Embarrassing Moment of the Day

thats what I thougt it was the entire time!

I should have asked.

It was pulling about 2/3 air and 1/3 gas, so I could always get it to run...just not well.

It was a fluke that I found it and figured out what was happening.

Life is good...I also have a station that now carries non-ethanol gas, right up the road.

I WILL be fishing next weekend.

Edit- Shoot. I just remembered...I changed out the fuel pump a couple of years ago over this. Glad I didn't throw it away.

Don't forget to install the transom plug.

Right now I've just got the lower end in a garbage can full of water.

But yeah...I've forgotten that before too.

2 kind of boaters, those who have and those about to! -- JHF

I almost feel like I could cry.

This problem, that took 10 minutes to fix, has ruined multiple fishing trips, due to stalling, not starting, having to use the trolling motor or oars to get back in, etc.

I haven't even taken the boat out this summer, because I didn't feel like dealing with the hassle.

The motor is now running like it's new.

Did you try Googling it?

No. I didn't see any point.

I flooded the engine with water one time, (another stupid me story), and figured it was from that.

This is the tank I have.

Why would they design it with a flimsy pickup tube jammed in a hole, rather than a simple one piece design with an elbow in it!!!!?????

It's the same old story, you get what you pay for. I always try to take good hard look at anything I intend to purchase, just to see what can go wrong, as it usually does. A few extra $ upfront at purchase time, in my experience, is usually worth it. It is not just how inexpensive things are, it is "value for the money" in my books.

Yeah, I do the same, but the gas tanks for a bass boat are all pretty much the same, and there's really no way to inspect the inside of the tank, at the store.

A finger full of RTV fixed it though, so I'm out some time, but at least not money.

I've seen the "pros" charge people a lot of money to do exactly what I did, which is to go after the obvious places that might be causing the problem.

I just wanted to post it here, because I knew some people would understand the mental anguish I went through, and that the problem was literally inches from me the whole time.

My wife just said, "Oh, that's good".

Although I sort of agree with you, even "expensive" things need to be fully checked out as thoroughly as cheap stuff as some today are cheap stuff masquerading as quality......

It can be better to buy cheap and replace an important part before using as a) you know how its put together b) it will then work as designed.

Especially anything to do with safety. Even more especially in/on boats and safety......

I agree with you entirely! The hospital I worked for bought a milling machine from a far east manufacturer. It came with a suds pump and the hose work was cleverly attached to the head by using a 1/2" 't' piece. I don't know why but I thought I should take it out and make sure the leg of the 't' that was screwed into the head was brocked off. It wasn't! If I had started the suds pump it would have filled the head until it reached the level of the on/off switch, which was also set into the hollow head, and then things would have been more interesting.

A little lathe from the sub continent had the headstock with all of the cast iron shavings from the manufacturing process still inside. I didn't deliberately think to take the lid off to check for this or anything else untoward but only because there was no filler hole for the oil.

Ah! the memories.

Jim

That's not OT. These are the stories I need to hear right now.

I'm busy trying to make myself feel better, by asking, "How difficult would it have been, for them to have put some adhesive around the pickup tube?"

The tank isn't really made to be dismantled, so I assumed the inside parts would have been built to last.

There's a small check valve in the top, so the bulb would always build pressure...little did I know that it was mostly air.

I guess what I was experiencing, is vapor lock. My fuel system was filled with pressurized air, with a little gas in it.

I gave the new fuel pump a quick check when I bought it...yep, gas was coming out, so I put it together.

Anyway, today is a really good day. This has been bumming me out for a long time. I never would have guessed that my problem was external to the engine.

It did have a rubber O-ring.

Maybe it wasn't meant to handle ethanol.

The government is responsible for this!!!!

But you got it........

Yeah, I've got that I guess.

My diagnosis was right too...

My brain kept telling me that I had a massive vacuum leak; it's just that I, (repeatedly), tore apart everything but the actual source, in my search for it.

It would have been better if the pickup tube just fell off entirely, and I was getting zero gas.

I don't know what I'm going to do, now that this problem is cleared up. Maybe I should go buy a used Cavalier.

If there had been a clear fuel filter from the OEM, you would have figured this out, as part of normal engine operation.

I hate not having simple diagnostic by design, and this clearly is one.

