I did a stupid!!!

[gitchesum]

LSTDR Texas Rally 2001



Just finished installing the #10 plate I got from Piers. Take it out on the highway in front of the entire campsite and lay into it pretty hard to show off the new power. Then POP!!! White smoke everywhere.



I forgot to tighten the clamp on the intake hose. And everyone knew it when I got back cause everyone heard it when it let got.



I've also forgotten to close the fuel filter can after a filter change. At least that part of the father-in-laws gravel driveway won't ever rust.



Also, since this is really a non-technical topic, I'm gonna head it south to the Other forum.

 

[Bill Stockard]

LSTDR Texas Rally 2001



Just finished installing the #10 plate I got from Piers. Take it out on the highway in front of the entire campsite and lay into it pretty hard to show off the new power. Then POP!!! White smoke everywhere.



I forgot to tighten the clamp on the intake hose. And everyone knew it when I got back cause everyone heard it when it let go.

Hey Curtis,



Yep, I remember that! :-laf :-laf :-laf



I'm gulty of the drill in reverse... just burned up one drill bit.



Bill

 

[JL penner]

I had just installed the edge ez and wanted to see what my truck could do with a 4wheel drive launch... ... ... . Well I had forgotten that my toolbox (the kind that sits on the bed rails) wasn't bolted down very well, and had about 300 pounds of tools in it. I launched in 2nd gear and didn't even try to go to third cuz of the loud CLUNK BANG I heard from the back of the truck. I shut it down and we ran around to the back of the truck to see my toolbox (lid still shut) laying in the middle of the road. We had to flag somebody down to help us lift it back into the truck, because when it hit, the latch broke inside, so it couldn't be opened. Luckily I didn't have my new tailgate on yet, otherwise, I woulda been shopping for a new tailgate!

 

[terrywerm]

Ohhhhh yes! We've all been there in one way, shape or form. Here's mine:



I had a 93 Peterbilt (Cummins power of course; N14) and unloaded corn syrup in St. Cloud, MN. one January afternoon. I Drove east on I-94 to the truckstop at Hasty, which is about 10 or 15 miles out of St. Cloud, for some fuel and dinner. Got that all taken care of and needed to get going down to Chaska, about 80 miles away to pick up a load of liquid sugar going to God knows where. I had until 10 PM to get it loaded and it was only 4PM, so I went back inside to call home.



After a nice conversation with the wife, I headed back out to the truck and realized that I had locked BOTH sets of keys in the cab. NO PROBLEM! Lift the hood, got to my secret key stash and got out the extra keys. I took one look at them and realized that they were the WRONG KEYS!!. :{



I went inside and called home (which luckily was only about 70 miles away) and asked my wife to make the trip with the extra key that is kept there. She and the kids had not yet had dinner, so I had to promise to feed them when they arrived. She dutifully loaded the kids in the car, grabbed the key, and headed my way. I headed back inside and sat down in the restaurant for more coffee. I also observed at this time that it was beginning to snow.



Now those of you who are familiar with Peterbilts know that the head of the key is somewhat oblong and has the Peterbilt oval on it. It is of a shape that is easily recognizable. While drinking my coffee and pondering my situation I pulled the hidden spare key out of my pocket and started looking at it, trying to figure out how the hell I had stashed the wrong key on the truck. About this time it dawned on me that the spare was a COPY and did not have the Peterbilt head shape, but that it WAS the correct key. I had foolishly assumed that it was the wrong key and never even tried it in the door!



I first try calling home - too late - the wife had already left and did not have a cell phone at that time. Went out to the truck and sure enough - the key opened the door. Now I'm REALLY feeling stupid! Can you say M-O-R-O-N?



I won't trifle you kind readers with the hell I caught when my wife arrived a little over an hour later. #@$%! I bought and paid for dinner for the family, and we went on our merry way through the snow. I arrived in Chaska with just minutes to spare to get loaded that evening.



She brings the story up every now and again - she'll never let me live it down! :-laf



I've got a better one to tell, but I'll let some others chime in with their experiences first.

 

[Jumbo Jet]

OK - I remember just one - Drove to Lowes and bought a bundle of 2" x 10' plastic conduit. Put the bundle in the bed of the truck with 2' sticking out the V-notch of my tailgate. I figured I didn't need to tie it down since it was sitting in the 8' bed at an angle. I got to the last traffic signal to turn left. Two lanes of on-coming traffic was stopped waiting for the turn signal. Both drivers were busy on their cell phones. When the lights turned green, I nailed the CTD and was gone before either car moved. There was a bundle of 2" plastic conduit partially blocking both lanes. It didn't get run over. One of the "slow" drivers got out of his car and moved the bundle of conduit off the roadway. I profusely apologized as he just shook his head and got back in his car.

