Stupid Things done while working on a 914., C'mon..... Fess Up! Options

[ClayPerrine]

There was a request for a thread on stupid stuff done while working on a 914.

I will start......


I had my six up on my lift working on the rear suspension. I remember looking at the clock and it was about 6:50pm. I stood up to do something (I can't remember what now) and the next thing I know, I am sitting on the floor and my head hurts. I touch my head and I am bleeding. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/ohmy.gif) Seems I raised up under one of the rack arms and cracked my head open. I look at the clock and it shows 7:55 PM. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/dry.gif)

At that point, I decided to call it a night.


When I told Betty about it, she had a fit! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/mad.gif) Her response was "What if you had been holding a cutting torch!!!". Now she insists on checking on me every so often when I am in the garage and it gets quiet for a long time. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

Ok... Who's next?

[olav]

I was working on my car and my elbow hit my beverage which almost fell over but I caught it.

[effutuo101]

LOL! Nothing that dramatic. When I was moving into a place in Sacramento, I had a fuel injector that was stuck on. I stalled the car and restarted it. I blew a 8 foot flame out the back end. My friend (sitting in the u haul) swears that he thought the car was going to blow! It didn't help that it was 2 in the morning and the guy who lives across the street was CHP watching us move in.
Chris

[bondo]

Ok, here's a couple I can think of at the moment.. I'll add more as I think of/do them.. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)

1. While disassembling a roller for restoration/v8 conversion (still in progress) I went to remove the rear trunk torsion bar springs. I wasn't planning on resuing them, so I just decided to unbolt them and let parts fly.. and fly they did! The little clamp bit went right through where the rear window goes (I had just removed it 15 minutes before) and just barely OVER the windshield (which was still in place). It bounced around the other end of the garage (missing the window) and I still haven't found it. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif)

2. While disassembling a rear shock/spring setup, I didn't have a spring compressor handy. I played with it a bit and it didn't seem to be under all that much tension... But it was enough, and launched the nut, washers and spring hat all over the place.. Scared Sean and Herb too! I got out the spring compressor for the other one.. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)

[Joe Bob]

Screwing a tapping metal screw thru the positive battery cable..... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/ohmy.gif)

ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt...

[jhadler]

Just getting ready to finish setting up a crank fire ignition on a motor I was putting in. Was pulling the distributor and discovered, only too late, that the oiling washer under the distributor drive shaft was still stuck to the shaft. At least it -was- untill I had the shaft almost out of the engine. . All the way in...

Wound up splitting the motor after repeated attempts to recover the washer failed. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/headbang.gif)

Still don't have the motor back in the car yet....

-Josh2

[URY914]

I had my dizzy 180 degrees off and shot a flame about 6 feet. COOL!!!

[Mueller]

stupid thing: wearing loose fitting sweat pants while working on the 914.....

incedent report: using angle grinder (locked to "on" position) with wire wheel attachment, grinder kicks back, wheel "grabs" sweats and attacks the family jewels (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wacko.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/blink.gif)

took a few solid seconds to shut off the grinder due to it whipping around.... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/screwy.gif)

[SirAndy]

QUOTE (bondo @ Mar 23 2006, 10:00 AM)

While disassembling a rear shock/spring setup, I didn't have a spring compressor handy. I played with it a bit and it didn't seem to be under all that much tension... But it was enough, and launched the nut, washers and spring hat all over the place..

usually not a problem on the 914 as the springs are not under much pressure, but i did that once with a front shock assembly of a '74 super beetle ...

i had the shock/spring in a vice and i'm using a big wrench to take off the top nut, didn't think i needed spring compressors ...
then, while turning, i hear a loud bang and the nut, retainer and spring are gone!
i look up and there's a big hole in the garage roof, the spring went right through the 5/8 drywall and was stuck in the insulation!
it missed my face by about 5" and it went so fast that i didn't even see it. that could have been *ugly* ...

