learning the hard way

[grumpyvette]

I recently had a few freinds over and we got to talking abot the screw-ups weve all had....this one guy installed a clutch and once it was in he could not get the throw out bearing to release the clutch...now Id bet that half the guys who have installed several clutchs, or for that matter most parts assemblys, have mis-assembled something or badly adjusted some part,

 

Id bet 50% or more of what most hotrodders learn is by screwing something up (big or small) and THEN figguring out how to get it working/repaired again!

 

I know its true for myself... and every last one of my friends,....... so youve got some company..... the skills you gain in the hot rodder hobby are at times, hard won!

all I can say is that as you get older you tend to use files, chisels and hammers far less........ than gauges, mics, and dial indicators, and beating something into place looks like a valid course of action....... far less often !

you also tend to learn to use the correct tools , and collect more of the correct tools and when something won,t work, youll tend to read instructions and referance material throughly rather than jumping into something. thats also a slow and hard won skill!

[mario_82_ZXT]

Cleaning out the metal fillings from my manual tranny, the housing had to come apart.

 

In doing so, the shift forks were missaligned and it was stuck in gear. Of course I didn't check that until it was in the car installed, with the driveshaft and everything put back together.

 

Ended up having to disassemble it again, but I did that while under the car (left the fron of it connected to the engine).

 

It was a learning experience, thats for sure.

Mario

[280zwitha383]

Id bet 50% or more of what most hotrodders learn is by screwing something up (big or small) and THEN figguring out how to get it working/repaired again!

I would say Amen but curses also come to mind.

[Guest TegRacer324]

My biggest one so far has been putting the flywheel on the car before the pilot bearing and then figuring out that it goes in from the back. That and trying to hammer the transmission off when there was still one bolt on that no one knew about.

 

I'm sure I will have many more and much bigger ones with the z though.

[buZy]

My worst one was when I rebuilt a AMC 401 quite a few years ago in a 71 Javelin. In short I used the wrong rags cleaning/assembling the motor. Very short lived. Rag lint clogged the oil pick up destroying the cam and everything else. In less than hour of first start up it was toasted.

[TheNeedForZ]

My worst one was when I rebuilt a AMC 401 quite a few years ago in a 71 Javelin. In short I used the wrong rags cleaning/assembling the motor. Very short lived. Rag lint clogged the oil pick up destroying the cam and everything else. In less than hour of first start up it was toasted.

 

Wow I have not assembled an engine before, I don't know it's this finicky. I suppose I'll tread very lightly when/if I build one.

[bob88]

Im building my Z and Im 16 and believe me, my favorite tool is a hammer. lol. No, that is true. Trail and error is the best way to learn.

[Brad-ManQ45]

Too True Grumpyvette...

 

I'm 51 and think through and research before doing anything, always have (not that I haven't made mistakes - like the time I tightened down the baseplate of the carb on my 351CJ Mustang without having the bolts for the auto choke for the fitting on the manifold all the way down, breaking off the automatic choke part of the baseplate - that was the worst one - no choke until I put on a Torker and Holley 700 DP).

 

Now that I'm wiser I still am trying to figure out why I'm still doing this stuff!

 

The aches and pains from out of position work, the wife's complaints about the car in the garage, and the one on the extra parking pad.

 

The ceaseless search for knowledge to incorporate into the car.

 

But then I remember the first time I cranked up my first engine rebuild, the first time I had my bodywork painted, the $ I've saved just KNOWING how to fix something and either doing it myself, or not getting ripped off by people I have taken my cars to to do the work I didn't have time for.

 

Bust most of all, the process of learning, talking and meeting with people who have gasoline running in their veins.

[pparaska]

Latest screw up - This Monday

 

Bolted the 60s Vette oil pan onto the 400 - and didn't check the clearance of the rod/crank with the pan's rails. It LOOKed o.k., but me, the dumba$$, didn't bother to rotate the crank once it was bolted down!

