Bad day in the shop (with a moral!)

[davepl]

I've had worse and so have you, and the problems are trivial compared to people with real problems, but I'm going to complain anyway.

Yesterday was the day to start adding fluids to my multi-year frame-off restoration. So I started adding the engine oil (it's already been on the dyno but it was a year ago, and empty, and I need to re-prime too).

What did I forget? An oil filter. Duh. So of course - giant pool of oil.

Drive an hour round trip because there's nothing local anymore, get a couple of filters, come back, install filter, add oil. All good. Start priming engine. Then I remember that I had pulled the instrument cluster out to fix the temp gauge. Which means the oil line for the oil gauge is now shooting oil into my interior, including my new carpet. That could have been way worse, I was able to clean it such that you'll never see it. Even I can't. At least it was brand new oil from a brand new engine, not black goo.

Then on to coolant. A smarter man would add the water first and the antifreeze later, but I'm not that man, so I started with the glycol first. And of course it leaks at the bottom hose, which is almost inaccessible (in fact had I known it'd have been faster to pull the fan and shroud).

So I'm lying under the car fighting with slippery glycol and this clamp that is apparently bottomed out (won't tighten further) which is why it's leaking. And that's when the antifreeze poured into my eye.

Fortunately last year I "wasted" the money on an eye wash (just the kind you screw to the wall and has two eye-rinser bottles).

With that all done I put the Stant pressure tester on the rad and it's clearly leaking from somewhere. This is a "new" rad from LMC, but I've had it two years so it's out of warranty by now. I find a pinhole leak at the neck. Tried JBWeld but other members encouraged me to fix it right, so on to solder.

That goes reasonably well. A little ugly because I've never done it before and my flux is probably 10 years old, but I'm not making another hour round trip for some flex (I did that today :-) ).

I've been a Plummer for 46 years and this is the first pipe I've soldered. I actually kinda with I had brass rod, maybe I could TIG it?

But it still leaks somewhere, which I eventually find is at the heater-hose return fitting that my truck doesn't even need and shouldn't have in the first place, so the rad is a multi-year replacement I guess. It's capped with some rubber washer and plastic cap, which leaks on its own, and it also leaks where it's brazed/soldered to the tank. It would make a little cloud of soapy bubbles when I poured soapy water on it, so it was pretty clear.

At this point I should have pulled the rad, but I've got dual batteries and a bolted in shroud and a bunch of reasons that I should not have accepted as excuses. But I did, so I tried to solder it in the truck.

That's when I set fire to and melted the edge of my original big block fan shroud.

So today I took it out; I took it and the old original factory rad down to the radiator shop (another hour round trip) to see if I should let them repair the 'new' one or rebuild my original. The tubes in the original look a little bigger, I'd rather have the original, but I don't know about pricing yet. I get there and there's a taped note saying they're taking a couple of weeks off. Sigh. I grew up in the family hardware store and we never closed for a day, let alone a week (other than Sunday and holidays).

Today I soldered it up myself and so far it seems to be holding. I never could get their plastic plug to work so I soldered a brass plug into it. I'll never need that heater hose fitting.

The moral of the story? Unless you need the vehicle to get to work or something important and urgent, when you start to make obvious mistakes, walk away. Find something else to do.

In the end all will be fine, my rad will be a little uglier and I'll never fully trust it, but that's the way it goes.

Ah well, this is the life we chose.

[DPowers]

Wow is all I can say...

[71swb4x4]

You fall down, you can either get back up, or take a nap. Depends on how old you are...

[FirstOwner69]

This thread is a CLASSIC!

At least you seem to have kept your sense of humor through it all. Not sure I would have.

Jim

[FRENCHBLUE72]

We have all been in those shoes...

[LSUMurse]

I feel for ya. We've all had those days. I usually know to walk away when I stop thinking of the truck as "Rosie" and start thinking of her with names that generally only have four letters. Problem is, it is almost always exclusively my fault, and I don't like thinking less of myself.

[Tinkermc]

And a Goodtime was had by all

[ItsRandy]

Does glycol sting when you get it in your eye?

[ho70]

Originally Posted by davepl

I've had worse and so have you, and the problems are trivial compared to people with real problems, but I'm going to complain anyway.

Yesterday was the day to start adding fluids to my multi-year frame-off restoration. So I started adding the engine oil (it's already been on the dyno but it was a year ago, and empty, and I need to re-prime too).

What did I forget? An oil filter. Duh. So of course - giant pool of oil.

Drive an hour round trip because there's nothing local anymore, get a couple of filters, come back, install filter, add oil. All good. Start priming engine. Then I remember that I had pulled the instrument cluster out to fix the temp gauge. Which means the oil line for the oil gauge is now shooting oil into my interior, including my new carpet. That could have been way worse, I was able to clean it such that you'll never see it. Even I can't. At least it was brand new oil from a brand new engine, not black goo.

Then on to coolant. A smarter man would add the water first and the antifreeze later, but I'm not that man, so I started with the glycol first. And of course it leaks at the bottom hose, which is almost inaccessible (in fact had I known it'd have been faster to pull the fan and shroud).

So I'm lying under the car fighting with slippery glycol and this clamp that is apparently bottomed out (won't tighten further) which is why it's leaking. And that's when the antifreeze poured into my eye.

Fortunately last year I "wasted" the money on an eye wash (just the kind you screw to the wall and has two eye-rinser bottles).

