Mechanical mishaps Options

[SCCA Stang]

ok, got another one that came to mind just now....

at school, there was a kid who did a lift kit on his jeep cherokee..... decided that he didn't want to spend the $$$ on getting the drive shaft extended.... when he brought the jeep down from the lift, everything seemed ok... he backed it out of the bay then nailed the gas in reverse.... that didn;t last long cause when the rear axle housing flexed, the drive shaft fell straight out of the trans yoke....

that kid did that like 9 weeks ago and still gets shit for it... I don't think he will ever live that down...

BTW..... he decided that the longer drive shaft was a good idea afterall and finally got that problem fixed

[99Spyder]

Just wrote another chapter in the mechanical mishaps book...

Back in November I suffered a spun bearing on #2. After a long process of getting things back together I went for a test drive tonight. I am now sporting a 90 oil filter housing with provisions for an external cooler. Here is the thing. Being too lazy to install the external cooler before a test drive I put a piece of hose (coolant hose - I know...) on both cooler lines. Worked fine during idle and a tug made it seem secure.

One trip around the block, no problem. Took off for another with a little higher RPM and split the damn hose out! Unfortunately it was dark out so I did not notice the oil trail I was leaving behind. Luckily I was only on the accelerator to about 3500 and then slightly over idle until I stopped three blocks away for a check up. I found the split and replaced it with the braided line that I had in the car and headed to Wal-mart for some more Mobil 1. By the time that I filled it back up I had put in about 4 quarts. Good thing I didn't head for the interstate on the first run.

[SCCA Stang]

ok guys.... they doosie to end all doosies....

I came home from work (driving cavalier), about to head to school... went out to start the GSX.... hit the key, nothing.... damn it battery is dead....

I grab my jumper box and toss it on my battery... click, click... damn it, must not be enough power

I then grab my plug in charger.... hook up to the battery, power set to 50 amp booster.... click, click... WTF!!!!! that should be plenty.... F***K it, I switched charger to 2 amp trickle charge and left it to charge. (didn't unhook battery from charger at all, that comes in important later)

after school, I come home to check on my battery... it's nearly half full.... lets test this damn thing...... click, click.... damn it, WTF is wrong with my car......(I walk around to the charger...... oh shit!!!!) I have hooked up the charger backwards.

ok, calm down ben... it's just an Optima battery!!!!!

I quickly disconnect the battery charger from the battery, then hesitate while thinking of all the connections in the car I have just fried.... thinkiing of all of the backwards polarity power I tried to force the starter to start the car with..... thinking WTF do I do now. the positive side accually read neg on my DMM, with the neg side reading pos.

after thinking about it for a few seconds... I turn on the headlights for the car.... that ran the battery dry about as quick as anything could.... the next step was to charge the battery straightup again... so on the charger it went... this time in the right polarity.

after all day of charging on correct poliarity.... I hook the battery back up to the car and test the battery, 12.98v ..... very nice!!!!

hit the starter.... cranks over as if nothing had ever happened... unfortuntely kris and I found out the very hard way that I had accually damaged the main alt fuse during this incident... damn it.... the optima could only go so far with out recharge from the alt.

got a new fuse from advance auto and a jump start from a friend and off we were again...

Optima batteries.... what a reliable battery... no battery should be able to take that kind of abuse and keep on giving....

[JMoushon]

Once when I was doing a timing belt on the old white devil, I had just got the belt on, everything snugged down, so I decide I'll start it for a minute and make sure everything is alright. I hear this insane buzzing coming from the timing cover area, so I have a look and lo and behold, there is a 1/2" drive ratchet still in the end of the crank, freewheeling to beat hell. I watched it for a minute and giggled, then shut off the car. I'm still surprised that it just stayed in there spinning.