 

Tuesday night (last night). Removed engine from stand and installed pilot bearing, blowproof housing block plate (heh- remembered that at least!), then the flywheel and clutch. Installing engine into car with the trans in, I was rotating the crank to let the clutch splines engage (more of an issue with 10 spline than 26), I found the crank wouldn't turn past a certain point! Once engine was bolted to the bellhousing with a few bolts, and set the engine down on the mounts. I had to find out. Got under the car and turned the crank until it stopped. Tap on the oil pan side up near the block. Sounds kind of high pitched. Rotate crank away from stalled position. Tap - the pitch is lower. GRRR. CRANK/RODS HITTING THE PAN.

 

Now to do the "under the car oil pan dance" a few times to get the oil pan clearanced. No, I refuse to take the engine out and remove the clutch (locktited bolts) and flywheel to put it on the stand. I will pay for my sins by doing pan R&R many times while clearancing it.

 

Sometimes I feel like I spend more time going backwards than forwards!!!

[grumpyvette]

anyone who tells you they don,t occasionally screw things up is just telling you they do VERY FEW PROJECTS, the KEY is to LEARN FROM the screw-ups and NOT TO REPEAT THEM!and PAY ATTENTION to what your doing!, think things thru....and test them SEVERAL TIMES

EXAMPLE

one of my friends (FRANK) installed a high voluum oil pump,now thats not a high tech job but he screwed up royally

first he insearted the pick-up tube into the pump body without checking depth (luckly I caught that when I pulled the bottom plate on the pump to check gear end play and found the tube binding the gears)

next he mounted the pump to the main cap without checking bolt depth (I caught that as the bolt was bearing on the rear main causing it to bind the crank slightly)

next he failed to silver solder or braze the pick-up to the pump and weld a brace to the pick-up tube(I did that for him) next he never checked the pan to pickup clearances, (luckly they were ok, Id ask and he said he had checked) but when I double checked he asked what I was doing with the modeling clay, I ask how he had checked,

(" hey the pan bolts on without touching was his reply")

then he had a great deal of trouble getting the gasket to stay on the oil pan,untill I showed him how a one piece synthetic oil pan gasket and some stratigicly applied contact cement only on the pan side of the gasket and using studs in the block that extend thru the pan rails as the pans placed to the block VS bolts worked, making alingment far easier

[Chaparral2f]

When I rebuilt my first th350, I assembled, installed and fillled it with fluid. Then found the thrust washer that goes behind the front drum. That is my worst one. unless of course you count having to dissamble and reassemble the torque converter on an old Caddy 4 spd Hydro Matic

[patzky1]

Chaparral2f:

 

Ha! I was worried big time that my th350 rebuild was not going to work if I had somehow forgotten a seal or clutch somewhere, but I got lucky. I have only rebuilt the one.

 

I once replaced the alternator, tensioner pulley, power steering pump, and water pump before figuring out that the clunking noise was actually a bad harmonic balancer. But that was mostly ignorance at play.

 

Also, stripped out two of the internal motor mount threads while trying to attach my home-made JTR style mounts that didn't quite line up perfectly... That sucked, but I fixed it (bigger holes and bolts). Lesson learned: don't force it, if it isn't right it won't work. Yeah, I was 17 at the time and impulsive.

 

Pat

[Chaparral2f]

Its true, I always use the proper guages, mics and and Dial indicators BEFORE getting the hammer. Then if that don't work there is always a bigger hammer.

[wpnmkr]

I HAVE NEVER SCREWED UP A PROJECT! 'cept the ones i work on !

[wheelman]

The first engine swap I did was replacing a 289 with a 302 in an old Ford pickup I had. It had an automatic transmission which I hadn't had much experience with. I thought I had the TC pushed all the way into the tranny when the engine was lowered into place but didn't. A friend was helping me and he was a pretty big guy. So the engine wouldn't slide all the way back onto the tranny and instead of pulling it out to see what the problem was my friend and I decided to start reefing on the tranny bolts to "pull" the engine back against the tranny. He eventually busted one of the mounting ears off the engine block before we decided to pull it back out. I repositioned the TC to where it should have been and used some JB weld on the mounting ear which never did give me a problem. I was worried about the tranny so before taking it for a spin I called a couple local tranny shops who told me we probably busted the pump but it never gave me any problems either. I dodged a bullet and learned a very valuable lesson about being meticulous when assembling things.

 

Wheelman

[pparaska]

Its true, I always use the proper guages, mics and and Dial indicators BEFORE getting the hammer. Then if that don't work there is always a bigger hammer.

