Anything like this ever happen to you??

Discussion in 'The Bench' started by Madcat455, Nov 26, 2003.

  1. Madcat455

    Madcat455 Need..more... AMMO!!!

    Ok... Monday a buddy of mine gives me some of thos chrome Spark plug wire holders (the kind that bolt to the valve covers). He didn't want them so I got them. I went to put them on and everything is going good, then I think.... Since I have two bolts off, why don't I just replace the cover gaskets since there starting to seep. So I pull the covers, get the driver side done... then go to the pass. side and Lookey there, the #8 intake spring is broken:eek2: (Never knew it... everything ran fine:Do No: ). So I call up Disc auto and they just happen to have them in stock:shock: :shock: :shock: so I go and get two (good to have a spare). Today I get around to changing the spring, the old one comes off just fine. But just as I am getting the last Keeper in on the new spring, the Compressor breaks and the keeper shoots out like a bullet. It ricoche's off the hood and lands (of all places) inbetween the Steering gearbox and the frame:Dou: . I fish out the keeper then see a verticle line on it... right up the middle:( OK... I call Disc Auto back and well they had the springs but no keepers (have to order for next Mon.). Naturally no other place has any, so I'm stuck. While leafing through the TA catalog to order new keepers, I see that the same part# is for the 350-455.... I'm thinking YES, My old 350 is sitting at a buddys Dads (different one) garage. So I call him to see if it's OK to go there (don't want to freak His Parents, they don't know me), and I can't get ahold of him yet. 4 phones and nobodys home.:error:

    So this has been my day, All I wanted to do was route the wires nicer and now its immobile. I hope the rest of the day isn't like this:spank:

    I'm just glad I found the spring before the valve dropped:blast:
     
  2. 462CID

    462CID Buick newbie since '89

    I just got a whole set of TA keepers but I only needed three pair, I'll send you a few pairs if you don't need them desperately quick, probably would take a week, tomorrow being Thanksgiving and all...


    Yeah, that type of silly crapola happens to me all the time. Not exactly like you describe, but when I tried to diagnose my lifter tick last month, I found 6 broken and deformed keepers (bad heat treat?) and a broken rocker shaft, so in the process of trying to clean and rebuild one lifter, I did rocker and head work, too:Dou:

    When I first got my headers, I got all the bolts in but one, which fell between the header flange and head, it got stuck, so had to take out all the bolts, and when I got them all out, the bolt that was stuck fell into the header, and I had to remove the HEAD to get the header out to retreive it, the magnetic pickup tool I tried kept on sticking to the inside of the header!

    Another good one was the 9/16 wrench that got trapped onto an exhaust manifold flange before I had headers. Screw it, I said, the exhaust was so hard to install with no lift, I'll just buy another wrench! That 9/16 stayed there for 6 years
     
  3. ricknmel67

    ricknmel67 Well-Known Member

    I feel right at home in this thread!
    I'm glad I'm not the only one.
    You guys aren't alone. :gt:

    I think I've already told about the time I went to change my oil, and the drain plug nut inside the pan broke loose from the pan, and the drain plug wouldn't come out, or go back in. The nut just kept spinning inside the pan.
    Had the yank the engine to fix it!
    All I wanted to do was change the oil!! :Dou:


    :beer
     
  4. Madcat455

    Madcat455 Need..more... AMMO!!!

    Thanks Chris, I finally got the OK to go over. I pulled three sets (just in case:gt: ). Now, a new spring compressor later and I am rolling again. WHeew
     

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