Monday, February 15, 2010

That Part Wasn't Supposed to Break

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:

irondad said...

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? :)

Unknown said...

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

Troubadour said...

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.

irondad said...

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!

Lucky said...

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.

Canajun said...

"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.

Troubadour said...

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.

irondad said...

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.

Lucky said...

Canajun - Yeah, been there. The folks I know refer to it as the "de-idioting process"

Unknown said...

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