robinj66
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| posted on 16/3/07 at 08:34 AM |
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Dumbcluck Numpty of the Day
I lay claim to the title for yesterday 
I rebuilt my engine a little while ago and noted that I would need to tighten and torque up the crank pulley bolt. Engine & gearbox went into the
car as one unit and then delays started until I could sort out engine & gearbox mounts. Prop connected to 'box and diff.
First thing I had to sort out was the thread on the bolt that was slightly bu88ered (managed to find a tap & die for M12 x 1.5 thread) and that
was sorted fairly easily. I then went to torque up the bolt and was puzzled as to why the crank kept turning on the bolt - it was in gear and the rear
wheels were on the floor.
Took me a while to realise that I hadn't fitted the clutch or the flywheel . In fact I'd been stepping over them for so long
they'd become part of the furniture and I didn't see them any more!
Oh how I laughed as I took a UJ out of the prop to get that out, to enable the gearbox to be withdrawn from the engine etc.
Sometimes I wonder if it's safe for me to build anything
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 16/3/07 at 08:47 AM |
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lost for words
Fame is when your old car is plastered all over the internet
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 16/3/07 at 09:04 AM |
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Actually I can almost top that, almost…
Once I lost drive to the front of my Landy. First thing that popped into my head? Stripped the diff. So lying under the car in a puddle of rain and
snow plus it was at night. I pulled out the halfshafts took off the propshaft and after pouring nasty gearbox oil all over the drive dragged out the
diff.
Hang on! It’s fine, WTF???
Stumped I put it all back together in a foul mood wondering what on earth it could be. It was only when refitting the last component, the freewheeling
hubs that I noticed that a split pin had fallen out cos I hadn’t bothered in the past to bend it properly.
Oh how I laughed…not.
Fame is when your old car is plastered all over the internet
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stevec
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| posted on 16/3/07 at 09:19 AM |
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"The bloke who has never made a mistake hasn't done anything"
But I must say thats a good un. 
Steve.
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mookaloid
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| posted on 16/3/07 at 09:30 AM |
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Shouldn't laugh really but That's made my day
"That thing you're thinking - it wont be that."
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donut
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| posted on 16/3/07 at 10:30 AM |
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quote:
Sometimes I wonder if it's safe for me to build anything
Sounds like the sort of thing i would do!! That's why i don't build anymore!
Andy
When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did, in his sleep -- not screaming, like the passengers in his car.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andywest1/
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PeterW
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| posted on 16/3/07 at 10:47 AM |
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Had a similar event with a Landrover rebuild...
Put it all back together, engine and box in, all the connections done.
Started first time, after standing for 18 months ! Amazing ! But no drive... Clutch was OK, took slave cylinder out, refitted, no joy... Tried all
gears, engaging properly so no problem there...
Still wouldn't move, so must be gearbox problem, and just about to rip the box out when my dad said...
'Transfer box supposed to be in Neutral....'
No comment
Pete
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skydivepaul
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| posted on 16/3/07 at 12:41 PM |
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I once won numpty of the day about 15 years ago when finishing building my westfield.
just fitting the nice new sparks plugs to my reconditioned x flow, just back from the engine builder, wheni noticed one of the spark plugs had the
little "tit" missing off the end where the lead goes. strange i thought and i hunted around for it but couldnt find it. Never mind i am
sure have another in the garage, and yes i found one off an old spark plug and fitted it on.
I quickly discovered where it went when i strarted the car up for the first time and heard a very loud horrible banging noise coming from one of the
cylinders. i stripped the head off only to find the "tit" sitting on the top of a very damaged piston
i called the engine guy to order another piston, "sorry mate they were the last of that type in the country", and after two weeks of phone
calls i managed to track down a set of new pistons. I had to buy the full set and they were cosworth specials!!! they cost me a fortune.
the moral of this tale...............always tighten your tits
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blueshift
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| posted on 16/3/07 at 01:12 PM |
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I must say this thread is reassuring after what I just did to my wishbones.
I had them fired in an electric kiln, arguably way too hot for way too long, a load of scale fell off them, now my 2.9mm (nominal 3mm) plates are
2.7mm thick. concerned face.
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greggors84
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| posted on 16/3/07 at 01:41 PM |
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It would have been funnier if you hadnt had to tighten the pulley bolt. Cue new post 'my starter doesnt see to be engaging!'
Ive done loads. Often at home it doesnt matter as you have loads of time to sort. But at work when you are stripping a gearbox in 2 hour gap between a
race, rebuild it, re attach the rear diffuser, rear wing and exhaust which all bolt to the gearbox end plate, then you realise it is still locked in 2
gears! (which you have to do to torque the shafts up) Starts to get a little hectic when the cars are forming up to go out and you still have half a
car sitting on stands!
The good thing is you only make these mistakes once! (well you should!)
Chris
The Magnificent 7!
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chrisg
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| posted on 16/3/07 at 03:44 PM |
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While we're in confession mode.....
last year when I had the Roadster in the garage I stored my Locost at my sisters house.
Went back and fetched it on the trailer and left it at the bottom of my very steep drive.
Got in and turned the key.
Nothing.
Stuck the battery on charge for a couple of hours.
Got in and turned the key.
Nothing. Again.
By this time I'm panicing about having to leave the car on the road.
So
I rounded up Mrs G all the kids and all the neighbours, and they pushed the car up my very steep drive, grunting and sweating.
Finally got it in the garage, and I was having a potter about.
Sat in the car.
It was then that I remembered that my Locost has something that the Roadster (which I'd been used to driving) didn't......
A STARTER BUTTON
Tentatively I gave it a little prod.
Started straight away.
Yes ladies and gentlemen, I'd bullied a load of people to push my car up a 1 in 3 slope because I had forgotten that I had a starter button.
Doh!!
Cheers
Chris
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JoelP
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| posted on 17/3/07 at 09:24 PM |
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now that is good chris!
To cut a long but similar confession short, i once had a sierra and the gearbox blew up. It ended up sat in my drive for a bit, and about a week later
i decided the handbrake might stick on so i put it in gear and took the brake off. Came home from work to find my wall demolished by it! Very lucky
really.
Worst thing is, it took me about a month to realise what had happened - the gbox was broken! It was never going to hold it still in gear.... Id
spent weeks blaming the wobble gearlever....
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blueshift
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| posted on 18/3/07 at 08:55 AM |
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I almost had a similar starter button issue at work t'other day with a racing vx220 turbo.. Just got the ECU back, workshop chap trying to fit
it, "does it go yet" "nope" "hmm maybe the earth strap.. how about now" "nope"
Was spotted by someone else before too many hours wasted 
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Peteff
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| posted on 18/3/07 at 10:09 AM |
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I feel left out now, I've never done anything stupid to confess to . (apart from the obvious forgetting to put a rotor arm back in)
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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TangoMan
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| posted on 18/3/07 at 09:13 PM |
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I feel left out. I must have done some stupid things, like running myself over once, but I think robinj66 takes the prize.
I could almost accept forgetting the clutch but missing the flywheel is quality.
Summer's here!!!!
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