Keith Browning Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Okay. I know you all must have done something stupid or made a silly mistake or two... While I was degreasing the engine and the underside of a Super Duty hood for the third time today,I was thinking that this was the SECOND time I forgot to install the clamp bolt for the turbo oil feed tube at the oil cooler. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/banghead.gif Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErickBaker Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 I always forget to tighten the two oil supply tube bolts on top of the turbo. Or forget to tighten the manifold to inlet pipe bolts on the intake manifold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastendpowerstroke Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Rushing to finish up a gear swap in a mustang I tossed the carrier in check the backlash and contact pattern....(spot on cause I'm good like that) slammed the axles in whipped the cover on filled it up shot the tires back on backed it out of the shop at4:29pm went about 15 feet when the fact the I didn't put the c-clips in became obvious.. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/blush.gif But I Know a guy that put two snowmobiles on a trailer in old forge NY and when he stopped on the thruway for gas a few hours later he only had one....................... /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/shocked.gif Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LARRY BRUDZYNSKI Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Had one today, We have a trainee working with a senior tech. The trainee was buttoning up a injector swap out on a 444, started the truck up and was smoking the shop out. The senior tech was checking out what had happened turns out the trainee didn't tighten down the injectors. I guess we all have these kind of days once in a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchan68 Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 I just had an '03 F-350 in for an EGR cooler replacement yesterday. While re-installing the turbo, the oil drain tube came unseated from the HPOP cover. This was evident about 2 seconds after start-up. Oh well, live and learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieselD Posted November 25, 2006 Share Posted November 25, 2006 been there done that, It makes quite the mess doesent it? Mine only ran for about 5seconds and managed to cover the topside of the engine and bottom of the hood. One of those stupid things you smack yourself uside te head for cause its so simple. That why I hate it when people walk up and distract me in the middle of a job. All it takes is to loose your focus for a second and you forget something little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtis Posted November 26, 2006 Share Posted November 26, 2006 I was rebuilding 2 8.8 diffs on the same day, one I had to leave apart and wait for shims. I put the second diff together and it went on a road test. After I got the shims for the first diff and put it together, I couldn't find the c-clips. It turned out I had used them in the other truck. We brought the second truck back in and removed the cover and the c-clips were sitting in the bottom. Luckily they didn't get picked up into the crown and pinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted November 26, 2006 Share Posted November 26, 2006 If anything is going to show my age..... This was a fairly new car (warranty job, too).... about a 73 Olds with the 350 TH... Way in the back of the trans is a little, goofy shaped "anti-clunk" spring. I placed this spring in plain sight to avoid forgetting it during assembly. I had quite a fight to get all the clutches lined up and the two shells together and finally dropped them into the case..... then I noticed the spring sitting in it's conspicuous place.... Of course, removing the drive assembly made it "fa;; apart" and I returned to fighting everything back into line.... Relieved, I dtopped the assembly back into the trans..... and noticed the spring - grinning at me, it seemed.... We repeated this process two more times before I finally got smart.... it was shortly after that that I renounced recreational pharmacology as a viable leisure pursuit. Since then, I only resort to minor blemishes... like trying to rip the door off a near new SD crew cab..... Mistakes are there, waiting to be made.... all that is required is the smallest lapse of attention..... But they sure make for some fun coffee breaks.... Keep 'em coming and don't be embarrassed..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamageINC Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 Actually, just I had a truck come in from about 2 months ago and found that there was only 1 motor mount nut hodling the engine in place. Yikes. Not feeling too smooth about that one.. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchan68 Posted November 28, 2006 Share Posted November 28, 2006 Don't laugh at this one. But, about 7 years ago, during my preliminary years of exposure to engine repairs on Ford products, or any major repairs in general for that matter, I was assigned to replacing the right bank head gasket on a 5.4L E-series, when it came time to fire up the engine, it ran horribly!!! I pulled out all the plugs on that bank. Cylinder #4 spark plug electrode was gone completely. Mad as hell, I pulled the head off again, only to find a rag all chewed up, and lodged between the exhaust valve and seat. Needless to say, I WAS PISSED!!!! Well, I ended up replacing the valve, and thankfully, no other damage was evident afterward. Now, you guys are probably wondering how I could leave a rag in one of the cylinders, and forget about it? Well, when I pulled the head off, all the residual coolant in the head drained itself into the cylinder bores, almost filling them up. I placed one rag into each cylinder to absorb the coolant, with the exception of cylinder number 4, which was situated at BDC. Therefore, I needed TWO rags to soak up the coolant in that one particular cylinder. When it came time to replace the head onto the block, I pulled out ONE rag from each cylinder, forgetting that there were TWO inside cylinder number 4. Use your imagination. Apparently, one of the other techs had to make a mad dash for the washroom, unable to contain his laughter at my misfortune. Ever since that mishap, one of my former co-workers will never let me forget that, when I call him to shoot the !