I'm far from the guy you see on the side of the road with a busted out front end and a rusted box of junk tools consisting of a hammer, pliers, duct tape and a roll of baling wire sitting there scratching his head not knowing what the hell to do. But I'm not a pro mechanic either. Sometimes I feel like that guy though. Tonight I was trying to remove a tps sensor of my Kia sorento and the screws wouldn't budge. I used a small chisel to try to knock the head off the bottom screw after finally getting the top one free and ended up cracking and breaking away part of the flange the sensor is held up to on the throttle body. There is still enougg thread there if I use a longer screw when I replace the sensor but I feel stupid. Do any of you guys have days like this? With this go#$%mn car it seems like I have more bad days working on it than good.
do you ever do something that makes you feel stooooopid?
- Thread starter monster1
- Start date
Capt Chrysler
Well-known member
More times than I want to remember.Capt. Chrysler
StumpXJ
Well-known member
Daily. Its a humbling experience...
IndyGarage
Well-known member
Nearly every day - you'd think over time you'd get over stupid, but you don't.
The other day I was opening a package for a door lock I bought - pulled the utility knife out of my toolbox and proceed to cut right through the package and grazed my finger holding it - real close call.
The other day I was opening a package for a door lock I bought - pulled the utility knife out of my toolbox and proceed to cut right through the package and grazed my finger holding it - real close call.
Jamesbbh
Well-known member
All day, errrrrrrrrrr day.
flht1997
Well-known member
Not so much feeling stupid, but more of a "everything i have is ****" kinda feeling. mostly happens when i am fixing something and something else is bad and i need to address that and my spirits drop, hard slump to get out of once in awhile.
jrherald420
Well-known member
Always comes in 3's for me....dont know why! lol
ZRX61
Well-known member
We won't mention forgetting to use Loctite on a couple of minor allen bolts.... that hold the rear caliper to the mounting bracket.... one fell out.
& we also won't mention what I sometimes do for a living
& we also won't mention what I sometimes do for a living
I was defrosting the garage mini fridge one time, scrapping the ice out of the freezer. . . . with a screwdriver. Oh not me, I'm careful. Needless to say, I got a face full of refridgerant.
Lesson learned, let the freezer thaw out by itself.
Lesson learned, let the freezer thaw out by itself.
I drove over a 40 foot ladder lying on the lawn.
Two mistakes
1) laying the ladder on the lawn.
It should have been up agaist the side of the garage.
2) Driving on the lawn.
With another cut of the steering wheel I could have stayed on the drivway.
I was not happy with myself.
Two mistakes
1) laying the ladder on the lawn.
It should have been up agaist the side of the garage.
2) Driving on the lawn.
With another cut of the steering wheel I could have stayed on the drivway.
I was not happy with myself.
waggie
Well-known member
while under the car i noticed there's a "mystery bolt" at the bottom of the transmission. Well, I know what the inside of a transmission looked like, but I wanted to know what the insides of MY transmission looked like. If there was gear damage and what-not.
so, you just take the bolt off and you'll get to see into the transmission... well, maybe not ALL the gears, but I bet you can see portions of a gear, right?
It's not that I never change/added transmission fluid. I have. But for some reason, on this particular day, I didn't think about it. I just grabbed the ratchet, which, by luck, had the right size socket on it. Loosen the bolt, and all the transmission oil came out all over me, and all over the floor. Made a huge mess.
Best part, I just sat there, under the car... shocked and surprised while trans oil is getting all over me. Shocked at first by how cold it is. Then surprised that I forgot all about the existence of ****** fluid.
so, you just take the bolt off and you'll get to see into the transmission... well, maybe not ALL the gears, but I bet you can see portions of a gear, right?
It's not that I never change/added transmission fluid. I have. But for some reason, on this particular day, I didn't think about it. I just grabbed the ratchet, which, by luck, had the right size socket on it. Loosen the bolt, and all the transmission oil came out all over me, and all over the floor. Made a huge mess.
Best part, I just sat there, under the car... shocked and surprised while trans oil is getting all over me. Shocked at first by how cold it is. Then surprised that I forgot all about the existence of ****** fluid.
Flathead Red
Well-known member
I do it more often then I care to think about. I just broke a bolt off in an engine block, then broke off the extractor, dremeled the bolt aand extractor out but now the hole is to big. Now trying to figure out the repair as money pours out of my pockets.
Red
Red
lotsoftools
Well-known member
Yep... just yesterday I picked up a piece of aluminum I had just been welding on. I was not wearing gloves. Now I have a couple of 2 inch long blisters on my thumb and finger
venturesomerite
Well-known member
I once saw (after it was done) my buddy mounted his new shiny chrome rims with the round side of the acorn nuts facing out. Ripped up the metal on his rims, and I don't need to tell you we had a hell of time getting them off.
