With a couple folks suffering some unfortunate mishaps here lately (car on fire & fried wiring), thought it might be worthwhile to ask anyone to share their mishaps and how they happened, so others might avoid similar mistakes or problems. I'll start w/ this - if you're moving an engine on a 4 wheel dolly or cart and go to lift it off with an engine hoist, BLOCK UP the corners of the cart securely, so the casters are OFF the ground, or else you might find yourself with a tipped cart and some part on the engine either bent or broken!
Never underestimate the complexity of wiring when the connector/bracket that holds the wires in order falls off! (*ahem* Marshall, remember? ) Or the severe PITA it is to replace a throttle cable. lol Good times...
Don't try to turn over a big 6 by yourself on an engine stand (my oldest brother) Don't miss when you take a swing at the end of a long extension while trying to pop off a center joint on an E36 control arm (my older brother) Me? I don't make mistakes. Nope. Definitely never forgot an O ring on an oil filter housing on a Benz. Also never forgot to tighten down the oil filter housing cover on an M3. Also, I have never, ever, forgotten to actually put the filter on my M20 when changing the oil, then driven out of the shop. Not once.
You're not making me confident in choosing you for my engine swap! lol I forgot to add one: The E30 isn't as great in the snow as you'd think with just all-seasons on.
Tell me about it! But at least it didn't break anything. My both the other incidents with my brothers involved replacing valve covers.
I have a couple. When bleeding brakes make sure you have enough brake fluid to do so. I was under the car bleeding my clutch slave cylinder when I started getting a LOT of air, then all air. Once back out from under the car I realize I ran my pressure bleeder dry, pumping plenty of air into the system. When installing a 9 button OBC in an E30 (13 button whatever you want to call it) before you go to the trouble of reinstalling everything make sure the light bar works!!!! Not such a big deal, but I still do it all the time. When planning for a project on the car in advance, as parts are delivered to the house, keep them all in the same spot and labeled!!!! I hate it when I go to do a project and I can't find a crucial part that I know I ordered but can't remember the "safe" place I put it!!! GR
Don't take your eyes off the drill when making holes for brake ducts. Not to mention, don't take always take the advice read on the internet.
FWIW, two O rings on the M30 oil filter canister does not work better than the one they intended. In fact, one might say it's worse ... after one has cleaned up all the oil on one's t-shirt, arms, hands, & face.
Funny you should mention that. I have seen that happen before. BTW, two O rings on that particular Benz are not enough. It needs all 3 or else the customer gets angry when their motor is covered with oil. However, it is best to learn from our mistakes. About 2 months after that, another Benz came in with a mysterious oil leak. They mentioned that they had just taken it to Jiffy Lube. I pulled the filter, and wouldn't you know, the top O ring was missing. Well, I looked really smart for the customer, since they only needed to buy oil and a filter kit, but the guys were in the back chuckling about why I knew so quickly that was the problem.
I think I mentioned this elsewhere, but it's a good idea to make sure the thread portion of the battery-clip retaining bolt is well coated in anti-seize. In E30's with the battery in the trunk, if the long rod rusts and siezes, you nearly have to destroy the battery tray to get it out. Save yourself the hassle and lube it up!
Hmmmm: Lessons learned, eh? If you have to compress coil springs, do NOT imagine that you can save all sorts of money by creating your own coil-spring compressor from a couple of slabs of quarter-inch steel and two lengths of half-inch threaded rod. . . . That would be this scar, right here by the side of my nose. No, not THAT one; that's from the time I turned up the wick on the Husqvarna (hey, it was a 460 automatic, how ferocious could it be?) and brought the handlebar into my helmet. Note to self: polycarbonate glasses are a MUCH better idea than glasses made of-well, glass-if you are doing something which may result in the application of metal to your glasses.
Never use Sears/Craftsman floor jacks! They are junk! 2.5 Ton rating and couldn't support more than 1 Ton. You will turn around to find your baby has taken a nose dive to the floor before you can get the jack stands under her! Lucky I wasn't under the car!
Never buy a Benz! Wife's 2007 E350 is a Lemon. After destroying the rack and pinion seals by using the wrong fluid my dealer's response was "You can lemon law the car or take your business else where!". My wife wishes she had her 2005 545i back now!
Wow, that is an outrageous attitude - I would have a very irate conversation w/ Mercedes corporate about that and move onto a lawsuit if pressure from HQ didn't get the dealership to replace everything it screwed up. Let's see... oh ya - never, ever, drill through anything on your car without checking to see whats on the other side!
.... make sure you have the spray hole on an aerosol can pointed away from your face before pressing the button…
