Hopefully others (and myself) can learn (again) from my Stupidity

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EricStarmer
Posts: 280
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 3:51 pm
Location: USA

Hopefully others (and myself) can learn (again) from my Stupidity

Post by EricStarmer » Sat Jul 04, 2020 10:50 pm

Actually there's really nothing to learn - it's obvious.....
Since it's a holiday weekend here, my wife and I decided to go for a drive. We'd barely got out of the driveway when I realised something was wrong - the pedals didn't seem to work properly, and the steering would "stick" in places. I decided we'd better turn around and head home (100 yards). Got home OK and I took the hood off and immediately discovered the problem - earlier in the day I'd been trying to tidy up some of the wiring, and I used a pair of fairly large channel-lock pliers to pull the cable ties tight (just because the ends were short and I couldn't grip them well with my fingers, and the channel locks were the closest "gripping things" at hand.)
Well, lunchtime came so I stopped to have some lunch. Needless to say, after lunch, I decided to stop working on the wiring, and put the bonnet back on. Off course, I forgot that I'd laid the channel locks down on a ledge above the pedal box, and they had subsequently fallen in among the pedals and steering column.

The moral of the story is obvious - always check for errant tools after working on any vehicle, vacuum cleaner, human being, etc., etc.:-)

I should have learned my lesson earlier in life, because about 50 years ago I was trying to sell my E-type Jag, and I let a gentleman take a test drive. He came back about 10 minutes later , white as a sheet. Apparently he'd been coming up on some traffic lights which had just turned orange, so backed off the accelerator and braked . However the engine didn't slow down, and the brakes wouldn't stop the car from travelling pretty fast. Pushed in the clutch, but he thought the engine was going to explode .Fortunately he had the presence of mind to turn off the ignition, and came to a stop. It turned out I'd been working on the carburetor linkages and had left a spanner in among them....

Needless to say, he didn't buy the car.....I should have kept it - I subsequently sold it for $1800.

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frederick
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Location: san jose

Re: Hopefully others (and myself) can learn (again) from my Stupidity

Post by frederick » Sun Jul 05, 2020 3:06 am

One good thing...you missed the calling to become a surgeon :-)

Berglind
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Location: Vaxjo, Sweden

Re: Hopefully others (and myself) can learn (again) from my Stupidity

Post by Berglind » Sun Jul 05, 2020 3:55 am

Easily done. :)
Twenty years ago i strap tied the electric cables to the steering column in a Caterham. The customer came back quite soon after he left my fathers chop and complained that it behaved strangely. Hopefully forgotten by now. :roll:

EricStarmer
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Location: USA

Re: Hopefully others (and myself) can learn (again) from my Stupidity

Post by EricStarmer » Sun Jul 05, 2020 4:08 am

Berglind - At least it was only 12 volts, or he may have behaved strangely :D

EricStarmer
Posts: 280
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 3:51 pm
Location: USA

Re: Hopefully others (and myself) can learn (again) from my Stupidity

Post by EricStarmer » Sun Jul 05, 2020 4:13 am

Frederick - I knew that wasn't my calling when I had to have my friend do my frog dissection in high school.....

Doverhay
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Re: Hopefully others (and myself) can learn (again) from my Stupidity

Post by Doverhay » Sun Jul 05, 2020 9:28 am

Hi Eric, we were at a Triking meet with friends and one of them had a similar problem, we were almost at the stage of taking the engine out as the clutch seemed to have failed; however, the owner eventually noticed something stuck under the clutch pedal, it was the fuel tank dipstick he carries around to ensure he has enough fuel in the tank. Once this was removed and his embarrassment overcome we all drove off😂.

Richard and Pat
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Re: Hopefully others (and myself) can learn (again) from my Stupidity

Post by Richard and Pat » Mon Jul 06, 2020 6:31 am

Under the clutch pedal stop [apparently] I don't remember who it was now. :)

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Throwley
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Location: Olney, Bucks

Re: Hopefully others (and myself) can learn (again) from my Stupidity

Post by Throwley » Tue Jul 07, 2020 10:43 am

Coming from an aircraft operations background, this is something about which I'm very careful! When working on aircraft, every tool has to be accounted for, usually by employing a shadowboard/tool tag system. I've spent many a late night combing a hangar for that missing 10mm socket! I also never leave a job, for any reason, until that stage of work is complete.

A friend of mine was carrying out a simple job on a Hawk which involved locking wire and pliers, when he was called away for the NAAFI van. Coming back, he forgot he hadn't finished and panelled up with the pliers still dangling from the locking wire. An airborne emergency duly followed, the crew landed safe but my mate subsequently demoted to a rank well below the lower level of technical staff.

I know worse has happened, but that scared me enough to permanently etch tool and job control on my mechanic brain!

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