I borrowed my Mother's Land Rover Discovery TDI this morning, to collect some Alfa parts. On the way home I stopped at a service station to fill it up. In my weary state, I double checked I was holding the diesel spout...yet still managed to fill it with unleaded petrol.
recently?
I slid my Dad's wheelbarrow out of my Trailblazer (2008) hatch area and I had a blanket to protect the paint.
Except the friction still zipped the white paint off and I now have 2 black streaks on the "rubber" bumper.
Aaah, the joys of having a company car.
Not listening to you guys and getting my son into RC airplanes.
The new bigger, dual bearing, not bushings, engine arrive from Ebay yesterday and I can't wait hit the inside with a dremel make the air flow better and create more power. Yikes, what have I done????? I still have work left on my Triumphs.
Jack
It was early morning and I hadn't had breakfast. Some construction brought traffic to a standstill. I noticed that if I hopped the sidewalk and drove across a parking lot next to me, I could get around the traffic. It looked like there was a bit of a drop on the other side of the sidewalk, I figured 8in-1ft, no big deal for the Samurai. So I put it in 4WD low, hopped the curb and gave it plenty of gas to keep the nose up - good thing I did, there was a 2ft+ drop 
The front of the car was in the parking lot and the rear was on the sidewalk. I barely avoided hitting the sammy's frame. I had to get my dad to bring some debris to fill in the space under the rear wheels so I could get it down.
Yeah, I can clear those doubles...
Uh oh...
jg
Last week, after I got my Honda Mini Trail project back out into the sunshine, I added fluids and fired it up. It ran great for about a half hour, then it would barely run. I switched the fuel valve to "Reserve" but nothing changed. I checked the timing, the points, adjusted the valves and decided that the carb was probably gummed up, so I ordered a brand new carb.
When it arrived a few days later, I pulled off the reserve fuel line to drain the tank completely. Nothing came out. I pulled off the main fuel line and about a shot glass full of gas came out. Needs a new carb? Nope, I just hooked up the two fuel lines backwards and ran out of gas.
I installed the new carb anyway.
http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/71-honda-ct70-mini-trail-vintage-pit-bike-update/1645/page1/#post21137
I tuned up my MX-3 a while ago. The plug boots are weird, hard rubber about six inches long. Plugs are waaaay deep. Anywhoo, it recently developed what I thought was a lifter tick, then ~poof~ one night, I thought I'd blown a gasket. Sounded horrible. Pulled over, and one of the plugs had blown clear of the engine. Put it back in to drive home, missing horribly, put a new plug in the next day and it seems fine. Doesn't look like the threads are stripped or anything. Doh.
Bought a 120,000 mile car and didn't bother to inspect the timing belt. Oopsie.
JG Pasterjak wrote: Yeah, I can clear those doubles... Uh oh... jg
Owwww.... been there. I HATE casing it.
Recently: disregarded my own advice and consumed six or seven Yuenglings the night before an AX when I knew it was gonna be stinkin' hot. Yarrgh.
Spent about 30 minutes checking the fuel pressure and fuel pumps on George's Cosworth Vega before asking myself, "Hmmmm, does the gauge really work?' and rapping on the tank only to be greeted with a very hollow sound. D'oh!
Yesterday. I was backing the BMW out of the garage so we could get the boat out, and forgot that my friend had parked in the driveway. So all at once, I was clutching, putting three windows up, and watching out the drivers side mirror where I know there is a crown vic. I'm about three inches away from the vic, and I hear a scratching. E36 M3. I pull back in, snap the bumper back in, and see that the scratch can be buffed out. Not so much on the passatt, looks like it will be about 50 bucks to fix up. at least the car is already a complete piece of crap, he didn't even notice till I showed him.
Scrambling to get ready for practice, my bike started, and died after about 10 seconds. I got it fired again, but it stalled, and wouldn't start. It sounded like a fouled plug, but changing the plug didn't fix it.
It took a while to find, and I missed my practice, but at least the rag (I forgot about while cleaning the filter the night before) didn't get past the carb, and into the reed cage.
I cleared the doubles that day 
Luke wrote: I double checked I was holding the diesel spout...yet still managed to fill it with unleaded petrol.
This happened a long time ago, but it was a similar mistake.
