PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - When you do a repair, do you mess up as much as I do?

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- - When you do a repair, do you mess up as much as I do? (http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=389928)

I had my own "epic fail" moment when working on the SL recently. Changing the thermostat is no easy task on that car, the housing is on top of the water pump in a weird spot. When I had it all apart, I accidentally dropped a washer, which bounced off the radiator support, off the cover of the power steering pump and straight down the open hole in the water pump. Many swear words were used. Removing the water pump on an M117 is not a task you want to do - ever. I walked away and left it and came back a couple days later with a neodymium magnet on a string and was able to fish the thing out. Sometimes it pays to walk away, cool down, and come back with a fresh head on some of these projects.

‘78 450SEL:

- Replaced valve stem seals. Within a few miles oil billows out the exhaust. Try to pull the head, puller tool snaps off in a chain rail pin.

- Went for a test drive with the hood unlatched. Hood flips open and bends beyond simple repair.

- Got a running start to push it up a trailer and smashed a fresh pair of fog lights.

‘87 300D - repositioned the car while radiator was out. No problem, only driving it 100 feet. Transmission lines were open so it dumped several quarts of a recent Mobil 1 fill.

That’s just top of mind of what I care to admit.

I know I’ll press the brake pedal with a caliper off the disc.

Sixto
98 E320s sedan and wagon

Everything I'm reading is lack of experience. You're learning and trying. It's trial and error. Don't do the mistake the next time and you're good!

Yeah, I agree with everyone so far, it's about experience, thanks for the different point of view for things. Makes me look at this is in a positive light.

A friend who worked in a premium restoration shop told me after a full resto and paint of a yellow Ferrari someone prepped and installed all of the remaining rubber seals with brake fluid instead of silicone. This was back when Dot 3 brake fluid was really caustic unlike today. It sat like that over a weekend.

I do this as a regular basis monthly. when I feel that it's need some rest and remake it for the next journey.

When I was just 18, so long ago, I helped a friend change the oil in his Rambler. Count the errors. Drained it into a pan, emptied the pan down the nearest sewer. Washed out the pan with carbon tet and drained that into the slop sink. Installed a new oil filter, made it good and tight with the wrench so that it wouldn't ever leak. Put the old filter in the trash barrel. Then filled with a gallon of Fox Head 10w-20. Watched the oil pool slowly spread out over the pavement. Lesson learned: make sure the drain plug hasn't fallen into the pan BEFORE you empty it into a sewer.

You gotz to be kidding me and any one else who works on cars. It's a learning process. You're leaning. Now, if you make the same mistakes over and over and over ... start a thread then. Otherwise, each one of these lessons will build upon itself until you do tasks and new tasks with ease ...

Quote:

Originally Posted by tyl604 (Post 3767122)

Your experience is pretty typical. I just put new brake pads on my Discovery II. Took about 1.5 hours on one side because I forgot that the washer on the retaining bolt that holds one end of the caliper is rectangular, not square. You remove only that bolt, swing down the caliper, replace the pads, and swing it back into place. But the bolt will not line up back in the hole if that dang washer gets turned 90 degrees. Almost thought I was going to have to give up and call a wrecker and take it to a shop. Then I just experimented by turning that washer back 90 degrees. Presto, went back together perfectly.

Other side took me less than five minutes after the tire was off.

Then again, that's the only way you learn.

Keep it up.

That washer had me baffled too. Surprisingly I fixed it after I finished my cup of tea. (very british solution to a british problem)

People have different aptitudes from each other. I started doing things at a fairly young age. There are things you pick up with experience of course.

There also are things that require learning. Around cars they are the conventional ways certain things are done. Many are not intuitive.

So the less experience the more one should read up on dealing with the problem before starting. There is a wealth of material out there today. This was far less so when I was young.

That covered we all will still experience unexpected things from time to time. Not having the right or enough tools for a job can make it very hard as well. Fortunatly I have never yet taken a bath with lubrication fluids. Perhaps there is still enough time.

Their is more incentive today to do what you can with older cars. Commercial repair places are in general very expensive in comparison to the past. When you repair it yourself you have some control over the parts costs as well.

Well unfortunately somehow I didn't tighten the fan clutch bolts tight enough to the fan, fan came right off the clutch and gouged a hole in radiator. I drove the car yesterday. this morning, and afternoon no problem. Then I let my uncle go the store.

Stupid uncle drove the car home while it over heated, I was furious, but once again it was my fault. Can I find another OM603 locally to swap out, yeah maybe in a few years.

