[TNT89Bronco]

I saw a thread sorta similiar to this, which was about something you did to your Bronco today. So today, after pulling one of the stupidist things I have done in a while...I figured that I needed to let everyone know about it and see if I am the only one that does stupid things...or if there are others out there like me. So here ya go......

I was about to do the first oil change on my new '79. Now...I am not a mechanic by any means, and maybe have changed oil in my vehicle 6 times in my life. But, this is not to say I am not mechanically inclined, just always worked for companies that paid for my oil changes.

So, while I am under the Bronco, I start to remove the oil plug. To prevent the oil draining out at an angle, and missing the fancy oil changing container sitting on the ground, I go and get a milk jug, with a funnel, that would raise it up higher. The funnel was real close to the drain plug, and I was confident that I was on my way to a dripless...spotless oil change.

So when I unscrewed the plug, it dropped into the funnel as planned and the oil drained into the funnel/milk jug PERFECTLY...just as I had planned, not a drop of spilled oil anywhere..... for about 4 seconds.

All of a sudden, the funnel started overflowing and oil was going everywhere...all over the ground. PANIC SET IN...as I could hear my wife freaking at the mess on the back driveway, when she saw it.

Still panicing, I figured that the pressure building up inside the milk jug must prevent the oil from draining into it properly, so I lifted the funnel higher to allow the air in the milk jug to escape. Surely the oil would flow into the jug as planned. No luck...oil still flowing out a a very high rate. Puddle of oil about 2 feed wide by now. Imagined sound of wife screaming getting louder in my head.

Short story is that the drain plug had dropped perfectly into the opening of the funnel, thus creating a plug in the opening and allowing only a small amout of oil to flow into the milk jug.

HOWEVER, the second issue I would have faced was the fact that a milk jug is only 4 quarts....and a Bronco holds 5 quarts. Either way, I was headed to a cleanup!

So, my 10 min. oil change, turned into about a 45 min. ordeal, after soaking up all the oil with shop towels and scrubbing it up with other stuff. Never before has so much toxic waste been created from a simple oil change.

Live and learn.....

 

[catsnw]

I forgot the drain plug once. I thought that could considered stupid lol. Never did I let the oil drain everywhere like that but I have a fancy $8 drain pan from Walmart. I also have a large yard in the middle of no where. If a few drops of oil spills it's not that big of a deal.

 

[[email protected]]

Done a few stupid things like that, not on my own vehicle either, but at work. Forgot to check once for the gasket on the old oil filter when i took it off, thought it was odd when i was putting the new one on that it just kept turning after contact, not creating more force, just kept threading on further, after starting i realized the old gasket was still on there by the oil flinging off the serp belt while it was running. Also have forgotten the drain plug once too, nothing like getting done putting 7 quarts of oil into a 5.4 and realizing after pulling the oil gun away from the nozzle to look at the ground and see 7 quarts of oil seeping its way around your feet, and about a 10 foot radius..... Almost forgot, i was loosening a jam nut on a Tie rod end one time, Managed that i was pulling towards me and the wrench slipped off the nut, Came flying towards me with all my own force, and broke my nose with it. That felt great.

 

[KHCO67]

LOLOLOLOL....not laughing at you....but at MYSELF. Heres my dumb ass move. I pulled the tires off my bronco to turn the letters in (wanted the black tire look). I got all the tires off and decided to paint the rims while I had them off. So..I painted them. The not wanting to mess up the paint...I decided to put the tire on the rim from the back side. Ya...anyone that has ever messed with a tire and rim knows that there in ONLY ONE WAY A TIRE GOES ON A RIM...from the outside of the rim first. Well...after fighting it for a million years and not being able to get the tire off as easy as it went on. I decided to use a tie down strap to strap the rim to a tree...yes...you all know where this is going. I put another tie down strap on the tire and to the rear bumper of my truck. I then tugged and snapped the strap holding the rim to the tree. :banghead I then grabbed a chain and chained it to the tree with a padlock. I then broke the strap going from the tire to the bumper. second :banghead *be advised...the bumper is still attached to the truck after the end of this story*. :rockon So...I then grabbed my recovery strap and hooked that around the tire and to the bumper. Put it in 4 wheel drive and yanked the tire from the rim. Tire is still in good shape, but the rim...ya...not so much. If you look at like a steering wheel...it has "dents" on the rim at 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock. Moral of the story...spend the $15 to take it to a tire shop and have them remove the tire...

 

[Saltlife]

I was in high school and changing a buddies oil in his Acura RSX I replaced filter, drained the oil got the drain plug back on cleaned up and took a break for lunch. Came back DONT KNOW WHAT I WAS THINKING! Shut the hood lowered it off the jacks. I called my buddy and told him it’s good to go. He comes around we talk for a bit then he leaves. I walk back to the garage to lock it up for the day. Guess what is sitting on the floor?!?!?! Unopened Oil bottles! "Chit" I called my buddy and told him to shut off his car!! I had to drive the oil to him and pour it in. Thankfully no damaged was done!!

A few lessons learned here:
- Oils changes don’t take longer than 30 mins so don’t walk away from them.
- Remember the new oil
- Always Always check the dip stick after

 

[miesk5]

gasket on the old oil filter

yo bomkey_noy23,

Saw this happen @ a NAPA garage; was just out of Navy Hospital and Much Better 1/2 drove the Bronco and me, in shotgun to the NAPA because she said, "It's due for an oil/filter...There is NO way you're doing any work for at least a week".
So.. there goes the oil!