 

Dude, you can always retire to being a stand up comedian - very funny - I needed that!

[mark]

The first time i did the Q 45 diff, I spent about 8 months making mounts until I found one that looked like it would work, making adaptors, having axels made, etc, etc. Lots of trial and error fitting. Finally got everything in the car and bolted up and went for a drive. About a quarter mile from home I hear this whine. Forgot to put oil in the diff. What a dumb ***.

[dot]

The first time i did the Q 45 diff, I spent about 8 months making mounts until I found one that looked like it would work, making adaptors, having axels made, etc, etc. Lots of trial and error fitting. Finally got everything in the car and bolted up and went for a drive. About a quarter mile from home I hear this whine. Forgot to put oil in the diff. What a dumb ***.

 

Spent a full year installing the vette rear. In and out seven times until it was perfect. I got five miles with no oil in the diff.

 

The funny part was that the neighbors think I’m a good mechanic and it really burst my bubble having to come home on a hook.

 

 

PS: To this day I cannot put in a new rotor cap with out mixing up two wires!

[Guest tony78_280z]

Too many to count..

 

My latest was tuning my carb on bad plug wires. I recently replaced the wires and my carb is all screwed up. I supose a good spark might have something to do with the fuel burn, huh? In my defense, I didn't know the wires were that bad. But I should have known better.

 

I spent almost 40 minutes trying to get my newly overhauled dizzy to work. I rechecked and replaced the module and coil. Each, three times. Once with the high performance one, then back to the stock, then Ran to the junker for another one. But every time I put the cap back on I got no spark. Turns out the rotor was sitting on the cowl. Then, in the same project I took out the weights and springs without making a note of how it looked and how it should go back in. I couldn't look at the junker because I dis assembled it gathering the coil and module earlier. So I had to hit the net and look for a good picture. That delayed the project for a day. I got some good print outs now though!

 

Doing rust work, I cut out the bad area. Put on rust inhibitor. Primored and smeared on the bondo. I did a beautiful bondo job and none of my friends could tell there was ever a problem there. But I used regular spray paint primer (I didn't know it wouldn't work) and it rusted out in a matter of months.

 

How about putting in a B&M kit in a light car that doesn't need it. My damn tranny still leaks. I'm sure when I get that figured out it'll be on this list too.

 

I come from good roots. My uncle (a major proponent of the 350) rebuilt a motor and left a rag in the oil pan. It ended up wrapped around a rod or a piston or something and blowing the motor. Oddly I wish he were still "with us", so I could get some help on my projectZ.

 

Mostly I regret listening to the advice of friends who I thought knew what they were talking about. Now I gather my own information. I have a stack of technical manuals and visit this site frequently.

 

It's hard to believe I'm thinking about rebuilding some heads. Wonder what I'll screw up next !

[datsunlover]

Heh, I can beat that one Glen. My first V8 rx7; Got it together, hacked as it was, with my chev 10 bolt rear all bolted in (that I bought, cause I couldn't weld yet..just like the engine mounts and tranny x-member) got it running, and went for a few test drives. After 3 runs, the rear started making a strange noise... hmm.. wonder what that is.. WHAM!!! Screeeeee...... Oh crap... the rear tires are locked up. Car skids to a stop.. Yup, NO oil in the dif. Big mess, so much for that nice posi unit.. Here's the kicker; I was literaly TWENTY FEET from my driveway. Had to pay a tow truck $50 to drag it 20 ft. He laughed. I swore...

 

I am getting better though.. That project took me over a year, and was really as basic as you can get... (crusty 305/350th) ...and not very well done.. actually, downright dangerous. 30psi fuel pump runing to a carb, rad fan hard wired to a switch without even a fuse, battery bouncing around/blocked in with pieces of wood behind the seat...The thinks you do when you don't know squat..

 

In comparasin, my current RX-V8 is a newer TBI 350/700r4 that I have succesfully wired, (first start up today.. yehaw!! ) instaled with my own fabricated mounts, has a custom alternator bracket/tensioner that WORKS, and it's only taken me ONE MONTH!!! Amazing what you can do when you have some knowlege and a bit of patience. Although I should have cut the mazda tranny mount back a bit further cause the stinking spedo cable is really tight in there.. doh..