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and the winner of the moron of the month award goes to.......

4K views 30 replies 14 participants last post by  ca2stay 
#1 · (Edited)
:wave: ME!!!

So I get home from work today, even took off a little early so that I can get home to work on my car. I do everything that Vinnie, Jeff and my other mechanic friend ( the one who built the car) told me to check. Anyway nothing works so I am rechecking the wires with the power on and see that I have 0 pressure reading on my fuel pressure gage. So I check the fuel cell and guess what I am out of gas. I run down to the gas station and fill up three jugs of gas and put them in the Cougar. She fires right up. What a moron! Something so simple. I am so embarrassed but yet relieved. Shelly even told me in the beginning if I had ran out of gas and I said nah that aint it. I will have to listen to her next time. I even got to drive her to my local cruise night and then took her for a cruise around town to play set off the car alarm game. Looks like I will be there next week after all (knock-on-wood). I just may not be able to look y'all in the eye.....lol.

Tom
 
#4 ·
Doh! I won't even laugh or anything because I've done things just as embarrassing ;-). Just because no one saw it, doesn't mean it wasn't stupid :-D. In fact, your err just makes me feel better, and less nervous, about turning the key once I get the cat back together.

BTW, what about the melted wire? Was it not melted? How about the blown fuse? There must've been something + that came out of this effort?
 
#5 ·
Jeff,

I am sure your car will be fine when you turn the key. Just make sure you put fuel in it first ;) .

The melted wire was replaced a few days ago. It was connected to the neutral safety switch on my shifter. I was concerned about the fuse as well so upon closer inspection it was only for the radio that is not there anymore.

Tom
 
#6 ·
Tom
Don't feel bad I to deserve the award!
I went to drain the radiator and got a antifreeze bath this morning!
Cleaned up the mess went and boughta new freeze plg for the New Engine:realmad:
Hubby goes to take out the freeze plug and He got a Antifreeze bath too!:argue:
Both our stupid mistakes!
Juli
 
#7 ·
I know what you mean. I finally got the headers into my cat today. Do you have any idea of how many times I attempted to connect up the left side header? Jacked up the engine as high as it would go to get the clearance I needed on the left side. With the steering, power brake & master cylinder in the way, its a PITA. I must be getting more mature as I get older. I didn't swear or throw anything

1st I tried to use the bolts and just couldn't get the bolt holes to line up. So I took out the header and decided to use a couple of studs in the 1st and last holes to 'hang' the header & drop in the copper gasket. I get the header all hooked up and I try to back out the back stud and it won't clear the pipe. The pipe makes such a tight turn that the stud hits the pipe as I try to remove. So, out comes the header and I cut the stud down to 1". Now the header hangs well, I bolt up the header to the head and remove the studs. The right side is a POC so that takes less than 30 minutes.

Total time today - >4 hours in the heat - UGH!!

Now, I lower the engine and reconnect the motor mounts and look underneath for clearance. Nope, the left header is hitting the transmission tunnel and the colllectors on both sides hit the floor. My last 69 vert didn't have this problem.

So, now I wonder if:
1 - The deck height of this engine is taller than my last 69 (original 351W)
2 - The motor mounts are the wrong ones for the car - too tall.
 
#8 ·
I have done that same thing Tom. Even started a post on the other forums trying to figure out why the hell I could start the car last week and not this week. I replaced a fuel filter, fuel pump, the line to the carb and was about to pull the tank. Then damned if my wife said the same thing, so I went to the station picked up about 5 gallons and empty into what was a dry tank...I don't believe I confessed my stupidity... :)
 
#9 ·
ca2stay said:
2 - The motor mounts are the wrong ones for the car - too tall.
Jeff did you but new mounts? It is almost impossible to find the correct ones as they are not like the regular 69's the convertible's used a bigger block one in the factory, and the part that mounts to the frame that the mounts mount onto are different. You can change theese to the regular frame mounts PITA But then you can get the correct mounts anywhere. Mike, prez from the Club has the frame mounts if you need to go that route.
I found out all this the hard way and ended up using my old mounts, luckly there OK. Will replace them when I can get the correct Mounts!
Looks like I will be there in the Vert + Kenny the STD,:dogpile:
Gonna fire up the new motor in the Morning!:burnout:
 
#10 ·
Hi Jules,

I didn't change the motor mounts as they are in great shape. I'm not sure if the mounts are the convertible or std mounts, but assumed they're convertible until proven otherwise. I don't know the real diff by looking. May be time to go the parts store.

Jeff
 
#12 ·
my69xr7rocks said:
Tom
Don't feel bad I to deserve the award!
I went to drain the radiator and got a antifreeze bath this morning!
Cleaned up the mess went and boughta new freeze plg for the New Engine:realmad:
Hubby goes to take out the freeze plug and He got a Antifreeze bath too!:argue:
Both our stupid mistakes!
Juli
I always like to fire a motor with pure water just for the reasons above. Never fails, you're gonna dump a quart or two of coolant on the ground, aqua pura is much easier (and cheaper) to clean up. Doesn't kill kitties either.

And remember, coolant drain plugs for SBF engines are directly under #1 and #8 exhaust ports.
 
#13 ·
I used to tow cars in college. One night, this guy was stuck on the road and told me his car just died. I towed him about 35 miles. Come to find out it was out of gas.

Now he was a bonehead.

Of course, when the owner of the towing company found out, he told me I should have checked it. I do not think he liked me anyway; he was an S kicker and I was a college numb nut.

