FML, wrenching today turned out bad

[imthanick_a]

They already kissed and made up, and acknowledged they both made mistakes, leave it alone.

 

[thxrick]

Well if we knew that you moved the car with the dogbone mount disconnected, this whole thread wouldn't have blown up like it did.

Yeah...I was pretty embarrassed. I should have known better. We all squared away any differences or arguments, I apologized.

So I got the car back today. My buddy Seth took care of it on short notice,. I learned a BIG lesson, Gents. Here is what I made of the explanation:

I pulled out the 21mm bolt, moved the car both forward and reverse. This obviously was the issue. I didn't know any better but should have. When I did that, the motor shifted. The piece that connects to the dogbone..the long piece, did not have the bolt go through the hole in that. In was able to secure the bolt but it didn't go through that hole. I ended up DRIVING the car when it wasn't secure. In turn, the AC compressor or pulley was against that quick connect and put a hole in it. Coolant everywhere.....

Does that sound about right?

2 hours labor, parts and coolant: $432.

 

[thxrick]

If OP put the car in gear and let it roll back on ramps, this would happen:

Figure 1 is the car putting torque against the gearbox in park/in gear. Figure 2 is how the dogbone should be. Figure 3 is how it is currently. The engine "feels" more solid because the top two mounts are currently loaded up due to all the extra tilt the motor has on it due to the dogbone being incorrectly mounted. That would cause the engine to contact cooling system components on cruise/decel as the dogbone is not really holding the motor at all.

Seriously, I am impressed!!!

 

[adam1991]

Well if we knew that you moved the car with the dogbone mount disconnected, this whole thread wouldn't have blown up like it did.

Many years ago, for many years, I participated in a local radio call-in show about computers.

I can't tell you how many people would call in with questions and omit crucial bits of information that THEY thought weren't at all relevant.

For example, after hearing about some problem and after five minutes of asking the caller "what changed since the last time it worked" and hearing "nothing changed!", and asking more questions, we finally get around to finding out that "oh, just I moved my computer across the room--but that shouldn't have done anything". Yeah, that's why whatever you were doing suddenly stopped working the moment you did that.

But "I didn't do anything!".

 

[adam1991]

2 hours labor, parts and coolant: $432.

Lesson learned: PRICELESS.

Seriously.

 

[Strange Mud]

respect for teaching us

 

[thxrick]

Many years ago, for many years, I participated in a local radio call-in show about computers.

I can't tell you how many people would call in with questions and omit crucial bits of information that THEY thought weren't at all relevant.

For example, after hearing about some problem and after five minutes of asking the caller "what changed since the last time it worked" and hearing "nothing changed!", and asking more questions, we finally get around to finding out that "oh, just I moved my computer across the room--but that shouldn't have done anything". Yeah, that's why whatever you were doing suddenly stopped working the moment you did that.

But "I didn't do anything!".

You hit the nail on the head. I should have come clean earlier...oh well. $432 lesson!

 

[wave]

I have a hole in the back yard that I can drive over if I position the car just right, and then work from under it too!

The only problem is the hole is so narrow that I have to climb in before the car is moved over top, and it's pretty sketchy to straddle the hole with the tires when driving over it.

And since I'm already in the hole, my wife has to drive the car carefully over with me inside. Needless to say I don't use the hole much anymore.

Don't make me stop the car and come back there.

This should be a lesson to all of us that even the simplest of jobs can go south quickly if you try to rush, don't have the right equipment (lift/ramps/flat driveway/solid surface) or the correct tools then you may well cause far larger problems.

When I lived in Germany, my garage had a nice pit where you could get under the car and do stuff. I'm too old and grumpy to go crawling under a car so if I need to get under the car then I find a lift or let somebody else do it.

 

[Joel]

Your setting yourself up with that post ^
Just saying...

 

[demi9od]

Took a look under my car today and appreciate you bringing this up, my belt was uncomfortably aligned with a spring clip, so I rotated it some.

 

[Genegenie]

OP we've all done stupid shit on our cars / bikes. Learn by our mistakes as they say. Unless you're a mechanic by trade and have made enough mistakes to have learned to really limit any future mistakes then you're gonna make mistakes.. In this instance driving the car back and forth without the dogbone fully secured was a mistake you'll never make again, and hopefully anyone reading this post, will keep it in mind.

This ^^. He / she who never made mistakes never made anything. Woulda thought the OP would maybe have gotten away with moving it just a little. But coulda bin worse, bummer for sure but nothing literally destroyed, learn from it, fix it and move on. Don't do the same thing again, obviously, though I have known folk who've done, and still do, the same bad stuff over and over yet are amazed at the identical results....

 

[thxrick]

This ^^. I have known folk who've done, and still do, the same bad stuff over and over yet are amazed at the identical results....

That is officially known as the definition of insanity.

What is reasonably upsetting for me, the OP, is that this is an easy mod. Very easy.

I guess the fact that I didn't feel safe crawling under the car on a shakey surface and Harbor Freight jack stands, cost me some $$$...uggh!

 

[cb1111]

That is officially known as the definition of insanity.

What is reasonably upsetting for me, the OP, is that this is an easy mod. Very easy.

I guess the fact that I didn't feel safe crawling under the car on a shakey surface and Harbor Freight jack stands, cost me some $$$...uggh!

Could have been a lot more expensive if the car had fallen on your nose.

 

[demi9od]

Could have been a lot more expensive if the car had fallen on your nose.

Yes, kudos to rick for being safe. I won't use my harbor freights on the front any more, I don't trust them either. I put them on the rears though heh.

 

[TheGreekFreak]

TheGreekFreak, Should you consider buying a 911, feel free to consult me. I did end up using the warranty: $4,200 and $336. When I traded it in the residual value of it was like $3400...so I was "in the money" feel free to reach out.

Thanks man. Really impressed that you find the GTI close in terms of driving enjoyment.

I just assumed not alot goes wrong with 997s unless the IMS makes it go kaboom on the .1s. I expect maintenance items to be higher but figure it won't be too bad given the low miles I'd put on it

One day...