3 screws = 1 hour - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

chrislehr · 02-21-2008, 08:54 AM

Ever have one of those tasks that you think is simple, and then you spend an hour on them.

I replaced ONE of my exterior mirrors today.

Screws were all but welded in there... drilled them out.

Backing plate fell into door. Specialty tool and 2 more screws and I found the backing plate, plus a door thumb button, a spring, and a piece of hornet nest (wtf) in there.

PBblasted it, and used visegrips to get those drilled studs out and somehow didnt ruin the threading (phew)

Had to get the girl to start the new screws cause I dont have 4 arms

Bolt it all back together, and GOLLY... I have a shiny new mirror and hardly any damage to the truck! (some paint was lost in the yanking of the old mirror, oops)

Some days, ya just feel like you are worthless even with all the right tools.

dan42 · 02-21-2008, 08:58 AM

Some times you start on something and the whole can of worms spills out. That's the thing with something that's been around for 40 years, I guess, especially trucks. Fix it whatever way you can.

chrislehr · 02-21-2008, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dan42

Some times you start on something and the whole can of worms spills out. That's the thing with something that's been around for 40 years, I guess, especially trucks. Fix it whatever way you can.

Oh it's fixed, and looks glorious. Would have taken pics, but I was tired and it was dark before I finished (my garage is full of crap right now, we are moving in 10 days, so no room for work in there)

New place doesnt have a garage (or even a paved driveway)

I might have to convince our landlord that a paved driveway will increase property value

tcb-1 · 02-21-2008, 09:27 AM

I know this is a bit late, but put a dap of silicone on the backing plate and it'll stay there the next time you have to remove it.

chrislehr · 02-21-2008, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tcb-1

I know this is a bit late, but put a dap of silicone on the backing plate and it'll stay there the next time you have to remove it.

Well, I do need to do the other side still, so THANKS.

Chevyholic · 02-21-2008, 09:46 AM

Not truck related, but I totally understand. I have a hole in my kitchen island where a sink used to be. Had a clogged drain, so had to clean the trap. Needed more room to snake the trap, so removed the disposal. Found the disposal to be full of rust. Removed disposal from sink, but vinyl sink was old and cracked when removing the disposal. Had to take the faucets off to get the sink out and one of the faucets broke because PO tightened the nuts too hard. So...

drain snake - $20.00
new faucet - $50.00
new sink - $100.00
new disposal - $169.00

Wife who refuses to properly to use disposal - priceless, er... $339.00

Premium72 · 02-21-2008, 10:02 AM

wow you had that much trouble with mirrors? geez. try some PBblaster next time...wait till you replace the rubber in a pair of vent windows. youll be ready to take a hammer to your nut sack!!..no really..

67_C-30 · 02-21-2008, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Premium72

youll be ready to take a hammer to your nut sack!!..no really..

OK, I've done the vent glass rubbers before, and I agree - they do suck, but it wasn't THAT bad!!!

68C15 · 02-21-2008, 10:11 AM

try doing that one bell housing bolt on a 96 S10 Blazer. the one on the top of the driver's side. hehehe.

chrislehr · 02-21-2008, 10:27 AM

I used to have a WRX. The plugs on that were amazingly knuckle bleedingly hard.

about .5 inches between the plug hole (which was 3" deep) and the side fender. people with lifts would lift the engine to get more room (or jack it)

Annoying.

But yea, just more than I expected.

And I couldnt really PB blast the inside of the door skin when I started... I did the outside, but it just didn't want to penetrate.

The upside... my drivers side mirror no longer has Micheal J Fox syndrome.

**LockDoc** · 02-21-2008, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 68C15

try doing that one bell housing bolt on a 96 S10 Blazer. the one on the top of the driver's side. hehehe.

No problem.... All you do is drill a hole in the floorboard...