I think everyone has their share of stupid moments, it's what keeps you humble. If you don't have any of them, I guess your ish don't stink either.
I think everyone has their share of stupid moments, it's what keeps you humble. If you don't have any of them, I guess your ish don't stink either.
venturesomerite
Well-known member
I change my finger prints all the time. Actually I used to work at a place that had a finger print scanner to clock in and out, and they had to give me a user name and password to log in with because it would never recognize me.
ckadams00
Well-known member
When I was 18 I bought a "DYI Radiator Flush Kit" at an auto store. Seemed like a good idea at the time. Hooked it up. Flushed. Everything was peachy.
Didn't realize until I had driven about 2 miles that I hooked it to the wrong hose and flushed water into the engine block. Froze up the motor with something that looked a lot like toothpaste.
Can't say it was the best $20 + $1500 rebuilt engine I ever spent, but it did teach me that the DYI auto supply stuff can be costly.
Didn't realize until I had driven about 2 miles that I hooked it to the wrong hose and flushed water into the engine block. Froze up the motor with something that looked a lot like toothpaste.
Can't say it was the best $20 + $1500 rebuilt engine I ever spent, but it did teach me that the DYI auto supply stuff can be costly.
When I was about 17 or 18 I was working on an old truck with my dad, and we decided to jack it up and beef up its offroad capabilities. That truck was an injury mill. In one particular instance where I feel real stoooooooooopid, I was one-handing a 3lb mini sledge while trying to persuade something or another to move when the sledge slipped when it struck the punch and inadvertently crushed my right thumb and index finger. The worst part was that my index finger was sideways, so the nail tore my finger all to hell. Both instantly started swelling and I had blood blisters on the finger itself, as well as under the nail. I had hit the thumb so hard that it tore open, almost as if I had smashed a sausage or something.
When I hit it, there was absolute silence - you could have heard a pin drop in the garage, then I raised up, hit my head under the truck while extracting myself, and started dancing around in the garage. My old man (RIP) saw exactly what happened, and just as straight faced as you could imagine, deadpanned "Why'd you do that, Steve-O?" to which I said "Because it feels so damned awesome." before walking out the door and throwing up.
I could still move it, but the nail was throbbing, so I took a tiny little drill bit and drilled a pair of holes in each nail, then pierced the blisters with a needle. There was so much blood under the nail that it shot out a couple of inches - almost thought I hit an artery or vein or something. That was the worst part. It hurt worse than when I hit it, but afterward, I finally had a bit of relief - until the next day when my fingers were sore as hell for the next two weeks.
When I hit it, there was absolute silence - you could have heard a pin drop in the garage, then I raised up, hit my head under the truck while extracting myself, and started dancing around in the garage. My old man (RIP) saw exactly what happened, and just as straight faced as you could imagine, deadpanned "Why'd you do that, Steve-O?" to which I said "Because it feels so damned awesome." before walking out the door and throwing up.
I could still move it, but the nail was throbbing, so I took a tiny little drill bit and drilled a pair of holes in each nail, then pierced the blisters with a needle. There was so much blood under the nail that it shot out a couple of inches - almost thought I hit an artery or vein or something. That was the worst part. It hurt worse than when I hit it, but afterward, I finally had a bit of relief - until the next day when my fingers were sore as hell for the next two weeks.
softailgarage
Well-known member
nO
garfunkle24
Well-known member
I drained a fuel tank the other day when I needed to drain the hydraulic tank. Still don't know why.
I find myself doing this sometimes. My mind is in another place. Even though I am doing something correctly, it is totally not what I want to do..
914tom
Member
in the Line of worst Mistakes ever ....
Several years ago I was about to make an oil change at my Honda Prelude BB1.
The Car was a little too far over the Pit and I needed to reverse it.
Jump in the car, start the motor, only 1 Foot in the car pressing the Clutch.
Let the clutch come, car rolls backwards in a reflex get I lift my foot off the clutch to break and stop the rolling.
You see it comeing.
The Car JUMPS backwards out of the Garage door, the driving side door of my car (still open) hit the Garage Wall. F***.
The most expensive Oil-change ever……
Consequence, in the same year I bought a much bigger Garage door an Lesson learned ALLWAYS get all 2 Feet on the pedals (in a Manuel Car).
TOM
Several years ago I was about to make an oil change at my Honda Prelude BB1.
The Car was a little too far over the Pit and I needed to reverse it.
Jump in the car, start the motor, only 1 Foot in the car pressing the Clutch.
Let the clutch come, car rolls backwards in a reflex get I lift my foot off the clutch to break and stop the rolling.
