Old Mechanic's Tales

[Banjo]

I've just started a thread, where I'd love to see posts of weird mechanical solutions to everyday problems. We all seem to have stories of how we got out of some "on the road" or mechanical problem, by using a non conventional solution.

 

Remember that ABC show a few years back called "Bush Mechanics". I luv'd that. It brought back so many memories of getting stuck in the bush, and getting out of it.

 

You've probably all heard the suggestion of cracking an egg into your radiator, when you spring a leak miles from no where.

 

Remember a thread not that long ago here, about bedding in a new engine using Bon Ami cleaning powder.

 

I knew an old bush mechanic who reconds he got extra life out of slipper bearing shells, by filing the ends of them slightly, and packing them out from behind with a number of Tally Ho tobacco papers.

 

My grandfather used to tell me that when he went rabbit shooting and got a puncture he couldn't fix, they'd cut grass and stuff the tyre full, and drive home.

 

Well that's the sort of tales I'd love to here. How you got an engine out, when you didn't have a chain bloc, etc. etc. etc..

 

One of the best reads and videos I've watched recently is the Birdsville mailman's 1954 epic b/w "The Back of Beyond". To my way of thinking, Tom Kruse was the greatest bush mechanic of all time. What that bloke couldn't do in the bush with a broken down vehicle. It was just amazing !

 

Anyway, it's over to you. I'm sure you'd all love to post your moment of ingenuity !

 

I've got a couple of stories I'll post in the coming days.

 

 

 

;)09

[dysolve]

My mate was driving from canberra to wagga wagga and his car just stoped it took me three hours on the side of the hume to find out his fuel pump was not getting fuel, he could not find anything wrong (he did not have any tools with him except of a roll of sticky tape... he decided that the best way to fix the problem wouldbe to wire the fuel pump to his tail lights and drive with his lights on, anyways he did that and the problem was fixed, the funny part of the story is some body tried to steal the car a week later and guess what ... they only got out his driveway LOL... lucky it was day time. BTW remember to check your fuse box.... he didn't....... get my drift........

[Banjo]

GOOD ONE ! :dance:

 

Love it Dysolve ! That's beuatiful & very ingenious !

 

Come on guys; there's got to be a lot more of those sort of stories out there waiting to be told !

[Redwarf]

I've used a Motel sign as an a-frame to remove an engine, and then helped change the components over in one of the rooms. Not a mark on the carpet! :dance:

[crazy_bunny]

Mates accelerator cable snapped out in the middle of nowhere... so used some random wire we found in the car, hooked it to the throttle and ran it in his window... accelerate with his right hand, steer with his left. and i was changing gears, went like that for around 400kays till we got back to his place..

 

In one of the bush bashers the rear right leaf spring was shot.... so just cut up heaps of lenghts of 2mm sheet metal.. strapped it and welded the mounts onto that..... was a stiff ride but atleast it didnt sag and drag anymore..

[Banjo]

Love it, Rob,

Wish you'd taken a picture of it. Conjurors up a beautiful mental picture !

 

Busy road. Motel Sign. Car in pieces beneath. Irate Motel Manager.

 

As long as you didn't wash parts down in the bath tub !

 

:dance:

[styler]

heard a story somewhere about a old racq mechanic who was called out to a broken down mercedes back in the day and he found out the rotor was stuffed so he made a rotor from a cork, a thumb tack and a bit of wire.

[styler]

had a leaky clutch master cylinder and was topping it up regulary until i could get a replacement. i was driving around one dark night far from home and the clutch pedal went dead as the fluid ran out. i had no clutch fluid on me and no phone or money either. so i was going to piss in a bottle and fill it up, so i went across to this building to take a leak but then i saw a tap on the side of a building and filled it up with water. i should have used radiator fluid cos it has corrosion inhibitor but car was hot so i couldnt, the master was rusted to say the least!

Edited June 4, 2005 by styler

[bernieboy]

How you got an engine out, when you didn't have a chain bloc

 

Early this year, my Dad & I were at a farm in Ballarat & needed to take out a 4K-U out of this old rally KE20. The owner didn't have any equipment. All we had was a 1.5 metre piece of rope. So I searched around the farm & found a long circular wooden beam. So my Dad & I tied the rope to the engine, placed the beam in the loop and lifted the 4K-U out. Simplest way we could get it out. The hardest part of it was walking & trying to balance our steps as the engine swayed with each movement. Thank God it was only a 4k & nothing bigger. :)

 

 

Bernie-J

[Super Jamie]

when i renoved my 3k for the last time, i got underneath the car, took the gearbox off and lifted the engine out of the engine bay with my hands

 

my mate sam pulled a 4k from a ke70, with gearbox attached, by looping a rope around the engine and around his shoulders, and doing a squat lift with his feet on the strut towers

 

i've also skull dragged a 4age, full of oil and with all ancilliaries, up a 45 degree driveway. never again

[Banjo]

Jamie, your mate SAM must be a big boy !

Edited June 4, 2005 by Banjo

[Jason]

the guys who picked up my 4a-c didnt have a crane (i though they did, they thought i did) so we used a blanket under the sump to lift it out :)

Edited June 4, 2005 by Jason

[Banjo]

Jason ! Does that mean when you now sleep at night, you have the feeling your 4A-C engine has never left you ?

 

:)

[Jason]

ahahah :)

[Xany]

if you go anywhere to pull parts off/out of a car with teddy, be prepared......you'll bring back at least one of these stories.

 

You've Been WARNED!