LockDoc

60ratrod · 02-21-2008, 11:25 AM

yeah the can'o'worms is what happened when i broke a tap in my block when i was changing head gaskets. couldn't find the right size tap extractor, no parts store or hardware store or tool store had anything that even slightly resembled a tap extractor, trying to find some kinda tool to use as a tap extractor, one hour in a weld booth and 6 nuts later the tap was out. god i just wanted to put my head through a wall with that whole fiasco.

Camper Power · 02-21-2008, 12:08 PM

reminds me of the battery cables, and washer pump (WHICH STILL ISN'T WORKING)

Blue_71 · 02-21-2008, 12:16 PM

sounds like my "weekend" project.. started out as pack wheel bearings and replace axle u-joints... wound up being replace ball joints, axle u-joints, both axle bearings, clean up galled spindle, 4 new wheel bearings, and new hubs... one of these days, ill leave well-enough alone

chrislehr · 02-21-2008, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue_71

sounds like my "weekend" project.. started out as pack wheel bearings and replace axle u-joints... wound up being replace ball joints, axle u-joints, both axle bearings, clean up galled spindle, 4 new wheel bearings, and new hubs... one of these days, ill leave well-enough alone

Same reason I am timid about that Chevy grille on ebay (now up to 200 with 32 bids)

If I get it, I am going to have to replace EVERYTHING else underneath it!

redhead69 · 02-21-2008, 12:49 PM

Dude!! too funny.. I just did the same thing minus the stripped screws- girl and all, when I was done putting the door panel back on I thought.. that looks good but then closed the door and bang

I left the big ass flashlight I dropped while my arm was dislocated trying to hold the backing plate in place.. you know the cheap ones with the old school giant 9v? bat, ya its still in the door

You have to laugh at crap like that and just keep reminding yourself all the money your saving by doing it yourself.

Brad · 02-21-2008, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redhead69

Dude!! too funny.. I just did the same thing minus the stripped screws- girl and all, when I was done putting the door panel back on I thought.. that looks good but then closed the door and bang

I left the big ass flashlight I dropped while my arm was dislocated trying to hold the backing plate in place.. you know the cheap ones with the old school giant 9v? bat, ya its still in the door

You have to laugh at crap like that and just keep reminding yourself all the money your saving by doing it yourself.

Bwahahahaha

chrislehr · 02-21-2008, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redhead69

Dude!! too funny.. I just did the same thing minus the stripped screws- girl and all, when I was done putting the door panel back on I thought.. that looks good but then closed the door and bang

I left the big ass flashlight I dropped while my arm was dislocated trying to hold the backing plate in place.. you know the cheap ones with the old school giant 9v? bat, ya its still in the door

You have to laugh at crap like that and just keep reminding yourself all the money your saving by doing it yourself.

Glad to hear im not the only one biting off more than I can chew

redhead69 · 02-21-2008, 01:45 PM

Im sitting here laughing at myself .. this is sad
lol

slammed1 · 02-21-2008, 04:19 PM

never fails when your working with a vehicle.

I learned never to tell the wife or girlfriend HOW LONG its going to take when I went to a friends to help or went to the garage to tackle a project. I always say I will be back when its done.

I had a brother in law once who had a Pontiac SunBird and needed a starter......he couldnt get the right tools for good access to the starter so he decided to make his job easier by removing the head and then get to the starter..........he had to junk the car afterwards.

BigDaddyDave · 02-21-2008, 06:58 PM

Every truck related project i tackle turns to crap! It sure makes me feel better to know,that others deal with some of the same problems.

68C15 · 02-21-2008, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slammed1

I had a brother in law once who had a Pontiac SunBird and needed a starter......he couldnt get the right tools for good access to the starter so he decided to make his job easier by removing the head and then get to the starter..........he had to junk the car afterwards.

quad 4 I assume. hehehe
good thing it wasnt a Caddy northstar.
hmm, I see a pattern here. all GM ideas.

