Have you ever overlooked something so obvious

[cj7365]

Just got done rebuilding a Warn 8274 Winch, made in 1981

when I got the winch I hooked up to the battery to unwind the cable, because the disengage lever was stuck. Spooled in and out.

Well after a week, cleaning and replacing some seals, and upgraded the motor from a 2.5hp to 4.5, it was back together.

This winch has the solenoid pack mounted on the motor with camps.

So hooked it up to the battery, but did not attach the solenoid pack to the motor.

Well nothing, no clicking no power in or out.

After taking apart the solenoid pack and testing all 4 solenoids, they tested good, got the volt meter to test that I was getting voltage to the pack.

Well, I stopped for the night to eat dinner, and that's when it hit me,

The solenoid pack has to be grounded, duh, I am such a big *******

Well at least lessons learned, I was in such a hurry to test it, I forgot a simple step.

 

[Professur]

For the last few decades, my career has centred on spotting what the other guy missed. The list of 'obvious' misses over the years is scary long. But I'm honest enough to admit that situational blindness isn't something anyone is immune to. 9 time out of 10, all a problem needs is a second set of eyes to see it. Working night audit at a hotel, we had a system. One guy would run a set of bills twice. If he couldn't balance it, he didn't try a third time. Hand it off to the other auditor. Nearly always the second guy caught the problem immediately.

 

[spent21]

I was in highschool and put a clutch in my buddy's '68 chevy pickup.
Buttoned everything up and went to pull it out of the shop, but it wouldn't go into gear.
I cut it off, put it in gear, and cranked it up... no problems.
Pull it out of gear and try to go back, and it still grinds.
I pulled the transmission back out and realized I'd put the clutch disc in backwards.

We were headed out to ride trails one morning (quads). We had been out to party Friday night after a long week, so I hadn't pulled my 18" mx tires off to put my 20" Xc tires on. I pulled into the pits and proceeded to change my sprockets and swap tires; meanwhile, all my buddies are geared up and ribbing me to hurry up.
We made it to the back side of 500 acres when my rear tire passed me... I had the rear lugs only finger tight on one side.

 

[txdude87]

Built the motor in my mustang. Put it all together and switched from mechanical fuel pump to electric fuel pump. Started it up and noticed a bad oil leak right away. Determined I never put a block off plate on the location for the old pump. I fabbed one up and painted it and installed it with a gasket. It still leaked. Took it apart again and put sealant all over it and reinstalled. Still leaked.

My uncle sent me message stating I was a dumb *** and to look at my mistake... Low and behold I installed it upside down the last time, there was a big gaping spot for the oil to leak out!

Took off that block off plate and stuck it on his workshop bench as a reminded with a smiley face on him. He is now known as Bob the Human.

 

[Rookie2]

The next time you'll remind yourself of of the previous WTF moment and then you just take a break or ask someone to take a look.

 

[spent21]

I yanked the floor jack out from under my camaro this weekend without realizing my proximity to the wall and knocked a hole in the drywall with the handle.

@#!$%$@@$#%

 

[Jay Sco]

Happens to everyone. My drain pump in my washer broke, got a new one and put it in, still not draining, WTF?! I never connected the wires.

 

[MFolks]

Sometimes, the solution to the problem will come to you after a good nights sleep. The mind will process the data, and it might have a workable answer in the morning.

 

[Steves32]

Here's something to look forward to-
It only gets worse as you get older.

 

[Wood'nMetal]

My Dad was an ET in the Navy who worked with a special unit whose job was diagnosing problems nobody else could figure out.

His secret weapon? Look for the simplest answer first! Because normal people figure the problem has to be something extremely complicated, right? He came out smelling like a rose many times because people assume the problem has to be more complex!

 

[vintagespeed1956]

rebuilt the 48RE in my Dodge, installed, filled it and started 'er up.....only to find the damn thing wouldn't move unless i held the t-case lever all the way up. and then it only had 4LOW, no 2wd!


dicked with that for awhile until i realized i put the t-case linkage on upside down. :doh:

 

[AMCguy]

I drove a `62 Impala when I was stationed in Calgary back in the `70s. The winters were cold and I couldn't get heat out of that thing unless I put a sheet of cardboard in front of the radiator. The ones from 7-11 that they used between the courses of Coke they had on display worked perfectly.

On really cold days I'd have to almost fully cover the rad. On not so cold days I'd slide it down a bit. I put up with that **** all winter. Sometimes I'd have to stop several times a day to make adjustments. My temperature gauge, bought just to monitor this condition, was all over the place and it kept me pretty busy.

Everything was going fine the next summer when my thermostat housing gasket started leaking. I whipped on down to the parts store and bough a new one. When I went to replace it guess what I found sitting where the thermostat was supposed to be.

NOTHING.

 

[StumpFJ40]

I was in highschool and put a clutch in my buddy's '68 chevy pickup.
Buttoned everything up and went to pull it out of the shop, but it wouldn't go into gear.
I cut it off, put it in gear, and cranked it up... no problems.
Pull it out of gear and try to go back, and it still grinds.
I pulled the transmission back out and realized I'd put the clutch disc in backwards.

Yep, Done it too.

