Bender Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 Going off some of the other threads looks like we have a few mishaps to share This one's not me directly but I almost suffered the consequences of it. Picked up works landrover from main dealer after major service, rear a bar bush replacement and a clutch, this was 1989, the cost was £1400 I remember because depot manager nearly fainted Felt so much better to drive, firmer, less wobble almost like new, except something just didn't feel right, I was hooning along country lanes as young stupid lads do, landrovers are fairly engaging to drive on twisty roads, still something was nagging, for some reason I thought it was the steering wheel that was the issue still flying along and heading into the next corner I gave it a tug with both hands, not sure what I was expecting but not for it to come straight off the column, bit scary when suddenly there is a complete disconnect between yourself and the front wheels, I ended up on the wrong side of the road at the bend and just managed to Jam the thing back on before I ended up in a tree. Good job the road was empty, had I not managed to wedge it on the accident would have been nasty, no seat belt and steering column splines. Garage just said sorry drop it back in just incase anything else had been missed. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Fro Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 You got me thinking now @Bender. I had the tracking done on an ex BT (i.e. yellow) Escort estate at the garage up the road from my school - I must have been 18. I went to pick it up with my girlfriend, got half way down the road and heard a terrible clattering and thunking. I stopped, walked back a bit and found a pair of mole grips in the road. I took them back to the garage and the bloke was well pleased - he though he'd lost them! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 Overtightened a sump bolt once cracking the sump and not realising dumped about 3 litres of oil on the floor! Lost a pry bar while doing a cam belt change on an Audi A4 only to find it again 6 months later down the front of the grill! It was my brother pry bar and I swore blind I never used it somehow managed to not tighten up two caliper bolts on a gsxr luckily I saw it.......while out riding There is more but can't think! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender Posted February 27, 2021 Author Share Posted February 27, 2021 I bought a legacy estate, great driving in the snow but stopping was a mare, abs kicked in all the time, Turned out previous owner or garage had fitted pads, twisted the flexi over on itself and kinked it completely , was great after re fitting it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 I once fitted an oil cooler on my RX-7 and after reading all the destructions about the push connections and them saying that push only is all that's needed. Yet when driving home via the M25 from the garage, I gave the throttle a little squeeze and found that the dash lit up like a christmas tree. Pulled (ok more like rolled) onto the hard shoulder and had a quick look and both connections had come off. Back to the garage and a couple of aeroquips later all working as it should. Moral of the story never trust push connectors alone. Fish 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manxie49 Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 Did an oil change on a Land Rover once, refilled with nice fresh oil and then realised I hadn’t put the drain plug back in! Mate still hasn’t let me forget it 14yrs later. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender Posted February 27, 2021 Author Share Posted February 27, 2021 One of my own creating, nova Sr, radiator went, got another, straightforward swap, replacement started leaking, took it back to local place I used alot, very sorry they were and swapped it for a more expensive one, drove it for 3days and temp gauge which had never budged went off the scale, FFS not again, stopped opened bonnet, top hose was about 3 times its original diameter, I dropped it straight down and seconds later it blew apart, head gasket had gone, nowt wrong with the rads it was the numpty changing them fault for not thinking about it after first new rad went dohhh 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mississippi Bullfrog Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 If you want free tools take a walk round a track after a club meeting. I walk round Oulton Park and check the outside of the bends. There's always tools there. Guys work on cars before their laps and leave tools in the engine bay all the time. A mate used to work in a Citroen dealership. They had a XM in for service. The lad raised it on the ramp and drained the oil. Then went for a brew. Unfortunately the XM had such a smooth engine he hadn't noticed it was still running. By the time he got back from his brew it wasn't running any longer. