Stupid Dumb.

[LostMy65]

I just searched thread titles for the words stupid or dumb. I hoped to find a thread on stupid dumb mistakes we've made. Couldn't find anything where we've had ongoing posts of stupid dumb things we've done.
Since I started this hobby, I've made several.
But I just did a dumb one.
I kinda blame my dad. Yeah it's his fault I've done this stupid dumb thing twice.
Never again.
30-40 years ago my dad said when he changed his oil, he liked to let it drain for a bit. Well twice now I've forgotten the plug.
Today, after draining the oil and removing the filter, I ran up to the parts store to buy oil and a filter. Got back home, crawled under the truck and put the new filter in.
Crawled back out and started filling the oil.
How many quarts should it take, 5?.
Hmm, 5 quarts and it still not showing on the dipstick.
I'm the dipstick who left the plug out.

[Palf70Step]

Been there done that. On the coolant also

[flashed]

I hate to admit it but Dammit ,I've done it too.

[par4tom]

You're being way too hard on yourself and I wouldn't call that stupid or dumb...forgetful maybe and it happens as we age...especially after 50!!

Nah...stupid would be to have driven off without noticing that there were 5 quarts of oil on the floor!!!!

I've done worse...luckily the dementia has settled in and I forget about it sooner now

Good thread idea!!!
T

[Bret B]

I have yet to leave the drain plug out and filled the case. However, last fall, I went to change the u-joints on the my 1 ton extended cab diesel truck. Got to the last two bolts and they sheared right off and the truck rolled over me. Moral of the story - I asked the daughter to set the brake, but I never verified it before starting the work, and my make shift chalk was little match for the mass. No broken bones, lots of scrapes, and two months of not being able to walk correctly let alone sit, stand, or much of anything. Lucky...oh hell yeah. Pissed...oh hell yeah, at myself.

[LostMy65]

Thanks guys. I feel better.

[LostMy65]

Oops, I just read your post, Bret.
That stinks.
Glad it wasn't serious.

[Lee.c]

I was changing oil in my c30 that I converted to 4 wheel drive when I decided to try using a transmission funnel to reach the engine easier. The unhooked breather tube on the 250 fit the funnel perfect when I put in from the passenger side. Got the 5 quart jug almost empty before I figured it out.

[notsolo]

The oil filter canister on my 283 has an O ring, it's supposed to fit in the groove. When you start her up and you hear glug glug glug glug. That's the sound of 5 quarts of new oil on the ground... Your not in the groove Dummy.

[aerotruk63]

Having two people working on the truck at the same time.
New engine, using the dummy shaft down the distributor opening with a powerful drill, get to whatever pounds of pressure then it drops. Put another quart in and we get pressure and it drops. Put another quart in and same results. Step out of the truck and slide across the floor onto my ass.
Well, I thought you put in the oil filter!

[TJ's Chevy]

I've started my trucks in gear once or twice.

['63GENIII]

Not exactly a stupid "truck move" but a stupid move nonetheless.
The tuition-
Had just finished a whirlwind rebuild of an LS6 454 for my boat (20 years ago) to get it ready for the 7 hour tow to Shasta for a week on a rented house boat.
5 pm of the evening before the trip, after working almost nonstop for 3 days, my room mate and I had just finished bolting everything up and were getting ready to light it off for the 20 minute break in. Went to get the oil pump priming tool off of the work bench and there it was, sitting right next to the oil pump shaft that I hadn't put in before the oil pump. The next 12 hours was a frantic exercise in getting the shaft into the engine and the engine back in the boat.
Ended up breaking the engine in at the boat ramp the next afternoon and almost thrown off the lake for doing it.
The lesson-
Ill never leave that shaft out again.

[stsalvage]

Some one has a really Deep oil Drain pan.

I've been told that some guys Buy Delo oil for diesels engines for use in are 350 chevy gas motors instead of 10-30 oils Plus its cheaper 12.00 a 4 gallon bottle

[Lugnutz65]

New subject of embarrassment. My L6 engine.