 

[Ign]

I can't even think of examples right now but I overlook stuff that obvious & more on a regular basis. Much like athletes I'm trying to have a short memory about the dumb stuff I do - sure sometimes it's a learning opportunity but if I remembered them all I'd just conclude that I'm worthless and should give up. I know this isn't true because I still repair and fabricate a lot of great stuff, so I try to focus on the good and forget the bad.

 

[Ray-CA]

Does walking around the house for 5-minutes looking for the eye glasses that I'm already wearing count?

Ray

 

[HoosierMark]

Replaced a garbage disposal in my son's condo. It works fine, go home and get a call, now the dishwasher has stopped working. OK go get a new one and put it in. Now this one does not work. Duh, you need to open the drain plug in the disposal, dummy. junked a good dishwasher because of that mistake (too late to get it out of the dumpster)

Friend of mine just told me his sons stick shift car would not start so they pulled it thru the country to the mechanic for a new starter. Mechanic ask why they did not just drop the clutch in second to start it. Friend grew up on a farm so he knew most of the tricks except to engage his brain for knowledge!

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

Replace the clutch on a car late at night, worried the clutch disc would get contaminated by oil or other stuff while I was tearing things apart so I hung it on the wall. Reassembled everything sort of on autopilot, dropped the car to the ground, felt proud of myself. Hey, I even avoided getting any grease on the clutch disc ...

... which was still hanging on the wall.

That was a long night.

 

[DARK AGE 53]

I wish you guys would type in bold letter's, can't find my glasses......anyone know? lol

 

[bwringer]

My wife once called me from her cell phone to ask if I had seen her cell phone.


My Mom recently called me from her brand new top-of-the-line iPhone to ask for directions to a restaurant.

"Uh, Mom, it's good to talk to you and all, but you are speaking to me using a device which will listen attentively, consult with satellites in OUTER SPACE, check vast databases thousands of miles away for traffic data, and then guide you straight there by the very best route using a soothing, clear voice."



For my part, I regularly spend at least half of every project looking for the tool I was just using. If I put it somewhere special so I can't lose or forget it... I'll forget it instantly, then wander around blindly until I either step on it or give up and buy another. A successful minor project is one where I make anything less than four trips to Menards.

I've also spent an embarrassing amount of time trying vainly to start a four-cylinder motorcycle with the plug wires in the wrong order. Older inline four bikes use a "wasted spark" system (no distributor), where 1/4 are fired by one coil, and 2/3 by the other. Many's the time I've blithely plugged in the wires 1/3/4/2 from sheer force of automotive habit.

 

[taumac]

I got funny one... I just got a O/A torch and was using it for week or so trying it out. Then my friend gets his and I go over there to show how to light it and use it. Sat there for 30 mins wondering why the hell I can't get this thing to cut only to find out I never opened the top valve on cutting torch.

 

[Pathfinders]

In high school I broke a U joint in my truck. Called my dad to tow me with his pick up. He asked why I wouldn't put the shaft in the bed of the truck and come home in 4 wheel drive. Young and dumb.

 

[Ign]

Grooving some shafts yesterday for a snap ring with .031 grooving tool. Have to do .031 and .039 grooves, depending upon shaft. Do what should be .039, check it with calipers, it's like .033. I check the .031 grooves and they're around .025. WTF?

Finally pulled my head out and wiped down the ID jaws with my fingers, voila! problem solved. Just about every time I touch my calipers I wipe down the OD jaws but never think the check the ID jaws for chips. *******.

 

[spent21]

In high school I broke a U joint in my truck. Called my dad to tow me with his pick up. He asked why I wouldn't put the shaft in the bed of the truck and come home in 4 wheel drive. Young and dumb.

because when you pull the driveshaft out of the transmission, the fluid leaks out.

 

[rburke65]

Yes, usually the obvious things.....a breaker tripped....nothing wrong with the light fixture, it's the light bulb. I saw my father build a bracket on the outside of the house to support a window air conditioner. Walk I side, open the window, slide the A/C unit out and the thing fell to the ground.......... Be had build the bracket on the wrong window! Laugh our asses off!

 

[Train]

Bought a 2 inch pump with a gas motor, to water around the farm yard. I don't know how many times I've pulled on that dam cord and it won't start. Then I remember that this motor has an on/switch that's kind of tucked underneath.

 

[Rural53]

Just got done rebuilding a Warn 8274 Winch, made in 1981

...

Well after a week, cleaning and replacing some seals, and upgraded the motor from a 2.5hp to 4.5, it was back together.

...

You do know that a 6hp motor off a Warn 9.5XP bolts on those as well? Great upgrade. Two are even better.

 

[Joe69]

As stated before, we all do it. It's a rite of passage. I've done **** like that so many times over the years, I don't even feel bad anymore when it happens. Just part of it. Like my old boss used to say, "if you aint f-ing up, you aint doing anything".

Joe

 

[66354dream]

Does walking around the house for 5-minutes looking for the eye glasses that I'm already wearing count?

Ray

LMAO!!!!!!!!! this one had me cracking up,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, BTW I wear glasses to!!!

We had a car come into the shop as a come back once because the rear brakes were locking up and smoking after it had the rear wheel cylinders replaced, long story short after about an hour of trying different things one of us noticed the tech that originally did the job left his hose pincher on the flex line going from the frame to the steel line on the differential.