Wrenching stories, let's hear em

Wrenching stories, let's hear em

>Only ever changed my tires, oil and brake pads before
>Leaking head gasket on Subaru Impreza
>Bottom of the fucking engine bay
>Go to mechanic he quotes me $2000 min if they find nothing else wrong
>Fuck that, I'll do it myself
>How hard could it be?
>Also broke as fuck so that played more of a factor than my wrenching abilities
>Tear down engine, clean mating surfaces, rebuild engine
>No DTC codes, fuck yeah
>Fill up the fluids
>Drive 5km, totally fine
>Park at grocery store, get groceries, come out to car
>Start it
>Not even 3 meters and the engine dies, gasoline leaking from engine
>Get it towed to my place
>"How hard could it be?"

You didn't use a Phillips on the clamp did you?

I really don't think it's worth trying to rebuild an engine that you have no experience with on your daily driver. I mean if it's some shitbox that you keep just to beat on and learn then so be it but if your daily shits itself in the middle of the freeway then good night and God rest your soul.

>touch anything on my car
>it breaks

I've given up an hope of working on and or fixing anything in life.

>03 Impreza WRX
>Bought it and immediately road tripped from Florida to Michigan in the dead of winter
>Potenza S-04's losing grip from the extreme cold the moment I get into Illinois
>order winter tires the moment I arrive in MI
>-40c overnight temp that week
>go to start car early in the morning (-30c)
>car just won't warm up
>drive it anyway
>sudden loud popping sound, CEL, turn around and go back to where I'm staying
>cooling system completely frozen
>thaw that bitch in the garage
>replace coolant with a non Florida mixture
>sniffer test shows no head gasket damage
>next day helping a friend move
>suddenly reeks of fuel inside car
>search high and low for leaking fuel line
>can't find it so go to bed
>wake up and look at engine bay
>immediately notice wet fuel hose
>just tighten its clamp a bit
>fuel leak gone and never returns
>driving around one day
>front brakes feel warped
>post about it on Veeky Forums
>"put it in reverse and slam the brakes at a good speed"
>do it
>suddenly brakes are fine

So far it hasn't been bad, but I've heard bad things about WRX's...

>finally get the engine of R65 in good shape
>get the carbs set up perfectly
>starter dies, no big deal it will start after a single bump start any way
>go for an evening ride
>it goes like hell and works perfectly
>about 10km from home
>accidentally put it in 1st instead of 3rd
>revs past 9k
>only one cylinder working
>towing car comes after 3 hours
>check at home
>valve had come of pushrod without any damages
>bike never ran right after that

>Doing some bolt-ons for my Saab
>New CAI
>Removing piping and MAF leading to turbo
>mechanicalknowledge.obd-II
>Take almost 2 hours since the "drop-in" installation was more of a "shove a metal tube through a brick wall" installation
>Finally. Done
>Only have to wire up the MAF and turn the key
>All good
>Leaning my hand over the center console
>Feeling like a jet fighter pilot
>Turn key half-way
>Waiting for CEL to go away to see if everything's okay
>Taking a lot longer today
>Alot longer
>"pls no"
>Turn key all the way
>nani.webm
>Followed by christmastree.jpg
>Car shaking and low revs
>Fucking stuck in 2nd gear
>OBD pls halp
>"P0702, 703, 704 etc"
>Click for details
>"Ur saab=ded"
>Gearbox failure appearantly
>But how
>Ask everyone online
>Even degrade myself by paying for an online mechanics autopsy
>KMS
>Drive it to nearest tune shop at 11 in the evening
>Read more codes of the OBD
>Check MAF
>Open hood and take out MAF
>On the side it says "Flow this way" followed by an arrow
>Weird feeling of relief and suicidality, if that is a word
>Plug back in other way around
>Praying to Christian von Koenigsegg
>Car starts up fine
>Delete codes
>Deletes my life

What its like working on cars made by people who make sophisticated jet fighters.

So, FA-18 Superhornets aren't bad, they're just built by potatoes?

>being too stupid to put parts back in the correct way
>"I'll blame the car instead!"

Yup, I'm still on Veeky Forums.

Saabs are more like the F-35. Amazing in every way(when it works)

Not blaming the car. It was a retard mistake but why would the gearbox lock up and shit

>in tank fuel pump is kill
>take out tank
>fuck around for an hour trying to get the retarded bracket thing back in without bending it.
>get tank back in
>still won't start
>hear fuel pump running fine
>no fuel at rail
>no fuel at filter
>take tank back apart
>I'd left on the little plastic dust cap on the pump's out nozzle

There is no place for a Phillips in this world besides in cheap American products

Good point but you have to start somewhere. I'm looking at it like
>Pay mechanic to replace head gasket $2000
>Engine swap for one with less kms $1400
>Parts and tools to do gasket myself $600

So, if I bricked my engine, it's still cheaper for me to buy a new one than pay a mechanic to install two $80 gaskets.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained

YOU PROBABLY TORQUED SHIT WRONG YOU INCOMPETENT FAG

>Watch a bunch of Scotty Kilmer videos
>REV UP YOUR ENGINES
>don't work on my own car because there is nothing but mud around me
When I find another place though...then it'll be time for the Scotty Kilmer channel

