falls into the pit. My heart was in my throatand a lil soil in my pants. Thank God nothing happened and we were able to push it up out of the pit.

outlaw256 12-12-2008 02:27 AM

back in the early 80s i worked for otasco doing tune ups exhaust tires nothing really good. i had a custumer come into the baysand stand there and watch me tune up his old truck. i first grabbed a handfull of plug wires and threw them on the bench and this old man just about had a haertattack. ask me a 100 times how you gonna get them wires back in the right place. made me mad as hell. and mad at the store manager for lettin him in the shop to begin with.i acted kinda like i was shy a brick or two and had that oldman shakin, scared he would have to walk home. i really played it out.when i was all done puttin in new plugs, points etc.i went to start it and i was watching this guy as i tried to start it i wanted to see his face when it fired up, not when it wouldnt start!seemed like i turned that thing over for ever. got out checked firing order. even checked the points. by now the guy had the manager in the shop and was on the verge of crying.as i was heases back in the truck for the tenth time, i loked at the work bench and what did i see , a rotor button. at first i thought it was the old one but then it finally dawned on my dumba$$ that i didnt see a rotor when i checked the points. pulled the cap and no rotor. put one on it and it fired right up. after i set the carb,the truck run great. the old man left holding his heart but smiling and saying truck runs better than it ever has, but he wouldnt let me tune up his bicycle. lesson to be learned never quit working on a half gallon of whisky at 4.00 when you gotta be at work at 7.00.and it was the boss that i was drinking with!!

curtisreed 12-12-2008 05:33 AM

The first motor I ever changed was in my first car. '73 Chevelle, (couldn't have been '72). I bought a short block from a rebuilder. Brought my new/rebuilt piece home in the back of my buddies truck. We didn't have a garage but there was a room on the end of his mom's house we were going to finish building it in.

We get home and we are just going to lift it out and carry it inside. He has me back up close to the door. I'm backing up slowly, which was too slow for him. He gives me the big come on hand wave and yells back up, so I start heading back quite a bit faster watching him not where I'm at. Well I am getting close fast so he panicks and yells STOP. Yeah you guessed it, out on the concrete driveway it goes. :oops: :oops: I couldn't believe it didn't land on the deck or anything just messed up the belhousing mount a little. Well you live you learn. Usually the hard way.





Same friend same place we are putting a lift kit on his new Ford truck. Of course we have it jacked up a mile and held up by the safest concrete blocks we could find. We are under it working away, the u-bolts have to be torqued to 150lbs-ft. I say, "did you hear that?" We stop for a second and there is another creaking sound. We fly out from under it just as it falls to the side and to the ground.


Same truck he is changing the intake to a performer and has his hood laying in the yard. Some people come over and my car is blocked in the driveway. That night when I leave I pull through the yard not able to see the black hood laying on the ground. Made a sick crunch as I ran over it!

A tornado came through a few weeks later and threw someones roof on top of the truck so the insurance company took care of my screw up. :D


Luckily we just laugh about that crap nowadays.

Tod74 12-12-2008 06:09 AM

ME!!!!

curtisreed 12-12-2008 08:01 AM


Originally Posted by Tod74
ME!!!!

Did your parents tell you that?? :lol: :lol:

Harbone 12-12-2008 09:40 AM

I had spent years as a kid from 10 years old and up working in my grandpas shop, swapped my first 4 cylinder for a customer when I was 16. 99% of my experience was GM based. When I was 18 I purchased a 1965 Dodge Coronet with an 318A motor in it. She had oodles of miles on her and I wanted to do my first engine swap on a Chrysler. I scored a wrecked mid 70's Aspen with a 318B motor and proceeded to swap them out. New carb, distributor, wires all the goodies and I was damn proud. Till it came time to start it, all it would do was pop out the intake and the exhaust. I checked the carb, fuel system, firing order, everything! After 2 more nights of frustration my good ole grandpa finally came over to take a look. asked me all I had done, double checked my work and then started laughing out loud. I was really confused, he asks me "what about the firing order' I was like gpa its right there on the intake, I timed up to #1 cylinder 2 or 3 times so I know its right!! He cracked open a beer, sat back and then let me know that the cylinder order on a Chrysler is not the same as a GM product. Unlike GM on this Chrysler the order was 1-4 on the left side and 5-8 on the other! I had no idea, so swapped the wires and she fired right up. never did like Chryslers that much anyways!!!

bowtie4542001 12-12-2008 01:22 PM

I was working on a 4x4 Nissan truck replacing the rear seal in the trans. I had drove the truck up on the ramps and started taking the drive shaft out. Well...you guessed it. I pulled the drive shaft out and the truck started rolling down the ramps. Lucky for me the truck had a suspension lift on it with some pretty big tires, there was no time to get out from under the truck so I turned my body longways with the truck and it rolled right over me. Needless to say, I always chock the back tires now. :D

Chris

Racefab57 12-12-2008 02:12 PM

I went to ALFRED AG< TECH for automotive,and I was tuning up my roomates car and I hooked up the push button remote starter,and guess what ..... now this car was a std. trans.... and yes its in gear,the starter solonoid stuck and it kept jumping forward and trying to start ...and ended up against the work bench jumping and fartin.. and me trying to get the battery unhooked, WELl I dam near died!!!!!!!!! THANK GOD THERE WASNT ANYONE IN FRT. OF THIS CAR....OH MAN what a day.BUT thats the things you learn.DR. LOL,LOL,


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