This is just as bad as having idiot lights, instead of temp/pressure gauges on critical engine monitoring.

Being blind sucks.

Good point.

We've now got computerized cars, and you have to purchase or go find someone with a reader, when something goes wrong; and it would have been very simple to have a display in the dash giving real time info.

This reminds me of assembling stuff my girl friend buys...... Patio benches, foldable wheel barrow. Seems I get to putting it together at a good rate, I'll stop reading the direction, and I put the left handle on the right side and have to disassemble it and redo it.......... Correctly.

This is an interesting title and discussion. Maybe we should have a regular feature about our embarrassing moments. Makes for interesting reading.

I could be a daily contributor.

You may not find a lot of people that want to post their screwups...it may mess up the pecking order.

I like it at the bottom of the ladder; it's a shorter fall.

"I like it at the bottom of the ladder; it's a shorter fall."

Me, too! I might not get to soar with the eagles, but buzzards don't get sucked into jet intakes!

LG,

Great idea!

And who better to take the lead than the OP, who, by his own admission, must have many "moments" each day to be able to distinguish this one as "Embarrassing". (at least he didn't identify it as his MOST embarrassing moment)

And, to think that there are 30 days in a month, we have a veritable gold mine of "moments" with which to work.

OK, so twice, in two different boats I didn't put the transom plug in the boat before I launched. Fortunately, both times the trailer was still in the water.

Yes, fertile ground, for sure.

I like it!

This one was actually a valuable lesson. I've done plenty of work on trucks and cars, and never would imagine that a vacuum leak could originate in the tank.

The fact that the primer bulb was building pressure, also threw me off. There was enough gas in there, that it felt like it was full of gas.

Lesson learned:

Regardless of how remote the possiblity, check every system that has any connection to the system you are having problems with.

Although, a visual inspection of the gas tank inards would have told me nothing.

Bottom line?

I lucked out.

"Regardless of how remote"

OK, REMOTE triggers a memory. I was working on my 89 Dodge Diplomat (MANY years ago) and was setting the valves. You know the remote "bump switch" you use to kick the engine over a degree or two at a time, in order to get to TDC on any one valve? Well I was using one. Then I decided to set the reluctor breaker gap (yeah it WAS that old, but least it used a magnetic pickup and thyristor to gen the spark, instead of the old breaker points, which, for you kids, probably predate your grandpa, but I DID work on, too many times).

So, there I was, valves set, ready to start the car. I had been working on the timing, and the valves, and whatever, so I had the ignition switch in the ACCESSORY position (NOT run!), and I got the bright idea to start the car from the bump switch, so I could hear how the valve setting sounded.

You guessed it, didn't check the ignition position. Tried and tried to start that hunk of iron. Called it every name in the book, (without cussing once, I have a large and varied vocabulary. And my kids were listening. Besides, I hate cussing!), to no avail.

Tore the starter out trying to find out why it would try to start, get spark, and, as soon as I let go of the bump switch, die. I only attacked the starter cause I had already taken the distributor apart, then removed it from the car, and further disassembled it, used an Ohmmeter on all the wiring looking for what might be open, reassembled and reinstalled the distributor to see if it worked, pulled it back out, put it back, checked for spark while cranking from the bump switch (had spark, got bit, got madder).

Finally, after about three hours of this idiocy, I looked in the window, and saw the key was (OH CRUD!!!) IN THE ACCESSORY position! Turned it to start, started the car, listened to it hum, cried a lot, took the bump switch out and put it away.

Then told my wife what all the yelling was about. She didn't say anything. Lovely lady.

That's another good one!

I wish I had a dollar for every time I've done something like that.

I changed out the master cylinder and booster on my truck about 6-7 years ago. Read the factory manual, got everything out, bench bled the new master...got everything in and put together perfectly. Even double checked each step.

To celebrate my success, I had a couple of beers, and relaxed for a little while.

Okay, time to do a short test drive. I closed the hood, fired it up, threw it in reverse...What?!!!! No brakes!!!

I backed it right into a wet ditch, and had to call a tow truck to pull me out.

I forgot to bleed the brakes.

Did the same, but managed to stop with the handbrake without damaging anything....or killing anyone. I was 19.....and stupid!!!

