This may make your bad day go a bit better.

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RustyDusty

RustyDusty

Rabid Cross-eyed Opossum!
Joined
Jul 26, 2010
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Location
Columbus, OH
I just got done partially cleaning 8 quarts of used motor oil off my garage floor and walls. I was getting ready to slide a /6 across the floor when I accidentally flipped it over on top of 4 used quarts of used oil which EXPLODED everywhere. While I was cleaning up the wall, I didn't know that behind my back the dip stick fell out of the block and the motor was spewing another 4 quarts of oil on the floor behind me. I think a quart ran under my wall and into the neighbor's garage... oops. I sure hope not. The apartments are gonna kill me if it did. I had no oil dry, or time to get some. I cleaned it up with a towel and 8 rolls of paper towels! Not to mention ruined my new jeans and shirt. 2 hours later it's still ridiculously messy, I'll continue the clean up tomorrow with some oil dry and concrete cleaner.

Share your stories about that bad day that you've had working on your car. That way we can all come read this thread to feel better about our bad days!
 
Here's one, also related to oil.

I dropped a new 360 in my Duster, swapped a bunch of parts from my 318. Somehow I forgot to swap the oil filter plate onto the 360. The piece that goes between the block and the oil filter. But of course I didn't realize I forgot this piece until I filled the pan with new oil and started priming the engine.... so I wound up with 5 quarts of nice clean Penzoil on the floor of my garage. Oops.
 
before it dries get a box of powdered tide and shake it all over and scrub... had damn near the same thing happen!
 
Don't feel bad. I forgot to close the fuel filter drain valve on my work truck once. After I got the truck started I seen a river of diesel fuel going down the driveway. I lost maybe 2 or so gallons of diesel fuel. I was glad to have oil-dry around.
 
A 20 pound bag of kitty litter is a lot cheaper than oil dry.

Good luck with the visit from the EPA. << duckin >> :-D Jes' messin with ya Dusty.
 
mikelbeck said:
Here's one, also related to oil.

I dropped a new 360 in my Duster, swapped a bunch of parts from my 318. Somehow I forgot to swap the oil filter plate onto the 360. The piece that goes between the block and the oil filter. But of course I didn't realize I forgot this piece until I filled the pan with new oil and started priming the engine.... so I wound up with 5 quarts of nice clean Penzoil on the floor of my garage. Oops.
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When first fire of my 410,I had a similar thing happen.I forgot the cork gasket inbetween the block and plate.Fired it up,ran great.I shut it off and climbed under the car to check for leaks and layed in a puddle of new Brad Penn oil and soaked my shoulder.LOL.I have old carpet down under my cars(for cheap insulation in the winter)so didn,t see the leaking.Thank god I have a roller cam and wasn,t doing a 20 min breakin of the cam.Could,ve been disasterous!Live and learn.:angry7:
 
Oh..... we all have these kind of days. It was just your turn. Now it goes on to someone else. :)

-RPM
 
Listen to cudachick. she is wise. I buy the "special kitty" brand kitty litter in the RED bag from wally world. it's under 3 bucks for 20 pounds. ...as for the story....I really can't top it.
 
StrokerScamp said:
Listen to cudachick. she is wise. I buy the "special kitty" brand kitty litter in the RED bag from wally world. it's under 3 bucks for 20 pounds. ...as for the story....I really can't top it.
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I'll have to get me some special kitty then! It's a good thing you can't top it!
 
Gosh that blows! I was changing the oil in my other car several months ago and there was a little earthquake. I got out from under the car but there was oil draining out still and the pan wasn't exactly under it. It wasn't that bad though since it engine was almost empty and was just a small puddle.
 
middle of winter I was changing the oil on my 84 ramcharger. Forgot to check the old filter for the gasket that was stuck to the engine block and threw the new filter on with made a big opening for all the oil to pump out in literally seconds all over the snow covered driveway. So I had to buy more oil and redo the change all over again lol.
 
72Plymouth said:
Gosh that blows! I was changing the oil in my other car several months ago and there was a little earthquake. I got out from under the car but there was oil draining out still and the pan wasn't exactly under it. It wasn't that bad though since it engine was almost empty and was just a small puddle.
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Wow!! Thank god it wasn't a severe earthquake. That could have had a tragic outcome. Glad you're OK!
 
