Can we be honest here?

[bobodu]

Okay...we have all heard the stories about the stupid things our customers have done. The blades on upside down, shut off fuel valves and disconnected spark plug wires. How about the stupid schit WE did?
Bought a basket case Sea Doo. Had new pistons on the rods so I assumed the cylinders were done too. Went to put on the jug and it wouldn't go. Snapped a damn ring. Couldn't find just the rings so I ordered and new .025 piston. That wouldn't go either...so I looked down the bore and saw some scoring and no cross hatch. Took it to the shop. A week later they call and tell me that they are already at the max wear. Don't even know if all the parts are there or if something is wrong with the electrical crap...so I tell em just to do a quick hone and restore the cross hatch. This time I use my handy hose clamp as a compressor and bust another ring !! But now I had a part number...so I order TWO sets. Got out my brightest light and damned if it looks like there is something in the groove keeping the ring from seating.....J*****s H.F****g C*****t !!! There's a damned ring locator pin....lined up the rings with the pins and she slid right together. Waiting on the rings for the other side...
Why did you do that ya ain't proud of?

[okie]

My latest oh-no was on my weed wacker. I pumped up the plastic bulb and put the choke on full and started pulling on the rope. Always started good but not this time. Pump bulb 6 more times. put choke on semi. no start. Just before my arm fell off, I looked part way down the shaft where the kill switch was. It was still on. Its a rocker switch and it was still on. It is supposed to default to off when you release it, but it hadn't. Lesson learned. n ( this is one of many)

Travis

Hey Bob...Have you heard from Carl lately?

[RoyM]

Oh man, now you have really opened a can of worms. I have pulled some good ones. ahem. I was pressing a crankshaft out of an Onan block, it got a little stiff so I applied more pressure. BANG I had forgotten to align the counterweight with the relief in the casting. Darn near cost me my job. Another time I was using an old tow truck to lift a rare hi performance motor out of a wrecked Mustang. Put the truck in gear to pull away, forgot to disengage the PTO, The hook hit the end of it's travel the motor flipped over and landed upside down on the car breaking the intake and both heads. I was looking to change my name and leave town.

[bgsengine]

How about carefully rebuilding a Kohler K321 , get everything all together, fire it up, and watch it hit 6,000 RPMs .. another hour's diagnostics before realizing that I had forgotten to install the governor gear...

[bobodu]

I'm feeling better now....

[rogerf]

Hi Folks,

Yes I've been guilty of "starting" engine's without the plug lead connected, and then wondered why the thing died soon after starting only to find the fuel tap was still turned off. I reckon being a senior only goes a wee bit as an excuse

Cheers Roger

[RoyM]

I pushed a dirt bike back to camp only to discover the fuel tap in the OFF position.

[NevadaWalrus]

I'm perfect!

If you believe that I got some "prime" real estate for sale near Carl. A bit damp[swamp] however.

[sblg43]

Last year I took my Lawn Boy out for the season but it didn't want to start. So I pulled the carb and cleaned it. Still no good. I have another Lawn Boy with the same engine, so I pulled that carb and put it on the original machine. Still no start. I then ordered a new carb and when that showed up and was installed - it still wouldn't start! Darn! Then I looked in the gas tank - NO GAS! ARRGH!!!

However, in my own defense - before this all started - I did look in the tank and saw a shiny surface that I assumed was gasoline. However, when all was said and done - the shiny surface was just a very clean tank bottom!

[KE4AVB]

Last year I took my Lawn Boy out for the season but it didn't want to start. So I pulled the carb and cleaned it. Still no good. I have another Lawn Boy with the same engine, so I pulled that carb and put it on the original machine. Still no start. I then ordered a new carb and when that showed up and was installed - it still wouldn't start! Darn! Then I looked in the gas tank - NO GAS! ARRGH!!!

However, in my own defense - before this all started - I did look in the tank and saw a shiny surface that I assumed was gasoline. However, when all was said and done - the shiny surface was just a very clean tank bottom!

Sound like one my brother's former bosses. He had a fairly new self propelled mower that he couldn't get to start. Worked on it for an hour and still didn't get it going. Then he brought the big sledge hammer and beat it to pieces to only find out it was only out of gas. Not checking the simple things can be costly sometimes in his case $350 self propelled mower.