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender Posted February 27, 2021 Author Share Posted February 27, 2021 1 minute ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said: If you want free tools take a walk round a track after a club meeting. I walk round Oulton Park and check the outside of the bends. There's always tools there. Guys work on cars before their laps and leave tools in the engine bay all the time. A mate used to work in a Citroen dealership. They had a XM in for service. The lad raised it on the ramp and drained the oil. Then went for a brew. Unfortunately the XM had such a smooth engine he hadn't noticed it was still running. By the time he got back from his brew it wasn't running any longer. I always wanted an xm, I'm sure some used to catch fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mississippi Bullfrog Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 Just now, Bender said: I always wanted an xm, I'm sure some used to catch fire. Owners used to be divided between those who said it was the best car they'd ever had, or the worst. I got to drive one once, unbelievable. I was just too scared of the complexity to risk buying one though. Back on track....my brother bought a 2.3 Magnum that had been rallied. It went like the proverbial off a shovel. He was always tinkering with it. One night we went out and he reckoned it wasn't pulling quite right so he reset the timing by the roadside. A few miles later we noticed it was running hot and there was something amiss in the engine area. Bear in mind the racket it made was immense due to a somewhat dubious exhaust system. We opened the bonnet and noticed two things. A hole in the radiator. Caused by his strobe light caught up in the fan belt and whirling around like a banshee. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Fro Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 Back to that yellow Escort I had... One (brilliant) day I decided to gap the valves during a free period. I'd only worked on stuff that had adjustable rockers at that point so I duely fiddled to rocker nuts to give all the right clearances. Roll on home time and I picked up the girlfriend to take her home. The car got steadily worse until it finally conked out 100m or so from her house. Later on I had a peek under the valve cover to find a load of nuts rolling around free. I didn't realise the CVH used buckets and shims! I put the nuts back tight and all was well. I think back to the f*ck ups I've made and wonder sometimes how I'm still alive. At least I had a go and learnt something I suppose. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slowlycatchymonkey Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 Being a bloke it probably wasn’t to read the manual 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James in Brum Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 I have very few of these, just the one or two for each time I have tried to mend my bike which I have only had 18months. so far there was when the Carbs were leaking, I managed to take them off and service but then there was a leak which seemed different. First one had been because the float was keeping it open. New one was because of a crack in the float bowl. That crack must have been me over tightening the drain screw. Not the end of the world that one, I took a bike that would not start and got it to the point I could ride it to the garage. Shame I did not take time when putting the brake callipers back on (I had decided to service the brakes). The bike felt weird when I got to the garage. They pointed out later that the calliper was not fixed to anything. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilM Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 Reversing out of a kwik fit after a tyre change in very silly (thinking back now) looking ford capri. Spun the wheel and hit the garages air receiver. Stoving the driver side wing in.... You couldn't see a whole lot of the outside from the inside of a capri...... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Frog Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 I had a lovely 2002 Nissan Navara and when it needed tyres I took it to a tyre place in Wellingborough on the recommendation of a friend who`s son worked there. On the way home on a dead straight bit of road I felt a vibration from the rear then saw in the mirror the nearside rear wheel wobbling as I slowed it came completely off and over took me (it crossed the road and bounced into a field). If someone had been coming the other way they could have been killed. Friend who recommended the garage was very sheepish for a while lol. People kept singing three wheels on my wagon Cheers Ian 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerontious Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 Had one yesterday. The vacuum had one of its moments and started twirling its snout in an endearingly provocative manner which for some reason gave me a craving for a nice slice of battenburg. But all I had in was some short dated Eccles cakes. start as you mean to go on, I say!