CanadianGT said:
middle of winter I was changing the oil on my 84 ramcharger. Forgot to check the old filter for the gasket that was stuck to the engine block and threw the new filter on with made a big opening for all the oil to pump out in literally seconds all over the snow covered driveway. So I had to buy more oil and redo the change all over again lol.
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That sucks!!! My dad did the same thing in his Triumph TR-6, left the old gasket on. It sealed just long enough for him to get 20 miles or so out of town... then puked all the oil all over the freeway! He noticed the problem and got the car turned off in time luckily so that no damage was done. Just an oily tow bill home.
 
I wanted to learn how to fix cars, so I hired on to a NASCAR Nationwide (nee' Sportsman) team. The owner needed a gopher, and the smarter the gopher, the fewer the screw-ups...or so he reckoned. While my buddy got to spend a lot more time around the racer than I did, my tasks at the time centered around the transporter.
The transporter was an old 1950 4-ton Ford with duals and a ramp bed on it. The motor was a tired 352 that had been in it for at least ten years. I was given an old race block that was no longer race worthy and a camshaft of unknown lift and duration. The rest of the components were spares and obsolete junk we had in the shop. What I wound up with was a 433 CID engine topped with double pumper Holley.
Using what I knew, and getting help when ignorance took over, I got the engine together and in the truck. I spun the motor on the starter, but it didn't light. Damn! I got my remote starter control out and hooked it up. Then I climbed up on the truck, sat on the radiator, and stuck my feet on either side of the engine. Thinking I wasn't getting fuel to the engine, I pressed the starter button looking down the Holley and working the throttle to see if the accelerator pumps were working.
BLAM! The big Ford fired through an open valve turning the Holley into a flamethrower. I only got a first degree burn on the face. The bad part was that it singed my hair and completely eliminated my eye brows and eye lashes. The final injustice was that it singed the hair in my nose. It was two days before the smell became tolerable.
 
CudaChick1968 said:
A 20 pound bag of kitty litter is a lot cheaper than oil dry.

Good luck with the visit from the EPA. << duckin >> :-D Jes' messin with ya Dusty.
Click to expand...


X2 on the litter,but dont get the clumping type. It will turn to goo if you get it wet. Sawdust works good as well.

I know a cabin in the woods around here where you can hide out until the enviro nazi's lose interest.:toothy10:
 
2 Darts said:
I wanted to learn how to fix cars, so I hired on to a NASCAR Nationwide (nee' Sportsman) team. The owner needed a gopher, and the smarter the gopher, the fewer the screw-ups...or so he reckoned. While my buddy got to spend a lot more time around the racer than I did, my tasks at the time centered around the transporter.
The transporter was an old 1950 4-ton Ford with duals and a ramp bed on it. The motor was a tired 352 that had been in it for at least ten years. I was given an old race block that was no longer race worthy and a camshaft of unknown lift and duration. The rest of the components were spares and obsolete junk we had in the shop. What I wound up with was a 433 CID engine topped with double pumper Holley.
Using what I knew, and getting help when ignorance took over, I got the engine together and in the truck. I spun the motor on the starter, but it didn't light. Damn! I got my remote starter control out and hooked it up. Then I climbed up on the truck, sat on the radiator, and stuck my feet on either side of the engine. Thinking I wasn't getting fuel to the engine, I pressed the starter button looking down the Holley and working the throttle to see if the accelerator pumps were working.
BLAM! The big Ford fired through an open valve turning the Holley into a flamethrower. I only got a first degree burn on the face. The bad part was that it singed my hair and completely eliminated my eye brows and eye lashes. The final injustice was that it singed the hair in my nose. It was two days before the smell became tolerable.
Click to expand...

Ohh man that must have freaked you out and hurt. My distributor hole became a flame thrower once!! We had taken the distributor off to put new parts in and when it went back in, the car wouldn't start. We basically thought the timing was way off or it was flipped 180. After adjusting everything and checking, it still wouldn't start. So we try starting fluid. It almost starts but dies immediately. Pulled the distributor out and a huge flame came out of the hole for a few seconds. Guess way too much starting fluid was in the engine!

In the end, it turned out that the ballast resistor was broken!
 
