bone head move

jackhammer · Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 1:46 pm Post subject: bone head move

I walked in the garage the other day to finish installing my trans cooler. Flipped the switch on the surge protector strip to turn on lights, tv, and whatever. Seconds later ...bad smell....oh great the light got knocked on its side on top of motor and burnt hole in my gas line....yea....one step forward 2 steps back.

So why dont you guys share some of your more boneheaded garage moments....

kkuntz01 · Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 3:07 pm Post subject:

Hmmm, have to think about this. So many things, so little space with which to spin a tale...

TeeJMcD · Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 3:47 pm Post subject:

i met a dude named jackhammer Rolling Eyes

w9kh_kevin · Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 6:45 pm Post subject:

not me, but a friend of mine....
I was working on my jet ski in his barn as he came pulling in on the riding lawnmower from cutting the grass. He didn't realize it, but the blade was still engaged. He drove over the extension cord which flung the shop light out from inside the jet ski. It took me a few seconds to make sure I didn't loose an eye or ear.....
That scared the $#!t outta me

w9kh_kevin · Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 10:27 pm Post subject:

by the way, how is your trans fluid issue coming along? was it because of the trans cooler?

jackhammer · Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2009 3:23 am Post subject:

Trans cooler was completely clogged. I got it running tonight and out of garage under own power but didnt drive long enough to see get super warm. Slight leak in return gas line has to be addressed in the am. I will keep ya updated

Jeepguzzi · Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2009 6:14 am Post subject:

O.K. I usually think that I am safer than most when I am working on stuff,,,,,,,but.

A few years ago I needed to replace the gas tank on my Cherokee.

My garage has a slanted floor because there is a large grated floor drain near the middle. It's right about where the left front tire of the Jeep was. I pulled the fill line off where it enters the tank to begin draining it. I had placed a couple of 5 and 2 gallon gas cans behind the left rear wheel and took the tools and drop light underneath to remove the hose from the tank and start the siphon. I did not pay close enough attention to how fast the gas cans filled up, and soon I heard gas running along the floor to the drain.

I had a 12" wide stream of gas under the jeep from the left rear to the left front tire and it was still growing. My first reaction was to reach under and yank the siphon hose from the tank. That's how I knocked the drop light off of where it was hanging underneath. As soon as it hit, the bulb broke. The sound of the breaking glass was immediately followed by the whooshing sound of the instant 2 foot high wall of flame along the gas trail. Mr. Green

I always have fire extigushers in the garage and most of my vehicles. This all happened a couple of weeks after I had cleaned and reorganized the garage, moving them from the place they had been for years to a new spot. My panicked brain could not remember the new spot. I ran around the place "mildly" cursing Rolling Eyes

After what seemed like an eternity, my brain said "there is one in the Jeep!!"

So I ran back, reached through the flames and opened the drivers side door to get the extinguisher I had mounted next to the drivers seat and put out the flames.

This was followed by several minutes of sitting outside the garage trying to hide the pee stains on my pants,,,,,but you can never prove that.

-shaft · Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2009 10:24 am Post subject:

A long time ago, doing a brake job for a friend on his old caprice and didn't have all my tools (mainly jackstands)
Sooo, I have the car up on the jack, no jackstands, tires off working on removing the calipers. Yep, you guessed it, the car fell off the jack, crushed the backing plate. The good news is no one got hurt, and i learned a VERY important lesson NEVER WORK ON A CAR ON A JACK NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER.

finished the job and never told my friend about the "incident".

truth · Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2009 4:55 pm Post subject:

I'm putting an engine in a suburban 4x4 at the home shop. Truck is up on the portable lift just a few feet. While dropping the new engine in I'm underneath the truck trying to massage the oil pan past the front diff without taking off too much. My feet kick the hydraulic hose going to the power unti and it tips over. I thought the safety was set but it wasn't. Power unit falls with all the weight on the "down" lever, and breaks the fitting on the hydraulic line. Truck falls down flat on the frame as I scoot out from underneath just in time to avoid being decapitated. This all took place in a matter of two seconds, so I'm checking on the truck making sure nothing was damaged and didn't even realize until 10 minutes later how close I came to death. Turned the lights off, locked up, and went in the house to eat ice cream. My hands were shaking for quite a while After that.

erock33 · Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 2:15 am Post subject:

Damn truth I have been there a couple times at work even doing things the proper way with all the safteys in place

Jackhammer knows my latest fawk up grinding in the garage next thing I know the damn cut off wheel is flying around and bouncing off the garage walls

And another simular incident that comes to mind now in a dyno room watchin a fresh 383 on its first dyno run next thing you know there is a connecting rod bouncing off the walls