Introduction: I had to work in my yard for 3 years. All work done in the yard. Engine hoist doesn't roll in dirt. Hoist engine, then roll the truck frame out from under L6 engine. Then back my little Nissan pickup under the dangling L6 engine. Then lower L6 engine onto tire in pickup bed. So far, so good.

The Problem: Tailgate won't close because engine hits tailgate. No big deal. I'm only driving 20 feet across the yard to the waiting engine stand under the tree. I drive really slow. Really, really slow. There's a big tree root in my yard. A BIG root. I try to ease over tree root very slowly. Get tire half way over root and give up and let off gas. Truck rolls backwards off root.

The Finale: Drum roll please! Truck is rolling backwards off the tree root and I step on the brakes. Truck stops and I look through my rearview mirror as my L6 engine does a perfect somersault off of the tailgate and lands in the dirt.

The Postscript: Nobody hurt. No dents in oil pan or rocker cover. Fan was already off. Only broke the HEI dizzy cap. True story. Photos were taken 10 minutes prior to the event.

[TJ's Chevy]

Originally Posted by Lugnutz65

New subject of embarrassment. My L6 engine.

Introduction: I had to work in my yard for 3 years. All work done in the yard. Engine hoist doesn't roll in dirt. Hoist engine, then roll the truck frame out from under L6 engine. Then back my little Nissan pickup under the dangling L6 engine. Then lower L6 engine onto tire in pickup bed. So far, so good.

The Problem: Tailgate won't close because engine hits tailgate. No big deal. I'm only driving 20 feet across the yard to the waiting engine stand under the tree. I drive really slow. Really, really slow. There's a big tree root in my yard. A BIG root. I try to ease over tree root very slowly. Get tire half way over root and give up and let off gas. Truck rolls backwards off root.

The Finale: Drum roll please! Truck is rolling backwards off the tree root and I step on the brakes. Truck stops and I look through my rearview mirror as my L6 engine does a perfect somersault off of the tailgate and lands in the dirt.

The Postscript: Nobody hurt. No dents in oil pan or rocker cover. Fan was already off. Only broke the HEI dizzy cap. True story. Photos were taken 10 minutes prior to the event.

Glad nothing was broken. lol I've had a couple close calls like that that almost had me cursing! haha! Tell you what, nothing set me a blaze more than helplessly watching an engine fall or start to fall. That reminds me of when dad and I were transporting my 66's 292 I6 from the garage to a field out back where I store my spare parts. Hooked a couple chains up to the tractor and bolted them directly to the engine. Chains where wrapped around the bucket, but the engine seemed balanced enough and for Most of the way it was fine......until we reached the bottom of the hill. I was keeping a hand on it just in case and before I new it the engine started rolling over....So I grabbed a hold of it and man....600 pounds is heavy. haha! Engine was fine....I yelled at dad to lower the bucket so the engine could be set on the ground and we could re-chain it. Needless to say, It wasn't really a stupid/dumb thing....but I sure ain't doing it that way again!

[cv65]

this goes back a ways,Had a f--- 302 that I did a complete rebuild on.Started up engine (after replacing engine in car) no oil pressure to the rockers, drained oil removed pan thinking oil pump problem,found a soft plug in the pan,(from front of engine ] went in cockeyed and blew out,oil made it to cam gallery then back to pan. so put motor back together and was gona start on it the next day,cleaning up garage i swep up a rod bearing box with half a rod bearing in it.{maybe they put a extra one in the box}motor apart again. no visable damage! put it together and it ran for 3 more years that I had it,I was 30 yrs old then Im about to turn 66,I used to partake in the smoking of herb & whiskey whitch I am sure did not help my attention to detail.