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender Posted February 28, 2021 Author Share Posted February 28, 2021 1 hour ago, Gerontious said: Had one yesterday. The vacuum had one of its moments and started twirling its snout in an endearingly provocative manner which for some reason gave me a craving for a nice slice of battenburg. But all I had in was some short dated Eccles cakes. start as you mean to go on, I say!! Don't knock the humble vacume. Mate who has a Henry for keeping his van clean had just vacuumed the rear and left home, first he noticed a bit of warmth from the bulkhead then he smelt smoke, pulled over and opened side door to be greeted by Henry gushing flames and smoke, it had already set fire to a few tool cases and storage, he dragged the whole lot out onto the side of the road, phew that was lucky he thought. It wasn't, he hadn't realised the interior side panel on side door was on fire and as he had slid it along it continued to burn and set fire to the rear quarter of the van, it's a bit of a mess, don't mess with a Henry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mississippi Bullfrog Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 I borrowed a pressure washer some years ago to clean up some sandstone I liberated to make rockery at home. Just as I finished my father in law arrived in his Nissan Bluebird and asked me to clean out his wheelarches. I aimed the jet under the car and pulled the trigger at which point the back of the car lurched to the ground. On top it looked immaculate. Underneath it was a mass of rotten metal. The jet surgically sliced through the suspension turrets. I felt a bit bad about it until a few days later someone was killed on the motorway near us in a Bluebird when the rear suspension collapsed due to corrosion. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Fro Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 I helped a mate stick some huge alloys on his Astra GTE (remember them?). He asked me to feel round the back of one the wheels to check how close it was to the inner arch. I could just get my fingers in the gap... Then he plonked himself in the car. The agony as chunks of skin were ripped my from my knuckes was fantastic. I was stuck there until he got out which hurt even more! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender Posted February 28, 2021 Author Share Posted February 28, 2021 10 minutes ago, Mr Fro said: I helped a mate stick some huge alloys on his Astra GTE (remember them?). He asked me to feel round the back of one the wheels to check how close it was to the inner arch. I could just get my fingers in the gap... Then he plonked himself in the car. The agony as chunks of skin were ripped my from my knuckes was fantastic. I was stuck there until he got out which hurt even more! I would have had a few choice words at that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Fro Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 1 hour ago, Bender said: I would have had a few choice words at that It was in the Halfords Orpington car park and we were both in uniform. I let fly with quite a mouthful and some passing do-gooder came storming up to me: "I want to speak to the manager about your appalling language!" He said, to which I replied "I'm listeneing" 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilM Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 Oh forgot about this one. In Filey. Bit of a motorcycle parking area right on front by where all the ice cream huts etc are. Must of been 50 tourists milling about on the benches. Parks up. Cool as....lol Walks away. The sodding VFR fell over.... I hadn't put the side stand down properly. Absolute deathly silence from the masses. Comedy moment. 2 old boys walk over to me n said heap on floor. And I quote "thas fxxxxx that lad" 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 1 hour ago, NeilM said: Oh forgot about this one. In Filey. Bit of a motorcycle parking area right on front by where all the ice cream huts etc are. Must of been 50 tourists milling about on the benches. Parks up. Cool as....lol Walks away. The sodding VFR fell over.... I hadn't put the side stand down properly. Absolute deathly silence from the masses. Comedy moment. 2 old boys walk over to me n said heap on floor. And I quote "thas fxxxxx that lad" Same place many years ago on a mass rideout with a load from here there must have been 60 -70 of us Pulled up to park and the bike to my left started to fall over with the rider! I grabbed their bike while sat on mine and then felt a bike fall on me from my right! I was pinned between two bikes! No damage to any of them or me! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilM Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 12 minutes ago, Stu said: Same place many years ago on a mass rideout with a load from here there must have been 60 -70 of us Pulled up to park and the bike to my left started to fall over with the rider! I grabbed their bike while sat on mine and then felt a bike fall on me from my right! I was pinned between two bikes! No damage to any of them or me! I had damaged pride. Broken brake lever and a load of knackered plastic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender Posted February 28, 2021 Author Share Posted February 28, 2021 At school one of the wild girls in 5th form had a boyfriend with a loud shouty custom chopper thing, pulled up one morning to drop her off at school gate making much noise as it made him even more cool, side stand down and drop bike over, right over with both of them on it, silly little side stand straight down drain, ohhhhh everyone laughed 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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