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Stupid Things You've Done?

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AngliaGT

AngliaGT

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Basil's post reminded me of my stupidity the other day -
no,NOT the Volvo.
I went to pick up the gas tank (had it boiled out & recoated),&
the radiator (had it recored) from the radiator shop.Since I bought an electronic
sender for the gas tank,told them not to reinstall it.
While figuring out where to put the tank & radiator,I set the sender
on the top side of the Dakota,figuring I'd put it in a safe place before the 1/2 hour
trip home.Got home & ........no sender!
I called the shop,& the owner walked down the street,& told me that
he'd found it,but it "didn't look the same as when he gave to me".
At least nobody saw me do it.
 
I'm not sure which post reminded you of stupidity, but it's nice to know I sometimes serve a purpose. :tongue-new:
 
I was about to put the hood back on my Saab 96 when I saw the new throwout bearing on my workbench. Planning to do it all over that night I set my only TV on the roof for company. While yanking on the engine/transmission to get them back out the TV slid to the floor with a spectacular crash. Fortunately at the time I allowed myself an occasional cocktail.
 
How 'bout this.

Buy new car.

Before leaving dealer, raise hood and check battery and fluids.

Lower hood and ask a few questions.

Drive off with big smile.

Two miles later, heading downhill at 50mph, hood flies open.

Ugly. Much wailing and gnashing of teeth - and some colorful language - ensued.

An evil spirit had loosened the hood latch when I wasn't looking!


(Well, actually, I'd forgotten to slam the hood down before I drove off.

Hood, hinges, supports, etc. twisted into unpleasant shapes.

oy
 
One of the smartest things I ever did (& that's a very short list), Was marry a hard headed Cincinnati German gal,
who quickly spotted and corrected most of my obvious deficiencies & keeps me on the correct life path.

(......on the other hand I wonder what she would say was the stupidest thing she's ever done?.......)
 
GTP1960 said:
One of the smartest things I ever did (& that's a very short list), Was marry a hard headed Cincinnati German gal,
who quickly spotted and corrected most of my obvious deficiencies & keeps me on the correct life path.

(......on the other hand I wonder what she would say was the stupidest thing she's ever done?.......)
Click to expand...

Yin and Yang.

Same story here!
 
Let me count the ways. 1. Jacking up the rear transverse spring on a 1940 Ford while standing in an abandoned gas station pit, removing the shackle pin and having the spring snap down to the ground nearly removing my left hand in the process. Forgot I needed a second jack under the spring. Somehow I managed to slide the jack under the spring and jack it back up as night was falling. 2. Rebuilding an MG TD gearbox, after picking up with a magnetic tool all the 2 dozen odd steel balls that flew out of the case, getting it back together at 1 am and finding out I had installed something backwards and could not shift into 2nd gear. Corrected and completed repair at 4 am. 3. At least twice, put new points in and got the plastic washer in the wrong place and car would not start. (Latest set has built-in washers so no problem.) 4. Forgetting washers, dropping bolts and nuts where they could not be found or fished out with magnetic tool. 5. Starting to fill my Honda tank with diesel fuel. 6. Flying to Dutchess County airport, installing bird plugs, eating lunch and attempting to take off with birdplugs still in place. Luckily, a line boy waved his arms and alerted me. 7. Taking off from Bridgeport with the strap of my flight bag caught under the passenger (and only) door, causing a loud rapping noise and me turning back to land and find out what the problem was. It sounded like a blown exhaust manifold gasket. 8. Rebuilding anything and discovering I forget to install a gasket or some other part or breaking something on Sunday night with no chance of replacement until the next morning. 9. Installing a new battery in my lawn tractor while wearing a wedding band and fusing it to a screwdriver blade when I shorted the positive terminal to ground. (The ring stays in my dresser drawer now). There may have been others too.
 
Not checking to make sure the seat in the aircraft I was flying was fully engaged into the track. Flew for over an hour with no problems. While on final the blankety-blank seat decided to slide full travel to the rear. Since I was holding the yoke the plane went to a nose up attitude very quickly. My passenger nearly wet his pants. I grabbed a portion of the dashboard and pulled the seat back. Now I ALWAYS check to make sure the seat is locked into position. Dumb things happen.
 
Repeatedly I've left the rotor out of a dizzy... usually with witnesses around. :mad:
 
DrEntropy said:
Repeatedly I've left the rotor out of a dizzy... usually with witnesses around. :mad:
Click to expand...

Never did that - but almost had the firing order of a Chevy V8 tattooed on my arm after I did my first rings-bearings-valves-tappets-new cam job on a small block back when I was 19. Couldn't get it to run right afterwards & begged for help from one of our local drag racing heros. I haven't heard the end of that one yet!
 
Almost don't want to put this out there but; my Maine pal back in the early '70's got ahold of a '61 Corvette... called me one day and asked me if I'd come help him get it running after he'd swapped out the plugs & wires. Looked it over and discovered he'd put the wires on with 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 as the cap firing order. Needless to say... :redface-new:
 
:iagree:That one was too funny. Good thing for the keyboard I had already finished my coffee.
 
Wouldn't it be great if it was that easy! :highly_amused: PJ
 
DrEntropy said:
Repeatedly I've left the rotor out of a dizzy... usually with witnesses around. :mad:
Click to expand...

I don't think I would admit that,
even though I've done it. :rolleyes: LOL.
 
Paul said:
Wouldn't it be great if it was that easy!
highly_amused.png
PJ
Click to expand...

It almost is with today's ECM control and coil packs. GM's 1980's V-6 with "spark loss" coils has pairs of plugs using one of three "coils" per pair. Diabolical, I tell ya.
 
GM 60-degree V6 firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6. Shocking!

2011-04-21_012319_fo.jpg
 
The field techs must have been complaining to the engineers that the "old ways" were too complex for 'em. :smirk:
 
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