So last night I was tightening a bolt on the Triumph's oil pan when all of a sudden it got... looser. I did a quick mental check (righty-tighty, lefty loosey), and realized something was horribly wrong.
I reached over and pulled a nice sized chunk of metal off the motor. Awesome.
After a minor heart attack, I collected my wits and realized the bit that came off was apparently there just to hold on a small wire bracket keeping a cable out of the way of... I don't know. It's a very well-secured cable.
I'm sure I'll find out why it was there at an inopportune moment.
10 comments:
It's a pocket part. Put it in your pocket and forget about it. It also wouldn't hurt to keep your fingers crossed.
I do have to wonder why stuff around keeps breaking? :)
Lucky:
in spite of this heart stopping event, I hope your Oil Leak is fixed. I always worry about threads into Aluminum with steel or stainless bolts. My preferred method now is to use my weaker left hand and downsize to 1/4" drive with an adapter to use 3/8" drive sockets
bob
bobskoot: wet coast scootin
Don't put it in your pocket and forget about it or you'll be repairing your washing machine next...(wait for it, Irondad is about to have an ah-ha moment). Every garage like every kitchen needs a junk drawer, you'll find a use for it on something else.
Troubadour,
Firstly, if you're at work you're about five miles from my house. Yet, you have to insult me through a blog in Phoenix?
Secondly, I'm lost. What do pants and washing machines have to do with each other?
Oh, I suppose I should say something to Lucky. It is his blog, after all.
Hope you get your oil leaks fixed. Remember that public service announcement with that big hooty owl thing?
Give a hoot, don't pollute!
Irondad - Hey, what are you implying there? Certainly I have nothing to do with it.
Bobskoot - Yeah, I get nervous about aluminum bits too. I've inadvertantly destroyed too many aluminum things due to its finicky, brittle nature. Believe it or not, what you suggested was what I was doing...
Troubadour - I've got a box o' someday-useful parts I've put the relevant pieces in to. My washing machine will live to clean another day.
"pocket part" has kind of a nice ring to it.
Try working on a 30-year-old bike that's had 10 or more owners, at least half of whom fancied themselves mechanics. Every part is a pocket part.
It wasn't my intent to insult anyone, I was stating from experience that when you put parts in your pocket they can end up in the deep, dark depths of your washing machine when you do laundry. I was trying to be funny, I failed, my apologies.
Troubadour,
No offense was taken. I posted the comment with tongue firmly in cheek. Your comment struck me as humorous. I thought I was being funny, too. Seems we both aimed and missed.
Canajun - Yeah, been there. The folks I know refer to it as the "de-idioting process"
Troubador:
don't worry, I got your humour, even though the mighty Irondad was temporarily insufficient.
Lucky:
I remember a long time ago I had a water pump leak on my '63 Alfa Romeo Guiletta Spyder convertible. I removed the Aluminum waterpump which bolted onto the aluminum engine block. Wouldn't you know, I torqued it too much and broke the flange on the waterpump.
Luckily my uncle had a machine shop. He performed some aluminum welding and built up the material, then retapped it, other wise I would have had to order one on the slow freighter from Italy and wait a year. Same with spark plugs into aluminum blocks so I came up with the left hand routine and undertighten. Much better to use brass bolts instead of steel
bob
bobskoot: wet coast scootin
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