AS LONG AS ITS NOT A MERC

AND 'NICE N TIGHT' ISNT A TORQUE SPEC

same here user, I feel you

my car has no workshop manuals in English so I have to guess torque. God I cant wait to get a car with a fanbase and endless online support

HEAD GASKETS OFTEN BLOW BECAUSE THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND WARPED THE HEAD, JUST PUTTING A NEW GASKET WITHOUT MACHINING THE HEAD FLAT WILL LEAK AGAIN EVEN IF YOU TORQUED IT RIGHT, AND MOST HEAD BOLTS CANT BE REUSED CUS THEY STRETCH OUT AT PROPER TORQUE, DONT OIL THEM ALSO IT THROWS OFF THE TORQUE

Never worked on a car before in my life, but maybe that will start soon, i drive a 97 serbing (had less then 10K miles when i got it) and ive got just about 60K miles on it. I noticed that whenever i turn it make a high pitched groaning noise, that disappears when I accelerate, and only happens when im turning. Any idea's?

pretty much this, every time i have had to take the head of i have got it machined with a set of new bolts. I would like to say i do the same for the block but that shit is heavy and im lazy.

I mean I understand it from a financial point of view of course. I just think if it's your only car then it'd be safer to swap it. At least you learned from it though.

>Friend buys '89 Miata
>buys Yonaka Catback
>need to remove old catback
>nuts completely seized up and need to use blow torch to remove them
>dad has 25 year old blow torch in shed
>works for a bit
>start torching
>flame jumps to neck of bottle
>panic
>on my back under a Miata, nowhere to go
>throw down flaming torch down driveway
>friend shoots it with fire extinguisher
>go buy a new blow torch
>in the end could remove nuts/bolts, had to go to garage

Check your belt(s), particularly wear and tightness.

>replace the in-tank fuel pump on my DD
>only two wires and it had the wrong fuel pump before with hojey wiring so i dont know where the wires should go
>decide ive got a 50/50 chance so i just plug in the wires and turn the key and i hear it run
>sweet first try! throw that bitch in
>doesnt work and cant figure out why
>fuck around for an hour or two just confused
>buddies dad keeps saying i should just run the wires the other way
>no man why the motor starts up this way what could be wrong
>apparently if you hook up the wires the wrong way it starts the pump but it doesnt work right
>redo wires and it works fine

>1994 chebby s10, 2.2l
>white smoke one day
>ofuck, head gasket
>put it off for like 5 months, clogging my rad with block sealer
>finally get around to doing it at a friends house
>torquing down rocker nuts
>SNAP
>stud broke off
>fuck it, unplug injector and drive home on 3 cyls
>few days later
>HISSSSSS, coolant misting out of head to block mating surface
>s10 sits on death row for months
>last month, pull a 4bt from junkyard owned by friends dad
>only $20 to pay for a chain that broke when pulling it
>spend 3 weekends swapping that fucker and a nv3500 into a small ass s10
>test running it this weekend

wish me luck fellow br/o/s

Sitting in the wheel well of my -75 volvo 242.
Happily cutting out rotten metal with the wheel of death and mayhem. It snags and promptly rips out of my hand.

It bounces around and somehow misses me completely despite being in this confined space.

Other time, I'm trying to pound a bolt into submission with a sledge, again sitting in the wheel well. I miss and crush my finger between a lug nut and the sledge handle, splitting my finger open.

Would not recommend.

>Wrenching stories, let's hear em
When I let other people drive or work on my car, besides the local mechanic, they fuck with something or break something.

Never, ever, will I ever in my life, ever let someone else drive or touch my car ever again.

Not to mention how shitty they all fucking drive.

OP here, you're right, I forgot to tighten two bolts on the passenger fuel rail, I'm out $60 for the tow and maybe $15 for electrical component cleaner. Fuck me right?

Check your power steering fluid levels as well

Truly sorry to hear that user, my ex gf was the same, she never paid attention, opened my car door into the car parked next to us, feet on the dash with shoes on. "Why does this bother you user? It's just a car." Needless to say she'd never had a vehicle.

>replacing shifter bushings in my old STi
>car on stands, grab phillips screwdriver
>screwdriver in hand, grab onto the frame to drag myself back under
>Hands are greasy, hands slip, hit myself in the head with the screwdriver
>lurch forward bonk head on underside of the car
>recoil bonk head on ground
>repeat
>swear words
>roommate comes out to investigate the commotion.
>drags me out, immediately starts dry heaving
>feel my head, screwdriver is stuck underneath my scalp
>more swear words

Me again, another tale

>had a buddy who had his carbon fiber hood fly off his TC driving down the highway
>had a CF hood on my RX8
>that isn't gonna be me, Im gonna be smart
>drilling for hood pins
>finish up, car won't start
>Drillled into hidden portion of my wiring harness
>maybe I'm not so smart.
>spend night soldering/shrinkwrapping connections
>start up car, runs fine, go for a ride around the block
>no shit saw a Hakosuka, saw it as a blessing
>Still sold the car a month later because fear

Sorry, whoever bought that car.

