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[jonnycool]

Not myself, but know of a supposed mechanic who managed to balls up a battery change on a Fiesta

To be fair, he made a simple mistake as there was a black lead that had to be connected to the +ve terminal... Stupid design but even so

I've done something similar, shower of sparks and buggered alternator on my old mini 

[omegabsw]

I have a front wishbone bolt somewhere in my front subframe, it fell into it

You & quite a few others I reckon! 

They aint small tho! 

[Kevin Wood]

Was just building the engine for the Westfield. Rebored with new pistons, rings, bearings, ARP rod bolts, lightened flywheel, you name it. Was going really well until it came to setting the cam timing with it all back in the engine prior to the lovely moment when it roars into life.

Got a dial test indicator on one of the cam followers to accurately time it up. Bolt falls off the adjuster on the DTI straight into one of the spark plug holes.

Spent about an hour fishing around with magnets, grabbers, etc and eventually got it out without stripping it again but it did make me say "bother".

Not as bad as someone else I know who rebuilt a bike engine, which subsequently ran really well... for about a mile and a half before seizing solid. Had it had an oil pressure light he might have remembered to fill it.

Kevin

[omegabsw]

Was just building the engine for the Westfield. Rebored with new pistons, rings, bearings, ARP rod bolts, lightened flywheel, you name it. Was going really well until it came to setting the cam timing with it all back in the engine prior to the lovely moment when it roars into life.

Got a dial test indicator on one of the cam followers to accurately time it up. Bolt falls off the adjuster on the DTI straight into one of the spark plug holes.

Spent about an hour fishing around with magnets, grabbers, etc and eventually got it out without stripping it again but it did make me say "bother".

Not as bad as someone else I know who rebuilt a bike engine, which subsequently ran really well... for about a mile and a half before seizing solid. Had it had an oil pressure light he might have remembered to fill it.

Kevin

Years ago my mate was a trainee mechanic in a Daewoo Garage, in that time he managed to over tighten a BMW alloy sump and split it, raise a Daewoo 4x4 so high up on a 4 post ramp that it creased the roof and serviced a 2 year old car and went on a road test without any oil the sump.

[omegabsw]

Oh yeah, about 10 years ago I worked for a skoda garage and I was pulling into the yard in a brand new Fabia demo with about 50 miles on the clock. I hit the n/s rear arch on the gate and scuffed it quite badly. It had a large skim of filler on it a bit of paint and was sold to the local Vicar!

Am I going to hell for knowing about this or are the garage?

[albitz]

A couple of years ago I was having problems with Mig cooling system, wanted to change the fan switch. I came home after a longish drive and decided to find the correct size spanner, so that I could change the switch when the engine cooled. Found the spanner, and then decided to loosen the switch a bit so I could just unscrew it by hand once everything had cooled.
Tugged on the spanner which slipped, hit the pipe into the rad just under it and sheared it clean off.
Result - very scalded arms from being drenched in very hot coolant.
Hence Pinkys thread in genchat a week or so ago"which members ,limbs are these ?".
Yes folks - those limbs were mine.
http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1295910558

[Lazydocker]

Was just building the engine for the Westfield. Rebored with new pistons, rings, bearings, ARP rod bolts, lightened flywheel, you name it. Was going really well until it came to setting the cam timing with it all back in the engine prior to the lovely moment when it roars into life.

Got a dial test indicator on one of the cam followers to accurately time it up. Bolt falls off the adjuster on the DTI straight into one of the spark plug holes.

Spent about an hour fishing around with magnets, grabbers, etc and eventually got it out without stripping it again but it did make me say "bother".

Not as bad as someone else I know who rebuilt a bike engine, which subsequently ran really well... for about a mile and a half before seizing solid. Had it had an oil pressure light he might have remembered to fill it.

Kevin

Years ago my mate was a trainee mechanic in a Daewoo Garage, in that time he managed to over tighten a BMW alloy sump and split it, raise a Daewoo 4x4 so high up on a 4 post ramp that it creased the roof and serviced a 2 year old car and went on a road test without any oil the sump.