Just made him plum loco...I reckin'
 
#14 ·
purnlow said:
Tom,

Fun to read the confessional that you started. I heard Julie was a car nut but to go as far as taking antifreeze baths with the husband, I don't know??????? lol
You are right Vinnie this has become a confessional. Looks like I am in good company when it comes to making goofs. What have you done. Come on confess, you will feel better...I promise :angelg: .

Tom
 
#15 ·
Maybe we should have a "goof of the month" in the newsletter. Let our readers know that we're not perfect but we're out there on our cats and "gittin it done". It might inspire other, more timid, individuals to open the hood and try "it". Whatever "it" is it can always be undone (well mostly :-D) or the tank can be filled or the fuse can be replaced or a hammer & wrecking bar can provide adjustments. Anyways, another excuse to drink beer. :-D
 
#16 ·
ca2stay said:
Maybe we should have a "goof of the month" in the newsletter. Let our readers know that we're not perfect but we're out there on our cats and "gittin it done". It might inspire other, more timid, individuals to open the hood and try "it". Whatever "it" is it can always be undone (well mostly :-D) or the tank can be filled or the fuse can be replaced or a hammer & wrecking bar can provide adjustments. Anyways, another excuse to drink beer. :-D
Make it so! Feel free to use my lovely story as a warm up...lol. What do ya think Steve?? :sun:

Tom
 
#18 ·
Well, way back when (we're talking 1981) I droped a screw down the carb on my 68 Chevelle and didn't know it. Let's say the piston didn't like it and a new engine was installed. Hey, I was 17 and soon later bought an Italian convertible.
 
#19 ·
purnlow said:
Well, way back when (we're talking 1981) I droped a screw down the carb on my 68 Chevelle and didn't know it. Let's say the piston didn't like it and a new engine was installed. Hey, I was 17 and soon later bought an Italian convertible.
Ouch! That would suck. Not to self, do not play with screws around carburator :icon16: .

Tom
 
#20 ·
OK, 15 years ago I noticed my neighbor's VW bug was leaking gas so I went over to help and saw that one of the fuel lines had come loose, so I put it back on and tightened the clamp. She took off and drove around the corner and then came walking back up the hill. I asked her what was wrong and she said her car had just caught on fire and she needed to call the Fire Dept. to come put it out. Funny thing is the car didn't catch fire because of the gas, it was an electrical fire.
 
#21 ·
Paul68XR7 said:
OK, 15 years ago I noticed my neighbor's VW bug was leaking gas so I went over to help and saw that one of the fuel lines had come loose, so I put it back on and tightened the clamp. She took off and drove around the corner and then came walking back up the hill. I asked her what was wrong and she said her car had just caught on fire and she needed to call the Fire Dept. to come put it out. Funny thing is the car didn't catch fire because of the gas, it was an electrical fire.
WOW that is bad. Atleast it was not a Cougar though! :xoli:

Tom
 
#22 ·
Forgive me father for I have sinned. Hellcat was running very poorly for the last couple of days. Bad enough that I considerd not bringing her to the picnic. She kept bogging down at 60mph and felt like she was starving of fuel. So I took 3 hours and ripped the carb apart and rebuilt it. Still no dice. Changed plugs wires and cap still no luck. Got very frusturated and asked Tom, 70guncat, What he thought. He directed me to the guy who built his car. The first thing out of his mouth was something I had only glanced at, the wire to the coil. Sure enough the wire had chaffed and was grounding on the block. Hellcat lives!!!

Mark
 
#24 ·
Dumb things happen when you are tired.

After putting my engine back in and getting everything back together, (very tired) i was putting the new oil in and right as i got the first quart in, i dropped to the ground as i forgot the drain plug...!
 
#26 ·
Just when you think its safe

Well, I did it. I finally marred the beautiful black finish on my unfinished cat. for over a year I've managed to not scratch the paint at all despite the tight quarters and the mess I work in. The irony is that I did it cleaning up the garage because I was concerned that the tight quarters and the mess I've made was going to cause me to...mar the finish.

It was S-T-U-P-I-D too. A real lame-brained event. As you recall, SAT was quite HOT. I decided to get into the garage in the AM before the heat. Made a lot of headway too. The last thing I was doing was figuring out where to put the extra A/C lower dash I have.

On the left side of the garage I have some wooden shelves hanging below the rafters that go around the left-front of the garage roughly 6ft above the floor. From under the shelf I hang a 3ft dual element hooded worklight. It hangs down ~1ft or so. Above that, I decided to hang the dash. I put in 2 4" nails into the 2x4 facing of the shelf - about 6ft off the floor. It now sits just above the hood of the worklight. Behind that, against the garage wall is my rolling tool chest, which, with the top open is just under the 6ft shelf - perfect. When I close the top, the rolling chest fits under the hooded worklight - perfect.

Well, the operative words here are "when I close the top". If I don't close the top, the top bangs into the hooded worklight and, since it hangs from a chain, it doesn't just stop, it sways.

So, the last thing I'm doing during the cleaning process is making room for a milling machine a friend of mine was bringing to the house. I moved the chest, forgot to close the top, banged into the hood, which swayed up, caught the lower dash which came down w/a crash against my left door leaving a 6" gouge just below the mirror, a slight dent and a 1ft scratch in the paint.

Worst part was that I could've hung the dash 3 ft to the left and not been in the way of the hooded worklight. ahhhhhhh >:-(

Even worse, I'm doing a favor for my friend since I'll probably use that milling machine very infrequently at best. BTW, it is a cool machine.

Only good news - it didn't hit to the brand new top, only damaged the door, & it didn't hurt anything or anybody but my ego.

Now, I've got to get the door completely reshot. The gouge goes through a few layers of paint - almost to bare metal. I guess I'll be doing the repaint and pinstriping sooner than I thought.
 
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