Biggest Engine Building Screw Up

Provide one or two of the biggest screw ups you made when rebuilding an engine.

Mine were fairly minor in that I just laid the valve covers on the heads because I wanted to peak under them to make sure I was getting oil to all of the rockers. When I started the motor, the valve covers slid off the heads and I was squirting oil every which way. But, at least I DID have oil.

1. Forgot to reinstall the oil drain plug before priming the oil pump, and poured 2 quarts of Royal Purple breakin oil through the engine and onto the the garage floor, at $10.50 a quart.

2. Pulled the number one spark plug to find TDC while installing the distributor, and forgot to reinstall the plug. Took a minute to figure out why the engine was still running like crap.

There's more, but that's enough for now... :blush:

Doc

Dropped a carb mounting nut. Couldn't find it in the intake and assumed I lost it elsewhere. Started motor. Nut reduced piston to head clearance. Broke pistion and had to sleeve cyl.

This wasn't me, but when I worked at a boatyard we sent a marine V8 out for a rebuild. We put it back in the boat and the owner came back later, saying that he wasn't getting much power from his left engine (big boat - had two V8s, each driving one prop). So we got in there and listened to it, and when we pulled off a head, found the socket that had been left in a cylinder when the machine shop put it together.

Forgot to tighten down a single intake rocker arm and popped the rod & lifter right out. Engine ran like crap and couldn't figure out why the oil pressure was 1/2 of what it should have been...good thing it was one an intake valve and not an exhaust valve, or engine could have hydrolocked...

Forgot the oil pump driveshaft on my first engine, fortunately it was discovered before the engine went in. Wired the plug wires on my Pontiac like a Chevy... Clockvwise vs. counter clockwise

Forgot the oil pump driveshaft on my first engine, fortunately it was discovered before the engine went in. Wired the plug wires on my Pontiac like a Chevy... Clockvwise vs. counter clockwise

Click to expand...

The old "forgot to install the oil pump driveshaft" trick...Hey Joe, what do you suppose this funny looking axle is doing here on the work bench?

This is the kind of stuff I lose sleep over.

This wasn't me....

Click to expand...

lol

Dropped a carb mounting nut.

Click to expand...

Only one???

1. Forgot to reinstall the oil drain plug.

Click to expand...

Oil on the garage floor is to a man what urine on a tree is to a lion.

2. Pulled the number one spark plug and forgot to reinstall the plug.

Click to expand...

That was going to be my second suggestion...

There is more....

Click to expand...

Are you getting shy on us doc?

Forgot to tighten down a single intake rocker arm..

Click to expand...

You miss one little thing....

Added the new oil filter then tried to start the car "BEFORE PUTTING THE OIL IN"

knocked an ignition wrech off the carb and watched it fall down the distributer hole. After many magnet attempts rolled crank by hand and retrieved it via removing the oil pan. AGAIN!!

I didn't do the screw-up, but I did experience it. I sent my harmonic damper off for refurbishment. Two years later, I installed the engine after the car was restored, and got the engine running. While setting the timing, whenever I rotated the dizzy to advance the timing, the timing light showed I was retarding the engine. WTF? I couldn't set the timing worth beans for my inaugural drive! After some head-scratching, I realized that the harmonic damper was put on backwards. The folks who did the work re-did it for me at no charge.

My Mopar buddy was helping me set my freshly built cleveland into the mach 1. he says " i didnt know ford had an adjustable thermostat." I told him neither did I?? what the heck are you talking about?? he says" theres a hex head on your thermosta tdown in the housing, it must be adjustable." NOPE! Got to looking and my 3 yearold son was "helping" and dropped a couple bolts down inside the thermostatt housing and luckily my buddy saw them so it wasnt too bad. Also about a month later I decided to pull my exhaust off because my manifold wouldnt quit leaking. Guess what else my son helped with??? He dropped several bolts into the manifold while it was on the motor stand the same night he helped with the thermostat. Nothing was hurt but it scared me for a min LOL!! Hey atleast hes interested!!!

Hey at least he's interested!!!

Click to expand...

I'll show some interest in YOU...

Bent an oil seal 'flat' ring while installing the pistons in my 351C. Had to buy an entire piston's worth of new rings just to replace the one flat ring.

Oh yeah - was reading a WAY old Chilton's Book from 1972, following the directions on how to set the torque on the rockers. From TDC, did the ones the book specified... then it said to rotate the balancer 180 degrees CW - so I did, and torqued the next group. Then it said to rotate the balancer 270 degrees CW - so I rotated it TO 270 degrees (from TDC), and torqued the next group. Then it said rotate another 90 degrees CW for the last group, so I did and torqued. Then it said to go back to TDC (all 270 degress CW to get back there, which seemed a little odd to me...). Well... I couldn't figure out why some felt like they were ready to fall off, and the others were fine. Then I re-read the passage, figured out what I'd done wrong and started over.

Oh yeah - was reading a WAY old Chilton's Book from 1972...

Click to expand...

I remember a M*A*S*H episode where Hawkeye and Pierce are defusing a USA bomb that landed in the base.

They were performing the instructions exactly as they were reading:

To diffuse bomb, Cut Red Wire...

So they cut the red wire.

then Cut Yellow Wire....

So they cut the yellow wire

after first cutting the green wire...YIKES!!!!

Bent an oil seal 'flat' ring while installing the pistons in my 351C. Had to buy an entire piston's worth of new rings just to replace the one flat ring.

Click to expand...

If I haven't done something twice, I know I haven't yet done it right. And you can quote me on that...

I remember a M*A*S*H episode where Hawkeye and Pierce are defusing a USA bomb that landed in the base.

They were performing the instructions exactly as they were reading:

To diffuse bomb, Cut Red Wire...

So they cut the red wire.

then Cut Yellow Wire....

So they cut the yellow wire

after first cutting the green wire...YIKES!!!!

Click to expand...

I LOVE M*A*S*H, and remember that episode (when the bomb went off, it shot a bunch of flyers into the air saying to 'give up' or something like that). Reminded me of one of those tests I got in high school where the instructions said to read the entire test before answering... and the last 'question' said to ignore everything else on the paper, write your name on it, and turn it in blank. That teacher was an evil genius, I swear...

I gave that test to many shop classes. The point was to do things as instructed.

I gave that test to many shop classes. The point was to do things as instructed.

Click to expand...

OMG... Mr. T.?! Is it really you?!

LOL!

Hmmm, let's see:

1) used a set of new lifters from an engine builder that my Dad had previously had trouble with--they had told my Dad the lifters were for a 289. As I was building a 289, we used them. It turned out they weren't for a 289. While they were hydraulic, there were no holes for upper valve train oiling--we took the engine apart twice before we figured that problem out.

2) Installed the engine 90 degrees out of the torque converter.

3) Installed the distributor 180 out

4) Installed a high lift cam without changing valvesprings. It ran strong and hard once!

5) Wrong firing order--not sure what firing order I used--only about 2 were right, but the engine did run although I have no idea how.

6) Installed an engine, but had not hooked up the PCV valve--huge vacuum leak. It ran and I couldn't figure the problem out.

That is about enough of the stupid things I have done...

Hmmm, let's see:

1) used a set of new lifters from an engine builder...

2) Installed the engine 90 degrees out of the torque converter.

3) Installed the distributor 180 out

4) Installed a high lift cam without changing valvesprings...

5) Wrong firing order...

6) Installed an engine, but had not hooked up the PCV valve...

Click to expand...

The expert in his field is the one who has made the most mistakes...Looks like you win!!!!