I was doing the semi-annual starter replacement on my 3rd gen Pontiac Firebird. I drove it up onto metal ramps, hopped out, got down on my knees and was about to lay down and crawl under. Seconds before doing so, the ramps gave out and the car was on the ground. I was angry at myself and at the car(which was in the paper later that week and gone within 2 weeks), but grateful it didn't land on me. Nobody else was around, I was in the back yard where nobody would see me anyhow, and I hadn't told anyone I was going to work on it.
Most stupid mechanic mistake I have made so far...
- Thread starter DesertBen44
- Start date
I was doing the semi-annual starter replacement on my 3rd gen Pontiac Firebird. I drove it up onto metal ramps, hopped out, got down on my knees and was about to lay down and crawl under. Seconds before doing so, the ramps gave out and the car was on the ground. I was angry at myself and at the car(which was in the paper later that week and gone within 2 weeks), but grateful it didn't land on me. Nobody else was around, I was in the back yard where nobody would see me anyhow, and I hadn't told anyone I was going to work on it.
SparkandFire
We're drinking beer
I watched a ramp give way with my grandpa's '68 El Camino sitting on top... He had just parked it on the ramps (they looked like '1950s vintage metal ramps, like most things my grandpa had...) and one of the welds gave way and the whole thing dropped just like 92F350CC had happen. The ElCo landed so hard the cross member left an impression in the asphalt driveway.
Grandpa was changing the oil on it, if he had been under it, he would've left the scene right then and there, instead of in his sleep years later.
My big blunder happened a few years ago, I was a facilities electrician for a big manufacturing plant. We had just got done terminating some 500 MCM cables on a 2000 amp service panel. This panel had 6 500 MCM cables, with a pair of cables for each phase. The other guy I was working with had cut some of the cable down, so we could crimp lugs on it. Cable that big isn't easy to bend and move, so every cut and bend has to be thought out... When he cut the cable down, he mixed up the phase tape (colored electrical tape to show which wire was which on each end) I checked his work, failed to ring out the cables to make sure the phases were all matched up... When I through the switch on the circuit, the upstream breaker dropped out instantly, it also blew the pole fuses on the 21 KV supply to the building... Burnt the new crimps off the wire we had terminated. Scared the greenhorn I was with half to death, he quit electrical work after that and went back to plant maintenance...
We all make mistakes. Double, triple check your work... Quadruple check other peoples work...
Grandpa was changing the oil on it, if he had been under it, he would've left the scene right then and there, instead of in his sleep years later.
My big blunder happened a few years ago, I was a facilities electrician for a big manufacturing plant. We had just got done terminating some 500 MCM cables on a 2000 amp service panel. This panel had 6 500 MCM cables, with a pair of cables for each phase. The other guy I was working with had cut some of the cable down, so we could crimp lugs on it. Cable that big isn't easy to bend and move, so every cut and bend has to be thought out... When he cut the cable down, he mixed up the phase tape (colored electrical tape to show which wire was which on each end) I checked his work, failed to ring out the cables to make sure the phases were all matched up... When I through the switch on the circuit, the upstream breaker dropped out instantly, it also blew the pole fuses on the 21 KV supply to the building... Burnt the new crimps off the wire we had terminated. Scared the greenhorn I was with half to death, he quit electrical work after that and went back to plant maintenance...
We all make mistakes. Double, triple check your work... Quadruple check other peoples work...
ah1988ford
Full Access Member
I learned to use only a little starting fluid and disconnect the gps while trying to get the truck started, I gave it a good 3sec stream directly into the intake , 
intake.
lol learned the hard way !
intake.lol learned the hard way !
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yARIC008
Drives really slow
I was wrenching on my starter one time with a watch on that had a metal band. The watch hit the terminals on the starter solenoid and blew some pretty holes in it. As you can imagine it got REALLY HOT and burned my arm pretty good. Left a good scar. I was running around trying to get my watch off while my friends were just sitting there like, what the hell are you doing?
Another time I was in a hurry to change my oil and had been messing with my dual bypass filter. I had taken the filter off for some reason and put it back on and then just had to run. I forgot to check for leaks. I get about a mile down the road and notice a hissing noise under the van. Pulled over real fast and had pretty much lost all my oil. Oil system got a good flushing that day.
Another time I was in a hurry to change my oil and had been messing with my dual bypass filter. I had taken the filter off for some reason and put it back on and then just had to run. I forgot to check for leaks. I get about a mile down the road and notice a hissing noise under the van. Pulled over real fast and had pretty much lost all my oil. Oil system got a good flushing that day.
Maverick1701
Full Access Member
I have had a few stories but nothing major...yet.
