Dumb dumb move - oops

[bdholsin]

Thought I'd relay this along for you guys to have a chuckle. I yanked my starter on my '83 650 late last week. Obviously I had to drain the oil to do it. After I replaced the starter to crank case seal I reinstalled the starter (bet you can see where this is going). In my excitement I started to put oil back in and didn't realize I forgot to reinstall the drain plugs. I got two quarts into it before I realized I was standing in a puddle of fresh engine oil. Guess I was a little too focused on not spilling.

Enjoy the laugh. Anyone else have any good "oopsie" moves that they have done?

 

[Tech7]

Well that's better than installing the plugs and forgetting to put oil in!

 

[Travis]

Damn two quarts before you noticed? I hope the oil wasn't too expensive.

I tend to pour gas everywhere when working on carbs. I'll either forget to hook up a fuel line, have the bowl drains open, or pull them off and tilt them and gas goes everywhere. Sometimes I'll drain them into a container then kick the container over. One way or another, when I'm playing with carbs, gas will end up all over the motor and floor.

 

[Hairyblackdude]

Well, its not a motorcycle but pretty much the same thing, just more expensive.

Was changing the tranny fluid on my car. It has a check bolt on the back of the trans for a fillmark.

I removed the bolt & started adding ATF Mobil 1 synthetic @ $5/quart. Car takes about 9qts. Got about 5-6 qts in there before I realize its just pouring right on the floor & running out the garage door.

Looked like a murder scene in there.

 

[BZNrider]

"engine flush"

 

[bdholsin]

Keep 'em coming guys. I'm already feeling better about myself.

 

[atomic22]

Pulled my starter motor...before I drained the oil.

Also, forgot to make sure I pulled the filter seal on the wife's Pacifica before putting the new filter back on...backed up two feet and blew the oil filter right off.

I'll stop there for sake of further embarrassment.

 

[bdholsin]

I'll keep it going again...this isn't too bad but I was fiddling with the plugs as I was trying to figure out my ignition problem. Forgot to turn off the key as I grabbed the plug as it was attached to the plug wire. Got a small jab from the coil. Won't make that mistake twice.

 

[danno]

Keep 'em coming guys. I'm already feeling better about myself.

Compared to BP, you're a rookie.

 

[bdholsin]

Compared to BP, you're a rookie.

LOL!!! You elicited a physical laugh from me on that one.

 

[pumps]

Not on my XS but on a Kawasaki KZ650SR I had switched over from points to a Dyna electronic ignition. When trying to set the timing it ran a short time and then would not start for anything. I had only sort of installed the tank. Dead battery, wait til morning while it charges. Lying in bed I finally remembered the fuel petcock was opened and vacuum operated by a line I had NOT hooked up. Hooked it up , it fired right up the next day. Stupid mistake.

 

[Grinder]

Changed the oil on my car, forgot to put the filter on. Four quarts of Mobil 1 on the floor!!

 

[kent_in_kc]

NOT that I've ever done anything stupid like drive off with no oil in the pan, BUT when I drain my oil, I STOP and put a piece of masking tape over the starter switch labeled (you guessed it) "OIL!"

 

[nj1639]

In the early adventures of my bike-
Had the head off to do a heli-coil repair to the 10mm headed bolt at the rear of the head, the one that sits dead center in the back that is easily overlooked and then you wonder why the head won't come off.
Well, the operation was a success and in the process of putting it all back together, I dropped that dam bolt down the cam channell. I was more crestfallen than pissed. Did not like the idea of opening up the lower end to find that bolt. Then a faint light came on, hmmm......
I was never so happy than to hear that clunk in the pan as I drained the oil.

 

[mrkil]

I found the Hap Jones peanut tank I wanted on ebay for 99 bucks. When i got it i cleaned it up and removed the old mounting tabs because they wouldn't line up on my frame.

Once the outside was cleaned up, I took it to my local guys to line the tank.

About the time when it would have been done I realized , in my haste I forgot to weld the new mounting tabs on.

With a lining in the tank you can't weld it anymore. Do I weld tabs on and get it relined?

Nope I mounted my tank with a belt!
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[jetero41]

Getting a new ( to me ) XS ready to ride and decided at the last minute to go ahead and change the plugs. Right side went sweet, left side something distracted me. Turned the key and kicked, and kicked, and kicked, and kicked. Rested and toweled off and kicked, and kicked, and kicked. Decided something was wrong, checked fuel lines, cool, checked the fuses, cool. Checked evrything except the left side plug and kicked somemore BEFORE I noticed that the left side plug wire was just hanging there. Noone was around to see but the personal embarassement was terminal not mention that I then burned my arm reaching thru the frame to see what was leaking.....it was my sweat.

 

[emzdogz]

ok, here goes - with my old nearly stock 79 (previous XS I had) while trying to see if the slide in carbs were opening simultaneously, for some reason, while kneeling on left side of bike peering into intakes, I "forgot" that I could just manipulate the throttle arm AT the carb (which cable fits into) Dumbass me thinks I need to reach over to twist grip, acrrooooosssssss and over bike. Boom, bike goes over onto right side. Busted turn signals. Felt dumb. But laughed lots afterward!
Lesson learned.
Stop, and consider prior to acting.
I wondered what ol' Robert Pirsig would have thought of my blunder. oh well........

 

[anysnail]

i took my side stand off to clean all the oil and gunk and replace the sump filter on the bottom of the pan. when i put her back together i installed the sidestand backwards and when i kicked the stand out the spring broke and shot across the garage.

THEN!

i ordered the wrong size spring from mikes.

NOW!

i have it tied in place with an old boot lace cuz i'm too embarrassed to order another spring and pay the shipping.

 

[pyroman]

I was spraying some carb cleaner, without safety glasses, of which I have about ten pair, within arms reach. Stuck the hose into one orifice, and it sprayed right out another hole, right in My eye. I cussed and felt My way into the house to rinse out My eyes. About 20 minutes later, I was back in the shop, carb in hand, and ......I did it again........

 

[Brothermist]

and ......I did it again........

I quite literaly watched a buddy of mine do near the same thing. Only difference was that the first time he just had the nozle pointed at him instead of at the Norton he was working on. Second time was the red straw.

On the cars front I could go on for days with the crap I have seen fisrt hand. I manage a quick lube shop that does oil and tires. I have 15 techs, 40 hours a week minimum. Half of them are young and dumb, most of the other half are just dumb. So you can imagine some of the shit I have to make right.

I personaly have pulled a few bonehead stunts. My favorite though was working on my old '59 Beetle.

My Jeep was in the garage in the process of getting 1 ton axles, so the car was being done in the drive way. Had the rear on jack stands, preping to pull the transaxle. I'm under the car, there is about 3" of room above my head, I shift positions a little too quickly, and bash my forehead into the trans. To make matters worse, natural reaction to smashing your forehead is to jerk away... Cramped space... So jerking away causes me to slam the back of my head into the driveway, and then, yup.. dumbass me pulls my head up in reaction and hits the exact same spot on my forehead on the trans again.

And you know I couldnt be alone when this happened, nope, there is my brother, watching the whole thing. "What are you retarted or something? Need me to get you a helmet Corky?"