So how do you handle a frustrating day of working on your truck?

[gofastbobby]

[rant]

I spent too much time today getting the trans back in my truck after a rebuild. I ordered an aftermarket converter and found out the bolt size is different on the new one first thing this morning. I spent the next two hours driving around looking for the right bolts, which i eventually found.

got back to the truck and went to work. got the trans on the jack got it up in place and got the bellhousing bolts in. swapped in the new dipstick tube and somehow ripped the oring on the way in. left that alone for the moment and bolted up the converter, or i tried to. bolt hole circles wont line up. pulled it again, ran down to the store and bought a flexplate that would work with the new converter.

changed flexplate and pulled the dipstick tube out to change the oring. in the process of putting the tube back in i broke the tab on the dipstick to that secures it to the drivetrain, which is exactly why i changed it in the first place. got another dipstick tube.

sent the trans back into position, again, and set the dipstick tube back in place again, completely focused now on the dipstick tube and not the fact that the converter wasn't lined up right and is pinched against the flexplate.

f it, i quit. put the tools away and grabbed a cold beer. now i am sitting in my office and wondering how such a simple task could go soooooooo wrong.

[/rant]

so how do you cope with a tough day of working on your truck?

[xs-style]

man I know how ya feel. Sometime I think my truck doesnt want to be fixed lol. As for how I deal with it, I just walk away. That may explain why my build has taken nearly 3 years now...

[El Campo]

For me I have came to the realization that the reason that "everyone else in the world" doesn't have a badass truck like some of us do is because they let things like that stop them. Do not despair, I firmly believe that every single member on here has wanted to burn their project to the ground on numerous occasions!! Deadlines (for me) are what frustrate me the most.. For example, say that you want to go to a truck show in 3 days but you have to finish something first. Rarely do things work out right and it actually happens. Remember!!! These are HOBBIES and they are supposed to be our escape from reality and Life, if we aren't careful they will consume us. When they feel like work (once again, for me) is when I no longer have fun. It sounds like you have a good plan, sit back, drink an adult beverage or 7, call a friend to help, put it off one more day, tinker with some other small thing that needs to be done that is rewarding when finished, etc. That's what I do. Remember that the journey is a lot of the fun in having a project

[J Knight]

Don't worry, take as much time as you need and drink another beer, it'll still be there when you get back to it. But if you can't take it anymore, send it to TX and ill fix it right up.
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[77BBGMC]

I’m with you it can be very frustrating, I’m about to wrap a motor swap that has taken way too long … I’ve been almost finished for a month. I've spent many hours reading on this forum, it keeps me motivated. El Campo is right, it’s supposed to be fun!

[Cherub]

beer and a footrub minus the footrub

[motornut]

happy hour!

[Outlaw87]

Patience.

I never had it, but i learned that kicking the dog, throwing a wrench across the shop floor or breaking something in frustration doesn't make the problem go away, hell in most cases it makes it worse. (joking about kicking the dog)

But over the years i learned to have patience, mainly because of my job. Now every time i encounter problems, whether truck related or not, i just step back, take a few minutes and think it out and things flow much better.....

[CaliDude76]

Yeah, I would say patience too. I'm doing the same thing, I'm just waiting for my tranny to get back from being rebuilt, so i'm anticipating some minor problems here and there too...

Just stop and take a breather, when it gets a bit tough, that's what I do.

good luck!

[Black 'n' Blue]

Get mad, take a break, finish, drive the piss outta it after to punish it.

[Dan1969]

Shoot it like a horse.

[mooseknuckles]

patience mostly....and dont plan on things ever going smoothly, expect the worst and plan ahead!

[gofastbobby]

the deadline is what gets me the most. i run on high expectations and tough deadlines, my job demands it and it's easy to transfer that to my shade tree work. there's a lot to be said for patience in this hobby isn't there.

thanks for the support guys.

[f.monroe]

Originally Posted by gofastbobby

[rant]


completely focused now on the dipstick tube and not the fact that the converter wasn't lined up right and is pinched against the flexplate.



[/rant]

Pinched is a little concerning. If the converter is not fully seated in the pump and gets pinched or pushed into the trans when the bellhousing bolts are tightened it can break the drive splines on the pump gear. I hope this has not happened but if the pump gears are cracked it WILL fail . Look at it carefully before proceding.
Frank

[oldblue1968chevy]

Best thing to do is walk away and THINK (I know thats hard..) agree with violence doesnt help (but makes you feel better briefly then your like crap whyd I do that)

[BruthaMan]

If there is one thing I've been forced to accept during my build, it's been patience. I normally do not have a lot of patience, especially for stupid stuff. There were days where we spent more time going to Tractor Supply for bolts and specialty screws then we did getting anything done. Things that you would think would take maybe an hour, ended up taking days.

The plus side to that, is an overwhelming sense of accomplishment when you get something difficult done.

On days like yours, I take a break at the end of the day and load up Jack Vale's youtube channel and watch the "pooter" series. You can't help but laugh at some of the reactions and laughter always makes things better.

[INSIDIOUS '86]

i usually hit my hood with a hammer, (old one) then get back to work with a beer or few lol

[jitteryguy]

Originally Posted by Outlaw87

Patience.

I never had it, but i learned that kicking the dog, throwing a wrench across the shop floor or breaking something in frustration doesn't make the problem go away, hell in most cases it makes it worse. (joking about kicking the dog):

I would never kick my dog ! I dont have one, it's my girlfreinds dog's that have to watch out !

[MadManAndrew]

Go inside and get dirtier if you know what I mean! That's what women are for.
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[chevyman95]

I usually get all frazzled and audibly threaten to light my truck on fire.... then I take a break come back, get it done and have fun.

[bharrison1]

When i had my 82 i got mad at it slammed the door and shattered the window so apparently i didnt handle it well ha ha

[Indian113]

I just walk away,drink a glass of tea or soda. I never make long term goals I can't achieve. I just make small goals and smile when I when I get one done. Never do I mix up my plan- finish one thing at a time!!!!

[68C15]

you need "dammit tool". mine is a deep 9/16 socket 3/8 drive

[special-K]

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Originally Posted by special-K

Good thing tim and I are not neighbors or we really wouldnt get anything done...