RustyDusty said:
Wow!! Thank god it wasn't a severe earthquake. That could have had a tragic outcome. Glad you're OK!
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Thanks! It was small I didn't even notice it while moving things around under the car but my dad and sister were in the garage and said get out! I didn't get back under for a bit since there could have been aftershocks.
 
here is one of my finer moments...lol


it all started with an oil change....

i was getting ready for the OCMD cruise in 09. a few days before we were planning to leave i jacked the car up to grease the front end and change the oil.

well i get don changing the oil, let the car off the jack and realize i forgot to grease the front end.

back on the jack it goes, i'm rushing around like an idiot and also doing this in a stone driveway not really paying attention. well apparently the jack did roll properly as the car went up and the jack slipped out from under the k-frame.

what a freaking mess. bent my alum rad, fan, home made shroud and lower pulley... this all with only a few days until i have to leave and i have to work till the day we leave.

i have an old rad in the shed. its questionable but its a rad, had a stock style fan, needed a different lower hose and lower pulley. i send jamie over to a friends house to grab a pulley off a parts car for me while i was at work. that was interesting trying to explain to her how to do it over the phone..lol she got me a new hose at advanced auto.

so i did get it back together, car runs cooler then it ever did with that stupid alum rad in it. that rad and fan are still on the car. one of these days i'm gonna put the shroud,clutch fan and the recored 340 rad in the car. too much fun driving the car to take it apart..lol



a few pics of the mess...


http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/abodyjoe/71%20dart/****%20up/oops013.jpg

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/abodyjoe/71%20dart/****%20up/oops012.jpg

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/abodyjoe/71%20dart/****%20up/oops011.jpg

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/abodyjoe/71%20dart/****%20up/oops010.jpg

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/abodyjoe/71%20dart/****%20up/oops009.jpg

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/abodyjoe/71%20dart/****%20up/oops008.jpg

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/abodyjoe/71%20dart/****%20up/oops007.jpg

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/abodyjoe/71%20dart/****%20up/oops006.jpg

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/abodyjoe/71%20dart/****%20up/oops005.jpg

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/abodyjoe/71%20dart/****%20up/oops004.jpg

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i109/abodyjoe/71%20dart/****%20up/oops003.jpg
 
abodyjoe said:
here is one of my finer moments...lol


it all started with an oil change....

i was getting ready for the OCMD cruise in 09. a few days before we were planning to leave i jacked the car up to grease the front end and change the oil.

well i get don changing the oil, let the car off the jack and realize i forgot to grease the front end.

back on the jack it goes, i'm rushing around like an idiot and also doing this in a stone driveway not really paying attention. well apparently the jack did roll properly as the car went up and the jack slipped out from under the k-frame.

what a freaking mess. bent my alum rad, fan, home made shroud and lower pulley... this all with only a few days until i have to leave and i have to work till the day we leave.

i have an old rad in the shed. its questionable but its a rad, had a stock style fan, needed a different lower hose and lower pulley. i send jamie over to a friends house to grab a pulley off a parts car for me while i was at work. that was interesting trying to explain to her how to do it over the phone..lol she got me a new hose at advanced auto.

so i did get it back together, car runs cooler then it ever did with that stupid alum rad in it. that rad and fan are still on the car. one of these days i'm gonna put the shroud,clutch fan and the recored 340 rad in the car. too much fun driving the car to take it apart..lol



a few pics of the mess...
Click to expand...

What a mess! I hate working on gravel. I've done the same thing as you, except it slipped off a subframe rail an onto the floorboard so no noticeable damage was done. Your car is a beauty, shame that happened.
 
Okay heres mine.....

I just drained the cooling system including the block drains into a large pan (one of those ones you get from the home depot to mix concrete) and take the large pan over to the bathroom in my shop to drain it into the 5 gallon gas can I keep in there. Well I set the pan onto the sink and as the coolant sloshes it shimmies the pan to the edge and in very slow motion I catch it falling and it spills all 3 or so gallons all over me, the walls, the floor, every f-ing where. I cleaned it up with 3 rolls of Bounty paper towels. What a mess, I dont think I have ever cursed that much, it was a rough day of wrenching to begin with. :angry7:
 
"rough days of wrenching" ..... this is when we need to quit.. go inside and watch the game or grab a nap... but we never do... and see what happens.

-RPM
 
RPM said:
"rough days of wrenching" ..... this is when we need to quit.. go inside and watch the game or grab a nap... but we never do... and see what happens.

-RPM
Click to expand...

You hit the nail on the head with that one RPM. And when we see what happens it always turns into on of these stories!
 
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