 

[loncray]

Oh, man, I did the same exact thing with a load of 2x4's from Lowes - I thought I had them tied down good, but the combination of going around a corner and up a hill left about 20 of them on the road - in rush hour traffic. I was able to go around the block and get back to them before the cops arrived - it felt like hours loading them back up as traffic creeped around me.

 

[R-N-R]

This is funnier now than it was at the time... .



Late leaving for the campground, I hooked up the trailer, drove like I stole something, rabbit starts from lights, 75-80 on the highwayetc... . Pulled into the campground, stopped at the dump station for a drain and fill and left rather aggressively. Pulled up to the campsite and the trailer tongue dropped to the ground. Apparently I had not put in the hitch pin, btw I have a Hensley. The weight distribution must have kept enough pressure to hold the draw bar in the receiver. The hand of god must have done the rest of the work keeping us and our fellow drivers on the road alive.



So, there we are, parked in front of our campsite on a Friday evening, with traffic starting to back up behind us. I'm freaked out over what I had done, and embarrassed as all get out. I use the electric tongue jack to raise the trailer, lined up the truck and backed up to reinsert the drawbar into the Hensley receiver. Naturally I did not chock the trailer wheels, read above freaked out and embarrassed... . Yep, sure enough the tongue jack now had a nice bend in the tube, but at least there was enough of a connection to secure the trailer to the truck. Now I got to further announce my stupidity by having to drag the tongue jack tube through the campground on the asphalt road. I finally stopped and cut off the un-retractable tube.



I have not re-enacted this idiocy since then, and do not expect a encore performance!!!

 

[DHorton]

Pulled up to pump. Handle was GREEN. Just got it started and before I got 2/10ths of a gallon in it hit me that it was not the right one. Shut'er down and after some adrinaline was released, shut the pump off, then got the right handle and prayed there was not enough super unleaded to hurt the ole gal.

 

[rbattelle]

I was working with a technician on a late model 3. 8L supercharged GM V6 engine on a test stand hooked to an engine dino. I was at the front, he was at the back (where the controls were). I had my hand in between the serpentine belt unclipping the cam position sensor when he bumped the starter.



Engine cranked over and sucked my left hand into the belt and wrapped it around the crank pulley. I calmly instructed him to back away and cut the belt to free me. He was panicking and wanted to unbolt the tensioner instead. After about 30 seconds of convincing, he cut the belt and I was free. Hand looked badly mangled, but I didn't break a single bone - just stretched the crap out of some ligaments (pinky finger was bent all the way across the palm of my hand). To this day that pinky still hurts so that I can't crack that knuckle (this accident happened 4 years ago).



It is only by the grace of God that the engine didn't start and take my entire arm off. Still scares me to think about it. Stupid stupid stupid. ALWAYS disconnect the battery.



-Ryan

 

[Eric_77]

Boy I have paragraphs, chapters , books but here is one I have never mentioned.



Went to lake unload boat and had my old roomie drive boat to dock while I parked truck/trailer. Just as I was getting back in truck realized I had forgot to give him the boat keys. I tossed him the keys was 2 inchs short of making it over the windshield. We both watched as the dealer installed floaty attached to key ring that is supposed to keep keys above water sank with the ignition key, ice box key, storage box key, ski storage key, and fuel key disappeared beneath the surface. hmm search as best we can in the 8-10 deep water then call brother on cell phone to bring dive gear and spare key out to us 2 hours away. Well I check dive gear out and open valve on tank crap only 500 PSI left oh well shallow dive it should give me 15 minutes to be able to find key. Suit up and swim out to general area key was dropped. Go under shhhh gulp out of air. pop up ****** 500 PSI should have given me some time. Take gear off go to shut air valve ahh crap I forgot to open it again after checking for pressure. By now the sun was setting and ramp was too busy to shut down to search.

 

[gitchesum]

Hey Curtis,



Yep, I remember that! :-laf :-laf :-laf

See. They still remember it. Between my intake boot, and John Conley developing a bad case of Piers Knock, we were the comical highlights of the weekend.