With that all done I put the Stant pressure tester on the rad and it's clearly leaking from somewhere. This is a "new" rad from LMC, but I've had it two years so it's out of warranty by now. I find a pinhole leak at the neck. Tried JBWeld but other members encouraged me to fix it right, so on to solder.

That goes reasonably well. A little ugly because I've never done it before and my flux is probably 10 years old, but I'm not making another hour round trip for some flex (I did that today :-) ).

I've been a Plummer for 46 years and this is the first pipe I've soldered. I actually kinda with I had brass rod, maybe I could TIG it?

But it still leaks somewhere, which I eventually find is at the heater-hose return fitting that my truck doesn't even need and shouldn't have in the first place, so the rad is a multi-year replacement I guess. It's capped with some rubber washer and plastic cap, which leaks on its own, and it also leaks where it's brazed/soldered to the tank. It would make a little cloud of soapy bubbles when I poured soapy water on it, so it was pretty clear.

At this point I should have pulled the rad, but I've got dual batteries and a bolted in shroud and a bunch of reasons that I should not have accepted as excuses. But I did, so I tried to solder it in the truck.

That's when I set fire to and melted the edge of my original big block fan shroud.

So today I took it out; I took it and the old original factory rad down to the radiator shop (another hour round trip) to see if I should let them repair the 'new' one or rebuild my original. The tubes in the original look a little bigger, I'd rather have the original, but I don't know about pricing yet. I get there and there's a taped note saying they're taking a couple of weeks off. Sigh. I grew up in the family hardware store and we never closed for a day, let alone a week (other than Sunday and holidays).

Today I soldered it up myself and so far it seems to be holding. I never could get their plastic plug to work so I soldered a brass plug into it. I'll never need that heater hose fitting.

The moral of the story? Unless you need the vehicle to get to work or something important and urgent, when you start to make obvious mistakes, walk away. Find something else to do.

In the end all will be fine, my rad will be a little uglier and I'll never fully trust it, but that's the way it goes.

Ah well, this is the life we chose.

Amen

[slowcpe]

Sounds like a typical day in my life. I'm notorious for making mistakes like that or weird stupid stuff happen. I have friends just waiting for the day I set my entire garage on fire (joking of course, especially if your in insurance).

Yeah I've learned to take my time and TRY to walk away when things don't go right. However I tend to walk away about 30-45 min. past that point. Cold beer and a tool or two to throw helps me come off the ledge.

It'll get better and make driving that much more enjoyable.

[PowerdbyChevy79]

Had those days....walking away helps..but its usually the last thing I do....ive taken a nap before under my project...

[Spartan]

Yep.
Good read.

[MARKDTN]

That is a good story. Sorry for your trouble. The finished product should make it all worthwhile.

[68C15]

at least you remembered to put oil in your engine. It could have been much worse.

[BossHogg69]

Well, I'm not even the least bit happy you're having troubles, but things have been going the same way for me lately anytime I try to make progress on my project! Walking away when things aren't going right is a VERY good advice. It will usually keep you from making an expensive mistake due to being frustrated, especially during a multi-year restoration/project.

Things will make a turn for you, I'm sure of it. Then you can really laugh at all the little dumb stuff that totally p!$$ed you off after you're cruising down the road in your finished truck!

[jabborabbo]

Originally Posted by 68C15

at least you remembered to put oil in your engine. It could have been much worse.

Indeed...I changed the oil in a Volvo a couple of years back...or should I say I drained the old oil, replaced the filter and tightened the pan plug...then cranked it up. I always watch my oil light when I crank a car after an oil change...it stayed on this time long enough for me to realize that I hadn't put oil in the car. It didn't reach the point where I heard tappets clicking, but it was a bit scary....

[CUSTOM/10]

Yup... We all have days like that once in a while, you just have to reallize it before you do too much damage, and then as you said "WALK AWAY"..... LOL

[hamjet]

Theres a bright side to this, today's GOT to be better.....

[jhwkns]

Is you last name Murphy?

[davepl]

On the forgetting oil thing (which I thankfully haven't done) the local mechanics at the classic shop I hang around at put anything like that on blue masking tape right on the windshield. So "No Oil" or "Do Not Start" or "Rag Joint Unbolted" or whatever.

I've used the same 'trick' for things that I assume I'd never forget but probably might.

[Fitz]

Just another bad day...or is that just eaten up by the dumbaxx

Bad day in Africa - YouTube

[68C15]

Originally Posted by davepl

On the forgetting oil thing (which I thankfully haven't done) the local mechanics at the classic shop I hang around at put anything like that on blue masking tape right on the windshield. So "No Oil" or "Do Not Start" or "Rag Joint Unbolted" or whatever.

I've used the same 'trick' for things that I assume I'd never forget but probably might.

at work if I have to leave an engine without oil I put the oil dipstick through the key. Then you search for the key, find it on the stick and instantly remember. 20 years ago I blew up a semi engine and learned. The sign thing only works if you see the sign by sitting in seat instead of reaching in and turning the key

[alsriv2]

Originally Posted by MARKDTN

That is a good story. Sorry for your trouble. The finished product should make it all worthwhile.

X2^^ We have all had bad experiences similar to your story and sometimes we just have to know when to say "done" and walk away for a minute, a day, a week, whatever it takes to prevent doing something even worse.

As you said, this is the life we chose...

Let us know how it goes and include a pic or two.