Confession is good for the soul...

[kshansen]

And how many lottery tickets did you buy at lunch, kshansen?

None I figured I'd used up all the luck I had for that day! Just glad the shop was nice and quite at that time so I heard what had happened and that I droped it in the front of the engine where the deep sump is not the back where there is a shallow area with a small pocket things couild get caught in. Also helped that the pan was aluminum so only thing magnet would grab was the bolt.

 

[kshansen]

If I was to tell about the screw up I did about 35 years ago while changing the oil in a D398 Cat gen set the EPA would be knocking on my door. What the heck probably a statue of limitations on that one.

As I recall the gen set took about 110 gallons of oil. After draining the oil out and cafefully catching it in old drums. I then changed the filters and preceeded to pump by hand the first barrel of oil in. Just as I finished the first barrel can anyone guess the step I had missed?

 

[Mike L]

drain plug :shf

 

[kshansen]

drain plug :shf

Well actually a drain valve then the pipe was capped off, or should say was supposed to be!

 

[bigshow]

I've been awful fortunate throughout my career, I usually get to clean up the messes of others and I get to learn from their misfortune so I don't do the same. However my biggest blunder to date happened a few weeks ago, I was in my cherished M318D and we just started a bridge job and we were clearing and grubbing. Down along the the creek bank was some trees I had to pull out and clean up, so I went down over a 2:1 about 10 feet high. I checked the ground before going down and it seemed hard like any creek gravel area is, I proceeded to work for about 10 minutes and all of a sudden it was like I fell through ice. I ended up punching through about 1' of frost and into some silt, to about the top of the tires, no big deal really. I pulled myself 10' before I decided it was best to get a dozer to help. It got to the point where everyone started throwing their $.02 in, do this, do that and blah blah blah. A couple guys wanted me to stuff some trees in there to act as a courderoy road but I said no as to all the branches and stuff getting into the driveline and hydraulic hoses and causing more damage. So we hooked a 930 and a D3 together and got 20' and she wouldn't go no more. So at this point the Superintendent wanted me to stuff some medium rip-rap in there and try to get up on it, I himmed and hawed and they browbeat me into it, I wasn't crazy about the idea as I've been under these machines and know how delicate they are underneath. However at this point I said, hell lets try it. We got a few more feet then she got high centered on a rock, the rock drove the drive shaft into the gearbox above it and broke the whole works. So now we're screwed, cutting the drive shaft and hooking to a wrecker. It was a long afternoon, I guess I should have stuck to my guns and said no to the rocks but hindsight is 20/20. We drug it onto the lowboy and sent her to main shop, 'twas a sad day for sure. I sure did feel like hell for a few days afterwards, but I must say, the owner of the company came out a few days later and basically said you can't make an omelette without breaking an egg, we shook hands, I said I was sorry and we moved on. He sure is a stand up guy, there's no doubt about it.

 

[Colorado Digger]

Wow, What a bummer. It just goes to saying...stick to your own ideas. I'm sure there were 20 safety vests and helmets managing the whole show and you wanted to get the hoe out as soon as possible. That's the other thing, good for the bossman, for not freaking out.

CD

 

[kshansen]

bigshow, Sorry to hear about you M318D

Hope they fix it up right and get it back to you real soon.

At least the boss seems to be a stand-up kind of guy, good luck, send pictures if you can stand to take them!

 

[bigshow]

The pictures don't make it look that bad, however they won't be making the internet rounds.

 

[kshansen]

The pictures don't make it look that bad, however they won't be making the internet rounds.

I should take some under side pictures of a 350 that I am having the "pleasure " of working on this week. It's a 1996 model but that is still no reason for the scars on the underside I'm seeing!:Banghead We are replacing most of the drive hoses that I made the "mistake" of pointing out to the boss a couple weeks back. To unhook the hoses from the motor on the right side the only option was the blue tip wrench Not sure if the guards have been of more than once since new:Banghead Heavy rust scale everywhere.

 

[BobCatBob]

I'm a calculated cautious guy by most standards, but I did this (see picture) over the weekend in my haste to get a rebuilt engine installed. I was "double checking" clearance before lowering the engine in to it's final spot.....and after reviewing the pictures a friend took, saw this one to my surprise. I know better and still did it. I can rationalize that the forks would hit the engine if the hydraulics gave out, but it's still a no no.

 

[kshansen]

Might be the camera angle but look like the forks are tipped down in the front too! Would not want to have an accident and make a mess out of that nice clean machine!

 

[kshansen]

Well yesterday I did one that qualifies me for a dope slap!

