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What did you screw up today

3

37chief

Well-known Member
Location
California
I have been working on a 52 plymouth flat head 6. I was measuring the crank thrust, and it had none. So I removed the rear main with the thrust area, and scraped off a little, reinstalled the bearing shell still had no clearance. What could be wrong? What happened, was moving the crank in the same direction each time. By he time I figured out what was wrong I had too much clearance. So I am going to be out 80.00 for a complete set of mains just to get one rear bearing. Last time I made an expensive mistake, was running my JD diesel on 75 % gasoline. That cost 600.00 for a pump rebuild. Maybe it's time to move to a small apartement and just sit and watch tv all day until I die. Day is just about done, hope I don't do anything else stupid. stan
 
some of the best mechanics learn from their mistakes...80 dollar lesson from the real world. I bet you will never make that mistake again. I've spent quite a bit on lessons learned....like cam to valve timing on a race motor. was 4 degrees off=1500 dollars.
 
Hay Chief the only people not making mistakes are the ones in the grave yard. keep on trucking if you are having fun.
 
Well at least you did some thing.Just think,some where in the world is a guy sitting in front of a TV ,or a PC,getting old and not haveing much interest in any thing,just waiting to die.Oh and by the way,In April 1956 I bought a 1952 Plymouth 4 door with a flat head 6 cyl.I was stationed at 7th Marine Regiment at Las Pulgas,Camp Pendleton Calif.I drove that old car for a couple of years until a good deal came up at the Chevy dealer in May 1958,a hold over '57 Chevy Bel Air 2 door Hard Top. $2872.23 out the door. My dad sent me the money by Western Union to Oceanside Calif and she was all mine. I sold the plymouth to some one in my company,don't remember his name now.Faded Picture is of me and my steady,Still have the girl,sure wish I had the car.
a46584.jpg
 
Follow the wisdom of the elders. Gramps used to say, "if you"re not making mistakes, you"re not really doing anything". The rule on atta-boys are, they accumulate until your first mess up then they all cancel.
 
I remember many years ago when I worked in a boat factory that made tri-hulls boats. Basically still have the V in the center of the hull, but instead of V'ing all the way up, it starts up, then swoops back down to the water on the outer edges. Anyway, one thing that I had to do as one of the last things on the line, was go up to the bow of a 30' house boat and drill a couple of holes in the center of each side where the deck met the hull. The reason for that was for water making it up onto the sunken deck to drain into the hull, where it would run down to the lowest part and be purged by bilge pumps back into the lake, river, whatever. Anyway, once I was drilling, drilling, drilling with a 1.5" fly bit, drilling, drilling, and more drilling, and it finally popped through and the bad part was that I could see the concrete floor of the plant after it popped through. Ohhhhh crappppp. I wasn't paying attention and dropped the bit in the wrong spot, and "OHHHHHH NOOOOOO, I can see the concrete floor of the plant through the hull of the boat!!! That aint good". That boat was supposed to be on a truck being shipped for delivery first AM, and it was about 4:30 PM close down for the day. Yep, it shipped, but the boss sure was mad. Had to patch the fiberglass hole, super speed up the setup and dry part, grind and sand, gel coat and super duper set that up, sand and polish it by morning. It happened though, and at about 8 AM the following morning that boat pulled out.

Do you have to buy the whole set? We used to be able to get (order) individual journals just for that reason. Ask them.

Good luck Stan.

Mark
 
You weren't packing that spare tire and all that hair in the Corps! And that gal looks too sharp to date an active duty gyrene.:)
 
More or less the same engine in a 1956 Dodge pickup, I put the front main bearing shell in upside down, the oil holes didn't line up, and it started knocking in about a mile.

Another time, I timed the cam to a casting imperfection in the cam gear. It would start and run, but had ZERO power, wouldn't even move.
 
Miraculously,nothing that I know of yet. Unless that tractor tire is flat again in the morning. I finished cutting oats,got everything cleaned up and put away. The Oliver 70 sat in the hay barn with an 11x40 tire flat again. Looked like rust had poked a small hole in it. I cleaned up the rim and patched the tube,put the tractor in the tool shed so I can put straw in the hay barn where it was sitting.
 
This wasn't my screw-up, but I once tore down an SBC racing engine that had blown a couple of laps into it's first hot laps.

I had the engine upside down on an engine stand with the pan off. Something didn't look right. Then it hit me, there was no pickup tube on the oil pump.

That was my first year of racing, and I spent most of the season learning how NOT to do things.
 
Funny you should ask.
Been meaning to put up a screen door on the back door for about two years now and decided today was going to be the day.
Noticed there wasn't a door stop for it, so I installed some one by to make one.
Then after I hung the screen door, it was a tad bit too wide for the actual opening, so prodeeded to sand enough so it would fit into the door jamb smoothly.
Now, until this point I left the back door open so I could have some swinging room. Now I close the door and notice the door knob hits the screen door.
It's always something.
 
I just some how slit a rear tire on one of my Allis Chalmers C while mowing. Must hafe got to close to a culvert.
 