Then she said, "Shoulda waited until next week"

 

[shokwave30]

better question is who hasnt done somethin stupid while working on a car or a project. In my family if blood is poured or skin burned the work isnt done. lol

 

[doublebarrell96]

Quote:
Originally Posted by [email protected]
gasket on the old oil filter

X3 on the double-gasket oil filter! In a hurry of course, and slapped a filter on my previously owned 2007 Montego. Made it bout 1 1/2 miles before the oil light came on! I've always been my own worst enemy!

 

[JohnMcD348]

I honestly can't say I've done any of that myself, yet, but I've been party to some great ones.

Many years ago, back around '85, my friend called me up and asked me to come over. His car started smoking real bad after he changed his oil. He'd just turned 16 and got his first car. I was 15 and still working on mine so it'd be ready to drive by myself in a few months. So, being the friend that I was, I jumped into my little Spitfire(with adult supervision of course..........) and drove to his house to help him figure out what was wrong. He cranked the engine and, after it finally started, began to have a low "Glug, Glug, Glug", sound and it filled the entire yard and most of the neighbors with smoke. He turned it off quick and, after the smoke cleared, I started looking under the hood. I forget waht teh car was but it was a '79-80 Tercel or Celica or something with a small motorcycle looking engine in it. I pulled the dip stick and oil began to ooze up from the hole. I stuck the stick back in and asked how much oil he put in and his reply: "The whole box." I opened the 710 cap and sure enough, the oil was up to the valve train. He'd filled the engine and kept putting in the oil until he could see it through the hole.

I bought him a Haynes manual that day and told him that any time he does more than put gas in it, to bring it to my house next time.

 

[loudpyps]

my buddy was helping me with my sas and he was using a pickle fork trying to get my leaf spring bolt out, short story after getting it stuck he hit the fork sideways and launched it straight at my face, no broken skin just knot on the forehead, nothing a little crown and pepsi could fix

 

[20sNaRanger]

changing the oil in my brand new 08 civic. Had to take off the passenger tire to get to the oil filter. Damn honda cramming everything into a small ass space..

first time taking the tires off the car...got all the lugs off...and it wouldnt come off the car. Scratch my head for a min...opened up the center cap...found a HUGE as bolt...figured it HAS to be the reason why the tire won't come off.

Go out and get a socket that was biggggggg enough for it. Got it off. and the tire still wouldn't come off...i mean i had 3 grown men separately pull at this tire and it wouldn't come off.

Finally i called Honda and was just dumbfounded at this. A 30 min oil change had turned into a day long chore.

Tech at honda told me to go get a hammer. . . .and wack the tire one good time.

Wouldn't ya know it....damn thing fell right off. Apparently it can sort of "heat weld" itself on and make it harder than hell to get off. And that big ole nut that i took off....was for the spindle... felt sooooooo incompetent that day. haha

 

[jowens1126]

better question is who hasnt done somethin stupid while working on a car or a project. In my family if blood is poured or skin burned the work isnt done. lol

Yea, If you aint bleedin, it aint fixed yet.

Oh and yep, I drove mine around the block before I realized I only had 2 lug nuts on the rear tire.....ooops
good thing they were at least finger tight and in an opposing position. Fortunately no damage to the lug studs.

 

[Jasonhughes2009]

plain and simple... dropped my starter on my nuts... worst day ever

 

[TNT89Bronco]

Ok...all good so far. No one has died. Love the one about the guy who put a whole case of oil into his engine and I never knew you could use a tree to put a tire on a rim...learn something new every day.

 

[phobos2deimos]

I was troubleshooting my new injectors this weekend, engine running, pulled spark plug wires off the plug one by one to isolate a bad cylinder.
Figured hell, if I can pull the wire off the plug, why not just pull the wire off the dizzy and keep from reaching across a hot engine?
Nice jolt up the arm on the first try.:toothless

Stupidest I ever did was rotate tires, finger the lugs on, lower car, drive away. :smilie_slap:smilie_slap:smilie_slap
I was lucky - got two miles down the road and the tire blew.
Now I ALWAYS throw a wrench on the drivers seat to remind me to torque the lugs after lowering vehicle...

 

[20sNaRanger]

I was troubleshooting my new injectors this weekend, engine running, pulled spark plug wires off the plug one by one to isolate a bad cylinder.
Figured hell, if I can pull the wire off the plug, why not just pull the wire off the dizzy and keep from reaching across a hot engine?
Nice jolt up the arm on the first try.:toothless

Stupidest I ever did was rotate tires, finger the lugs on, lower car, drive away. :smilie_slap:smilie_slap:smilie_slap
I was lucky - got two miles down the road and the tire blew.
Now I ALWAYS throw a wrench on the drivers seat to remind me to torque the lugs after lowering vehicle...

smart...i've done that a few times. it's a nice reminder.

 

[fartman]

I was rebuilding a carb on a quad, took it all apart and shot carb cleaner right into the bowl of the carb and it bounced right back at me and got my in the eye balls.

 

[JohnMcD348]

I was rebuilding a carb on a quad, took it all apart and shot carb cleaner right into the bowl of the carb and it bounced right back at me and got my in the eye balls.

Oh yeah, I've had that happen before. Only I was using the non-chlorinated brake cleaner to clean some firearms after a long day at the range. I don't remember what I was spraying, probably my 1911 and it hit a spot just right to come right back into my eye. Brake cleaner burns. BAD!!! when i hits the eye.

 

[FirstPriority]

This is a GREAT Thread! I am LMAO! I wont even beging to share the stupidity in my life.

The rim and tire change is the best!

 

[jowens1126]

My dad threw his 30-06 on the seat of the K5 and of course it went off, blowing a nice big hole int he passenger door, right where I would have been standing if I had gone with him. It was a good day NOT to go hunting.