You see it comeing.
The Car JUMPS backwards out of the Garage door, the driving side door of my car (still open) hit the Garage Wall. F***.
The most expensive Oil-change ever……
Consequence, in the same year I bought a much bigger Garage door an Lesson learned ALLWAYS get all 2 Feet on the pedals (in a Manuel Car).
TOM
Ign
Well-known member
Damn I'm glad I'm not the only one!
Just last week I was drilling a new bolt pattern in a t-case flange for a customer. I have NO idea what I was thinking, but I got it horribly wrong. The whole time something was nagging me that it just didn't look right, but I convinced myself it was right and soldiered on. About 3/4 of the way thru I had that AHA, OH **** realization.
That's the worst tho, when you screw up someone else's stuff. I offered to order a new flange, but he didn't care and this one still had room for the correct pattern to be drilled.
Just last week I was drilling a new bolt pattern in a t-case flange for a customer. I have NO idea what I was thinking, but I got it horribly wrong. The whole time something was nagging me that it just didn't look right, but I convinced myself it was right and soldiered on. About 3/4 of the way thru I had that AHA, OH **** realization.
That's the worst tho, when you screw up someone else's stuff. I offered to order a new flange, but he didn't care and this one still had room for the correct pattern to be drilled.
Ign
Well-known member
Call 60 Minutes! Now in addition to Audis, Hondas are susceptible to unintended acceleration!
Let's rig some saddle tanks to explode while we're at it too!
greasemonkey44
Well-known member
something like forget to put the fuel pump strainer on before putting the tank back onto the car?
or something like thinking you are in reverse but being in forward and slamming into a 12000 dollar tool box?
or something like thinking you are in reverse but being in forward and slamming into a 12000 dollar tool box?
MoToys
Well-known member
Agreed, learnt that lesson but only cost me a dented bumper.
I feel like I'm always doing stupid ****, need to step back and think a little longer on the more critical things.
bhalv
Well-known member
Back when I was in high school autobody class, I had just spent 4 months getting my truck prepped for paint and was getting ready to drive it in to the booth to spray with primer when I got it pinned against the steel post on the corner of the garage door. It put about a 4" deep and 20" high dent in the side of my cab. Needless to say, that one was hard to live down.
91bronc300
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2009
- Messages
- 2,559
Yeah I've had the 'drinking fountain of blood' effect from drilling a relief hole in a bashed nail too. Pretty nifty looking actually.
Bronson
Well-known member
Those are pretty good, but....Here is stupid.
When I was younger, I lived out in the sticks, in a trailer house. Oh, sorry , Mobile home...I had been meaning to pick up that rake laying in the weeds....I was walking across the yard, and stepped on the rake. It flew up and hit Me in the nose. Hard. Real hard. I went into a rage, and wanted to kick something, but there was nothing to kick. So, I picked up a big rock and threw it as hard as I could. Right through the kitchen window.
When I was younger, I lived out in the sticks, in a trailer house. Oh, sorry , Mobile home...I had been meaning to pick up that rake laying in the weeds....I was walking across the yard, and stepped on the rake. It flew up and hit Me in the nose. Hard. Real hard. I went into a rage, and wanted to kick something, but there was nothing to kick. So, I picked up a big rock and threw it as hard as I could. Right through the kitchen window.
Jamesbbh
Well-known member
One good one I can remember was with my Jeep. It's a 5 speed with a little lift on it/no doors/etc. and When working on the engine if I needed to start it I would just reach in with my left hand and depress the clutch. Well, one time I was in a hurry and forgot to take it out of 1st and it hopped right into the wall, no real damage anywhere but I felt like a ******* and it scared the hell out of me.
Toolman12
Well-known member
When i was younger working at a stereo installation shop there was a guy that used his lighter to check the levels on a battery it went boom and took off the front corner of the car hit him in the nads lucky he already had kids because he couldn't afterwards everyone in the shop was deaf for about two days. and once i drilled a hole in my hand between thumb and fore finger with a 1/4 bit ouch!!! morel of the story USE a vise
Ivan DeSlayer
Active member
Plenty of dumb stuff.
One that comes to mind right now though is my brazing a motorcycle gas tank. You guessed it even after flushing the tank and everything I forgot to fill it with water or float inert gas into it or whatever many safeguards there are. Stuck a nice flame grabbed the stick. Just about to touch the pinholes and BOOOM!
Tank disappeared. I had hearing loss and someone put the flame out on the torch. Thankfully it was only my hearing that was harmed. Well that and the tank opened up like some weird metallic flower.