Going to get the coolant combustion gas tester once the new radiator comes in to see just how screwed I am.

Don't be me. please don't.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Father Of Giants (Post 3767046)

Honestly, I think i'm the worst DIYer on peach parts.
Now I didn't completely botch it (almost) but mistakes where made. For me it pretty much every time, then again all of these procedures where new to me.
So when someone says "Ah it took me 2 hours to do xyz." I figure I'll complete it 2 to 3 times as slowly as they did.

Ok lets go.

Fan shroud install:It took my brother and I probably 5 mins to figure out which way the fan shroud went on :freak:.

Coolant flush: Took off the wrong plumbing, behind the upper radiator hose, I thought the bulbous thing with the 3 sensors in it was the thermostat so I removed it like an idiot. Ended up putting back on. Filled fluid at the reservoir instead of the upper radiator hose. Forgot to torque down various nuts, and install drain plugs (thank god the car was stationary did not over heat.)

Transmission fluid change: Didn't torque down bolts on the pan evenly enough so I had to do it over again. Got transmission fluid all over my clothes, face, and mouth :mad:. Drain pan plug immediately stripped, as soon as I loosened and lowered the pan a gust of wind blew transmission fluid everywhere.As I was searching for the bell housing drain plug I realized I was on the wrong side of the whole time....:bangin:

Differential oil change: Installed drain and fill plugs in the wrong spot, AFTER filling the diff. Proceeds to remove drain plug WITHOUT some sort of catch pan to collect it so it doesn't got to waste :wallbash:Wasted a nearly a entire bottle of gear oil on the ground, now I'm pretty much covered in my entire torso and head with gear oil and transmission fluid. Had to use some spare gear oil I had laying around that was the wrong weight, 85w-140, instead of 75w-90...:dunce2:

Went around shirtless collecting tools around the car, washed hair with dawn dish soap and called it a day.

Still need to get new diff fluid still.

So... where is the video with the Benny Hill music playing in the background:D

Unfortunately, I have never had trouble with any type of mechanic job...

My father was a top class A&P mechanic and as far back as I can remember I have always worked on cars with ease. I fondly remember helping my father working on VW’s in the parking lot... always have known what tools to use... nearly always can tell what socket size is needed, what wrench to use etc...

But I ALWAYS start a job with the shop manual in hand to determine the proper course of action before loosening the first bolt.

I took a job in 85 working at my neighbors alignment shop at 17, and the guy was worried at first, but quickly realized I didn’t make mistakes, and never started anything I couldn’t handle...

The last time he was concerned when I was working on a job, he let me work on an customers old ford work truck... it was running rough and very loud... I started working on it, and boss went to lunch... he came back, the intake, and one head was on the ground, and my feet were sticking out of the hood...

He worriedly asked if I had things under control...

I told him the exhaust manifold had corroded away, and had burned itself into the head surface, destroyed the second port. I’d pulled the manifold, called a junkyard nearby to get a replacement head, had it delivered to the shop, began pulling the heads, and had already pulled the valves from the JY head and did an angle valve job...

He didn’t worry about the kid anymore...:D

Learning curve is always a hold up. I decided to replace axle seals on my front Dana 60 on the Dodge Ram. FSM said to do it one way and youtube vids confirmed. This particular year the locking collar on the passenger side doesn't come out unless you remove a shaft that holds the smaller gears in. This wasn't in the FSM or on youtube or on the forums.

You need a roll pin punch. A regular flat tipped punch won't get it. Truck has been inoperable 3 weeks and I'm leaving town tomorrow. Good thing I don't need to tow anything. It will only take an hor or so the next time I do it and I now have the tools.

Rebuild an engine for 6 months in the cold and forget to torque a cam gear...then let's talk about this ;)

I've had a number of these experiences and still have them.

Recently, I replaced the rubber studs on my air filter housing and didn't connect the oil return line. Then all of the studs broke except for one.

I also didn't properly torque the oil pressure line and got oil on my carpet and shoe while I was driving.

I've done a number of these. Other jobs I have done several times, I will find some new problem with them.

Some of them for me are lack of experience. Others are just because the car is old and things break or don't want to come off that would not be a problem on a newer vehicle. I think it being a Mercedes compounds some of these issues. And parts availability when you need something ASAP can be kind of the cherry on the top.

I have found my VW and Isuzu truck to be much easier to wrench on. But, I love driving the Mercedes every day and despite all of the needs it has, it has been very cost effective and is an amazing car.

Dkr.