Ole Blue 68 · 02-21-2008, 09:34 PM

I know your pain brother. The doors were the first project I tackled when I got my truck; new regulators, lock cylinders, passenger side vent assembly and rubber all around. I'm sure the neighborhood kids learned a few choice words by the time I was done with all that...

02-21-2008, 08:54 AM	#1
chrislehr Engine n00b Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Austin Posts: 1,031	3 screws = 1 hour Ever have one of those tasks that you think is simple, and then you spend an hour on them. I replaced ONE of my exterior mirrors today. Screws were all but welded in there... drilled them out. Backing plate fell into door. Specialty tool and 2 more screws and I found the backing plate, plus a door thumb button, a spring, and a piece of hornet nest (wtf) in there. PBblasted it, and used visegrips to get those drilled studs out and somehow didnt ruin the threading (phew) Had to get the girl to start the new screws cause I dont have 4 arms Bolt it all back together, and GOLLY... I have a shiny new mirror and hardly any damage to the truck! (some paint was lost in the yanking of the old mirror, oops) Some days, ya just feel like you are worthless even with all the right tools.

02-21-2008, 08:58 AM	#2
dan42 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Cali Central Coast Posts: 5,191	Re: 3 screws = 1 hour Some times you start on something and the whole can of worms spills out. That's the thing with something that's been around for 40 years, I guess, especially trucks. Fix it whatever way you can. __________________ '67 SWB Fleetside ZZ4/350/Tremec 5-speed/4link/Scott's IFS - and fun as heck! SOLD Click here to support the board Philippians 4: 6-7

02-21-2008, 09:27 AM	#4
tcb-1 Nothing to see here..... Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Shawnee, KS Posts: 4,625	Re: 3 screws = 1 hour I know this is a bit late, but put a dap of silicone on the backing plate and it'll stay there the next time you have to remove it. __________________ Doug THANK YOU to our American Soldiers & Veterans - POW MIA "You will NEVER be forgotten". The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. Thomas Jefferson

02-21-2008, 09:46 AM	#6
Chevyholic Will it run today? Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 272	Re: 3 screws = 1 hour Not truck related, but I totally understand. I have a hole in my kitchen island where a sink used to be. Had a clogged drain, so had to clean the trap. Needed more room to snake the trap, so removed the disposal. Found the disposal to be full of rust. Removed disposal from sink, but vinyl sink was old and cracked when removing the disposal. Had to take the faucets off to get the sink out and one of the faucets broke because PO tightened the nuts too hard. So... drain snake - $20.00 new faucet - $50.00 new sink - $100.00 new disposal - $169.00 Wife who refuses to properly to use disposal - priceless, er... $339.00 __________________ Jaws, the 1971 Chevy Cheyenne Longbed. She's big, grey, and has an insatiable appetite! Last edited by Chevyholic; 02-21-2008 at 09:47 AM.

02-21-2008, 10:02 AM	#7
Premium72 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Villa Rica Ga Posts: 889	Re: 3 screws = 1 hour wow you had that much trouble with mirrors? geez. try some PBblaster next time...wait till you replace the rubber in a pair of vent windows. youll be ready to take a hammer to your nut sack!!..no really.. __________________ WombatFire, Art-Design-MADNESS Follow My Build and Adventures on Instagram

02-21-2008, 10:11 AM	#9
68C15 blood type; Retumbo Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: next to my reloading bench Posts: 10,269	Re: 3 screws = 1 hour try doing that one bell housing bolt on a 96 S10 Blazer. the one on the top of the driver's side. hehehe.

02-21-2008, 10:27 AM	#10
chrislehr Engine n00b Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Austin Posts: 1,031	Re: 3 screws = 1 hour I used to have a WRX. The plugs on that were amazingly knuckle bleedingly hard. about .5 inches between the plug hole (which was 3" deep) and the side fender. people with lifts would lift the engine to get more room (or jack it) Annoying. But yea, just more than I expected. And I couldnt really PB blast the inside of the door skin when I started... I did the outside, but it just didn't want to penetrate. The upside... my drivers side mirror no longer has Micheal J Fox syndrome.

