So....what's your blunder?

Post by **fazool** » 11 Nov 2011, 14:03

There are lots of DIY noobs out there and some might feel a little intimidated asking questions.

Maybe this discussion will help them feel more at ease. If nothing else, it might show that, even
if you screw it up....someday you might laugh about it.

So, what's your biggest DIY/repair blunder?

Well a couple come in mind for me, but to appreciate the magnitude of my stupidity you have to
understand my background: I've been turning my own wrenches since 1980. I have a master's degree
in mechanical engineering and started my career designing OEM parts in the auto industry. You'd
think I would know better.....

My more savvy car-expert friend and I were doing the brakes on my 740GLE. He couldn't get one of
the (clean-as-a-whistle) bolts loose. Laying on his back, reaching over his head, upside down,
sideways on a stone driveway, he tried so hard he broke the caliper bolt clean in half. He's been
known as "wrong-way Blake" ever since.

On another car, I broke the rusty hold down bolts on my battery once so I used some old wire to tie
the battery to its holder. Driving to class one day I had an awful smell right before my engine
died. Opening the hood I found my battery had come undone and was melting on the exhaust manifold.

But, my biggest one was on my wife's Jetta. The manual transmission was feeling a little stiff so I
wanted to check the gear lube. I opened the plug and the gearbox was dry. "Uh-oh" I thought that
must be the problem, so I got some 90W gear lube and poured it in. It started pouring out onto my
garage floor. What I did was open the wrong plug - this one was an access port into the bell
housing so I just soaked the (friction-based) clutch with two quarts of oil! Well after some
annoyed panic, I brought home several cans of degreaser and aerosol brake cleaner. One after
another, I emptied them into the bell housing. The transmission slipped a little when I started
driving so I repeated my cleaning process. Finally everything was clean and dry and working
perfectly.

It reminds me of the time my non-mechanical friend oiled the squeaky brake discs on his motorcycle.
He figured out his mistake coming down a hill.

Post by **jimmy57** » 11 Nov 2011, 16:12

Having a pristine 3200 mile 98 T5 engine sitting in storage for 13 years and not thinking I should put cam seals and crank seals in it prior to installing it.
Never even crossed my mind...........
It only has 3200 miles on it..........
Stupid Stupid Stupid
I knew better.
Never even crossed my mind.......

It's not leaking bad. Hardly puts a spot on the ground but the oil is hitting the exhaust and burning. There is something about the vent system that makes it pick up that burned oil smell almost every time I stop at an intersection.

Stupid Stupid Stupid

Post by **Matty Moo** » 11 Nov 2011, 17:05

Doing an oil change and then finding 6 qts of Mobil-1 flowing across the garage floor. Forgot the drain plug.

Post by **fazool** » 11 Nov 2011, 21:31

oh i forgot a drain plug once too

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 11 Nov 2011, 23:50

Armor All on the saddle of my Kawasaki 750. It looked great but it didn't feel so good riding the back fender across the street and finally just letting go.

Edit: I guess I can add to that the time my right front wheel fell off of my '74 Nova. I knew the bearing was going bad but I was living by myself at 17 and I really didn't have enough money to buy new wheel bearings at the time. That Nova still kinda cracks me up. I bought it from the City for cheap - it was the mayors car and it had absolutely no options - not even a cigarette lighter. Straight 6, 1 barrel carb, and a three on the tree shifter. Other than the Pie Plate hubcaps it looked pretty good though for a kid in High School.

...Lee

Post by **wheelsup** » 13 Nov 2011, 21:06

I replaced the a/c compressor on my wife's Jetta. The hood latch was a PITA to take off and put in so on a drive around I simply laid the hood down. Yeah, I knew better. I was in a big rush, had to get the car back together and to shave time I elected not to put the hood latch in. I didn't even tape it down (that would've saved me). Just got in and and went to go pick up a part.

Hood flew up and smashed the window literally 2 mins from my house on the way back, $220 for a new one and the hood is dented something fierce. I'm not sure what is worse, that I knew better or that I knew better and still didn't do anything about it. I was in such a rush. It really taught me to slow the heck down.

Post by **boosted5cyl** » 13 Nov 2011, 21:35

I bought a '99 S80 T6

Post by **precopster** » 13 Nov 2011, 21:54

A long time ago in the land of NEWB there was an overconfident man who thought that bad things only happened to "STUPID" people. Well this young man was checking his belt drives when he noticed the accesory belt was fraying. He also noticed that the accessory tensioner was tilted to one side causing the belt to wear on one edge. After the first belt shattered into small mettalic & rubber fragments all over the engine bay another new belt was readily produced from the handy under floor storage of his trusty 960 wagon.

A quotation for a used tensioner from the local Volvo wrecker was too high a price to pay at $90 so the man ordered two of them from eBay USA for $15 each plus freight and he patiently waited for their protracted arrival. The man knew that the engine guard around the bottom of the crank had been removed so he could source new correct length bolts.

The day before they arrived the man was driving his beautiful 960 wagon to his sister's house when the engine stopped and a series of thrumming noises emanated from the engine area. The second accessory belt had not shattered like the first because it was newer and well....more supple. Instead it found a lovely home around the crank pulley nestled up in there where it was nice and warm & cosy where timing belt and serpentine belt became one. 24 of the loveliest straightest valves anyone had ever seen found homes in the roof of all six pistons where steel met alloy.

Post by **matthew1** » 14 Nov 2011, 07:17

New Mexico in July with a girlfriend and in my 850 low/no R134a, not realizing how insanely easy it is to recharge without a single tool, anywhere. Just need $20 and a store that sells it.

Post by **jblackburn** » 14 Nov 2011, 08:06

I bought a '99 S80 T6

LMAO. Mine was buying an '88 Accord...and letting go of the '87 Buick that was practically "new" (70,000 miles) and would have been given to me, free, for that piece of crap. I was 17 at the time and didn't want to be seen or drive around in an old man's car - but it had the insanely powerful, unkillable GM 3.8 and the interior/exterior looked brand new even in 2005.

I forgot to replace the clip on the radiator once after pumping out transmission fluid. I started the car and that insanely stinky Mobil-1 transmission fluid sprayed EVERYWHERE. My car smelled like it for weeks through the vents.

Oh, also:
This