ausmini :: View topic - Dumbest thing...

Silliest thing that i've done about 12 months ago was i was trying to get no; 1 piston on tdc (,and i've done it this way god knows how many times) i was flicking the ignition switch to roll the engine over then i'd go around and check piston with a small phillips head screwdriver to check where piston was, did this a couple of times untill almost there it just needed one more flick on the key i thought, but somehow i got side tracked and done something else but i'd left the screwdriver in the plug hole didn't i .
Well i wasn't away for too long and when i came back to it i thought oh yeah thats right i had to flick the key just one more time, bad move because it snapped about 2" of the end of the screwdriver off which was then sitting on top of the piston eh!!. Well a lot of thinking, swearing and mucking about and wife holding the torch at the plug hole i managed to get it out , ( i felt like a dentist doing surgery , both hands on the job ). the tool that saved me from taking the head off was a Blue-Point telescopic magnet which has a very strong magnet, mate the amount of times i've used that tool on my mini is unreal, one of the best tools i've ever brought.
I must of checked the bore a dozen times or more to satisfy myself that was no more pieces of the screwdriver in there' before i'd fire it up.
Colin.

Author:	TheBlackMini [ Wed Jun 23, 2010 4:53 pm ]
Post subject:	Dumbest thing...
Dumbest thing I've done all week... Lots of research went into finding the right size socket for the rear wheel hub castle nut. Or so I thought! I figured (turns out the image is what i've been looking for size wise but the bolt i've got) was a 1-5/16"AF, so went out of my way trying to find said socket around canberra, and today I found one $15. Bought it and went home to try it and found out that NO its no way near this size but a tad smaller than 1" (15/16" Maybe?). So, whats the dumbest thing you've done this week?

Author:	blue_deluxe [ Wed Jun 23, 2010 4:56 pm ]
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I fell out of a tree. Mini related i nearly rolled my clubman shell off the raised concrete platform i work on. Then had to figure out how to push it back.

Author:	Mick [ Wed Jun 23, 2010 5:07 pm ]
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Some nuts are machined from metric stock, and some are not. Its a problem for many when replacing the CVs. I pulled my first mini motor out with a long piece of rope wrapped around and around the entire motor and passed through the hook of a block and tackle. It didn't want to come out for some reason I could not fathom, so we jumped on the guards until the earth strap was ripped bodily from the chassis. It was along time ago and I was a kid and stupid.

Author:	VulcanBB18 [ Wed Jun 23, 2010 5:24 pm ]
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Quote: earth strap was ripped bodily from the chassis. Done that one too Yeah young & stupid! Also did the body-over-subframe removal method once around the same time... lifting body away all going ok... why wont it come away?? crunch ahhh there goes the speedo, perhaps I should have disconnected that? cheers Jacob

Author:	TheBlackMini [ Wed Jun 23, 2010 5:38 pm ]
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You live, you learn. Thats what they say! The other bit that I missed about my post was that the bolt was a reverse thread.

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Dumbest thing... https://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=63926	Page 1 of 2

Author:	davestar62 [ Wed Jun 23, 2010 6:20 pm ]
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yeh i found out about the revesal of the thread on the left hand side a couple weeks ago, AFTER i destroyed the nut in frustration!!!! one thing i will never forget in the future!

Author:	Maxi23 [ Wed Jun 23, 2010 7:48 pm ]
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Didn't disconnect the battery, and dropped the manifold + carb with fuel in it on the solenoid. Fuel. Spark. FIRE! Poor clubby, luckily I had an extinguisher and only damage was paint in the engine bay. I disconnect the battery if I am doing ANY work in the engine bay. paranoid.

Author:	69elf [ Wed Jun 23, 2010 9:25 pm ]
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Disconnecting the flexible rubber hose from fuel line just under neath the tank. The garage was dark so I used a lead light. hose finally came away from the pipe pouring petrol all over me and the hot light bulb.