@*!#?!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregH Posted November 28, 2006 Share Posted November 28, 2006 Here's one on me.... I replaced an engine in a crown vic one day, and prior to installing the engine, I loosened the two nuts on the transmission mount. Then, shifting it back, I had enough room to set the engine off into the frame. Unhook the chain, raise the vehicle in the air, and wiggle the transmission back up to the motor. I finished up the repair, test drove, and released it back to the customer. That night, I dreamed that I left the two nuts loose on the trans mount. The next morning, I asked the service advisor to call the customer and have her return with the vehicle so we could "retorque" a few things that would have settled during her initial drive. When she arrived, and I raised the vehicle in the air, there were the two nuts - just barely hanging on.... oops... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamageINC Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 I know too many to list, lol.. So I'll just stick with one guy... There was a guy who used to work with us.. he's notorious for boo-boo's like this one. But, long story short, he had a Mustang with one of the ignition coils out (but plugged in) and the fuel rail off as well. For whatever reason, he tried firing the thing up and forgot what he'd had disconnected. Fuel sprays, coil fires, flamethrower ensues.. you get the picture. He also dropped a BRAND-NEW off-the-lot truck off a rack while installing running boards, in front of the customer... He also thought it was a good idea to take the oil filter off of a running engine. (to get the oil change done while the flush machines were running). There were a few other classics.... No, he doesn't work there anymore. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 Greg... you sound a little like me.... Anal can be a way of life.... There are times I go out into the back lot, wrench in hand.... only to find out that I did tighten whatever it was that I couldn't remember tightening.... If I'm the last one out of the store (and that happens more often than I care to admit) you might find me putting my pants on in the middle of the night to go check a door.... and yes, they are always locked... Better safe than sorry... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted December 3, 2006 Author Share Posted December 3, 2006 There are times I go out into the back lot, wrench in hand.... only to find out that I did tighten whatever it was that I couldn't remember tightening.... I had replaced one lower ball joint on used Econoline that had already been sold and was to be delivered that evening. It was a last minute vehicle inspection and service but the parts were in stock and all was completed in time. So I am driving home and I got this deep rooted nervous feeling that I had left the caliper bolts loose... almost home and it was 1/4 to eight as it was and I panicked. I called the dealer and explained the situation to which an unhappy sales person agreed not to release the vehicle. The next morning I checked the bolts, they were tight! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/rotz.gif Moral of the story? Better safe than sorry YOU BET! The sale went though anyway and no one got hurt. I thought I would be embarrassed but the sales dept understood though slightly annoyed. I was assured that my (incorrect) gut feeling was better heeded than ignored as for the potential for disaster would have been worse than the one day inconvenience to the customer. It bolstered my faith in human-kind to hear that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastendpowerstroke Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 There are times I go out into the back lot, wrench in hand.... only to find out that I did tighten whatever it was that I couldn't remember tightening....I'd be willing to bet all of us have done just that.I know I have /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/blush.gif Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted December 5, 2006 Author Share Posted December 5, 2006 Yep, sure have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott B Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 One night I was changing Jake brake solenoids on a C-15 CAT.Well it is not a Bad job.Pop the valvecovers off and they are right on top of the castings.Two allen screws hold them In.Got them all done.Figured I would fire it up without the covers on briefly Hit the jake and see if everything is ok before buttoning it up.So I do just that. Fire it up hit the pedal down and Bang!LOL. Well I forgot to put the two solenoid holdown bolts on for 3&4 cylinders.I watched this solenoid Blow out of the Jake casting with 90 psi of Oil pressure behind it!!.It flew about 4ft in the Air and The Oil geyser shooting out behind it about the same height with the Fan Blowing it all over the freaking windshield and tk's roof.All this in about 15 seconds LOL!!!.The customer got a free wash and detail out of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchan68 Posted December 6, 2006 Share Posted December 6, 2006 That kind of reminds me of a time when two ex-coworkers were doing a compression test on a 7.3L in an E-series with the doghouse cover off. I was working on something else in the bay across. All I remember hearing was the sound of the engine cranking, and then BOOOM!!!! As the two coworkers exited the truck all I saw was "leopard spots all over the two of them, and the inside of the truck!!!! It was priceless!