Ever pay for it?
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 16,475
Likes: 270
From: Kingman AZ
Cruise-In VII Veteran
Cruise-In VIII
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
Ever pay for it?
Your stupidity, that is.
Here is my worst: After rebuilding my engine It started but ran rough. I tried everything with no luck. I drove the car down to the local car repair joint (staffed by MoPar guys). They agreed that I had overtightened a rocker and had "wiped out" a cam lobe.
I bought another cam and new lifters. After I got things back together I pulled the plugs so I could rotate the engine to set my valves and --
Szght! I found that one of the plugs was not firing due to the fact that I had bumped the gap completely closed during its installation.
All that work for a bonehead mistake!
:bb 
Here is my worst: After rebuilding my engine It started but ran rough. I tried everything with no luck. I drove the car down to the local car repair joint (staffed by MoPar guys). They agreed that I had overtightened a rocker and had "wiped out" a cam lobe.
I bought another cam and new lifters. After I got things back together I pulled the plugs so I could rotate the engine to set my valves and --
Szght! I found that one of the plugs was not firing due to the fact that I had bumped the gap completely closed during its installation.
All that work for a bonehead mistake!
:bb
Large Impressive Member
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 65,811
Likes: 71
From: Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
Originally Posted by corvetteronw
Your stupidity, that is.
Here is my worst: After rebuilding my engine It started but ran rough. I tried everything with no luck. I drove the car down to the local car repair joint (staffed by MoPar guys). They agreed that I had overtightened a rocker and had "wiped out" a cam lobe.
I bought another cam and new lifters. After I got things back together I pulled the plugs so I could rotate the engine to set my valves and --
Szght! I found that one of the plugs was not firing due to the fact that I had bumped the gap completely closed during its installation.
All that work for a bonehead mistake! :bb
Here is my worst: After rebuilding my engine It started but ran rough. I tried everything with no luck. I drove the car down to the local car repair joint (staffed by MoPar guys). They agreed that I had overtightened a rocker and had "wiped out" a cam lobe.
I bought another cam and new lifters. After I got things back together I pulled the plugs so I could rotate the engine to set my valves and --
Szght! I found that one of the plugs was not firing due to the fact that I had bumped the gap completely closed during its installation.
All that work for a bonehead mistake!
:bb 
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,531
Likes: 35
From: Lecanto Florida
I took the plenum, runners and valve covers off for powdercoating. When it was done I put everything back together. It ran terrible and diagnosed here on the forums as vacuum leak. Torqued everything down again and ran better (still a miss) but worse yet, a loud bagging which sounded like coming from inside the engine. All I could think of is that I dropped something down one of the intake holes. Called a mechanic friend of mine to come hear and take a look. Turns out that the EGR tube came off the connection down near the exhaust. Well that quieted it down but still missing..sounded and felt like running on 7 cylinders. Finally took it to the Chevy dealer and they found that I had tightened down the valve cover on the drivers side on top of one of the spark plug wires which had got caught underneath the corner of the cover and almost cut the wire in half. All small things but frustrating for a couple of days but all worth it in the end. 
Last edited by CREWZIN; Jan 27, 2005 at 08:50 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 1,419
Likes: 0
From: Mississauga Ont
Not on the corvette, but on a beater
I tried replacing ball joints but completely forgot that I had purchased a ball joint fork... so I bashed out the control arm with hammers and chisels... it took almost 2 hours
I tried replacing ball joints but completely forgot that I had purchased a ball joint fork... so I bashed out the control arm with hammers and chisels... it took almost 2 hours
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 1,419
Likes: 0
From: Mississauga Ont
Not on the corvette, but on a beater
I tried replacing ball joints but completely forgot that I had purchased a ball joint fork... so I bashed out the control arm with hammers and chisels... it took almost 2 hours
I tried replacing ball joints but completely forgot that I had purchased a ball joint fork... so I bashed out the control arm with hammers and chisels... it took almost 2 hours
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 6,470
Likes: 2
From: levittown pa. usa Even a bad day with my `Vette, is better than a good day at work
St. Jude Donor '10
Originally Posted by Bilyk
Not on the corvette, but on a beater
I tried replacing ball joints but completely forgot that I had purchased a ball joint fork... so I bashed out the control arm with hammers and chisels... it took almost 2 hours
I tried replacing ball joints but completely forgot that I had purchased a ball joint fork... so I bashed out the control arm with hammers and chisels... it took almost 2 hours
[/IMG] I thought I was the only one to pull that bonehead move
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,556
Likes: 0
From: Auburn Washington
St. Jude Donor '03-'05-'06
Yeah, I've tried to change a fuse once. Don't ask me what i did. The DAMN thing cost me a $1000.00 bucks. Boy was I pissed off. Talk about feeling like a chump, I was "The Chump of Chumps". 