Guess he didn't stay there long

My mate and I nearly had a similar experience with a Renault Traffic Camper Van... That was because he was servicing it on the MOT ramp and I was rushing him to get then ext MOT in

My confession... Worst was probably cracking a Mondeo Sump with a trolley jack when doing a cambelt That was for the second time as the first time the timing was slightly out... That's the trouble with being overworked and having to do breakdowns as well 

Also did a H/G on a Isuzu engined Corsa... Had an argument with the RAC man who's daughter owned it because he insisted we fitted a skimmed head to it... Now I knew that those heads never go back on right when skimmed (ever) but he insisted we did so... Needless to say, the head had to come off again, get binned and a brand new head fitted 2 weeks later

[Lazydocker]

Doing a service as a favour for a mate... Spanner slipped on the sump plug and smacked me on the eyebrow... Result - 3 "Butterfly" stitches and an eyebrow that doesn't grow properly That made it match the other side done in a Rugby match

[Brikhead]

Around three weeks ago I helped a 'Mate' who had been struggling for 3 days to change the water pump on his '99 Megane, access was a bit tight and he couldn't fully remove the timing belt cover so he asked me to come and do the job for him.
The short version of the long story is that the damned French bag of s... ended up with 16 new valves, new stem seals, a new head gasket 5 newsecondhand injectors and I've gained a timing tool for doing stoopid Renault engines.
 

[omegabsw]

Around three weeks ago I helped a 'Mate' who had been struggling for 3 days to change the water pump on his '99 Megane, access was a bit tight and he couldn't fully remove the timing belt cover so he asked me to come and do the job for him.
The short version of the long story is that the damned French bag of s... ended up with 16 new valves, new stem seals, a new head gasket 5 newsecondhand injectors and I've gained a timing tool for doing stoopid Renault engines.
 

You know when you wished that you had just said no?

[fudy]

Not a repair but yesterday a work mate opened the header tank to look for oil, he was sure the engine was fooked when he spotted some mayo as i topped up the oil(told him he was a wrong) then he forgets to put the cap back on(i should have checked).  Leading to loads of steam shooting out when I’m driving home! then i forget all that and start a thread
http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1297283253
shameful

[Lazydocker]

Not a repair but yesterday a work mate opened the header tank to look for oil, he was sure the engine was fooked when he spotted some mayo as i topped up the oil(told him he was a wrong) then he forgets to put the cap back on(i should have checked).  Leading to loads of steam shooting out when I’m driving home! then i forget all that and start a thread
http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1297283253
shameful

 

So no panics about leaks then

[Martin_1962]

Welding a Sunbeam and melting the main front back loom - that took ages to stick back together.

Putting a head gasket on the wrong way on a V6

[Martin_1962]

Welding a Sunbeam and melting the main front back loom - that took ages to stick back together.

Putting a head gasket on the wrong way on a V6

I blame heat stroke

[bluey]

Oh jesus, where do I start?

Removed a knackered old alarm from a car, didn't check it over properly which meant a couple of bare wires shorted and it caught fire.

Trying to get the back bumper off a MGB, which required a ring spanner and a lump hammer.  One big belt and the spanner flew off and through the main bay window of the house.

Forgotten to tighten wheel nuts so many times it's silly. 

Did an oil change on my Saab and didn't put the filler cap back on.  The engine bay was given the best rust protection via a coat of Duckhams you could imagine.

Replaced a worn out piece of hose used on the fuel line on my SD1, started it up and saw this fountain shooting up between the vee.  yes, I'd managed to find a bit of hose that was more perished than the one I'd thrown away.

Didn't watch was I was dong and used WD-40 instead of brake cleaner to wipe down some discs.  Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Took the wheel off a Rolls Silver Spirit using the car's jack to look at a bulge in the inside of the tyre.  Car fell off jack. 

Replaced the mirror casings on my old car as the originals were scratched for shiny new painted ones.  Jumped in, flipped the drivers side one out, reversed back down the drive and heard the drainpipe on the side of the house rip the entire mirror assembly off.

I'm sure I can think of a few more!