Stuff you've broken and how you broke it

[MossRoad]

Actually it would be on page 6 but it would be labeled as page 8.

7 was left intentionally blank

 

[Fuddy1952]

Years ago I repaired TVs. I was working on a guys large rear projection set and when I rolled it out of the way scratched the screen!
It wasn't all that bad about an inch scratch but I was thinking about it later at home, so after dinner went back to the shop.
I used a dremel tool and plastic polish. A lot of work but after a few hours looked pretty good. Turning it on though it had an optical distortion, I could see a small wave in picture. So now I took it all apart, reversed the screen protector so it was now inside, all reassembled, tried it and it looked ok.
By now it was like 5 a.m., I drove back home getting a couple hours sleep.
Next day I called guy saying his TV was ready. He said "Oh...I forgot to tell you...my uncle gave me that old huge TV. It's too big for our house anyway. You can have it if you want it"!
I finally sold it for whatever the repair bill was.

 

[4570Man]

Two dumb things I did that would have been expensive mistakes almost.

Back in the late 1980’s I restored a 1970 Dodge Challenger. I took most everything out of the engine bay except the short block. Painted and detailed everything and put it back together. Checked everything, brake fluid, power steering fluid, oil, yes. Water and anti freeze, NOPE. Took it for a drive and it ran great but luckily I caught my mistake in time. An ugly sound adding water to a hot radiator.

The second one was doing the rear brakes on a 2004 Dodge Cummins. I found out the calipers on back would bolt on the wrong side. They fit and would work fine except the bleeder is on the bottom instead of the top. This leaves the calipers full of air, you would have thought I would have noticed. Went to drive it, it is downhill out of my garage and requires a turn or you end up in the trees. Brake pedal straight to the floor. Luckily they pumped up enough to barely stop me. Switched them side to side and all was good.

I had a similar result when I forgot to put the clamp on a lower radiator hose and it blew off. Btw you shouldn’t add coolant to an overheated engine until it cools back off. One of my buddies did the same thing with the calipers. He worked for a week trying to bleed it before he figured it out.

 

[WranglerX]

Not enough space here.....

Dale

 

[5030]

I've 'broken' a few wives in my day. Not sure exactly how they broke but I do know they depleted my wallet after it was all said and done.

Marriage is like a box of candy. You have to buy the whole box for one little piece.:laughing:

 

[5030]

I broke a heart once, and l had mine broke too...guess this might qualify as a posting this thread...

Just like tools, sometimes the replacement turns out better than the original!

I agree with that. After 34 years of 'marital bliss', I know to keep my mouth shut.

 

[airbiscuit]

Who hasn't sawed the cord off their skilsaw?

 

[airbiscuit]

Not exactly broken, but who hasn't put their skidsteer on it's nose?

 

[4570Man]

Not exactly broken, but who hasn't put their skidsteer on it's nose?

Never all the way but I’ve done it far enough to flip the load off and then it sat back down.

 

[Cougsfan]

While landscaping last summer, my AC was broken so I was working my tractor cab doors open. I was very close to a building on the right side so I closed the right door and was watching closely so as to not hit the building. With my attention riveted to the right side, the left door, which was still open, hit a pile of dirt and shattered into a million pieces.

 

[k0ua]

Who hasn't sawed the cord off their skilsaw?

Not me... I have worried about it a bunch of times though.

 

[MossRoad]

Who hasn't sawed the cord off their skilsaw?

Does the hedge trimmer count?

 

[kenmbz]

Hedgetrimmer took the top of my finger off does that count?
I have left the fill off the valve cover, luckily they are not expensive, but cleaning off the oil is a pain.

 

[airbiscuit]

Luckily, I haven't done it, but others have disconnected their 3pt implement, but not the PTO or hydraulic lines and then drove off.

 

[Jstpssng]

Luckily, I haven't done it, but others have disconnected their 3pt implement, but not the PTO or hydraulic lines and then drove off.

I let somebody borrow my 3 pth woodsplitter which ran off my BH pump but neglected to mention that he needed to fasten it to keep it from spinning.
The cost of buying hoses wasn't as bad as not having the splitter or BH until I replaced them.

 

[Avenger]

Back dragging with FEL and bending loader cylinders (I didnt do this, but I know a fella)
Upper control arm snapped when snow chains bound up in loader brackets during an articulated turn
a small stick jumped up and put a small pin hole in my fuel line at the tank. Sucked air but did not leak. Took myself and the dealer mechanic a few hours to figure that one out.
Wheel lug nuts came loose while out plowing snow, almost lost the front tire driving down the road
Blow hydraulic lines on backhoe almost every time I use it.
Hit a steel barrel (old, small chewed up shooting target) while mowing high grass. Took half my rotary mower blade off. (Thanks neighbor)
Dealership forgot to put gear oil in my rotary mower, got a new one a week later.
Garaged a ROPS once. That sucked. It wasnt my garage, or my tractor.
Rototilled up an automatic sprinkler system the owner neglected to tell me about. Turned his yard into a mud pit.

That about all I can think of at the moment. I'm sure there is more.

 

[Fuddy1952]

Hedgetrimmer took the top of my finger off does that count?
I have left the fill off the valve cover, luckily they are not expensive, but cleaning off the oil is a pain.

I cut end off my little finger years ago with hedgeclippers also. It didn't hurt at all. A little piece of skin held it on. Before going to hospital I had to show it to neighbors I saw working in their yard.
The doctor sewed it back on and except for a small scar you'd hardly know it. Even the nail grew back.

 

[ovrszd]

Chicks love scars Fuddy.

 

[MossRoad]

I broke my finger in a freight elevator door last year. The angle iron overlap on the top door slammed right down on it, folded it over the top of my other three fingers right to the pinky, and pinched it to the bottom door, then the door latched shut, the elevator left the floor, engaging the interlocks, and there I was, standing there wondering if it was amputated or not.

 

[Fuddy1952]

Chicks love scars Fuddy.

So funny! Growing up grandad next door was a doctor. That's what he said. He was always sewing or patching us up. He said "you're a guy...it would be different if you were a girl". It's never bothered my honey of 48+ years.