...and now for something completely stupid

[nuggets]

I'm posting this because I figure that some of us have done something similar. If not, just say yes and humor me because I'm feeling pretty stupid right now

So I decided to take an hour or so to check my timing and CPS today because I've had a small missing/hesitation issue. Well, all was going well and I was pretty much wrapping things up. The gf comes out with a beer and sits down to watch me. So now I'm multitasking drinking a beer, chatting with her, and tightening things up on the engine. You may see where this is going...

...well, I think I'm all finished and I get into the car to start it up. My gf asks "do you think you should do another tool check?". I'm like, no baby, it's all good. ::dunce:: I turn the key, and immediately hear a clang and thunk.

The socket wrench I used to turn the crank to get at TDC? Yeah, still on the crank. :3d_frown:

It completely loosened my crankshaft pulley bolt and put a nice crescent shaped dent into my PWR radiator. I tightened the bolt as best I could and checked for leakage from the PWR. Luckily I think the radiator is ok. I ran it long enough to let the thermostat open and no leaks. I just hope it doesn't start becoming the Titanic on a road trip. Looks like I'm taking the car to a shop tomorrow to pay someone to torque the pulley bolt though (I'm about 5 hours away from home and don't have the proper tools to do it. I don't want to drive 5 hours back with a who-knows-what-torque-its-at crankshaft pulley bolt.

Anyway, just thought I'd share my supra stupidity of the day with you all.

 

[IJ.]

195 ft/lbs for that bolt DON'T drive it till it's torqued correctly.

 

[lewis15498]

Dude, dont feel bad, I did the same exact thing once!, hit the pavement first so it didnt damage anything, took the bolt right off tho!

 

[nuggets]

Well, I got my hands on a torque wrench and torqued that nut to 195. Phew. She's good to go.

I guess the good news is that I'll probably never leave a wrench on that nut again.

 

[IJ.]

Consider it a learning experience and be thankful it didn't take the PWR Rad out

 

[Mk3runner]

ouch, that coulda been bad.

 

[GotBoost?]

Not to h/j your thread, but back in the day I used to have a Mercedes, and like most, it had one big electric fan in front of the radiator. I loved the car and kept it really clean, even washing the engine often. The car made me very proud of it. I once was done washing the engine and started her up to dry up the motor, with the hood up. The phone rang, and as I walked away from the running car, I threw a wet rag at it, which landed at the area behind the grill (when the hood is down). I was on my call when i heard TAT TAT TAT TAT followed right away by WEEEEEEE!!!!!!! You guessed it. The fan came on, the heavy wet rag got trapped in the blades, and the rag won. 14 plastic blades sheared off the fan, and the fan motor spun the hub fast (the Weeeeeee!!!! sound I heard). Yup, dumb mistake cost me $225 to replace the fan.
Back on topic. You were lucky, and I'm glad it didn't cost you.

 

[nuggets]

Consider it a learning experience and be thankful it didn't take the PWR Rad out

Absolutely. I'm so lucky it didn't take the PWR out. Ouch, that would have hurt the wallet big time.

 

[nuggets]

Not to h/j your thread, but back in the day I used to have a Mercedes, and like most, it had one big electric fan in front of the radiator. I loved the car and kept it really clean, even washing the engine often. The car made me very proud of it. I once was done washing the engine and started her up to dry up the motor, with the hood up. The phone rang, and as I walked away from the running car, I threw a wet rag at it, which landed at the area behind the grill (when the hood is down). I was on my call when i heard TAT TAT TAT TAT followed right away by WEEEEEEE!!!!!!! You guessed it. The fan came on, the heavy wet rag got trapped in the blades, and the rag won. 14 plastic blades sheared off the fan, and the fan motor spun the hub fast (the Weeeeeee!!!! sound I heard). Yup, dumb mistake cost me $225 to replace the fan.
Back on topic. You were lucky, and I'm glad it didn't cost you.

Ouch.

 

[Mk3runner]

Good stories.

 

[Davismj711]

You are not alone in that mistake. I did the same last year after a total rebuild. Tired, excited, and very forgetful. No damge at all as it was a box end 19mm snap on.

It will remind you to double check your work, not such a bad thing. I can not begin to tell you how many pieces of iron I have lost over the years laying in an engine bay then dropping somewhere that only God knows. Seems most often to be a 10mm or 12mm socket, or wrench.

I have also R & R'ed far too many pieces when I have found an extra bolt or nut thinking I had forgotten them along the way. More often than not however it was a case of having had removed it from a donor piece and carried it over to the current project. Or forgetting that the new piece came with a set of new allen bolts ( like the V3 shifter).

Back in the 60's my older brother who was a total hog with a cars appearance taught me that a clean work area and orginization were key. I need more often to remember that sound advice ^^

 

[Mk3runner]

The only time I ever leave a breaker bar are a crank pulley is when I bump start it to crack it loose on autos.

There's been a few times where I bust ass on something I work on and leave a wrench in the engine bar while running. I usually remove all tools. Flying objects is a no no lol.

 

[Kota]

the first time i drove my car on the highway, i got on it and it sounded like someone threw a handful of pea stone at the hood. opened the hood, the fan shroud and all the fan blades were gone. my guess is the previous owner missed a bolt on the shroud and it fell into the fan. i called him and he had a extra fan, but i still dont have a shroud.

 

[Koenigturbo]

I was using a socket wrench to turn the crank for T.D.C. for installing my C.P.S. and i was thinking "Don't forget to remove the ratchet wrench as I'm looking right at it, I start up the car, I hear this whinng sound, bolt had loosened half way off the crank from the ratchet handle getting jammed tight against the drive way. Good thing the ratchet wasn't in the tighten position.

 

[fonz87]

always listen to your girlfriend!!

That sucks that happen but hay look at it this way.

People always learn a lot from their mistakes.

 

[IJ.]

I was using a socket wrench to turn the crank for T.D.C. for installing my C.P.S. and i was thinking "Don't forget to remove the ratchet wrench as I'm looking right at it, I start up the car, I hear this whinng sound, bolt had loosened half way off the crank from the ratchet handle getting jammed tight against the drive way. Good thing the ratchet wasn't in the tighten position.

think about that for a sec