Admit your Garage Mistakes

klawsterfobik · 07-01-2005, 05:01 PM

After reading a thread on another forum, i was inspired to start this one on our forum.

So what mistakes have you made in the garage?

I'll start.

1/ i spent two days trying to get my rear drum brakes on my Cortina. Turned out that the linings were paired together, and i had mixed up the pairings. Went straight on after i changed them back

2/ forgot to put the sump plug back in after an oil change.

3/ i once tried to give a distributor a better grounding by stripping off the coating of part of the wire and running another to the chassis.

im sure theres more.
your turn!

RED_EL_XR8 · 07-01-2005, 05:09 PM

Just one.

Closed BA Boss 260 bonnet with the oil filler cap still upturned on the plenum whilst distracted by the phone. - Anyone have a Dunce cap in my size?

AUII_Forte · 07-01-2005, 05:11 PM

My biggest mistake......I bought an EA:P

After doing an engine change I spent 2 days trying to figure out why it wouldn't start. I had the dizzy out numerous times making sure it wasn't 180deg out (not fun in an MPFI EA!), the rocker cover off making sure the cam timing was right etc. Turned out that I had the fuel lines on the wrong way round! lol

FNQracing · 07-01-2005, 05:44 PM

I over tightened the oil filler cap on my EF and it was brittle. The ****er shattered and little bits of plastic went inside the rocker cover. SH!T. I then had to remove the rocker cover and I spent the next 2 hours picking out little bits of plastic with a pair of tweazers.

Thats only one of many ****ups over the years.

lv619 · 07-01-2005, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AUII_Forte

My biggest mistake......I bought an EA:P

Unfortunatly I fell for the same mistake... their should be some sort of support group for people like us.:togo:

xdc351 · 07-01-2005, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lv619

Unfortunatly I fell for the same mistake... their should be some sort of support group for people like us.:togo:

Tell me about it. I was going to post the same thing (but have to live with it a little longer)!

My biggest mistake was hacking the waterpump apart on the XD to fit an EWP... only to find out the EWP isn't strong enough to pump water to the heater/LPG converter! Ruined a perfectly good pump for nothing!

I havn't done the missing sump bolt yet... but I have a mate who drained his auto.... then put the auto fluid into the engine!

:

XR Martin · 07-01-2005, 07:23 PM

Bought some DBA disc rotors and first thing you do of course in bash in the bearing cups. As hard as I tried they would not go in, broke two 'punches' and was about to throw the discs across the yard.
I then realised they already had the cups installed.

:

walker · 12-05-2007, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lv619

Unfortunatly I fell for the same mistake... their should be some sort of support group for people like us.:togo:

Thank ****** for that I'm not the only 1, I will sleep easy now

07-01-2005, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AUII_Forte

My biggest mistake......I bought an EA:P

Heheheh, I barely dodged that bullet myself... In the nick of time I spotted the most beautiful, most immaculate 1986 LTD I ever saw in my life!

...too bad some blind #^!@er

: hit my front passenger panel in a car park, 2 weeks after I bought it! -- It's gotta be the most annoying dent ever. Big enough for EVERYONE to notice, but too small to justify the cost of getting it fixed.

Anyway, my biggest garage mistake was attaching new battery terminals to said LTD; and it was really ****ing me off because no matter what I did, the car would receive power, but would not even attempt to turn over (which was why I was replacing the terminals in the first place, the car did this constantly and I decided the terminals were dodgy).

After an hour I glanced at the transmission, took it out of Reverse and into Park. Worked like a charm. :eclipsee_

flukey77 · 12-05-2007, 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AUII_Forte

My biggest mistake......I bought an EA:P

Holy there seem to be a heap of people who dont like the EA's or must have had a bad experience with them. We have an old CFI EA wagon that we bought second hand in 91 and the thing is a tank!! It has done over 320,000kms on the original engine and still isnt missing a beat, despite our best efforts to thwart it by giving it minimal maintenance and generally neglecting the poor thing. The autobox was replaced at 305,000kms because it started acting up, and we have replaced an alternator and a power steering pump. Deadset this car is the reason that a few long time Holden fans now have Blue blood flowing through their veins.

JamesR · 07-01-2008, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flukey77

Holy there seem to be a heap of people who dont like the EA's or must have had a bad experience with them. We have an old CFI EA wagon that we bought second hand in 91 and the thing is a tank!! It has done over 320,000kms on the original engine and still isnt missing a beat, despite our best efforts to thwart it by giving it minimal maintenance and generally neglecting the poor thing. The autobox was replaced at 305,000kms because it started acting up, and we have replaced an alternator and a power steering pump. Deadset this car is the reason that a few long time Holden fans now have Blue blood flowing through their veins.

exact same here mate.
although the ol girl blows a bit of smoke, and uses a bit of oil, it still gets good fuel economy.
ie, went to Adelaide a few weeks ago, full tank of ULP95 got me about 800ks!

Macca23 · 07-01-2008, 09:20 PM

On GQ patrol, I was too lazy to disconnect the battery when chaning the the fuel filter. As I let the line off, it squirted everywhere and my spanner hit the battery as I jumped and it caught on fire!!!!! Got it out quick as had the fire hydrants next too me but still, was a change of undies after that! No damage. Just the battery was a bit cooked and the fuel lines werent in the best condition

dansedgli · 07-01-2005, 05:46 PM

I over tightened the wheel nuts on one wheel of my mini, I heard the click sound you get when the wheel studs break and just didnt tell anyone so I didnt get in trouble. I was 16 at the time.

The mechanic was shocked that the car was driven to him. He spotted the wobbly wheel as we drove in.

