A real STUPID moment I had today

[jwscarab 20]

Ok, so today I took my distributor out. I had to change the timing advance bushings and it just wasn't going to happen w/o taking it out and turning it over. No biggy right?

 

So I reinstall it and since it was hard to get seated, I had to turn the crank pulley bolt with a breaker bar and a socket - finally got the distributor to seat.

 

Ok, so I go to start the car - I hear a weird noise and the car stalls. I tried again thinking its just out of time and will smooth out once I can get to the distributor and set it.

 

Well, wouldn't you know it, I left the socket and breaker bar on the pulley bolt. DOH. It whacked the fuel line and frame. Then it unscrewed the bolt completely, and the bolt/washer/socket/breaker bar hit the floor. That was the noises:ohmy:

 

Soooo lucky. Bolt unscrewed instead of shearing off in crank. Didn't break the fuel line - just scratched it. And thankfully didn't send anything thru the radiator. dumb, in a hurry, dumb, lucky, dumb:ohmy:.

[shaun071 62]

Mate you aren't alone with making that mistake!! Don't laugh but I've done the same thing to crack the pulley bolt with the breaker bar braced against the garage floor too.

[Brian Conway 264]

Did something similar and got lucky like you. No harm done and a great reminder to watch what the fudge I am doing. Brian

[69droptopgt 10]

I always drink coffee before working on cars (and try not to drink too many beers lol). I am glad all worked out for you. It couldda been bad

[STL. Mark 11]

Boy I have done some dumb things too on my car so don't feel bad. Glad it worked out for you.

[jwscarab 20]

Yea, heres where I went wrong. Im not blaming anybody buy myself tho.

 

My daughters new bf was helping me. Hes a car guy - so thats cool. He wanted to go for a ride when we got done. But he had to leave to go to dinner with his parents soon. So I was hurrying to make it all happen. Never again!!

 

Thanks guys for sharing Im not the only one.....lol.....I consider myself VERY lucky and a lesson learned!!

[Jimjific 23]

Glad to hear you didn't cause any damage. Off the top of my head, the dumbest thing I've ever done was one time I was adjusting the rockers on a 66 conv. and I was using a screw driver to bump the engine over by hitting connecting the positive terminal to the solenoid. Well all was going well until I brain farted and grabbed the extension instead of the screw driver. Worst shock I've ever gotten. Low volts but high amps. I can still see my arm twitching trying to let go of the tool.

 

Jim

[tony 63C 14]

Jim, thanks for sharing that. I’ve also had my share of numbskull errors that I wish I could turn back time to try again. Your experience serves as a healthy reminder to slow down and be careful as I am just getting my car out of hibernation and am in the middle of the winter projects that did not get started until last week!

Cheers,

Tony

[det0326 179]

Well since we all are sharing stupid moments this is not car related at all but deserves to be said. You know the Great Stuff you get at Lowes and other box stores that's in a spray can that you fill holes and cracks around drain pipes and other stuff. I was reading the directions on the can and it said do not get in hair and I said what stupid person would put this sticky stuff in their hair. Well I was spraying it up under the sink with the little tube installed on the nozzle and when I thought that I had the crack filled I sat the can down on the floor and looked under the sink to see if I had got it all filled and yes you guessed it I stuck my hair right to the end of the tube that still had the stuff oozing out.

[Midlife 814]

Nothing beats this mistake, the infamous Herculiner on a Hootus.

 

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18595

[maxum96 32]

Glad you didn't do any real damage. Next time you have that issue installing a distributor, use a oil pump priming tool to slightly turn the oil pump drive. That's what keeps the distributor from seating all the way.

[Grabber70Mach 107]

Glad to hear there was no damage. Mid that thread is great.

[jwscarab 20]

Glad you didn't do any real damage. Next time you have that issue installing a distributor, use a oil pump priming tool to slightly turn the oil pump drive. That's what keeps the distributor from seating all the way.

 

Hey Maxum - man I need one of those - and I didnt really know they existed. But I fight this problem every thime the distributor comes out - which seems like a lot lately. Its on my list of things to buy now! Thanks! Joe

[stangs-R-me 121]

Glad you didn't do any real damage. Next time you have that issue installing a distributor, use a oil pump priming tool to slightly turn the oil pump drive. That's what keeps the distributor from seating all the way.

 

If you have any old junk distributors laying around, you can make your own priming tool by stealing the shaft out of it.

 

Or, you can male one from a long socket head cap screw (or in my case a SHCS, two nuts and a bolt I cut the head off of). Also note that the SHCS head will need to be turned down to match the distributor shaft dia.

 

I've done both in the past, see pic.

 

The stolen shaft primer has a 1/4" hex drive and the homemade one is made out of 3/8-16 SHCS and has a 5/16" hex. It has been way to many years since I used either one, but guessing the 1/4" is 289/302 & the 5/16" is 351W.

 

As I was putting them back in the drawer, I noticed another home-made one with a 1/4" hex drive ... it was made out of a 5/16-18 SHCS, two nuts, and a bolt with the head cut off. This one was "tack-welded together", so I went one step further with this one !!

 

Doug

Edited April 5, 2014 by stangs-R-me

[stangs-R-me 121]

Just looked in my Summit catalog at oil pump primers ...

 

1/4" drive is 221-302 and 352-428FE

 

5/16" drive is 351W/C/M, 400, 429/460

 

Only $12.97 each for the Summit brand ... so if you can plan in advance, probably easier to just buy one !!

 

In my case, I've got a huge bolt inventory, lathe, and welder at work so making one was pretty quick and simple.

 

Doug