Is it my imagination or does every time I go to perform a relatively straight forward task: a) a bolt shears off b) a unknown part or variation has been added c) a specific tool is needed that I dont have or d) the job is not completely reversible given a, b or c and a tow truck is needed to get me out of bother. Merry Xmas

naa its not just you...

everytime i get reddy to do stuff in the shed I find a, additional parts needed, b, additional hands needed c, additional tools needed or d, additional skill needed.

its called familiarisation.

good thing is tho, after a bit, ive found the time ive spent stuffing around hasnt been wasted as i can usually get it moving again after its stopped; even if it is as simple as the wiring flapping around while cutting wikked donuts on (rutted) gravel pulling the wire off the solenoid...

Its amazing how much easier it is to find faults on your car when you have already had absolutely everything apart on it before, and its usually the the last thing you touched that will be causing the problem.......:thumb

definitely not just you. my bus has had so many odd little modifications i am at a loss, and as for breaking bolts, i have gone one better recently, i have begun to break spanners:o

Nope, definatly not just you

... but look at it this way - its all part of the learning process (and it builds character too!!). Never give up!

Merry Christmas :tree

R

When you think it is a half hour job and it takes 3 hours and nothing is actually going wrong is worse.

Just you think it is a smaller job than it looks.

i thought i was doing real well one weekend to take my girlfriends motor out another to put mine into hers and tune it all with absolutely no exp in these matters and only john muirs book to help. Piece of cake , now i get to do it all again as the rings went three days later because i didn't correct a cooling problem built into her roadster conversion. oh well now i get to learn to rebuild:repuke

nothing goes wrong and it takes half the time that was allowed. so the rest of the time is spent cruising........beep beep beep..... i wake up.
Keep hacking away at home repairs, i have and i seem to be improving and even breaking even compared to getting a pro to do it for me.

Go the amatuers.:thumb

Definetely not just you. Its me too !!!!

#1 - break washer and retaining clip at 1.30am on the way home.
#2 - remove rockers and replace clip + washer.
#3 - think - oh, I'll just gap the points and set the timing while I'm at it.
#4 - discover the points have been arcing and spend 15 minutes cleaning them up with sandpaper cause you have no spares.
#5 - Set timing fine, on 18 degree night, only to find out the next afternoon it is advanced too far and pinging on the way home from work.
#6 - retard timing by ear in driveway beacuase timing light is at dads place, thus leaving timing probably as far out as it was in the first place !!!!
#7 - mow lawn
#8 - run over sprinkler with lawn mower, even though you know you cant fit over the top of it without destroying it.
#9 - dig hole in pristine front lawn to remove broken poly pipe to sprinkler adapter
#10 - realise you didnt have to dig hole in lawn if you had the right tool
#11 - drive to bunnings to get replacement adapter.
#12 - look for sprinkler
#13 - realise sprinkler is lost
#14 - realise sprinkler was left on car when drove off to bunnings and is now probably smahed to pieces on the road
#15 - drive off and try to find sprinkler or remains of.
#16 - not able to find sprinkler
#17 - steal sprinkler from back lawn
#18 - finally replace sprinkler on front lawn
#19 - swear, and realise that none of this would have happened if you were awake in the first place !!!!!!!

Still we soldier on, dont we ?

Keep this thread going,i feel so much better now...

Old saying

Just take your time and the job will get done.

yep for a minute there i feared it was just me, if you dont include people that never give it a go and....

How sweet is it when everything goes right and the bus has this cruising yacht feeling and sudenly, even if you only adjusted the brakes, the whole car seems to leap to a higher level. Mmmm:thumb

john muirs removing high torque nuts without socket is a load of w@#$%k i now have one very busted chisel to accompany my very smashed yet still incredibly tight fly wheel gland nut. Good news is i know have a adaptor so that the huge 36mm (does any other manufacturer use a nut this big?) socket that i went to five shops to get now fits my 1/2 drive

fly wheel gland nut & other similar high torque fastnings. good qual use single hex with a lifetime warrantee, impact pref, so you can really give it to it - with impunity...

works for me

....or weld a bar above and below the nut and bang away on one end with a big rubber hammer (10lb pref.)

You need above and below and an interjoining peice to stop you creating a new spiral shaped bar