EA2BA · 07-01-2005, 05:49 PM

done the oil sump plug trick

tried to arc weld several spanners to the body of the car undoing the positive on the back of the alternator or starter motor, before thinking disconnecting the battery is a good idea.

fried a few wires when i put 2 plugs together the wrong way around.

Dodge · 07-01-2005, 07:28 PM

i pulled out a engine to find that it was only a spun bearing and no damage to the crank at all, only the cap was scuffed, so i could have replaced the rod bolts and cap in the car...

Fairlane · 07-01-2005, 07:50 PM

1. Spent go knows how long trying to remove the bottom radiator hose of a V6 Magna, only to relise that it had a drain plug.

2. Losing the Sump plug and having to walk to the spare parts store.

3. (Sort of related) Removing the oil from sump of my lawnmower with a hand suction pump, only to lose the rubber hose attachment in the sump. It is still in there and I don't think it did it any good, considering it was virtually a brand new mower and now it blows a health dose of blue smoke. doh :(

Laminge · 07-01-2005, 08:47 PM

Dropping the keys into the petrol tank of my vh valiant, and spending 4 hours hooking them out, and 24 hours detoxing from the petrol fumes

Knocking a dent out of the rear 1/4 with a sledgehammer, missing the car and taking out 3 bricks in the wall of the garage.

Doing a Casper with a coke bottle in the EB and spraying coke all over the dash and shorting it out~:tool:

jaydee · 03-05-2007, 12:56 AM

[QUOTE=Laminge]Dropping the keys into the petrol tank of my vh valiant, and spending 4 hours hooking them out, and 24 hours detoxing from the petrol fumes

What were you doing to drop your keys into the petrol tank???

:

Laminge · 03-05-2007, 09:22 AM

[QUOTE=jaydee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laminge

Dropping the keys into the petrol tank of my vh valiant, and spending 4 hours hooking them out, and 24 hours detoxing from the petrol fumes

What were you doing to drop your keys into the petrol tank???

:

The filler was behind the number plate.

The key on the cap never locked so I sat down one day and tried to work out why the cap would not lock into place, I placed the keys in a position to keep the plate down, obviously in a position to launch the keys into the tank when the plate snapped back up....

:

XAGSV8 · 07-01-2005, 08:51 PM

When I was younger I pumped my tires up on my 120y to 90psi, the commodore riding up my **** copped two tyres when they both blew at 100km. (Scared the sh!t out of me)

Toolman · 07-01-2005, 08:52 PM

No. 1 of way to many...

Cutting the radiator hoses off a mates little Datsun, working like a bastard, it was taking ages, sweating, cursing, rolled the sleeves up and pressed on... to find I had cut through a shit load of wires. I dead Datsun.

mad machs · 07-01-2005, 09:46 PM

A long time ago..... I once rebuilt my 3.1 Capri engine with new everything- crank, pistons, cam, valves- the lot.
The crank broke in within the first 100 or so miles as I'd put the main shells in the wrong way round & blocked off the oil ways to the crank!

:

(I remember the oil pressure was very high, now I know why)

09-01-2005, 03:16 PM

One weekend 3 of us did the following:
1: gearboc changed in a HQ monaro
2: V8 Engine change in a ZG fairlane
3: XA wagon, engine and gearbox change, drum to disc change..
everything went perfect except for no one tightening the XA engine mounts..

Another one...
Used a crane to lift a HQ panelvan to steam clean underneath.... done perfect.
The aforementioned XA owner wanted hi car done as well, so using the same slings through the wheelarches that worked on the van, magically popped 4 dents in the XA....we didn't bother lifting it anymore..

NGN 351 · 17-06-2010, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mad machs

A long time ago..... I once rebuilt my 3.1 Capri engine with new everything- crank, pistons, cam, valves- the lot.
The crank broke in within the first 100 or so miles as I'd put the main shells in the wrong way round & blocked off the oil ways to the crank!

:

(I remember the oil pressure was very high, now I know why)

Now thats funny !

FNQracing · 07-01-2005, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toolman

No. 1 of way to many...

The first Binford 3100 Datsun?

How the Cas ward Toolman? :hihi:

boss54 · 04-01-2011, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toolman

No. 1 of way to many...

Cutting the radiator hoses off a mates little Datsun, working like a bastard, it was taking ages, sweating, cursing, rolled the sleeves up and pressed on... to find I had cut through a **** load of wires. I dead Datsun.

that one's funny.

Thornie · 08-01-2005, 12:27 AM

wasnt what i did but what my mate did when he wired up my autometer tacho in my xf he had wired it all up and time to test somehow he had wired it in to the window washer squirters and everytime the shift light came on the windscreen copped a healthy dose of water after me and my other mates picked ourselfs off the ground the one who wired it up saw the lighter side mainly because he thought he was "mr.electronics"

RED_EL_XR8 · 08-01-2005, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RaTTuS

wasnt what i did but what my mate did when he wired up my autometer tacho in my xf he had wired it all up and time to test somehow he had wired it in to the window washer squirters and everytime the shift light came on the windscreen copped a healthy dose of water after me and my other mates picked ourselfs off the ground the one who wired it up saw the lighter side mainly because he thought he was "mr.electronics"

makes notes - that has potential...

ch33z1l · 18-01-2008, 05:50 PM

funny stuff mate

08-01-2005, 01:07 AM

i spent 3 months trying to get my old EA started only to realise that i put the leads on the wrong way around... geeze was my face red, well not really but it was how I felt.

on my ED i didnt disconnect the battery when changing the regulator on the altenator, gave me a bit of a fright when it earthed out! im also an expert in arc welding spanners too....