Freaking did it again

[esinger]

One of these days I'm going to learn :frown: I took the up-pipe off to clean up the engine bay and while working around the engine I dropped a rubber plug right down the opening to the passenger side header. This is the second time I've dropped something in that hole and you'd think I'd remember to plug it with a rag or something. The first time was a socket I dropped into it. I had to freaking take off the crossover to get the socket out of the exhaust system.

Luckily this was a rubber plug, so I started the car (Boy that's an impressive sound without the up-pipe) and gave it some gas and the plug just popped right on out of the passenger head opening.

I'm I the only one that plagues themselves with stupid moves like this?

 

[Turbo Riviera]

nope, I've done it before... I had one of the up pipe turbo studs get dropped in there once without me knowing about it.

I had to also pull the crossover tube that day to get the starter put on. By chance, I thought I'd bump the starter to make sure it worked. The engine fired and out comes the stud. I never even knew it was there... Saved my ass though! LOL

 

[esinger]

Well, glad to hear nobody else is as clumsy as me. I go through magnetic pickups like nobodies business. Too bad they don't give discounts for buying them by the dozen

I also have a nasty habit of leaving stuff inside the engine bay. Nothing like popping the hood and finding the wrench or socket that I lost the other day.

Good thing I'm not a mechanic by trade

 

[Boost231]

never droped anything in there yet. i would have done the same thing. fire it up and watch it fly. only with rubber.

 

[jhanson1750]

Oh Yea.... I once dropped a die down the Y pipe on my old 95 Z28. Took 6(SIX) hours to get it out. The whole system was welded together. This happened because of a "slight" lean out on the nos system and blew the #7 sparkplug out of the head....Threads and all. I was not sure if it would work but helicoil and WAALAA back on the road. Good Luck Jon Hanson

 

[my85grandnation]

Great Ive never dropped anything down in there either but after reading this post Im sure Im bound to now I have left tools under the hood to only find them later when I popped the hood. The worst thing though was one night I was installing fans on my dads T-Type, and I dont know if I left the ratchet and socket hanging on the nut for the radiator bracing or if I had set it somewhere, but I drove all the way across town and back home and when I was almost to my house I heard this big old clunk as something popped up and hit the underside of my car. I pulled over and found my ratchet layhing there without the socket. It was pitch black and figured Id never find the socket, but after a few drives back and fourth I finally saw it gleem in the headlights.

 

[Boost231]

lol thats pretty good. the worst one for me is when i popped the pcv valve gromet into the intake and i had to try and dig it out. that took about an hour.

 

[my85grandnation]

I also dropped one of the nuts off the turbo end of the uppipe down between the heatshielding and the intake totally out of site. That took a trip to the parts store for a strong magnet and about 20 mins of fishing around to finally come up with it. The worst thing though was one of my friends was helping my other friend take apart his engine on his 76 nova so they were removing the intake bolts I believe. My one friend backed out the bolt at the rear of the intake and they hadnt removed the distributor yet. He backed the bolt out without thinking and ended up running into the distributor in such a way that you could not reach the lever to switch the direcion on the ratchet. The worst part was that the ratchet also was in the way of the bolt to losten up the disrtibutor to get it out of the way. Im not sure how they finally got it undone but I gave the one guy crap about it for the longest time afterwards.

 

[Turbo Riviera]

lol thats pretty good. the worst one for me is when i popped the pcv valve gromet into the intake and i had to try and dig it out. that took about an hour.

Now you're bringing back memories...

10 years ago, I was removing the intake manifold off a buddies '84 t-type because I accidentally pushed the grommet into the intake while installing the pcv valve. I felt really bad, and stupid.

 

[esinger]

To this day I will not live down the time I removed the fuel rail without disconnecting the battery. The fuel rail touched the back of the alternator, arched and started a fire on top of my engine. Luckily a fire extinguisher was close by and the only damage was a spot in the middle of my NEW hood pad

 

[Boost231]

wow that really sucks. I remeber way back when i was installing my poston headers i got a socket stuck on one of the bolts and it wouldnt move for anything. well about 4 years later i was driving down the road and i heard a loud noise under the hood then out the back of the car it went. pulled over and that damn socket finally came off.