I spent most of 1992 in Taiwan on a work assignment, and I had a Vespa scooter for getting around on. There are so many two stroke motor scooters over there, the gas stations sell premix gas right out of the pump (If I remember correctly the premix pumps had blue handles.) Well, one time I filled up on the way to work and you guessed it, I put in straight gas by mistake. I found out you could drive a Vespa at full speed for about ten miles with no oil before the piston siezes up. 
Fortunately, it died right in front of another gas station - I walked over and bought a quart of oil, let the scooter cool down for a half hour, poured the oil in the tank, and it fired right up and ran great.
stuart in mn wrote:Luke wrote: I double checked I was holding the diesel spout...yet still managed to fill it with unleaded petrol.This happened a long time ago, but it was a similar mistake. I spent most of 1992 in Taiwan on a work assignment, and I had a Vespa scooter for getting around on. There are so many two stroke motor scooters over there, the gas stations sell premix gas right out of the pump (If I remember correctly the premix pumps had blue handles.) Well, one time I filled up on the way to work and you guessed it, I put in straight gas by mistake. I found out you could drive a Vespa at full speed for about ten miles with no oil before the piston siezes up.
We nearly poured two-stroke mix gas into a four-stoke ATV last Sunday. Bad juju...
As for stupidity, last Sunday, my paintball gun accidentally discharged at my friend's 2007 F-150, his baby, at about three inches away. Now there's a gigantic dent on his tailgate. The bed is getting replaced anyways since the truck was rear-ended before this incident. My friend was still pissed.
Just got back from my first day trip in the R/T. Filled up in Sayre on my way out, but I grabbed the wrong card and put it on my debit card, not my "save $.05 a gallon card". Forgot my hiking poles before leaving home. Missed the turn for a detour on the way back, found a last minet dirt road before getting to the one way bridge. The road was rough enough to POP my rear veiw off the wind sheild. Thank fully i just needed to slide it back on and tighten the screw. On the bright side, the R/T averaged about 40mpg,woo hoo!
We nearly poured two-stroke mix gas into a four-stoke ATV last Sunday. Bad juju...
I run premix in just about everything, if thats all I have at the time.
suprf1y wrote:We nearly poured two-stroke mix gas into a four-stoke ATV last Sunday. Bad juju...I run premix in just about everything, if thats all I have at the time.
I knew a guy who owned a lawnmower shop who did the same thing. Made things harder to start, though.
In the long term, I think this thread has the potential to overtake the ignore thread; everybody has a stupid mistake story to tell.. lately.
my girlfriend 
and putting a cam in my car when gas prices are getting stupid high.
Bought a new fuel pump for the Miata whose fuel pump was crapping out periodically - and getting worse. Installed said fuel pump on Miata. Realized that the problem was instead merely a 5 cent broken wire.
Checked the engine oil the day before a timetrial and forgot to put the dipstick back in. Realized it was missing at the track after driving there. Fortunately had a plastic plug to seal it and no one noticed it at tech inspection. The seal stayed put for the event and drive home. Reinstalled dipstick once I got home. I think this is an age thing.
Datsun1500 wrote:NYG95GA wrote: In the long term, I think this thread has the potential to overtake the ignore thread; *everybody* has a stupid mistake story to tell.. lately.What ignore thread?
the one we are ignoring
Driving home from work at about 1am ... looked to the right to see a deer in the woods. Watched him/her closely as I rolled past at 1mph ... just in time to hear the thump from his/her buddy running into my drivers front fender!
Nice softball sized dent.
Just yesterday......
Got back from a weekend at a friend's camp, cleaned out the truck and took my prescription glasses and wallet and put them on the hood. My next trip into the house, they were going with me. I walked past them a few times when I hear the Bride, "I'm running to the store".
You woud think they woud fall off even before leaving the driveway, at the very least make an exit slide at the tight right-hander at the end of the street. Nope. I chased her down on my bicycle, never caught her. I found the glasses about a mile away, she would have been doing 45 mph by now. Never did find the wallet. When she got home we both searched for about an hour. Nadda. When I went for the phone to call the credit card companies to cancel them (especially the Gov't Card) I noticed a message. It was the local cops, call us. Yep, some do-gooder found my wallet and turned it in. Cards AND two one dollar bills still intact!
Oh look, it's beer o'clock.
Dan
My bluestone driveway is overgrown by grass, which in the recent heat has begun to die. Yesterday i was pouring the cahrcoal out of the little chimney thing into the grill when some embers escaped and set fire to the grass. I didn't notice until my right sock had also caught fire. Thank God for Sam Adams, Patriot, Brewer, and Firefighter.
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