Well I know I am going to catch some flack for this, but it is one of those times in when you are working on something and you realize you just jacked up and is something so stupid that you have to take a moment let it all soak in and then just shake your head then go and have a beer. Well I have been in the process of changing out my stock 1 fin diff 3:42 for a 2004 Z06 3 fin 3:42 in my 99 vert along with a hardened tunel plate and 2002 ZO6 leaf springs to improve handling put a better diff in it which is less likely to break on interstate pulls and yes I know not much to worry about with either, but better safe than sorry. Well I had changed out everthing and was in the process on reassembly when I ran into a issue where for some reason the left axle didnt want to go into the diff and why should it, nothing else has been simple when it comes to CHRISTINE. So I moved on and reasembled the exhaust and the drivers side and went back to the passenger side axle to it finally slide in after holding my mouth right and using alot of 4 letter words. So I began to finish assembling the spindle and connecting the ball joints and everything feeling pretty good about myself when I go to put the caliper on what do I discover........... I had layed the caliper up out of the way and it was now pinned between the shock and axle with no way to just slide it out. I couldn't believe I had made such a dumba** move. I must have had my helmet on backwards or something and wasnt paying attention. Well I decided to call it a night and drink beer. I am going to finish it up tomorrow and take it out for a spin. I am going to take a picture tomorrow before I fix it so you can see what I am talking about. Sorry for such the long read and a picture would have been worth a thousand words in this case for sure, but I had to rant alittle I am sure I am not the only one something like this has happend to. Thanks for listening Jason

 

Don't you love it.

Friend of mine replaced his carb. He did a great job and everything went back together with no problems.

That is until he reached over to pickup the air cleaner and noticed the carb to manifold gasket laying on top of the air filter housing.

I was watching his face.

 

It seems that stuff like that happens to all of us more than we want to admit!

 

non-wrench turners always say:

It just bolts right on!!!

been there a few hundred times, .032 safety wire re-do makes for higher beer consumption

 

I am glad to see that I am not all alone. I guess it happends to the best of us.

 

Been there more times then I want to admit!

 

don't ask me how a front brake pad change on my DD (not the Z) turned into a 2 day ordeal.

 

We've all been there (those of us that do our own work). Last time I jacked something like that up I let a little brass pipe on the back of my LT1 throttle body fall into the intake manifold that I had JUST put back on. I drank for a while, like you, and got-r-done the enxt day.

 

Getting to be a habit. The past 3 years every time I have to make a choice between two things, I always make the wrong choice first - just getting used to it.

 

Is it just me or does it seem like no matter what you do to the vette you have to take it apart 3 times just to put it back together correctly? Always seems like I keep having to take stuff back off just to put something on. But I have to admit I love every minute of it and when I take it for a spin tomorrow and enjoy the upgrades I am going to know I done it all myself and if something goes wrong later down the road I will know how to fix it.

 

I do my repairs once and enjoy working on it almost as much as race cars

 

Yes...it's you.....Sorry bro, that sounds like a confession of someone who is"

A) inexperienced
B) does not have a service manual
C) Tries to work on his car guided by the internet
D) All of the above

I never have to redo work, or take things apart numerous times. I follow the service manual, and I've never had a problem. The reason I follow the manual soo closely, is because I don't work on C5's every day, so I know I don't have the proficiency that a seasoned mechanic specializing in corvettes does.

 

Lucky You

 

That's funny.

 

As its been said, we've all be there and done that too. At least you are man enough to admit it. So many people are afraid to touch their cars. I needed to replace the lifters on my '99 some years ago and my father suggested that I either keep driving it or take it to the dealer rather than pulling apart a modern engine. I told him, they are only going to do the same things I was going to do. I did it, followed the torque specifications exactly and put it all together. Worked perfectly. Told him later, I learned how to do these things from him.

 

 

If it aint broke, fix it till it is.

 

Following the service manual sounds great and all......until the time you break a bolt or drop something where it's not supposed to be.

Mistakes happen, that's cool. Just regain your composure, utter them explitives and get back to it. Mistakes are just part of the terratory.

However, arrogance isn't. We'll be here for support the next time you eff something up. It WILL happen sometime.

 

back when I had my 86 monte carlo SS, I installed a new water pump and forgot the gaskets! Found out when I fired the car up and got coolant all over the driveway!

 

There is a marked disparity between simply making a mistake, and having to repeat the same task 3 times before getting it correct. And yes, I do make mistakes....but they aren't procedural when adequate documentation is available. Perhaps working on commercial aircraft for 10 years has just made me a little more cautious....