Recently, my son-in-law, who half owns an old VW Camper van (used once a year basically!) called "Barney" (in chrome letters on the back!!), had a problem with his clutch, so he bought a new master cylinder and after much tussling, got it installed. I was asked to help with getting the air out. I sat in the driving seat and pumped the pedal.

Well we pumped and pumped and pumped, pints of Dot 4 brake fluid, still not disengaging the clutch.......

After an hour I called a stop and we had a short discussion. I asked him to block the arm at the clutch to see what happened, pedal hard as a rock, e.g. the air was LONG gone!!

He then dropped the gearbox and saw that the arm that operates the clutch was cleanly broken in two!! A short time spent spent welding and he could drive the Camper again!!

Another red face.......we wasted several hours of fluid pumping and then he tells me afterwards that he heard it snap.......DDUUUUHHHHHHH!

It really wouldn't be fair to have a daily feature that I was able to dominate.

We should also have one for a**hole moments, just for you.

We already do, don't we?

Perhaps we should also have a "notary" moment, where, no matter how many smart people tell you your brilliant, impractical idea is unfeasible, you keep telling them they're all wrong.

You're.

It's you're brilliant, not your brilliant.

Sorry Grasshopper.

You're wrong. As in, "you are".

Look again. I'm not saying "you are" brilliant, I'm saying the idea you have, as in posses.

Your brilliant idea, etc.....................

NEVER try to correct the master.

"no matter how many smart people tell you your brilliant"

I love it when you fight back. There may be room for you in this feature, after all.

Nevermind.

I just stepped in it again.

I'll be watching you, mister.

OK, that's better.

#43

I was just thinking...

Why can't I attach the piece with the check valve, to the bottom of the gas tank, attach the hose, and raise the tank about 6", and make my system on the boat into a gravity assist?

Seems like it would reduce wear and tear on the fuel pump.

Now that it's working perfectly, I want to "fix" it some more.

Safety. As it is now, there are no holes in the bottom of the tank to fail and fill the boat with gas.

DO NOT TOUCH THE TANK!

Safety should never be a concern when it comes to making something work better.

Got a light?

Assuming my seal holds, I could just raise the tank and let a siphon effect take place.

I find it amusing that it all seems to come down to the lowest common denominator ...gas, for our most embarrassing moments.

Yeah...especially when the gas is mixed with wet bubbles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiNZdTSH3-A

Lyn, you are wrong, "your" is used as in ownership, "you're" is the same as you are....Therefore "your" and "you're" are two completely different words. One is a determiner, the other is a Pronoun, the third is a contraction.....

Many people from the US make this error, I do not know why....seen it and heard it many times.

I looked up "your", "you" and "you're" in the OED for you, I hope that it helps:-

YOUR

determiner

• 1belonging to or associated with the person or people that the speaker is addressing:what is your name?

• 2belonging to or associated with any person in general:the sight is enough to break your heart
• informal used to denote someone or something that is familiar or typical of its kind:I'm just your average man in the street she is one of your chatty types

3 (Your) used when addressing the holder of certain titles:Your Majesty Your Excellency

You

pronoun [second person singular or plural]

• 1used to refer to the person or people that the speaker is addressing:are you listening? I love you
• used to refer to the person being addressed together with other people regarded in the same class:you Americans
• used in exclamations to address one or more people:you fools hey, you!
• West Indian your:I didn't know that was you nickname

2used to refer to any person in general:after a while, you get used to it

YOU'RE

contraction you are:you're an angel, Deb!

Go back and read what I said again. Read it carefully and make no assumptions, nor draw any inferences from what I clearly stated.

Then, I'll accept your apology!

Maybe living abroad has some side effects, I speak 99.9999% of the time only German, so please explain it for me in a simple easy to understand manner, in proper English please..

Thanks in advance.....

The only part of your post that I have a problem with with which I have a problem, is the first 4 words.

We agree on the rest. I thought that's what I said.

Lyn, what you wrote is neither correct English or correct American.....

I do see American as another language because it has evolved differently in many areas, but not in this one....

I did look at several online dictionaries, but they all basically said the same. Even the Advanced Oxford American Dictionary. Online at:-

http://oaadonline.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/your

.....which gave for "your" this:-

YOUR

(the possessive form of you)

1 of or belonging to the person or people being spoken or written toI like your dress.Excuse me, is this your seat?The bank is on your right.