Some of these stories are pretty scary...makes you really think the next time you work on your rig
Some of these stories are pretty scary...makes you really think the next time you work on your rig
been pinned under my pops old bronco when the trans landed on me. layed there for 45 mins till he got home to help it off me.
got many many more not all of my doing.
got many many more not all of my doing.
towcat
Full Access Member
considering I used to handle extractions for fatal incidents in the county, I have more than a few stories about others who didn't make it. I am definitely more cognizant of what I do especially in situations where I need to be really creative in what I do. I am grateful I still have all my fingers and toes and I thank the lord quietly every day I get out of bed without any major aches and pains.
could also be,,cause they have had a lot of experience,,and have learned,,to check their own work over.........................................................
89dieselbko
Full Access Member
i have been wrenching for years and have made MANY mistakes. Trying to do things while learning at the same time. I have screwed up backlash on gears, couple weeks ago i did a belt change on the bronco i didnt remember to lock tight the vacuum pump mounting bolt and it came loose and messed up my fan. That was a stupid mistake but at least it didnt turn into much.
I lost my uncle paul when i was 16. he was working on his baby, a 92 dodge D250 with the cummins. 2WD, he was converting it to 4WD with solid front axle. he had it up on jack stands, and one of them buckled. Police figured he was tugging or yanking on something and the vehicle weight shifted just enough to take out the jack...
Since then when ever i have tires off a vehicle and im under it i use 2X 6ton jack stands (even if its a cavalier). last time i was under the bronco i had my jack stands, and 2X u-pull-it style stands (2 rims welded together) under the front frame horns, and had the cherry picker/engine hoist, which ever you call it, set with light tension, and a chain wrapped around the front frame rails. Sure it takes forever to set up, but safety is the most important thing.
ALWAYS over do it, never under do it. No matter how simple. Changing your breaks? jackstand+jack even though you arent under the vehicle. it could shift, and its good night at that point. No one wants to lose a family member over something so simple and sheer lazyness to safety. Jack stands - 80 bucks? probably less. Your life and good health, is priceless.
I lost my uncle paul when i was 16. he was working on his baby, a 92 dodge D250 with the cummins. 2WD, he was converting it to 4WD with solid front axle. he had it up on jack stands, and one of them buckled. Police figured he was tugging or yanking on something and the vehicle weight shifted just enough to take out the jack...
Since then when ever i have tires off a vehicle and im under it i use 2X 6ton jack stands (even if its a cavalier). last time i was under the bronco i had my jack stands, and 2X u-pull-it style stands (2 rims welded together) under the front frame horns, and had the cherry picker/engine hoist, which ever you call it, set with light tension, and a chain wrapped around the front frame rails. Sure it takes forever to set up, but safety is the most important thing.
ALWAYS over do it, never under do it. No matter how simple. Changing your breaks? jackstand+jack even though you arent under the vehicle. it could shift, and its good night at that point. No one wants to lose a family member over something so simple and sheer lazyness to safety. Jack stands - 80 bucks? probably less. Your life and good health, is priceless.
freebird01
Post Turtle!
i also make the habit that if i got the wheels off the vehicle....instead of rolling them off to the side i will slide them underneath it behind where i'm working so the vehicle cant come down to the ground. This is has saved my ass a few times. I had a jeep come off a high lift jack while trying to do a repair between courses at a rock crawl comp and damn near landed on my leg....had the tire/wheel not been there i would have been hurtin pretty bad!
dieselgiant
Dieselgiant
I'm just starting my career in heavy truck mechanicing, and the stories of jacks failing, and transmissions falling are real humbling. It's all dangerous work. Last week I thought Oh I'm young I don't need a hoist to remove a powerdivider... My chest tells me otherwise.
Optikalillushun
Registered User
My big mistake that leaves a lasting impression is up at school...was changin a brake rotor on a semi (only disc front truck we had, kinda a rare bird) and was takin the hub off. Noticed the rotor was sliding off and before anyone could help me catch it i decided instead of breaking/crushing my foot i would catch it myself...now im left with a steady reminder with a tweaked back. Luckily, if i dont play Heman it doesnt bother me much.
Another time, we were swapping a ZF into my friends F250. This was just dumb luck but we were bleeding the clutch and fired it up to see how the pedal was. Well the clutch was still partially enguaged even with the pedal all the way in and when we put it in reverse the truck went flyin backwards and almost (litterally 6 inches) took out the garage door and my buddies truck parked behind it. That was with the parking brake set, wheel chockes under the rear tires and no rear drive shaft (was in 4wd). Luckily the only causilty was a creeper, no one was behind it or on the creeper.
Had a few times of the not pumping the brakes while doing pads/rotors and gettin that "oh ****" moment while backing out, an oil filter that had a torn rubber o-ring dumping 6 quarts of oil all over and some minor mistakes. I always yell at my friends when they dont use jackstands/safety gear...luckily were all still here with all our digits.