If it didn't matter that you made a mistake, then it probably wasn't worth doing in the first place. At least it's fixable and you'll be able to get that much more satisfaction out of finishing the job. Best of luck, Sam
 
Back around 83/84 boss added another truck to the fleet. Last project of setting up was to mount fire extinguisher on floor between seat & door while partner put on lic plates, stickers etc. Was scheduled to go online next morning. Thought to myself these newer Fords have tough steel in floor.
All done, quitting time, fire it up & park on ready line. Can't build up air pressure. You guessed it, air tank sits tucked up under cab, above fuel tank, now has 3/16 hole in it.
Remove full fuel tank, then replace air tank. Supper was late that night.
Willie
 
Stan,
I don't know you personal .. just thur here ...
and I don't think you are the type to set in front of a T.V. all day ...

you enjoy getting your hands dirty ..

just my thoughts ...
mark
 
I blew up a fresh rebuilt 351w , slappe dit in the car. adjusted everything ,or so I thought ,8 laps in smoked it . Forgot to set timing with ALL the advance in . melted er down pretty bad .
 
you aint doing nuthin , if you aint breaking sumthin or makin a expensive mistake ,,, serveral years back ,overworked /sleep deprived neihbor put gasoline in his road tractor to haul grain $$$$hitwadded that motor$$$ // if i had all the $$$$ the devil stole from me while i was watching the other corner , i could make a nice livin ,, startin a month ago , this farm blew over 3 grand in bs repairs , , not talkin about batteries, bearings,bushings,belts and tires ,, but along with that$hit ,2 starters , 2 balers chronicly phukn-up , round and square ... 2 calls to used parts at frys in pennslyvania at 300 bucks per delivery ,,, 2 baler needles ,2 trips to the baler mechanic at 55 bucks (CHEAP ) x 7 hours plus parts ,, LATEST WAS ALWAYS DEPENDABLE CUMMINS DODGE , a month a=go tranny lost 5th gear and needed 500 bucks , yesterday backed the truck to turn around on edge of woods , damt if i backed over a forked hikory Y limb ,, with a spade end ,that rode up on the draglink ,wedged itself into a fANBLADE AND WIPED OUT THE RADIATOR INSTANTLY ...started the year out with a blown motor in the grain truck,.. hale of a year , got adequete rain to make a decent crop , gonna need it too cause the massey dealer has not been paid yet ..

GUESS A GUY CAN NEVER BE TOO CAREFUL , // but one might think i am reckless or lax on equipment upkeep ,Neither is true ,, just goin thru hail rite now
 
I FEEL YOUR PAIN ,, And Know it toodamwel,,.Dad would say at times like this to make us fdeel a little better , ..: "you aint doing nuthin , if you aint breaking sumthin or makin a expensive mistake ,",, serveral years back ,overworked /sleep deprived neihbor put gasoline in his road tractor to haul grain $$$$hitwadded that motor$$$ // if i had all the $$$$ the devil stole from me while i was watching the other corner , i could make a nice livin ,, startin a month ago , this farm blew over 3 grand in bs repairs , , not talkin about batteries, bearings,bushings,belts and tires ,, but along with that$hit ,2 starters , 2 balers chronicly phukn-up , round and square ... 2 calls to used parts at frys in pennslyvania at 300 bucks per delivery ,,, 2 baler needles ,2 trips to the baler mechanic at 55 bucks (CHEAP ) x 7 hours plus parts ,, LATEST WAS ALWAYS DEPENDABLE CUMMINS DODGE , a month a=go tranny lost 5th gear and needed 500 bucks , yesterday backed the truck to turn around on edge of woods , damt if i backed over a forked hikory Y limb ,, with a spade end ,that rode up on the draglink ,wedged itself into a fANBLADE AND WIPED OUT THE RADIATOR INSTANTLY ...started the year out with a blown motor in the grain truck,.. hale of a year , got adequete rain to make a decent crop , gonna need it too cause the massey dealer has not been paid yet ..

GUESS A GUY CAN NEVER BE TOO CAREFUL , // but one might think i am reckless or lax on equipm ent upkeep ,Neither is true ,Neihbors and friend will vouch for me , just goin thru hail rite now
 
That picture was taken in the fall of 1959.I traded the Chevy for a 1960 Pontiac Catalina 2 door hard top soon after this picture was taken.I got out of the Corps in July 1958.I was farming and milking my small herd of registered Gurnseys when this picture taken.We got married March 27,1960.do the math. Why she still puts up with me I don't have a clue.The pot is larger also now I guarantee you.
 
Can't think of anything today, but I've torn up enough in the past to learn a few things.... reminds me of my favorite quote of all times:

“Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment.”

Tim
 
Had a chance for much needed rain at the farm.

Rolled up the windows on both trucks.

Got about 2 inches of high wind; no rain.

Next time I'll wash the car instead.
 
Farmall C had a slight miss in it last week when I had it at the Ozark empire fair. Thought I would do a tune up on it. The points looked new so I just thought I would file them a little. Tapped the starter a few times to roll the engine over so the points would open. Put it all back together, the first time I left out the rotor. Then put it in and went to start it and sounded like a 12 gauge shot gun went off in my ear. I got it all out of time. It was getting dark so that will give me something to do this weekend.
 
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