2 of or belonging to people in generalDentists advise you to have your teeth checked every six months.In Japan you are taught great respect for your elders.

3 (informal) used to show that someone or something is well known or often talked about This is your typical dive bar.(ironic, disapproving)You and your bright ideas!

4 Your used in some titles, especially those of royal people

Your Majesty Your Excellency.

I hope this clears up any further questions.....

Andy,

I give up.

You, obviously can't comprehend English.

Now that IS REALLY funny!!!

So they say your your is wrong and that your you're would be right, but I think your your is correct too! _{I did have to go back and read it again}

I'll never correct anyone again...promise!

I just saw an opportunity for a jab at lyn. That's it.

It came right back and bit me. Lyn's sentence was correct.

The kill order has been called off Andy...for now.

I misread the sentence.

However, I think it should have read like this:

no matter how many smart people tell you {that} your brilliant, impractical idea is unfeasible

Anyway, he was referring to "your impractical idea"

Ah!

Many thanks.

You??........................................correcting MY grammar??????????????????????????????

OMG! I may weep.

Sometimes I jump the gun, in my attempts to humble you.

You may have been right on this one, but this isn't over.

Another fuel issue ....

As teenagers at Uni we bought and sold VW's to earn spending money.
One machine (1961 40HP) had a poor body so it was converted to a beach buggy.
And before a race day, there was a choice of 2 engines ... Engine A had a supposedly crack head on one side of the air cooled horizontally opposed. Engine B had a dodgy fuel pump.

We selected engine B. More power!

Half way through the race (when in the lead) the buggy coughed and spluttered to a silent stop. After the race and an added jerry can of fuel, all was fine again. Such are the benefits of gravity fuel feed.

It never occurred to us to swap the fuel pumps between engine A and B!
The buggy was sold (with engine A) a couple of weeks later and we enjoyed the (under age) beer. The reality of the situation was not appreciated for a couple of years!

Your next unhappy trip is going to be from the dissolved RTV silicone, unless you used the grade designed for gasoline. The wrong kind leaves a practically unremovable glop in all the little tubes and passageways in the carb, makes the fuel pump valves floppers stick shut, etc. Repaired many an engine whose carb gaskets had been augmented with silicone.

Thanks for the tip.

I believe I used the solvent resistant stuff, but I'll recheck. It's on the inside, top of the tank, so direct contact with gasoline would come mostly from splashing; and the new fuel filter will stop any gunk from getting to the carb, but if it starts acting up again, I'll know what my first suspect will be.

Hmm, I should be okay, but it doesn't say "made for gasoline". This is what I used.

http://www.permatex.com/products-2/product-categories/gasketing/gasket-makers/permatex-sensor-safe-blue-rtv-silicone-gasket-maker-detail

Yep, that's good stuff. I didn't feel like driving, so I just used what I had on hand, but I'll remember to grab another tube.

I've always used a very thin film of the black, non-hardening sealer on carbs.

I also think that switching to non-ethanol gas, is going to save me a lot of frustration with my small engines.

As long as we're talking about boats and cheap, crappy products; here's a tip for you guys with bass boats.

Ever bought these?

Only to find out that they turn into garbage after one season.

Do yourself a favor: Spend the extra $10 and get yourself a lawn tractor seat. I have one like this, and it's been good to go for 7 years.

Once in awhile, I come up with a good idea.

Education doesn't come cheap.

It's nice knowing that this problem won't bite me again.

I think it's time to go check out the pickup tubes on my chainsaw, string trimmers, etc.

My lawn mower has experienced no problems, even with ethanol gas, but then again, it's gravity feed.

I had a couple of "slap myself" moments this year with my Garden Tractor mower deck. Since I first got the tractor with the deck installed I could never seem to get the deck adjusted such that it always cut correctly and evenly. I ran it for years this way until the time came to rebuild it. When I went to reassemble everything I decided I'd just take a look at the manual, in case I had something wrong from the way I remembered it being. Discovered the unit had come from the factory with a couple of brackets installed backwards! On top on that I discovered that every time I had reinstalled the mower deck on the tractor, I was attaching some other brackets incorrectly! Needless to say, my lawn looks a whole lot better that it ever did!