Another time, we were swapping a ZF into my friends F250. This was just dumb luck but we were bleeding the clutch and fired it up to see how the pedal was. Well the clutch was still partially enguaged even with the pedal all the way in and when we put it in reverse the truck went flyin backwards and almost (litterally 6 inches) took out the garage door and my buddies truck parked behind it. That was with the parking brake set, wheel chockes under the rear tires and no rear drive shaft (was in 4wd). Luckily the only causilty was a creeper, no one was behind it or on the creeper.
Had a few times of the not pumping the brakes while doing pads/rotors and gettin that "oh ****" moment while backing out, an oil filter that had a torn rubber o-ring dumping 6 quarts of oil all over and some minor mistakes. I always yell at my friends when they dont use jackstands/safety gear...luckily were all still here with all our digits.
flareside_thun
Reviving The General Tao
I got in a hurry one time a few years ago doing a GT40 head swap on my flareside and forgot to put the new alignment dowls in the block. Didn't even dawn on me the fact that I was having to hold and line up the heads. Got everything buttoned up, drove it around and noticed it getting hot.....there went an expensive set of headgaskets. I rebuilt a customer's engine at school about this time last year (a 6.9) out of an RV. The guy had just paid a shop to do the very same thing and he couldnt figure out what was going on with it and why it wouldn't start. I start pulling connecting rods and pistons out of their bores and lo and behold, all the ring gaps are aligned with each other......on every damn one of em. Sorry my stories aren't as exciting as some others but I don't put myself in risky situations.
FORDF250HDXLT
The life of an Indian is like the wings of the air
i climb trees for a living.......yeah you can probably tell where this ones headed.... to prune (or other things) or remove them in risky tight situations,with a harness and rope.
i was up this (luckily) smaller tree a few years back now,the tree was growing right up next to the house and roof.i was up the top removing that,and got down to the roof line.the tree was resting on the roof.little did i know,this perfectly healthy looking maple was rotten at the very base (no sign of decay) and the house had been supporting it for a long time.i was cutting off the supporting branch on the roof,when my ground man said,wow it looks like the whole tree is moving.i look down at this perfectly healthy looking tree trunk,looked back at my ground man and said; it is.but it's ok,there's a lot of pressure where tree has gown towards to roof for a while.
i continued to cut the branch when i felt this very strange hollow feel followed by a strange deep thud.i couldn't believe my eyes when the trunk of the tree (with me strapped to it at the 2nd story roof line) completely broke 2" under the ground and sent me (luckily) into the brush pile i had just thrown down and made from this tree's top.you should have seen the ground mans eyes.huge! hahaha,im sure mine were too.when i landed it broke and sprained my ankle.couldn't feel a damn thing.went to stand up but couldn't.once adrenaline left,i sure felt it then.it was off to the hospital.not a good day.
i planned on giving the ground man a good scare by swinging back and forth with the tree once i relived the pressure.i was all braced for it,but the sucker was dry rotted below grade.couldn't and still don't believe it to this day.it was leafed out nicely,hardly a stick of dead wood it in.not a sign of anything at all to provide any warnings.
sometimes ...... just happens even when you appear to be doing everything right.
there's no such thing as being too safe.
i was up this (luckily) smaller tree a few years back now,the tree was growing right up next to the house and roof.i was up the top removing that,and got down to the roof line.the tree was resting on the roof.little did i know,this perfectly healthy looking maple was rotten at the very base (no sign of decay) and the house had been supporting it for a long time.i was cutting off the supporting branch on the roof,when my ground man said,wow it looks like the whole tree is moving.i look down at this perfectly healthy looking tree trunk,looked back at my ground man and said; it is.but it's ok,there's a lot of pressure where tree has gown towards to roof for a while.
i continued to cut the branch when i felt this very strange hollow feel followed by a strange deep thud.i couldn't believe my eyes when the trunk of the tree (with me strapped to it at the 2nd story roof line) completely broke 2" under the ground and sent me (luckily) into the brush pile i had just thrown down and made from this tree's top.you should have seen the ground mans eyes.huge! hahaha,im sure mine were too.when i landed it broke and sprained my ankle.couldn't feel a damn thing.went to stand up but couldn't.once adrenaline left,i sure felt it then.it was off to the hospital.not a good day.
i planned on giving the ground man a good scare by swinging back and forth with the tree once i relived the pressure.i was all braced for it,but the sucker was dry rotted below grade.couldn't and still don't believe it to this day.it was leafed out nicely,hardly a stick of dead wood it in.not a sign of anything at all to provide any warnings.
sometimes ...... just happens even when you appear to be doing everything right.
there's no such thing as being too safe.
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