Anytime you work on wiring, beware.
Anytime you work on wiring, beware.
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Drifting
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 1,419
Likes: 0
From: Mississauga Ont
I almost forgot my recent "removing the seats, breaking the targa brackets in the process" incident
Although, that was just bad luck
I've done many small stupid things though... running the motor without replacting the oil cap, correcting tranny fluid level in a non-running car, forgetting brake shims, etc.
Luckily, none of these while working on the vette.
Although, that was just bad luck
I've done many small stupid things though... running the motor without replacting the oil cap, correcting tranny fluid level in a non-running car, forgetting brake shims, etc.
Luckily, none of these while working on the vette.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,063
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
Just paid my "cheapskate dues". Months ago I pulled my intake to do portwork and replace an EGR I that I was told that was bad. I figured since the idle was rough, might as well clean (rather than replace) the injectors. Had them done, put them back in, car ran great for about 6 or 7 miles, then started stumbling all over the place. Never thought for a minute they could've gone bad-Took it in and just paid $1100 for injectors and an alternator. 
OUCH!!! Runs good, though!
OUCH!!! Runs good, though!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,413
Likes: 138
From: Texas
This isn't as big, but:
I had an alarm put in by a local car stereo shop that I trust, and actually worked there for about a month. Got the car home, cleaned it up and got it all nice for a cruise-in on a Saturday night. Went to fire it up and nothing... I swore it was the alarm so we tried everything, called the shop and a few hours later still no luck. Pushed the car in the garage for the night, and worked on it Sunday afternoon, took off the hush panel on driver's side and traced a ton of wires. It took hours and still no luck. Somehow we got confused and thought one of us (my dad and I) had checked the fuse panel, nope.
Problem: blown fuse, replaced it and she fired right up and hasn't been trouble since. Doh!
I had an alarm put in by a local car stereo shop that I trust, and actually worked there for about a month. Got the car home, cleaned it up and got it all nice for a cruise-in on a Saturday night. Went to fire it up and nothing... I swore it was the alarm so we tried everything, called the shop and a few hours later still no luck. Pushed the car in the garage for the night, and worked on it Sunday afternoon, took off the hush panel on driver's side and traced a ton of wires. It took hours and still no luck. Somehow we got confused and thought one of us (my dad and I) had checked the fuse panel, nope.
Problem: blown fuse, replaced it and she fired right up and hasn't been trouble since. Doh!
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 16,475
Likes: 270
From: Kingman AZ
Cruise-In VII Veteran
Cruise-In VIII
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
Originally Posted by JrRifleCoach
Twice while overseas in the Navy.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 141
Likes: 0
From: Tucson AZ
not on the Corvette, but....
I left the flywheel bolts only 'speedo wrench tight'.......of course they came loose within a few days and I had a strange rumble. Got the stethoscope and guessed the problem, and spent the next couple days undoing and redoing everything.
Lesson learned: better not to mix up friends, beer and mechanical work in the garage late into the night.......
Lesson learned: better not to mix up friends, beer and mechanical work in the garage late into the night.......
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 818
Likes: 1
From: Portland OR
Many years ago when to change the oil on the wife's fiat, I drained the transmission oil by mistake.I didn't know it and added an additional 4 quarts oil to the crankcase. Wish I could say that that was the last time I got stupid.
Racer
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 429
Likes: 0
From: Midddleburg FL
Originally Posted by flylowguy
I left the flywheel bolts only 'speedo wrench tight'.......of course they came loose within a few days and I had a strange rumble. Got the stethoscope and guessed the problem, and spent the next couple days undoing and redoing everything.
Lesson learned: better not to mix up friends, beer and mechanical work in the garage late into the night.......
Lesson learned: better not to mix up friends, beer and mechanical work in the garage late into the night.......
Dammit.....that takes all the fun out of it!!!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 1,038
Likes: 15
From: Brick- Next to the land of Mojo NJ
i put long tube headers on my camaro, and they were damn close to the plastic slave cylinder....well about 2 weeks later while traveling in the middle of nowhere they melted the slave cylinder.....had to call around till i found an aluminum bodied slave cyl.