So now when I buy something that comes assembled from the dealer/factory, I always get the instructions out and double check, and double check the manual when I do anything, even if I just did it yesterday (_{old age protection})!

Just like a new lawn mower......... who says things don't improve with age.

That sounds like it came right out of my book of goofs.

Good one!

I've got a bunch of them, this was just the latest.

Last year, we had just arrived to our summer vacation destination at the beach. I pulled into a store to get drinks, got out of my Town & Country van, and discovered that I had a hole in the back tire that was leaking fast. It was a really hot, humid day.

Well, the van was loaded with crap, which I had to remove to get the lug wrench and jack out. Check. Found the little donut tire under the back of the van. Check.

Naturally, I was wearing a nice pair of shorts and a button down shirt, which it's rare that I put on nice clothes.

I laid down a towel, looked under the back of the van, and it looked like one of those threaded metal handles was holding the spare in place, which was attached to a threaded bar...just like a pickup truck.

It wouldn't budge.

I had a few tools, but no hammer, so I walked to a repair shop nearby and borrowed a hammer to tap it loose.

No luck. It was really stuck. Being pissed off at this point, I decided to just beat it until it broke, and I'd fix it later. I beat on it for almost an hour.

Filthy, covered in sweat, and knuckles bleeding, I decided to look in the manual...just in case...

Under the carpet in the back of the van, there was a handy plastic nut, that just happened to fit the lug wrench. When you turned it counterclockwise, it lowered the spare tire to the ground on a steel cable.

To make it worse, there was a restaurant next door, and the outdoor seating area just happened to look out over the parking lot where all of this happened.

Yes the restaurant owner advertises free floor shows for it's entertainment. I do a lot of traveling and I rent quite a few vehicles....

I always look over the instrumentation layout before leaving........

• Wiper location
• Side where Gas cap is on
• Lights and such

What I have to do is remember to see if the car has a safety latch inside, I do have to pull out the owners manual at times.

And yes, if I had to change tires, This is the norm. Each vehicle make is different.

Here's one of my duh moments, related to fuel and small engines:

When I was in high school I raced go-karts with 2-cycle engines. With a very limited budget, I cut some corners (too much). A friend's Dad bought fuel (Methanol) in 55 gallon barrels and would sell me what I needed at his cost. But I didn't have a nice 5 gallon can like he had. Then I found one in a dumpster behind a local business. I cleaned it out "really good" and bought new fuel and mixed in my oil.

I also built my own racing engines, and was proud to show one off to a kid down the street. I had just rebuilt it and mounted it to the kart, so I filled the tank so I could test it / show it off. It started right up and ran good... at first... then started slowing down until it stalled and wouldn't restart. In fact, I couldn't even spin the flywheel.

Fearing that I'd seized the engine, I started taking everything back apart. I had to pry the stuffer plate off the bottom of the engine, which was odd because normally it was a loose slip-fit and not involved with the rotating assembly. But then I found my problem!

The whole engine was full of wax! My repurposed 5 gallon can had held floor wax, and I hadn't cleaned it out as good as I thought. The Methanol had dissolved the wax, and as the fuel passed through the crankcase and the engine heated up it solidified the wax.

It was a lot of work to clean out that engine, and I didn't get to race that weekend. But at least everything was salvageable. And everybody had great fun talking about how I'd waxed my engine.

Ouch!

I've created plenty of duh moments by trying to save money too. It usually costs more than it would have, to do it right the first time.

This was a little embarrassing, but I thought it was brilliant.

I went to the dentist on a Friday to get a tooth drilled out and get fitted for a crown, which wasn't going to be ready until the following week.

Well, the temporary filling fell out within hours of leaving the dentist.

Solution:

I filled it with 2 part marine epoxy. It worked so well, that I thought about not going back the dentist. He wasn't very pleased with my handiwork; the epoxy had to be drilled out.

What?? Drilling it out before completing a 5-year durability test?

I think it would have lasted a long time, but I'm sure I would have been charged for the crown anyway.

Many years ago, '75 or '6, my then boss asked me to assist a colleague in getting his engine started after a rebuild.....

He had replaced timing parts, new camshaft and reground all the valves and lapped them in as far as I remember.

I checked the timing of Cyl 1 and it was perfect, checked for spark at each plug and for fuel, everything was there, but it would only occasionally fire, but not run.

