Brought to tears by Ol' Turbo
 

No, this is not a sappy "I love my car" thread. I was brought to tears because the simplest task turned into a nightmare...

What I was trying to do was remove the battery so I could inspect the tray. For some reason the hood was either unable or I had forgotten how to open in 90 degrees (the latter is more likely) went at the battery with a ratchet, then BAM!!!

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...0/IMG_0095.jpg

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...0/IMG_0097.jpg

:eek::eek::eek::eek::mad::mad::mad::mad::headshot::cry3::cry3::cry3::cry3::cry3::cry3:

I feel like such an idiot for not figuring out the hood after 10 minutes of trying, then using a ratchet with an extender to try and loosen it.

So, my gorgeous new paint job has a chip in a highly visible area, and the nut is completely stripped on the battery.

After screaming at the top of my lungs, cursing the nut with every dirty word in the book, I am now in bed lying in the fetal position. The bolt will probably have to be cut off, which I am not equipped to handle.

I feel you pain Tyler. My car was painted 1 year ago and a month ago I found a huge chip/gash in the paint on the pass side rear fender lip. I have yet to touch it up.

I have to ask, did you really cry?

I know how it is, when my car got sideswiped a few years ago I cried a little. It hurts!!

What actually happened? Did you break the hinge? Or is it just a paint ding. I'd just touch it up and move on....perfect paint jobs are just an accident waiting to happen. Makes me not want to have my car repainted because I know someone will probably just key it. :o

See, cheap wagons have their benefits. ;)
Your paint job is absolutely awesome on Ol' Turbo and it is just unfortunate that it is now wounded. I guess you need to get a small bit of touch up paint and you can make that spot less visible. At least Norm gave you some practice.
So, vise grips wont take care of that battery bolt/nut? You can take the cable loose from the car side, remove the battery and get an easier angle/grip at the nut.

there are trends in MB diesel ownership.

Rejuvination

climax

plateau

and finally. the return to a truly vintage vehicle with a vintage 'pattina'.

Your diesel's natural state of being is more powerful than any maintenance schedule can supress.

Kinda like entropy.

my wagon has 2 shades of vanilla paint on the outside, your paint chip is more like character.

I did a similar thing that added a patina to my car. I tried to complete the simple task of replacing windshield washer jets. I did not know you could simply put a socket under the jet and push to push out the tabs.

Now, what I did involved trying to break the tabs with pliers. Eventually I got fed up with this, and went and got my hammer and big screwdriver. I actually pushed up the metal of the hood around the hole for the washer jets. Then, I tried to take off the washer from the top with my pliers. You guessed it, pliers slipped and I gouged the paint. That hood was almost perfect, now there is a reverse dent and a scratch in the paint near that windshield washer jet. :rolleyes:

I don't know what made me curse more, that episode, or the time it took me 8 hours to replace the front shocks. I was using a small 10mm wrench, and pb blaster on 28 year old shocks. Perhaps I should have gotten something with better leverage. It didn't help that I kept forgetting which way is to loosen or tighten. :silly:

Well, since the battery had me down, I decided to take on some other projects to reassert my masculinity.

The first thing I did was open the hood 90*. I forgot about the partially closing part.

The other thing I did, which was kind of a big deal, was replace my broken air cleaner mount. Without a very long extender, its kind of like one of those games at the renaissance fair to get the ratchet down to the bottom bolt. Fortunately, this outpatient procedure was a complete success, and I can now sleep tonight.

I never thought of disconnecting the battery cable itself. (not surprisingly)

There's nothing wrong with a good cry. :D I didn't this time, but my tear ducts were welling up enough to produce a few drops.

I have one word for you: Dremel
 

Go to Home Depot and get a Dremel moto-tool and a package of abrasive cutoff wheels for it. You can cut off frozen/mauled bolts or nuts in 30 seconds with that puppy. It's extremely useful for old car repairs.

I feel your pain Tyler!

When I replaced the AC compressor on the wagon, I wasn't careful about the solvent that I flushed through the suction line and it got on a bedsheet I had on the fender. The solvent in the sheet sat on the fender while I worked, and ate away a big chunk of paint. It was a hazy white ugly spot!

I almost cried, and it certainly diminished my victorious feeling about restoring frosty cold R12 AC for the family car.

I used some polishing compound and it got rid of the haze and evened it out....you can still see it, but it isn't too bad. Probably only you and those you point it out to will ever know the flaw is there.

:(

Touch up paint man. No one will notice. Well most wont. I would try cutting the terminal not the bolt. Lead is much easier to cut than steel. No dremel tool? Bolt cutters?

Sorry Tyler.:( Touch-up paint will help and over time the sting will fade.

I've had the nut/bolt on a post clamp strip before. Just use a slip-joint pliers and unscrew it. Use some penetrating oil first and then have at it.:)

Here's a link to show what type I'm referring to:
http://www.buy.com/prod/prima-tools-30184-slip-joint-pliers-6/q/loc/111/90140448.html

There are teeth in the jaws that will grab the head easily.

Sorry to hear that, Tyler. I've never had a car in nice enough shape to fret much over the results of my stupidity and haphazardness(?).

Nice recovery, though. Manhood restored. Just remember, there's no crying in auto repair. Or was that baseball?

Time for Oktoberfest. Put the past behind you. It will be ok.....

Thats the funniest thing I have heard all day! But its so true!

Which bolt is stripped the one on the battery tray? Thats nothing, drill it out or get a new tray.