Author:	simon k [ Wed Jun 23, 2010 9:29 pm ]
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last week and over the weekend replaced just about everything in my clutch assembly, and then realised that the slave was sucking in air.... hadn't tried to bleed it

Author:	goodie [ Wed Jun 23, 2010 10:03 pm ]
Post subject:
Silliest thing that i've done about 12 months ago was i was trying to get no; 1 piston on tdc (,and i've done it this way god knows how many times) i was flicking the ignition switch to roll the engine over then i'd go around and check piston with a small phillips head screwdriver to check where piston was, did this a couple of times untill almost there it just needed one more flick on the key i thought, but somehow i got side tracked and done something else but i'd left the screwdriver in the plug hole didn't i . Well i wasn't away for too long and when i came back to it i thought oh yeah thats right i had to flick the key just one more time, bad move because it snapped about 2" of the end of the screwdriver off which was then sitting on top of the piston eh!!. Well a lot of thinking, swearing and mucking about and wife holding the torch at the plug hole i managed to get it out , ( i felt like a dentist doing surgery , both hands on the job ). the tool that saved me from taking the head off was a Blue-Point telescopic magnet which has a very strong magnet, mate the amount of times i've used that tool on my mini is unreal, one of the best tools i've ever brought. I must of checked the bore a dozen times or more to satisfy myself that was no more pieces of the screwdriver in there' before i'd fire it up. Colin.

Author:	simon k [ Wed Jun 23, 2010 10:26 pm ]
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goodie wrote: Silliest thing that i've done about 12 months ago was i was trying to get no; 1 piston on tdc (,and i've done it this way god knows how many times) i was flicking the ignition switch to roll the engine over then i'd go around and check piston with a small phillips head screwdriver to check where piston was, did this a couple of times untill almost there it just needed one more flick on the key i thought, but somehow i got side tracked and done something else but i'd left the screwdriver in the plug hole didn't i . OMG!! have you had the head off and had a look for damage? pistons are soft I always just put the car in 4th gear and push it backwards and forwards...

Author:	phillb [ Wed Jun 23, 2010 10:45 pm ]
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goodie wrote: Silliest thing that i've done about 12 months ago was i was trying to get no; 1 piston on tdc (,and i've done it this way god knows how many times) i was flicking the ignition switch to roll the engine over then i'd go around and check piston with a small phillips head screwdriver to check where piston was, did this a couple of times untill almost there it just needed one more flick on the key i thought, but somehow i got side tracked and done something else but i'd left the screwdriver in the plug hole didn't i . Well i wasn't away for too long and when i came back to it i thought oh yeah thats right i had to flick the key just one more time, bad move because it snapped about 2" of the end of the screwdriver off which was then sitting on top of the piston eh!!. Well a lot of thinking, swearing and mucking about and wife holding the torch at the plug hole i managed to get it out , ( i felt like a dentist doing surgery , both hands on the job ). the tool that saved me from taking the head off was a Blue-Point telescopic magnet which has a very strong magnet, mate the amount of times i've used that tool on my mini is unreal, one of the best tools i've ever brought. I must of checked the bore a dozen times or more to satisfy myself that was no more pieces of the screwdriver in there' before i'd fire it up. Colin. When I was young my Dad and I were changing the valve stem seals without removing the head. We managed to use an old screwdriver handle to hold/jam the valve up as we removed the spring and changed the seat. (dodgy I know) When we removed it the last time about 1cm of screwdriver handle had shattered and fallen into the bore. We tried all sorts of ways to try and get the bits out, including a vacuum cleaner. In the end we decided it was only plastic and fired up the car. Burnt fragments of screwdriver handle went rattling down the pipes and came out the exhaust.

Author:	Tombo [ Wed Jun 23, 2010 11:24 pm ]
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During my apprenticeship i changed my first minis oil and filter at TAFE, i didn't make sure the filter cartridge seal was in place, dumped a nice load of oil all across the floor

Author:	Mearcat [ Thu Jun 24, 2010 12:05 am ]
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A few years ago I got up early in the morning to do an oil change on the Mrs' Mazda 121. I was not concentrating at all (because it was too early?) and was wondering why the oil smelled different... and was a different colour. I had drained the gearbox instead of the sump I then had to go and buy a fluid pump and new oil to fill it up again.

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Author:	850man [ Thu Jun 24, 2010 2:12 am ]
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Mick wrote: It didn't want to come out for some reason I could not fathom, so we jumped on the guards until the earth strap was ripped bodily from the chassis. I have done this as well. And once or twice, I have made the speedo cable much longer than it should be.