I then checked the opening of each valve and found that it was not 1-3-4-2 as most 4 cylinder engines are, but 1-2-4-3 (if I remember correctly). Checking the plug wires, they were set for 1-3-4-2......It was a bit of a tussle, but moving over the plug wires to suit the valve timing allowed the engine to immediately start and run beautifully!

It appears that Ford made both camshaft types for that engine and that a wrong one had been supplied using the correct part number.......

It turned out that he (and his Dad) had spent the best part of 4 days trying to get it started......they were embarrassed that they had not found the problem, and that I had found it in less than 30 minutes.....but I still maintain it was a logical progression of fault-finding, nothing more, nothing less.

I only found out later how long they had been at it!!! Embarrassing! I should have taken longer I suppose...

More than once, when my head is about to explode, a fresh pair of eyes from a friend can work wonders.

I've also been those fresh pair of eyes on several occasions, when someone else is stuck.

Therefore you understand fully how embarassing it was for me.....

John and his Dad actually as wellDID NOT tell me how long they had worked, it was later, while enjoying a Cuppa with the Mother that she thanked me very nicely for putting an end to 4 days of family "anger management"......she was SO grateful!!!!

I once spent a few days trying to get my old '85 GMC woods truck to start. Think I replaced a few parts too...before I discovered there was a rusted fuel line and there was no gas in the tank (the gauge didn't work so it was no help!) After I got it started and was feeling pretty good about how well it was running, I put it in gear and heard a nasty grinding and the trans finally gave out after many many years of abuse. Pulled any good parts off the engine and junked it for $350,and sold the parts for another $300. All went into the "new gun fund"

OK,

Grew up in central Arkansas. Foothills of the Ozark mountains.

Moved to AZ in 1969. It's flat here in the city. Lived here until 1989, then went back to the farm, still owned today by us.

The farmhouse is on the side of the hill, with a flat spot in front of the garage where we parked.

I was working on my 4WD pickup, tuning it up, manual transmission in neutral.

It's flat, so no need for emergency brake to be on.

Starts to sprinkle. I turn truck off and go inside to put a jacket on.

As I step out of the back door, there across the flat spot about 60 feet away, I see the front grill/bumper/headlights of the truck disappearing over the 45° bluff, backwards.

It was about 50 feet to the bottom of the canyon where the truck ended up, backed into an 8 inch pine tree. The sound was sickening. Trees had guided it down the hill as it bounced off them going down. Camper top, bumper, tailgate now V shaped.

Called a wrecker (didn't dare call brother or uncle to do it) and he pulled me back up the hill. I had to guide it back up through the trees.

It still ran/drove fine.

True story.

In terms of sheer hours wasted on projects, my biggest mistake, is assuming that it was me that made a mistake, and that the products I buy are designed to work properly, so I skip them as a possible cause.

I spent days analyzing and reworking my plumbing, over this stupid toilet, (which still isn't working perfectly), only to find out with a web search, that the toilet didn't work for anyone.

Same with the gas tank. A simple slide in tube is a piss poor design, and the only way to find it, is to tear the tank apart.

I once spent several hours replacing a starter on my Ford F-100 only to discover the battery was dead. These moments may be embarrassing, but they do serve a purpose. They provide the opportunity to learn and to expand our minds.

Yeah. They also provide a purpose to cuss, drink, throw things, kick the dog, yell at the wife, slap the kids....

But you're right; everytime I get bit by one of these problems, I make a very strong mental note, to not let it happen again.

But it does.

Many years ago we were putting in photocontrol monuments in for a large mine in the Yukon Territory. It was Feb. and -37 deg F. I was dropped of on mountain top "a" by chopper. I had to track and then shoot in with an EDM(pre-gps days) on points up to 5 miles away. The chopper had my assistant and they flew to the various points. I forgot my thermos of coffee AND my lunch on the chopper. After 6 hours of "follow the chopper take a shot" the EDM battery died. We were only half done and the spare batteries were where? In my lunch pail of course. My miserable day got better when I had to eat 7 hours of chopper rental and pilot and assistant time just to get the job finished the next day.

OUCH!!!!

That's a bad couple of days.

Anyone who has never forgotten to put the drain plug back in the oil pan has never done an oil change.