Working group leader came and got me because the 769D up and quit. Driver said it died when he shifted it into gear after he had got out to talk to the other haul truck driver. Went down and took a look. Batteries looked okay, terminals not corroded and nice and tight, could use a bath but no fuzz growing anywhere. Turned on key switch and dash lights up gauges do the full sweep thing and everything looked normal. Turn key to start and expect the pre-lube pump to take off, nothing. Fist thought is the relay for it is bad. jumper the input wire to the large batt. terminal and pre-lube pump takes off like normal. Still will not crank. Now quick check of starter and with remote starter button hooked up and key on engine cranks right over running like normal. Put in gear and nothing happens. Then think to check for codes on the monitor panel, don't have them at home but at least one was not shown in the list of the wiring diagram but when I did a Google search came up with some references to lack of communication between engine and transmission. Opened dash to access the ignition switch to be sure it was functioning properly, seemed fine. I had checked the wiring diagram and seems the relay that powers the transmission ECM is in compartment behind cab. Start the engine to try and lift body to make access easier, no hydraulics DANG. Well it's not too tight so I remove rear cover from cab and start trying to locate the transmission relay. Did not seem to be getting power. While sitting in that hole looked at the back of fuse panel and just for kick started seeing what was hot. Found one on the bottom right looking from the back that did not seem to be working. Asked the working group leader what the label said. To get a clear look at it he had to slid the seat way forward. Wouldn't you know it was not labeled at all! Then he said there is one on the other side that has a little gear picture next to it. He went to wipe off some dust and the cap for the little gear one fell off. Took out the fuse and it was blown, probably do to a poor connection from being loose. Long story short once the bad fuse was replaced and locked in right truck started and ran like it should.

Guess I should have thought to check all fuses first! I got off on the wrong path because I had power to the key switch and made the fatal mistake of ASSUMING the wrong thing.

 

[JNB]

My first full time driving / operating job was for an old drunk. Nice guy, but didn't take care of anything. He owned an old Ford cabover single axle dump and Ford skiploader. I was just 18, wet behind the ears, and got the job through a friend. The first day I worked for him (hadn't even met my new boss yet) I picked the truck up from the shop, early in the morning and in the dark. It broke down in less than a city block. After the mechanic got me going I headed up in the hills above Hollywood to haul dirt for another guy. Coming back down the hill (first load), I put on the brakes and the cab flopped forward, pinning me up on the windshield along with my lunchbox and toolbox! Luckily, at the bottom of the hill there was a "t" intersection with an ivy uphill on the other side. I went up the hill (still on the windshield) until gravity took over and flopped the cab back down, throwing me and my now-open toolbox and lunchbox up on the shelf behind the front seat. All of this took place in front of a driver of a brand spanking new Kenworth dump. He was standing on the battery box, cleaning the windshield when I went by (twice) missing the front of his truck by a foot or so. I don't know who was more freaked out...me or him! If that wasn't enough, when I was getting on the freeway (same load) the truck overheated, blowing off the radiator cap and the lid on the shelf behind the seat, filling the cab with steam.

 

[Mike L]

Jnb That's the funniest thing I've heard all day

 

[JDOFMEMI]

JNB

That definitely makes for a memorable first day on the job. I hope it got better after that though.

 

[JNB]

JNB

That definitely makes for a memorable first day on the job. I hope it got better after that though.

Not with that employer. He wouldn't fix anything on the truck or the skip. Everyday was a greasy adventure. About six months later I got on with the company the guy in the KW drove for, Hayden Bros. Engineering out of Sun Valley. That was a great company to work for. I learned a lot there from some excellent operators.

 

[fixou812]

I ran over a creeper with a long truck

Drop lights don't count. In my defense I've never taken out a garage door.
But I've punished a few. (There's still time )
How come the guy's under fourty never confess anything? :beatsme:beatsme

 

[fixou812]

I was tired and decided to check into a lonely motel in the middle of nowhere.
When suddenly all the lights go out! ? Did they go to bed ?
...or was it because of the wires I took out with the top of my rig.

 

[old-iron-habit]

Drop lights don't count. In my defense I've never taken out a garage door.
But I've punished a few. (There's still time )
How come the guy's under fourty never confess anything? :beatsme:beatsme

Maybe its because the guys under 40 are still on probation by us old farts.

 

[FSERVICE]

Maybe its because the guys under 40 are still on probation by us old farts.

or could it be we just don't make mistakes!!! LOL everyone has made a mistake at sometime or another, now where they own up to it or not is a different story!!