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekanik Posted December 7, 2006 Share Posted December 7, 2006 There are times I go out into the back lot, wrench in hand.... only to find out that I did tighten whatever it was that I couldn't remember tightening.... That sounds like me. I hate that. I was doing ball joints on a Friday right before I went home. I didn't put the tires on because a " hourly kid" was going to replace them on Saturday. On the way home, I got this horrible feeling that I forgot to put one of the cotter pins in for of the tie rod nut. I called the dispacher 1st thing in the morning and asked him to walk out to my stall and double check. They were all there. I usally give a vehicle a good look over for that kind of stuff before I put the wheels on, but I didn't do that and it screwed up my routine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Bruene Posted January 1, 2007 Share Posted January 1, 2007 Hi everyone, first time poster, long time lurker. I thought I'd add my biggest brainfart in the past while so others don't feel so bad. When I'm air testing a pick-up, I normally apply my air through the ICP port, but last week I was working on a tow truck that had a hydraulic pump in the way of the ICP, so I applied my air to the port on the pump. Listening through the oil filler, I found my leak to be on the right side, so I proceeded to remove the PIA pump and the rocker cover, and reapplied air pressure to the pump port... without reinstalling the ICP sensor! Long story short, I was covered in oil from head to toe, filled the school bus that was being worked on beside me with oil inside and out... And the problem is, I'm sure I'll do it again one day... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CERTIFIEDFORDTEC Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 Hey I did that one a while back too! At least I aint the only one! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif When I do 7.3l injectors I always remove the glow plug and then reinstall the valve cover with couple of bolts to purge any oil or fuel out of the cylinder and could you imagine what the tech next to me looked like the one time i forget to put the valve cover bolts in and crank it as he is walking by in the front of the vehicle.. luckily he was wearing safety glasses because his eyes were the only thing that were clean! duhhh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellyf Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 Left the right side battery terminal loose on 03 f250 6.0.When you do this,ground for vacuum hub locks vacuum solenoid goes to crap.Customer returned not so happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted January 8, 2007 Author Share Posted January 8, 2007 When I do 7.3l injectors I always remove the glow plug and then reinstall the valve cover with couple of bolts to purge any oil or fuel out of the cylinder and could you imagine what the tech next to me looked like the one time i forget to put the valve cover bolts in and crank it as he is walking by in the front of the vehicle.. He probably looked like one of my shop's walls before it was cleaned and painted. I forgot to even put the valve cover on at all and four really strong jets of fuel and oil decorated the wall! I was standing at the front of the truck with by remote starter button in hand and my only thought was "that was a stupid thing to do!" (said loudly in the voice of Pete Puma from the old Bugs Bunny cartoons) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fredsvt Posted January 8, 2007 Share Posted January 8, 2007 I just did a really dumb one. Timing chains on an '01 4.6 F150 already had the front cover bolted up, p/s pump back on and started installing the balancer, when lo and behold I look up a the battery and what do I see? The friggen reluctor wheel for the crank sensor. Arrrgghh!!! I then remember picking it up off the bench, cleaning it, and placing it on the battery. I was going to put in on the nose of the crank when I returned from lunch. DUH!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamageINC Posted January 8, 2007 Share Posted January 8, 2007 Haha yeah, first time I ever did head gaskets on a 5.4 I made that mistake. I had all the accessories bolted up too, and had just positioned the intake in place. I went back to my box to get the intake bolts and saw the wheel just sitting there, laughing at me. Anyway.. Ok so we had these oil-caddy's that you'd evacuate by manually shutting a couple ball valves and then pressurizing the tank with shop air. Then you'd crack open a valve on the drain hose and it'd pump the oil out of the caddy with the air in the caddy now. So, I apparently didn't shut the top valve all the way. It was actually only about half. Grab the air hose, plug it in - had a geyser of oil (and 2 filters) that sprayed all over the ceiling in the shop, all over the walls, 3 cars, my toolbox, friends box, me, friend, I swear there was oil from this mess over half the shop, it was an incredible mess. I spent 3 hours afterward with a pressure washer trying to clean this all up. This was almost exactly 3 years ago and there are STILL small drips of oil coming from HVAC ducting that I wasn't able to rinse off. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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