>this summer
>buy 1988 Supra from friend cheap
>basically stationary for 10 years
>blown hg
>11k miles
>only wrenching i had ever done was alternator on my e46
>get head machined
>rebuild engine
>runs fine first start
>leave car 10 hours
>wont start
>water in cylinder 6
>water in ex manifold
>miracle it didnt hydrolock
>machine shop had undone a bolt on the head plugging the coolant lines in the head
>still worry about damages to this day

You, Sir, are a complete moron!

>pass inspection
>everything gucci cruising with targa off
>sudden spike in temperature
>fuck
>terrified its the head again
>dive into engine bay
>timing belt tensioner broke
>cps bolt untightened
>50° offset on timing
>timing belt jumps on start
>fix everything
>leave ratchet on crank when starting
>spaceprogram.gif
>lands on roof of garage
>is still there to this day
>car runs
>valves making more noise than before but it has good power
>still worry about damages to this day

today
>angle grinding with cut off right near wiring from wiring loom, cbf to take out wiring because it's a bitch and I cbf yet, just doing this bit quick to see how bad it is first
>try move the loom way out of the way so it doesn't get near the angle grinder
>wiring ends up snapping back when I lean on it accidently and cut 4 of the wires

should have tied it down with a zip tie so it held out of the way but to stupid to think of that at the time.

I know that feel. I don't even want to retell some of my stories because thinking about them gives me post traumatic stress.

>Learning to work on motorbikes
>Never wrenched before
>Attach and wire up a headlight; nothing major at all
>There's a part left over
>Fuck

Has happened to me many times. Usually ends with me redoing shit to find out where I missed the part.

How to learn engine wrenching?

I have the books but theory isnt the same as practice.

Maybe start practicing on cheap lawn mower engines?

That sounds way too close for comfort.

Good luck!

>>is still there to this day
Lol

Ok here's one of mine
>Replace diff oil on Miata
>Torque drain bolt back down to the correct torque spec of x Nm
>Don't realize I am looking on the foot-pound scale on my torque wrench
>Strip bolt
>Think about JB-welding it for a bit, then realize I still have all of four thread turns left because the threads in the housing are deeper than the OEM bolt goes
>Order a 6mm longer bolt for a Saab or something online
>Make it snug because fear of stripping the last four thread turns
>Of course it leaks
>Barely brave enough to torque it to 25Nm
>It's tight and hasn't fallen out so far

>leave ratchet on crank when starting
>spaceprogram.gif

Start on something cheap. If you drive a Civic, start there

Not much wrenching but this happened to me today.

>visiting grandparents
>have trunk open getting something out
>close trunk
>don't realize I left my keys in there till its too late
>trunk lever doesn't work, so I need the key to open it
>rear seats don't fold down (1st gen Impreza)
>realize I'm gonna have to remove the back seats
>grandparents have no tools and mine are in the trunk
>spend 30 min trying to get a 1/2" wrench to work on a 12mm bolt
>eventually occurs to me that they have neighbors
>borrow socket set from neighbors
>get seats out and retrieve my keys

Could've been worse I guess.

>headlight burned out
>go and buy new bulb
>watch video how to replace
>go to change it
>dropped the bulb in the engine bay
>STRAIGHT TO THE BOTTOM
>spent 2 hours trying to fish it out
>confidence shattered
>took 30 more minutes to actually replace it

maybe this isn't for me

Swapped the clutch in my 09 impreza without pulling the engine or transmission. Pulled the exhaust, intake plumbing, transmission bracing, and drive shaft pulley. Separated the engine from the transmission, letting the engine lean forward while the transmission slid back about three inches. Then ya just climb on top of the engine and look down into about 5 inches distance between the two.

It was almost as much of a paint in the ass as pulling the motor.

>getting MJ inspected
>forget how headlights work
>assume the relay harness has stopped working
>tell them to pass it anyway and fix the headlight harness later
>disassemble driver headlight bezel
>realize I was fucking dumb after disconnecting the left headlight and I was never turning on the hibeams at all in the first place and it was working perfectly fucking fine
>reattach bulb to harness
>no longer works properly
>fuck with it more
>still no hibeams
>fuck it, spend another 15 minutes disassembling headlight bezels, detaching relay harness, plugging bulbs into factory harness, and reassembling bezels
>headlights work properly but are now much dimmer because lmao lets run all the power for the lights through the switch and sap 2v of power t. AMC engineer
Don't fuck with what's not broke yet because it will be when you do.

>notice my car is taking longer and longer to start
>dies in parking lot
>had this happen before, starter had gone out just gotta replace that again
>get a ride to O'Reilly's the next day and spend an hour working one damn bolt out alone because 4st
>finally finish, turn key
>nothing at all
>get really annoyed and go to sleep thinking it must be the alternator or battery, pissed I have to buy another ride
>the next day before I head out again get the bright idea to clean my battery terminals
>car starts just fine

I wasted $80 on a new starter when the last was 3 months old. At least I didn't spend another $200 on a new battery and alternator. Remember kids, check the basic shit first.