Embarassing momments

40 years ago my dad and I restored my rdst PU. I was lowering the engine into the frame with a ratchet type chain hoist. As I was cranking the handle on the hoist to lower the engine I let go for some reason. The ratchet kept ratcheting hitting me under the chin each time the handle came up. Still have the scar and daughter has the truck.
 
Old dummy here. While loading my huckster to haul to Boise, I loaded it in a grass field. Then thought it would be a good idea to pull the truck and trailer (with huckster on board) up in the driveway to tie it down. Well almost to the driveway I hear this thump, thump and looking back to see the front end of the huckster almost to the end of the trailer. The rear wheels on the ground behind the trailer-slid right off. Did not hurt the huckster but did hurt my pride of a good idea gone bad!
 
About 6 years ago I was painting a spare oil pan and I hung it out to dry. I used a piece of copper wire instead of steel to make an S hook to hang it, and after a couple minutes the copper bent and sent the oil pan to the concrete floor. I still haven't removed the dent and repainted it.
 
modela@aol.com said:
Some of the "old guys" would also put their hands across all four plugs at the same time on a idling engine to shut it off. Their hands would short out the plugs killing the engine. Remember this was normally done back in the days before pace makers...
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With your hands across all four plugs, perhaps you don't need a pacemaker...
 
RUNNERBUN said:
The recent post by Rubatoguy "Is there a trick to getting a head on" to which he admitted to an embarring obvious oversight on his part got me thinking, how many of us have done something rather embarassing while restoring or servicing our beloved Model A's.
I'll be the first, so here goes:
On completeing a rebuild of my Differential (Rear Axle) I was in the process of assembly and just as I was about to insert the axles and diff centre to the diff halves (trumpets) when my wife called me to lunch. After lunch I went out to finish the job. Without thinking I picked up the axle assembly and turned them around thus placing the crown wheel on the wrong side of the rear axle. The result was of course that I finished up having 1 forward gear and 3 reverse gears. What a shock when I went to drive out of my workshop and nearly drove thru the back wall instead.:eek:
Believe me, once you make this mistake you will never do it again.:rolleyes:
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Yup, I did that when I was 14, went into the house and asked Dad what could have happened, and he told me. I said how do you know this, and he said he did that when he was 19!!!!!
 
Placed the wrong size ball on my trailer hitch when I had to pick the A up for a mechanical break down. Turned out to be a battery issue and I got it started with the hand crank. Drove the A up on the trailer and the hitch let loose jumping up above the car.

At least the back of the trailer went down making it easy to get the A on. I got lucky and as the trailer came back down it missed the back of the car and actually landed back on the undersized ball.
 
modela@aol.com said:
Some of the "old guys" would also put their hands across all four plugs at the same time on a idling engine to shut it off. Their hands would short out the plugs killing the engine. Remember this was normally done back in the days before pace makers...
Click to expand...
Saw an old friend of mine do that many times to kill a model T engine. Claimed us young ones are "to soft." Didn't do him any harm as he is now 102 years old and looks like he may have another couple of years left in him.
 
RUNNERBUN said:
Saw an old friend of mine do that many times to kill a model T engine. Claimed us young ones are "to soft." Didn't do him any harm as he is now 102 years old and looks like he may have another couple of years left in him.
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i have seen that done before!! They are tough old Guys, it hurts like hell when they grab you!!!!
 
Let's start with the first Model-A. Barn fresh after a 30 year slumber. Lots of wrenching, greasing, screwing, torquing, adjusting, futzing, and mucking around. Careful to store and return dozens of tools on the passenger side running board. THen, .... ignition and that wonderful rumble and roar. Without restraint and logic, the car is soon in gear and running down the road, around the curves, up and down hills, hitting 55 on the steepest section, and back home with that warm glow of satisfaction, to take on just a few more adjustments, to find: what happened to all the tools?
 
No ones mentioned leaving the rotor out of the distributor... Most of us have done it atleast once
 
YUP, There's another one I pulled, now that you REMINDED me of it Logan!! Twice, in ONE week, forgot the gas shut off valve. Had sore knee from kicking myself in the ***.
 
gweilbaker, that is a good one leaving the throwout bearing out. I would have to bang my head against the wall a couple dozen times for that one! But I can see it happening....
 
A friend called me to report his '30 CC Pickup would not move when he let out the clutch. He indicated it "seemed like the clutch was slipping". It would no longer climb the apron into his garage. He came over and picked up a new clutch disc and I explained how to slide the rear end out with the back of the truck raised. He started and I got there just as it was ready to back the bolts from the bell housing and roll it back. The disc was pretty worn and the clutch cover (pressure plate) was caked in grease. I went home and picked up a lightened flywheel and rebuilt pressure plate and we installed it. Put it all back together and started it up...put it in gear...and let out the clutch. The truck would not move! What! First reaction...panic...what did we do wrong? He was missing a hubcap on the rear passenger wheel...I happened to walk around that side as he was working the clutch to find the rear axle nut spinning but the wheel was not. The axle key had split and the slipping was at the rear hub. He was a pretty good sport about it…and it makes a good story!
 
My wife and I spent one of our colder winters inventorying and recording the storage locations in a spiral notebook my 75 year collection of yard tools, antique tools, power tools, hand tools, Model A tools, used parts and new parts. I was proud of that notebook and used it frequently. One day, I left it on the passenger running board. Decided to test drive the A after lunch and when I returned, the book was gone. I drove the test run route many times and did not locate the book. Countless hours lost. Bent over and kicked myself countless times since.
Bill Lee/Virginia Peninsula
 
My Dad did a good one when we were getting ready to start his Tudor in my garage. His task was to get the fluids in while I was underneath laying on one of those cargo blankets, installing cotter pins, and snugging up misc. bolts etc. I like this blanket as it keeps me off the cold concrete and keeps my clothes clean while crawling around under neath. While adjusting my position, I happen to lay my head down in a puddle of brand new 30 wieght. While he's loading the oil in he's watching the Canucks on the little t.v. and manages to pour most of it all over the engine and me.
I was about to voice my opinion on this, when the team scored and he looked down with a satisfied smile and then.....locks eyes with me.......dripping oil from my ear, hair, and collar.
By the time he stopped laughing I had my lubed ear dry, and I couldn't keep a straight face either. Time to crack a can of beer and finish watching the hockey game. Somethings are more important the models A's.
 
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