; pushing 67
Learning from your mistakes is fun
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 274
Likes: 9
Learning from your mistakes is fun
Changed my thermostat, over tightened the one bolt and broke it off flush with the water pump. cant get a drill in there, so had to take the whole water pump out. The bolt wouldn't come out with an easy out, so ended up just drilling straight through and got a bigger bolt that would pass through the hole on the water pump side and just attached a nut to it.
While in this whole process, I managed to burn my tensioner pulley from trying to heat up the bolt that I broke off, and also broke my PCV line by accident.
So yeah, overtighened and broke off one of the thermostat bolts, had ot take off the water pump, drill it out, put water pump back on, and managed to fry my tensioner pulley and break my PCV line as well.
Just thought I would share, kind of comical I suppose.
While in this whole process, I managed to burn my tensioner pulley from trying to heat up the bolt that I broke off, and also broke my PCV line by accident.
So yeah, overtighened and broke off one of the thermostat bolts, had ot take off the water pump, drill it out, put water pump back on, and managed to fry my tensioner pulley and break my PCV line as well.
Just thought I would share, kind of comical I suppose.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 13,592
Likes: 187
From: Hudson WI
NCM Sinkhole Donor
So, in your 20's, you will do anything
In your 30's, most things aren't too bad to do
In your 40's, you wonder why you are doing it
In your 50's, you ask how much it costs
In you 60's, you ask when they can do it.
I am 61....
In your 30's, most things aren't too bad to do
In your 40's, you wonder why you are doing it
In your 50's, you ask how much it costs
In you 60's, you ask when they can do it.
I am 61....
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 274
Likes: 9
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 108
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From: Houston TX
Racer
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 255
Likes: 20
From: Atlanta Georgia
GA Events Coordinator
Broken Bolts and Getting Old.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 6,999
Likes: 1,684
From: Southeast TX
Ha! Just turned 60. When I was younger I did all my own stuff. Still turn more than a few wrenches, but it's lost its luster. Not my idea of fun any more. When I pick up a wrench now, it means something on the farm is broken, it's costing me money to fix, the machine is out of service, and I'm pi$$ed. The good news is that "normally" when you get older, you can afford to have a 30 yr old do the work.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 13,592
Likes: 187
From: Hudson WI
NCM Sinkhole Donor
It is fun to pick what you want and don't want to do. Installed new high HP axles shafts, fun and easy because I have lift and lots of big parts. Heads up display, pull dash and lots of small parts to remove, out sourced!
Last edited by timd38; Jan 7, 2016 at 06:38 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,232
Likes: 315
From: Bridgewater New Jersey
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 274
Likes: 9
I didn't tighten it too much but I was using a long handle ratchet and it was a small bolt. So being oblivious for a few seconds I probably tigetened it to like 40ish foot pounds and it broke off. First time I broke a bolt but I was just saying the whole situation was kind of comical because it started with a dumb mistake of over tightening a bolt and in along the way I managed to melt a pulley and break a PCV line. Just one of those days.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,232
Likes: 315
From: Bridgewater New Jersey
I didn't tighten it too much but I was using a long handle ratchet and it was a small bolt. So being oblivious for a few seconds I probably tigetened it to like 40ish foot pounds and it broke off. First time I broke a bolt but I was just saying the whole situation was kind of comical because it started with a dumb mistake of over tightening a bolt and in along the way I managed to melt a pulley and break a PCV line. Just one of those days.
Yeah, at some point you needed to take a step back and just contemplate life with a beer, and go at it again.
We've all been there that wrench either part time or full time, and sh*t just happens as they say.
Like you said, we do learn quickly this way.
Last edited by extrapilot; Jan 8, 2016 at 08:21 AM.