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif) Andy

[URY914]

QUOTE (Mueller @ Mar 23 2006, 10:15 AM)

stupid thing: wearing loose fitting sweat pants while working on the 914..... incedent report: using angle grinder (locked to "on" position) with wire wheel attachment, grinder kicks back, wheel "grabs" sweats and attacks the family jewels (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wacko.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/blink.gif) took a few solid seconds to shut off the grinder due to it whipping around.... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/screwy.gif)

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/av-943.gif)

[Mueller]

stood over the carb on a 914/V8 and poured gas into it while Brad cranked over the engine...resulting backfire out of the carb removed hair from one arm and partial removal of eyebrows (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/ohmy.gif)

[URY914]

I looked at my car one day and I said to myself, it would be alot faster if it was lighter. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/idea.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/confused24.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/sawzall-smiley.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/screwy.gif)

If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't.
I could of cured cancer with the time I have invested in this thing. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/sad.gif)

Paul

[bondo]

QUOTE (SirAndy @ Mar 23 2006, 11:18 AM)

QUOTE (bondo @ Mar 23 2006, 10:00 AM) While disassembling a rear shock/spring setup, I didn't have a spring compressor handy. I played with it a bit and it didn't seem to be under all that much tension... But it was enough, and launched the nut, washers and spring hat all over the place.. usually not a problem on the 914 as the springs are not under much pressure, but i did that once with a front shock assembly of a '74 super beetle ... i had the shock/spring in a vice and i'm using a big wrench to take off the top nut, didn't think i needed spring compressors ... then, while turning, i hear a loud bang and the nut, retainer and spring are gone! i look up and there's a big hole in the garage roof, the spring went right through the 5/8 drywall and was stuck in the insulation! it missed my face by about 5" and it went so fast that i didn't even see it. that could have been *ugly* ... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif) Andy

I think the reason it was so much pressure was because they were bilstein shocks with the adjustable perch set second from the top... I think you've still got me beat though. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)

[elocke]

My kids were driving me crazy with croquet mallets and balls in the garage, so I snagged them and put them up on a shelf hanging from the ceiling over my 914 V8 project. One of the balls rolled out and WHAM. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/dry.gif)
So I bought a used windshield for $20 and 3 or 4 years later, when the car was ready for the road, I installed the replacement. After fitting it, I cracked it by pressing the edges with my thumb. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/huh.gif) A $320 goof.
Ed

[sk8kat1]

I too have a sweat pants story

car on jackstands ( of course ) I had the rear wheel off welding in the stiffening kit with my legs out in front of me and under the car .. well the sparks from the welder casaded down on to my lap ... through the sweat pants .... well lets just say grilled hootus (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/ohmy.gif) ..... only once boys , only once (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

[balljoint]

All the way under the car, lying on my back, car is not jacked up very far (old jackstands were too short) under the engine, using grinder to clean up rust at rear firewall. Sparks are flying and they find a few globs of old road tar and muck soaked with old fuel and TAH DAH, tiny little fire inches from my face. Crab walked out from under the car at 90 mph. Got extinguisher, took care of business. Changed shorts. Back to work, after hose down and clean up. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wacko.gif)

[Eric_Shea]

QUOTE

Stupid Things done while working on a 914., C'mon..... Fess Up!

Bought a second one... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/blink.gif)

[ClayPerrine]

QUOTE (Eric_Shea @ Mar 23 2006, 12:29 PM)

QUOTE Stupid Things done while working on a 914., C'mon..... Fess Up! Bought a second one... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/blink.gif)

I agree...


BTW.. I am trying to convince Betty that we need a third 914...... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/screwy.gif)

[bondo]

QUOTE (Eric_Shea @ Mar 23 2006, 11:29 AM)

QUOTE Stupid Things done while working on a 914., C'mon..... Fess Up! Bought a second one... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/blink.gif)

Me too! And a third!

[1970 Neun vierzehn]

While replacing the mastercylinder, I thought it would be a good idea to "swab out" the ends of the disconnected brake lines with a Q-tip (the concours-retentive aspect rearing its ugly head) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/screwy.gif) I got that Q-tip stuck so far in that line, I think it took longer to get that swab out than to r&r the m/c.