Oh come on!!!!

[Guest]

So last week my valve shims finally arrived and I was able to adjust my valves. The mail ran late that day so I didn't get start until it was almost dark. Well this is the first time in the last 12 years that I don't have a garage to work in because I am renting a place to live in until I am done remodeling my house. So anyway I'm out on a small concrete patio of sorts trying to adjust my valves in the dark with a treble light.

All was going well and I was almost finished when I I felt something hit my hand and fall into the head. Oh come on!!!! I thought as my heart sank. Instantly all I could think about was having to tear the motor apart because something fell down the cam chain tunnel. Wait a minute what the hell could have fallen. Then I realized that it was the little knurled nut that holds all of my feeler gauges together. It had come loose from all of the back forth motion of using the different gauges to set the valves. Luckily though it fell just to the side of the number 3 intake valve and I was able to get it out with needle nose.

Lesson learned. Remove and use one feeler gauge at a time especially when working under less than perfect conditions or at the least check that nut regularly lol. So who else has had a Oh come on!!!! Moment while wrenching on their bike?

[SVSooke]

Those moments happen to me ALL the time.My favorite is "losing" the tool or part you just had in your hands.

[Roland5color]

Those moments happen to me ALL the time.My favorite is "losing" the tool or part you just had in your hands.

Oh yeah that's a good one and your right that's exactly what i think ever time it happens oh come on not again!!!! Especially if I've had little sleep and have been working on something for hours. I'm not smart enough to step back and take a break. Well at least when I was young I wasn't. These days I'm more likely to walk away even for a day or to if necessary.

[eil]

While adjusting shims, I dropped nuts down into the front of the cam chain tunnel twice, and was twice lucky that they only fell a couple inches down and I was able to retrieve them with a mirror and flexible magnet.

From now on, the first thing I do after removing the valve cover is stuff a rag into the cam chain tunnel.

[GSXR7ED]

I'm in the middle of completing a valve adjustment and used rags to cover up the areas susceptible to these type of accidents. Good points being brought up.


Ed

[Roland5color]

From now on, the first thing I do after removing the valve cover is stuff a rag into the cam chain tunnel.

Normally this what I would do when removing nuts or bolts but I figured what the heck I'm not taking anything loose what could fall in lol.

[Badooka]

Yeah story of my life as well- langauge gets good and colorful in these moments of mechanical despair- start thinking about new machines and why am I even doing this crap any more etc. Then you get it all squared away and running right and then you remember why you do it. My worst had to be putting heads on a SBC and out of 34 Head bolts torqued to 75 Ftlbs. number 34 stripped and just kept on spinning- I seriously thought about scrapping the entire motor and the 4K in it. Took me about 2 weeks to get back to it I was so PO'ed. I have learned though once you start getting exhausted and hungry and thirsty, better to stop before something major goes south.

[Roland5color]

I was rebuilding a SBC back when I was young and dumb and broke off a main bolt. That's back when I trusted a torque wrench more than I did my own feel or common sense. I just keep pulling because it never clicked lol. That was one of my finer moments in mechanics .

[SVSooke]

Did one just yesterday,a 12mm socket will fit the wrong way round on a 3/8 ratchet.Was trying to tighten the turn signal nuts with the end of my 3/8 extension.

[Roland5color]

[Steve]

So who else has had a Oh come on!!!! Moment while wrenching on their bike?

Nope.




Never.




That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

.

[lurch12_2000]

If I didn't read up on the procedure for valve cover removal on my Bandit when adjusting valves, I'm sure I would have had an "OH *#$@" situation with the 2 metal alignments pins falling into the engine abyss or the 4 seperate spark plug tower gaskets that are small enough to fall and disappear into the darkness.

[mrbill5491]

Yup been there cussed that/had a hissy fit, stomped around, throw a wrench, the usual. I think the dumbest was I changed the oil once and installed the new filter and thought, hmm that went on easy this time. Buttoned everything up, added the oil and then noticed a spring under the bike...(insert scream here) redrain oil, take oil filter cover off, take out filter, install spring yada yada etc.

[spyug]

Well I think I have you all beat with last years 550 lack of oil pressure fiasco.

As some of you will recall, I encountered a situation where my oil pressure light wouldn't go out after I had done an oil and filter change. I spent months trying to figure out the issue, ripping the electricals and engine apart in my escalating frustration to figure it out. Hundreds of postings in my thread accumulated from guys trying to help out and many of you where extremely helpful but nothing worked until......I decided to have a look at the filter, only to find it was in backwards and blocking the flow of oil from the cooler.

Talk about the Dooh! head slap and 1/2 hour of nasty cussing.

You would think after that I'd be cured of dumbass moves but, sad to report, I still do goofy things.

It's all part of the fun of wrenching!

[SVSooke]

Well I think I have you all beat with last years 550 lack of oil pressure fiasco.

As some of you will recall, I encountered a situation where my oil pressure light wouldn't go out after I had done an oil and filter change. I spent months trying to figure out the issue, ripping the electricals and engine apart in my escalating frustration to figure it out. Hundreds of postings in my thread accumulated from guys trying to help out and many of you where extremely helpful but nothing worked until......I decided to have a look at the filter, only to find it was in backwards and blocking the flow of oil from the cooler.

Talk about the Dooh! head slap and 1/2 hour of nasty cussing.

You would think after that I'd be cured of dumbass moves but, sad to report, I still do goofy things.

It's all part of the fun of wrenching!

I remember that,it was a classic