Share easy jobs you've made difficult

Dza · #1 06-01-2005, 08:33 PM

Hey folks. I cleaned the nicotine-like yellow off of the outside of my headlights and they looked great (I used 600grit sandpaper, then 1000, then 1500. At the end, cleaned with auto plastic polish). So, I decided to go ahead and do the 9005 conversion for the lights, and slap some new bulbs in my brights while I was at it. I picked up 4 Sylvania Cool Blues (again, thank you forum) and came home to install them.

Now, I don't do very well with vehicles I have to admit. I saw the 2-3 little screws in each of the 4 rubber light surrounds and immediately thought they had to be removed to get the bulbs out. I disconnected and removed the battery to get at the 2 screws on the left headlight... without trying to turn the bulb out first, I couldn't tell that you could just do it. I was totally spent after getting 3 bulbs replaced with my technique, so I put my tools and stuff away for the night. Today after work I walked out, unclipped, turned, and removed the 4th and final bulb without removing the screws to the rubber surround, then re-clipped under 30 seconds... boy did I feel like an ass. I turned a 2 minute job (replacing the headlights) into a 2-part 2 hour fiasco.

To top it all off, I thought my battery was dead when I re-hooked it up...because I hadn't experienced the starter-kill portion of the security. Not my proudest day, but I now have bright, sexy, clean lights and I know my security works!

It was my first time working on an SVX, so things like this are bound to happen. With me, it will happen each time I do anything, that's just how it goes.

So, please share some of your stories (even if they're stupid like mine) where you've turned an easier job into a lengthy ordeal.

Edit: Here are some pics of my cleaning/conversion

Before

After:

Before, then after:

sharky512345 · #2 06-01-2005, 08:52 PM

for me it was when i was installing my trans cooler. after cleaning out my radiator and all the junk/dead birds/cigarettes that had accumulated in there (and also after the car had cooled down) I put the transmission cooler into place. shortly thereafter i realized that i didn't know where I was supposed to hook the lines into

. So I come inside and look it up on the network and figure out where that is underneath the car.

Next I pulled out the OEM ATF line from the radiator and tried to push it back and connect it up to the trans cooler. this whole time ATF is dripping all over myself because i didn't clamp off the hose. So after a little bit of trying to make it fit i end up having to put the hose back onto the radiator like it was and find a hose extender piece thingy and some hose clamps. I then cut the 4 feet of hose that came with the cooler in half and connected them each to either end of the cooler, managed to snake them down below to where they should be. and then i unhooked the OEM line again, spilling ATF all over me once again. After getting about half a quart of it on me i managed to hook up the hose to the extension and tighten it down.

Now I only had one more hose to hook up. from the cooler to the radiator. this was a pain in the ass because i couldn't manage to get the hose fully settled onto the extension part on the radiator where it's supposed to sit. After working on that for about 20 minutes i get it hooked up, but realize that i had used up all my hose clamps that came with the trans cooler. but that is okay because i have a OEM clip... right? Nope, I ended up losing the nut that is needed to bolt down the hose clamp all the way somewhere in the gravel. So, i looked inside and found one close enough to the stock one that it worked fine for the job and used it. But first I had to take the line off of the radiator and put the hose clamp onto the hose, then squeeze the hose onto the peg once again

But all in all the installation was a sucess! Sure it took about 4 hours to do a 30 minute installation but the important thing is it worked, right?

intellibomb · #3 06-01-2005, 09:24 PM

where exactly did you place your cooler, btw...

(forum pirate)

sharky512345 · #4 06-01-2005, 09:43 PM

i put it in between the radiator and the A/C condensor. Which you just take the two clamps off that are holding the radiator on, tilt the radiator back towards the engine, and slide the trans cooler in. I didn't secure it with anything, but it isn't gunna go anywhere.

SubaSteevo · #5 06-01-2005, 09:44 PM

When I was installing my other hood I took the old one off no problem, unscrewed the struts from the hood, and removed the insulation. I stuck the other one on, screwed in the 4 bolts, and went to put the struts on. The right strut got crossthreaded and I couldn't get it on all the way. I decided to see if the hood would close correctly, and left the rachet under the hood in the process. The hood got jammed and took me about 10mins to get open. I take the rachet out and try again, then noticed that the corner near the windshield was not level, so I decide to put the first one back on. I later tried to put the second one on using the other set of holes (since the one was now stripped), before realizing you couldn't close the hood all the way in that position. I ended up knocking the strut off the knuckle and using a deep-well socket to force it on.

If I would have known that the knuckles were removable in the first place I would have saved myself about 2 hours of aggrivation, 2 hours of driving, and it would close perfectly (I was able to fix it somewhat with a mallet).

n00b on demand · #6 06-01-2005, 09:57 PM

Trying to change my oil and the drain plug was like welded onto the pan...wouldnt come off...ended up having to take it to the shop to have them remove it.

Dza · #7 06-01-2005, 10:19 PM

Thanks, guys. I know it can happen to anyone.I have a K&N sticker under my hood, so I think there's the drop-in filter already, but I have to do some more tinkering under there. I'll update this thread when I royally bone something.

I'm going to hijack my own thread (kinda, since this is included in my first post). What do you guys think of my cleaning job and light conversion?

SubaSteevo · #8 06-01-2005, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dza

Thanks, guys. I know it can happen to anyone.I have a K&N sticker under my hood, so I think there's the drop-in filter already, but I have to do some more tinkering under there. I'll update this thread when I royally bone something.

I'm going to hijack my own thread (kinda, since this is included in my first post). What do you guys think of my cleaning job and light conversion?

I think you should come clean mine too

thundering02 · #9 06-02-2005, 01:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BurgundyBeast

I think you should come clean mine too

Yeah make him the site headlight cleaner

pavanbabut · #10 06-02-2005, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BurgundyBeast

I think you should come clean mine too

Mine tooooo....

-Pavan.

Landshark · #11 06-02-2005, 12:06 PM

my rear wiper wasn't working on my old car, so i disassembled the motor, gearbox and linkage, only to find the nut holding the wiper arm down was loose.

from now on, i start with the simple possibilities.

Matthewmongan · #12 06-02-2005, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dza

So, please share some of your stories (even if they're stupid like mine) where you've turned an easier job into a lengthy ordeal.

anything i touch turns into a big ordeal. the computer i built started out as a budget pc for under 800 and now its a watercooled gaming rig for 3000. and i dont realy play games (i have half life 2 but only because it came with my ram)

to answer your question i would sum it up as life. i make life a lengthy ordeal.

Earthworm · #13 06-02-2005, 01:54 PM

2 things:

1. Don't cross thread the bolts for the seats! We won't go into details but I will say it took the better part of a day to fix that one.

2. Changing the light for the gear indicator by the shifter. You don't really need to take the center console all apart...just the cover around the shifter.

immortal_suby · #14 06-02-2005, 05:04 PM

I was cleaning the intake with a spray cleaner and watched in horror as the little plastic tube on the cleaner bottle fell off and went down into the intake.

Had to remove the throttle body to get the plastic tube out.

I actually contemplated just eaving it in there for a few seconds.

mikecg · #15 06-02-2005, 06:08 PM

Easy things made difficult..........

Ummmm just about everything I do turns out harder than it should have been. My latest example would be the 5-speed swap. I went with a 92 legacy tranny to avoid the hassle of all the hydrolics. Most can get it done in under a month. I'm going on 5 now. The good news I'm half way there.