02-21-2008, 11:25 AM	#12
60ratrod yes, i do Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Spokane, wa Posts: 2,734	Re: 3 screws = 1 hour yeah the can'o'worms is what happened when i broke a tap in my block when i was changing head gaskets. couldn't find the right size tap extractor, no parts store or hardware store or tool store had anything that even slightly resembled a tap extractor, trying to find some kinda tool to use as a tap extractor, one hour in a weld booth and 6 nuts later the tap was out. god i just wanted to put my head through a wall with that whole fiasco. __________________ ERROR 404....... SNAPPY COMEBACK NOT FOUND _______________________________________________________________________________________________ -60 Chevy C10, dead 350/good th350 combo, sitting on a 76 c10 blazer frame, built from 11 different vehicles "the abomination" -07 gmt900 silverado 1500 lt xcab z71, granite blue -81 suzuki gs650g "shelah"- current project -81 kz1000m1 csr "sarge" -next project (just beautification) -07 kawasaki vulcan classic vn900

02-21-2008, 12:08 PM	#13
Camper Power Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Grande Prairie Alberta Posts: 261	Re: 3 screws = 1 hour reminds me of the battery cables, and washer pump (WHICH STILL ISN'T WORKING)

02-21-2008, 12:49 PM	#16
redhead69 fugedaboutit Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Gresham, OR Posts: 832	Re: 3 screws = 1 hour Dude!! too funny.. I just did the same thing minus the stripped screws- girl and all, when I was done putting the door panel back on I thought.. that looks good but then closed the door and bang I left the big ass flashlight I dropped while my arm was dislocated trying to hold the backing plate in place.. you know the cheap ones with the old school giant 9v? bat, ya its still in the door You have to laugh at crap like that and just keep reminding yourself all the money your saving by doing it yourself. __________________ Currently truckless

02-21-2008, 01:45 PM	#19
redhead69 fugedaboutit Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Gresham, OR Posts: 832	Re: 3 screws = 1 hour Im sitting here laughing at myself .. this is sad lol __________________ Currently truckless

02-21-2008, 04:19 PM	#20
slammed1 1972 Chevrolet SWB Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: FT Smith AR Posts: 512	Re: 3 screws = 1 hour never fails when your working with a vehicle. I learned never to tell the wife or girlfriend HOW LONG its going to take when I went to a friends to help or went to the garage to tackle a project. I always say I will be back when its done. I had a brother in law once who had a Pontiac SunBird and needed a starter......he couldnt get the right tools for good access to the starter so he decided to make his job easier by removing the head and then get to the starter..........he had to junk the car afterwards. __________________ My New thread with pics (not my build thread yet.) http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...46#post2573646 1972 Chevrolet 1/2 ton short wide bed,68 frt clip Project. 1980 Camaro Inherited when father passed,68K Miles 2003 Ford Mach1 FUN as Hell!! 2002 Dodge Ram 5-8 slam Rolling BillBoard (Gone not forgot) 2004 Dodge Ram HEMI 10" lifted on 37's and 2wd.

02-21-2008, 06:58 PM	#21
BigDaddyDave RIP BigDaddyDave ~7-23-09~ You will be missed~ Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Concord NC Posts: 1,361	Re: 3 screws = 1 hour Every truck related project i tackle turns to crap! It sure makes me feel better to know,that others deal with some of the same problems. __________________ BigDaddyDave's Truck: http://www.flickr.com/photos/daves71chevy/ \| See it in Action!

02-21-2008, 09:34 PM	#23
Ole Blue 68 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Philly Posts: 1,140	Re: 3 screws = 1 hour I know your pain brother. The doors were the first project I tackled when I got my truck; new regulators, lock cylinders, passenger side vent assembly and rubber all around. I'm sure the neighborhood kids learned a few choice words by the time I was done with all that...



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