DIY Mechanic Mistakes

[Wagtail]

Or send then non-qual to get 50ft of shoreline, or a can of relative bearing grease.

Yeah, but you've got to watch out for the smart ones, ie: 50ft of shoreline = 50ft of heavy electrical power cable used to 'plug' your ship into the wharf power supply. VERY expensive and guaranteed NOT to bring a smile to your Chief's face.

 

[ecbaatz]

Yeah, but you've got to watch out for the smart ones, ie: 50ft of shoreline = 50ft of heavy electrical power cable used to 'plug' your ship into the wharf power supply. VERY expensive and guaranteed NOT to bring a smile to your Chief's face.

True but if you do it while underway on a sub, not a problem. we only carried the pigtails and they were only used in situations where the shore facility did not have the proper connections.

 

[ecbaatz]

Yeah, but you've got to watch out for the smart ones, ie: 50ft of shoreline = 50ft of heavy electrical power cable used to 'plug' your ship into the wharf power supply. VERY expensive and guaranteed NOT to bring a smile to your Chief's face.

True but if you do it while underway on a sub, not a problem. we only carried the pigtails and they were only used in situations where the shore facility did not have the proper connections.

 

[cat fever]

The thing I hate the most is dropping a bolt/nut or whatever. It is always going to land where you can't just simply pick it back up. Gonna be right in the middle under the car.
The other one is taking off an oil filter; just once I'd like to get my truck filter off without oil raining down. (Dodge with a cummins)
I will admit changing the oil in my Kioti was a breeze.:thumbsup:

 

[Jim Shooz]

Never got sent out for a lefthanded screwdriver or a packet of copper plated ohms.

 

[LD1]

Not sure if I'd classify alot of them as mistakes in the sense of a rookie or diyer screwing up. Alot of things on the list are unavoidable from time to time.

Being a mechanic by trade, stripped and broken bolts are unavoidable. And I am sure EVERYTHING is engineered with a torque spec. But I can assure u I don't carry around a torque wrench on my cart at work. And we have all had our share of burning chemicals in a cut. And I am guilty of not always using a special tool when the mfg requires. I improvise and usually make something that will work.

Last few hires at work have been fresh outta college-no experience mechanics. The two most common mistakes I see are 1. Using crescent wrench, pliers, or vicegrips way too much and boogering bolt heads. And 2. Not knowing when to ask for help

 

[BHD]

I was baling one day years go, and the shear pin broke on the baler, I came to the house as I was out of bolts in the tool box of the tractor, I fixed the bolt and took a short brake, came back and the tractor would not start, I checked the fuel, charged the battery, even called John Deer, the service man was out my way but could not make there for a few hours, I said I have tried everything I could think of at that point it would turn over but not start, may be hit now and then and not start, about an hour had passed charge up the battery again good and crawled up in the tractor and thought I would try one more time before the mechanic got there, out of the corner of my eye when cranking the engine I saw the baler turning, pulled the PTO out of gear and amazing on how that help that tractor start,

got off called John Deere and canceled the service call, I felt dumb enough but would I have ever felt dumb if he showed up and pulled it out of gear,

Remember put tractor PTO in off before trying to start,

 

[aczlan]

The other one is taking off an oil filter; just once I'd like to get my truck filter off without oil raining down. (Dodge with a cummins)
I will admit changing the oil in my Kioti was a breeze.:thumbsup:

Crack it loose (but not enough for it to leak), then punch a hole in the bottom of the filter with a screwdriver.
Once the oil drains out, remove the filter.

Aaron Z

 

[void777]

Ahhh the old bucket of steam joke. When I was a rookie welder/helper I was sent for a bucket of steam I went to the tool room and asked for a bucket of steam where upon my foreman helped with my problem he put a piece of dry ice in a bucket added water wahla steam followed me back to the job and to my coworkers suprize I handed him the bucket standing behind me the foreman told my co workers he needed a job # to charge it to I will never forget the look on their faces needless to say no more stupid jokes I asked the foreman why he helped he said the same thing happend to him years before.

 

[timster2]

We would let the new guy start a carbon and valve job and send him to the machine shop for some carbon. The machine shop had a sandwich bag, the old paper kind, with some black power inside. When the new guy returned proudly with the bag of black carbon we would send him back for the grey carbon, told him it was a finer grit. This never got old :thumbsup: