Model 'A' Boo Boo's or Oopsie Daisy's

[Canton_Model_A's]

Just a thread to put the Oopsie Daisy stuff in.

Can't say I have done any oops, yet but this year is Clutch/Pressure Plate and throw-out bearing. Might be coming up soon!

[mcgarrett]

Since I seem to be making more of my share of Boo Boo's here lately, I'm more than qualified to start, so here goes...

A while back I had taken my battery cables loose to clean the battery posts and cables. I had removed a bolt and nut that secures one of the cables and (foolishly) placed them on top of the battery while I checked the water in each cell. In the process my hand accidentally made contact with the nut and of course with my luck, where did it roll?...right into the open battery cell that I was putting water into!! I was able to scramble to my tool box and get my extension magnet and fished it out. Not one of my finer moments.

[Synchro909]

I sometimes think my biggest Boo Boo was buying my first Model A. It's a "mistake" I have repeated a few times - slow learner!
This, by far is my worst. I had one of my As in a shed in the back yard. The shed was on sloping ground and the car was parked nose down on not a very steep incline. The engine hated running cold so I decided to let it idle for a while before reversing out of the shed. By the time I had driven 100 meters, I could hear a bearing knocking. Disassembly revealed a ruined rear main bearing. The oil in he valve chamber overflowed onto the timing gears before it reached the rearmost gallery, hence starving the rear main bearing of oil. The dipper tray on No 4 had also emptied quickly, leaving the rod bearing short of oil.
The engine is now back together with new main bearings and a new rod bearing in No 4 and my back account is much lighter.
I'm reluctant to click "Post Quick Reply" on that one!!

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

I don't have the memory capacity to recite them all, but a few that come to mind is installing the incorrect Flywheel Bolts that were too long and damaged the rear Thrust side on the Main Bearing. Another is loading the Differential assy. on the wrong side of the Axle assy. Another big mistake has been to follow the wishes of a Customer in not replacing the Body wood in their vehicle during a restoration. Another that comes to mind is incorrectly repairing a broken Bead on a Fender and not installing a long enough Edge Wire to keep the stresses from re-cracking the Bead.

There are many, many others that will surface given enough time. Generally speaking, Learning comes from Experience. And as they say, Experience is something you get after you needed it!!

[Bruce of MN]

When I rebushed a front spindle, I forgot the pushrod and had to take it all apart and reassemble.

[marko39]

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although not model A, years ago i rebuilt the rear end of my 39. when i finally got around to installing the rear shocks i found the shock perches facing the wrong way. had the axle bells on the wrong sides !

[Sunny the Model A]

Buying a Chevy as my first car instead of a Model A.
It's safe to say I saw the light and i'll never trust anything but A's and T's again

[Trapdoor2]

I'm new enough to A's that my worst has been spending 2hrs diagnosing an electrical fault, only to find I hadn't turned the key on.

The starting sequence isn't muscle memory...yet. :-)

[JayJay]

Our club has two “awards” that we give out monthly - a “Hard Luck” award, where the car lets you down, and an “Edsel” award, where you do something that lets the car down. These sound a lot like “Edsel” issues to me. My most embarrassing one was removing the coil to distributor high tension wire and failing to push it in completely when reinstalling. Left me stranded when it finally worked completely out about 900 touring miles later. Finally figured it out after about 15 minutes when I remembered the first rule of troubleshooting: look to whatever you worked on last.

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by Trapdoor2

I'm new enough to A's that my worst has been spending 2hrs diagnosing an electrical fault, only to find I hadn't turned the key on.

The starting sequence isn't muscle memory...yet. :-)

I’m guessing that’s one that you won’t repeat, though.

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

There are many, many others that will surface given enough time. Generally speaking, Learning comes from Experience. And as they say, Experience is something you get after you needed it!!

Learning comes from Experience. And Experience is gained through making Mistakes.

[Bob Bidonde]

Some of my Boo Boos I call "Idiot Dues!" Many moons ago I used bolts that were too long to mount a flywheel. They cracked the rear main bearing cap. My most recent "Idiot Dues" was pushing my Victoria well over 60 MPH on a highway, so the #4 rod went through the block. A few years ago I had wheels sand blasted & powder coated costing $100 each wheel. There is a crack at a lug nut hole I missed!

[philosofriend]

I once installed the oil pan working on my back underneath the car and forgot to put the oil pump in.

A job worth doing is worth doing twice!

[CarlG]

I once left out the spring that pushes on the cam shaft. And, of course, the cover leaked the second time because I didn't get the cover sealed properly.

[Big hammer]

I forget to put the oil pan drain plug back in and pour about a quart of oil in thus cleaning the dipper tray of dirty oil ! Thankfully I buy a gallon and 1 quart of oil for oil changes.

Forgot to reinstall the rotor after cleaning and gaping the points, it was running now after working on it it doesn’t moment’s !

Forgot to torque the front wheel lug nuts after putting the car back on the ground , I was in a hurry to go for a test drive, lost 3 nuts from the left side front before I thought this isn’t feeling right , OMG moment thank you God for watching out for me !

[Sparky]

Just today I was installing new valves in my engine, and managed to lose one of the tiny valve keepers through the hole behind the timing gear so it dropped into the oil pan. Luckily I can get a replacement from NAPA.

[David in San Antonio]

Lacking a piece of tubing, I was using a very long wrench as stethoscope, pressing one end to my ear and systematically touching various parts of the block with the other end to locate the source of a noise. I did not touch a spark plug lead but came close enough to make a good enough arc and got a healthy jolt directly to the side of my head. Oopsie.

[marty in Ohio]

I was supposed to escort a wedding and earn a $50 fee. I had to cancel and upset a new bride because my car wouldn't start. After working on it for a week I discovered a blown fuse. I lost my $50 fee for a 35 cent fuse.
Marty

[Mike1291]

Many non-start or stopped running conditions for me have been distributor-related (no shock). But one time I had some stuff work and other stuff not. All of a sudden everything started working as soon as I called for a tow. Ends up I never put my terminal block cover on and my wires were bouncing all over the place