Biggest personal mechanicin fauxpa

[scottgas]

What's the dumbest thing you've ever done while doing mechanic work.

Changed the clutch in my son's '96 N/A this past weekend. Got the transmission back in and all but 1 bolt in and realized I forgot the steel backing plate thing that goes between the block and flywheel. Pulled the transmission BACK OUT and pulled the clutch and flywheel. Installed the plate and re installed the flywheel and clutch. Just as I was about to grab the transmission on the trans jack I glanced at the engine and realized the backing plate was on wrong. It was both upside down and backward...lo. Had to re pull the flywheel and clutch to fix the plate. Got the plate fixed and installed the flywheel and clutch for the THIRD TIME!!! Almost didn't have enough blue Locktite. Got the transmission back in and proceeded to proceed with the re assembly of the rest of the car.

Car is back on the road.

My previous worst mechanic fauxpa was forgetting to tighten the nuts on the drive side CV axle on my '86 MR2 causing the inner CV joint to come apart and puke it self from the car, at work, 50 miles from home. Had to install new CV axle in the parking lot of work...bad day

[itsa300zx]

Crazy, I guess you can call yourself a z32 expert now.

[scottgas]

Lol, that's what my son said. Now I'm certified. More like certifiable after doing it twice.

[NolimitZ32]

I've done that almost every time I've had the trans off. I ended up cutting a grove in the half plate to slide it in and wedge it between the trans and block.

[scottgas]

I actually thought about that but didn't think my son would be too amused.

What is that plate for?

[NolimitZ32]

NO idea on the purpose. I do know for a fact that the guys designing the Z32 back in the day were way smarter than me so I keep it in place.

[scottgas]

LMFAO, true. My son did a lot of reading on it when he got the car. He said it was one of the few cars where the designer won out. They basically told the engineers eff off, this is our design, make it work. As the Ole brothas used to say, its a hood full.

[Trimble Epic]

Two:

First, after my very first plenum pull, (where I had also changed injectors), I missed a lower plenum/fuel rail seal. after reassembly, it was missing on that cylinder... Cried because it was a miss that I was trying to fix, thought I was a total failure. As I walked around the car depressed and head hung low, I saw the freakin thing just laying on the floor. Second plenum pull in the same night (3 times faster) and reassembled and the miss was fixed. Freakin A'

Second - second Z. Speed sensor suspected bad. under car, saw that I'd have to get the exhaust pipe out of the way. got all my wrenches ready, soaked the nuts in blaster, etc.. got under the car the next day and pulled the pipe off to clear the ... Oh jesuz freakin C... I pulled the wrong side. Started to pull the other pipe and literally broke a breaker bar because I didn't soak the nuts (I was mad). Was so upset I just left it on the jack stands and didn't touch the damned thing for months.

[NolimitZ32]

^ been there. Get so frustrated and just punish it by not giving it any love.

[scottgas]

This isn't a faux pas story BUT I recently changed the timing belt and water pump on the wife's 2008 Hyundai Tiburon, 92,000 miles and still on the factory timing belt. To start off, I HATE working on the blsted car. Got it all back together and it barely started, ran like ahit, then would die. It also made a God awful noise, like metal scraping. Had to take it all apart again and redo the entire job, except the water pump. Got the belt and tensioners back on and notice the water pump was leaking, barely, at the top. The pump gasket is a coated steel gasket but it's a pita to get in place and stay in place. I had rried lil dabs of rtv to hold it in place. I assume THAT is what caused the leak, not sure. Ordered a 2nd new gasket, cleaned everything up, and reinstalled the pump. Got the t-belt back on and wasn't happy with cam sprocket location so I pulled the belt and reinstalled. I think the t-belt was have gone on 5 different times. What a pita. Finally got it all back together and everything seems fine, so far. She loves this damn car and I absolutely hate it. Happy wife I guess...