[siggyfreud]

After highschool I pulled my transmission to paint it. I set it on a crate and hosed it using brake parts cleaner to degrease it. Then I slid the crate with the transmission into the garage. Not wanting to leave a puddle of brake cleaner in the drive way I decided the funnest way to get rid of it would be to light it on fire. Duh, right? So I lit it and watched the flame chase the tiny stream that went into the garage where I drug the crate/transmission to.

So as I sat for a second or two warming up on my burning transmission I realized I should put it out. Grabbed the hose and killed the flame. Fortunately no damage to the transmission, but sure didn't do that again.

[MacQuigley]

Oh Ive done too many dumb things to even remember them all but they happen. One of the dumbest was after draining the oil from my Land Rover before changing the engine I left the drip tray, now full of oil, under the engine bay.

The first time I walked past and said to myself, Oh I need to move that I should have moved it.

A week went by with me saying that every day until I needed to push the Landy to the other side of the drive and you guessed it I ran a front wheel over the full drip tray!

Even at such low a speed its amazing where that oil reached. I was cleaning it up for weeks!

[The Rocknrod]

Marrying my second wife. Nuff said.

[canadian_diesel1964]

Originally Posted by The Rocknrod

Marrying my second wife. Nuff said.

LOL. Now this I'm sure many can relate to.

[verdell]

Haven't done it myself but I witnessed something pretty gut-wrenching. A friend of mine had just installed a rebuilt small block 400 into a '65 Impala, connected everything and started it up. He forgot to put engine oil in...the case of oil was on the shop floor right next to his foot as he started the engine...lesson learned

[LostMy65]

I told some fellow workmates of my Stupid Dumb.
One guy said his dad also drains his oil over night.
His dad tapes a piece of paper to his windshield that says: "No Oil in Car" so he don't get up the next morning and drive off. :-D

[LostMy65]

Originally Posted by cv65

.... clip...
cleaning up garage i swep up a rod bearing box with half a rod bearing in it.{maybe they put a extra one in the box}.

Man! I just laughed out loud at: "maybe they put an extra one in the box"

[papaw smurf]

Well i can add one of the many i done over the years.....use to round track race in what was called a cadet car....which was basically a sbc with single 4 barrel carb and headers...it was in a 66 chevelle body....this was in the 70's....came home with a blown motor and pulled it out on sunday morning about 3 when we got home....rebuilt it and was in a points system so had to get it ready in a week...and it has to basically stay stock on the insides...i think we were allowed a flat tappet cam......go it all put together and loaded on the trailer....got to the race track...went to back it off trailer at the track...and ....BOOM.....rod out the side of the block....pulled it down...and forgot to tighten the rod bolts......oh well...**** happens......LOL

[forestb]

While trying to put my front wheels up on ramps I drove over them and dented my front fenders.
While jacking up the front of my truck with the jack under the front crossmember the wheels got stuck in the guwiee mixture of oil and asphalt under my truck sow instead of the wheels moving like they should the jack moved out from underneath the crossmember. Somehow, thank God, the next thing the jack came in contact with is the front sway bar. Which is amazing because it is so far from the front crossmember.

Also dented my rear fender while trying to roll the lip.
It is amazing how stupid we can be when we don't have the right tools or are trying to save time. In my head I think that if things start to go wrong then I will stop. By then it is usually to late.
One of the most costly mistake I have made was having people that did not know what they are doing work on my truck.

One more mistake. I started feeling a shaking in my front end and a knocking noise. I thought it wasn't that bad so I continued to drive it. I kept on thinking I should check to see what is going on but never took the time. I was driving on a surface streets and decided it was getting to bad to continue driving so I pulled over and called a tow truck and they towed me home from the rear of the truck. While being towed home on the freeway the tow truck driver yelled and pulled over quickly. It was then that I saw my front tire bouncing down the freeway over the center divider and then come bouncing back. It did not hit anyone. I have no idea what it hit to make it bounce back. The knocking noise turned out to be the lug nuts coming luse. If I only had checked.