One that comes to mind right now though is my brazing a motorcycle gas tank. You guessed it even after flushing the tank and everything I forgot to fill it with water or float inert gas into it or whatever many safeguards there are. Stuck a nice flame grabbed the stick. Just about to touch the pinholes and BOOOM!
Tank disappeared. I had hearing loss and someone put the flame out on the torch. Thankfully it was only my hearing that was harmed. Well that and the tank opened up like some weird metallic flower.
johno
Well-known member
Me? No never.
djkeev
Well-known member
Anyone reading this and is honest with themselves will say ......YES I HAVE!!!!
I know I have.
As I age, my experience and knowledge has increased as well. I'll be doing a task, while doing it think to myself... "If I continue doing this as I am, I WILL hurt myself" then for whatever unexplainable reason (probably stupidity), I continue doing it!
Guess what happens...........
Dave
I know I have.
As I age, my experience and knowledge has increased as well. I'll be doing a task, while doing it think to myself... "If I continue doing this as I am, I WILL hurt myself" then for whatever unexplainable reason (probably stupidity), I continue doing it!
Guess what happens...........
Dave
flying2275
Well-known member
I've done many a stupid thing while turning wrenches. I can say though I learn from my mistakes and don't often repeat them. What gets me is when I see one of my coworkers making the same stupid mistakes over and over again.
Maxwell007
Member
When you've lived as long as I have, you've made many, many mistakes. A few of my truly dumb mistakes -
Got in a hurry trying to change the carrier bearings on a ring gear and decided that I didn't need to use the proper fixture in the press. The carrier slipped, I tried to catch it and a ring gear tooth came down on my thumb nail. I actually saw stars from the pain.
Helped my friend build an engine for his truck and installed it. Couldn't figure out why the oil system wouldn't prime. Hmmmmm....what's this extra part? Funny, but it looks like the oil pump shaft! At least we didn't try to start it!
When I was 12 years old I thought it would be fun to make a rocket out of an old engine push rod. I broke off a bunch of match heads, pushed them into the push rod and decided to pack them in with a piece of heavy wire. BAM!!! The rocket worked great! It had enough power to remove itself from the vise AND go through the wall on my dad's garage! God looks after fools and pre-teen idiots!
There's more.
Got in a hurry trying to change the carrier bearings on a ring gear and decided that I didn't need to use the proper fixture in the press. The carrier slipped, I tried to catch it and a ring gear tooth came down on my thumb nail. I actually saw stars from the pain.
Helped my friend build an engine for his truck and installed it. Couldn't figure out why the oil system wouldn't prime. Hmmmmm....what's this extra part? Funny, but it looks like the oil pump shaft! At least we didn't try to start it!
When I was 12 years old I thought it would be fun to make a rocket out of an old engine push rod. I broke off a bunch of match heads, pushed them into the push rod and decided to pack them in with a piece of heavy wire. BAM!!! The rocket worked great! It had enough power to remove itself from the vise AND go through the wall on my dad's garage! God looks after fools and pre-teen idiots!
There's more.
Coloshaver
Well-known member
That's how I get "Experience" [See my sig]
914tom
Member
incurablescrounge
Well-known member
Apparently you are not supposed to tighten the bolt on a camshaft with an impact. Wife made it 3 blocks before the cam broke on an interference engine. That cost a new to us vehicle.
aka Larry
Well-known member
I often say that everything I have learned was via the hard way.
Once me and my buddy were doing some trim work on his parent's lake house, which had all sorts of fist sized rocks near the foundation. We needed to move one for some reason which happened to expose a huge-*** spider. I hate me some spiders so we had the idea to torch the *******. We had a can of WD-40 and short section of PVC pipe handy so that pairing seemed like a good avenue to make sure we directed all the energy toward the spider. You know, kinda like a flamethrower....ummm yeah. So we sprayed the WD-40 down the PVC pipe then lit a match to set it off....annnnnnd....WOOSH! The flame did occur, but not toward the spider, toward my face! Luckily the only damage was to my eyebrows, but it could have been much worse.
That's the day I learned what "backdraft" really means!
Once me and my buddy were doing some trim work on his parent's lake house, which had all sorts of fist sized rocks near the foundation. We needed to move one for some reason which happened to expose a huge-*** spider. I hate me some spiders so we had the idea to torch the *******. We had a can of WD-40 and short section of PVC pipe handy so that pairing seemed like a good avenue to make sure we directed all the energy toward the spider. You know, kinda like a flamethrower....ummm yeah. So we sprayed the WD-40 down the PVC pipe then lit a match to set it off....annnnnnd....WOOSH! The flame did occur, but not toward the spider, toward my face! Luckily the only damage was to my eyebrows, but it could have been much worse.
That's the day I learned what "backdraft" really means!