What are te nastiest conditions you've ever wrenched in?

Replaced a starter on an O/T early 90's gm fwd lying on my back in below zero weather in a parking lot in the dark with only my cellphone for light. I had to fix my truck many times in winter weather outside when we lived in an apartment. We weren't supposed to work on cars in the lot so I always did it in the middle of the night and made sure to finish by first light...


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Actually did this twice, but back in the seventies helped my buddy rebuild his small block in his '65 Impala in a snowbank with the motor still in the car in the middle of Minnesota winter....used "sandpaper" by hand to "hone" the cylinders...took turns so one could warm up while the other froze...did get it running...back then we were 17-18 and could deal with the cold better then now!!! The other was a old van with the in-line six inside the van so at least we had a wind block...again, we rebuilt it with the block in the van...this time the owner had a few more bucks so we could rent a glaze breaker to clean the cylinders up a bit.....

 

I changed engines in a USMC Mule on a bombed out airstrip at Khe Sanh in 1968 with a few borrowed tools. The weather wasn't bad, but the rockets were sorta annoying

 

Changing Cam Chain tensioner on my first car...(No laugh now!) a Peugeot 504.

I was in my parking lot stall, it just started to snow...tried to break loose the crank pulley bolt... when it came loose, mu hand past by the battery tray and shawed the skin of my knuckles.
Threw all the tools under the hood and slammed it!
I had to dig the car out of the snow the next day.

Stockholm, Sweden..long time ago.

Hence, Aloha
Tommy

 

You guys are tough. Worst i've got is gas welding up a 50 Merc chop outisde when it was snowing back in '74. Car was on the patio behind my parents house. Stood in the trunk welding up the section around the back window with snow falling hard,and the melted snow running down my ass crack.... Just couldn't wait for a better day,I guess.

Pulled a 401 nailhead and a TH400 out of a Wildcat donor in similar conditions. Biggest problem was the car was parked on a steep hill,and I couldn't move it. Car chained to my truck,hoist chained to my truck,chains running amuck everywhere. My ex walked out,took a look,said "you're gonna get killed doing that shit",and walked away.... snowing like a bitch.....

 

Oh, let's see... there have been a few times over the years. Replaced head gaskets on a 390 in my '76 Ford hi-boy in the driveway in the middle of winter... Was cold, but the worst part was having to climb up and down the front of that tall truck.

Replaced a fuel pump out in a motel driveway, also in winter (about 10 below zero).

Changed a transfer case in a buddy's chevy pickup on the top of a mountain on a camping trip. The job itself wasn't bad, but it was hot and fightin' off the hornets added to the fun...

Changed a couple transmissions out in the driveway as a kid. Don't remember it being all that bad... When you're young, the cold or hot weather, gravel, dirt and tranny fluid in your hair ain't that big of a deal...

 

That had to be (and sound) like a working in a wooden ship's hull in rough waters.

 

you guys are all crazy. worst I ever wrenched in was an October engine swap in my 61 Dodge outside at night after work. might have been in the 40's. BRRRR! had a couple of those halogen lights that put out lots of heat, that made it more tolerable

 

This was 1974, I was working for Sears in the summers when I was in college. It was 100* out and opressively humid. We just got back from donating blood and someone comes in with an MG with wire wheels. You guessed it... 5 hand-mounts with tubes. Managed to do it without passing out... that was bad.

Bob

 

1966. Ft. Lewis Wa. dark, cold and raining laying in the mud under a 6X6 truck cutting barbed wire out from around "U" joints with a torch.

 

Years ago here in Alberta ( I was 23 Wow that is a long time ago.)

I had an OT car, a 70 Dodge with a 318. Pulling out of a parking lot the engine made a big clunk and died.

Wanting to know what was up and not having a garage to work in was tough.

The engine looked fine from the outside. So I decided to pull the oil pan.

Winter was in full blow here, -25 to -30 C and much colder with the chill of the wind blowing across the parking lot.

So, here is what I did.

1) Jack the car up as high in the front as 2 - 6 ton jack stands would allow. Then drag a big old piece of shag carpet under the car.

2) Stand a 4' x 8' sheet of plywood beside the car on each side and 2- 4' pieces on the front leaving a small space to crawl through to get under the car.

3) Grab the snow shovel and pile snow up all around the car against the plywood and around the back until it completely blocked the wind.

4) Then crawl in under the car with a good work light and a tool box.

The heat from the drop lights bulb and being out of the wind lying on some old carpet made it almost warm

I found after pulling the pan that the clunk had been the crank as it broke in half in the middle and seized a counterweight against the block.

So. when spring came, out came the 318 and in went a 340

 

in the mid 70's we used to drive down to baja mexico to camp and surf on the beach, driving a 1956 VW camper bus we aways carried a spare long block, once we blew the motor and had to change it on the side of the highway... the Federalies really loved that one and told us we had to pay a tax, so i offered them the blown engine.. they didn't like that too much so i gave them $40.00 and they went on their way...

 

Baumholder, Germany, February 1983......30F degrees, rain, sleet, snow, ice, 35 mph winds.....Out on the range, left track on my M-60 thrown to the inside, roadwheels up to the bearings in mud.

Me and the crew spent over 10 hours, all night long, dragging track, digging mud, busting knuckles.....M88 maintenance recovery guys sitting in a nice, warm motorpool having hot cocoa, I guess......

 

I have had one that really sticks out in my mind. I was just outside Kalispell Montana it was -40 degress F and I was in the snow replacing a water pump on a Chevy truck. It took like three times as long as it should have.

I grew up in AZ, I have been replacing parts in 110-120 degrees on the asphalt trying to stay off the ground many many times. Afraid to touch anything because everything is hot as hell and burns you.

 

I did the same wind block thing... pieces of scrap paneling propped up with junk tires. But it worked. I still have a couple of pieces of scrap masonite I used 35 or more years ago. The perforated stuff was good to let transmission fluid drain thru...

I really had no problem wrenchin' in hot weather, but the cars always saved their worst for those below zero days.. or early mornings/late nights.

Bob

 

Iraq in 04 working on hummers and a "borrowed" local wheel loader. Daily motar and rpg attacks plus nasty sand storms. Horn of Africa 05 120 degree heat with a wind that felt like a open oven door to boot. Plus the occasional break down out side the wire where it was me with a 9mm and another guy(unarmed, great rules over there) trying to fix shit before the locals(poor and mostly Somalia's who dislike Americans) surround you trying to steal what ever they can. Good times.

 

I've been involved with repairing both cars and trucks since I guess about 1963. In that time , I've done Body and fender and mechanical on trucks big and small, driven a wrecker , both large and small and been a professional driver . In that time , I've fished stolen cars out of the sides of houses , ( WITH PEOPLE INSIDE ) ponds , pulled drive shafts out of trucks within inches of ijits driving past , had to adjust a carburetor in an intersection in the rain and several other forgettable moments . To me , having a roof was a frickin blessing . scrubba

 

Don't poke em with a stick through the bars of the cage. Pisses em off...

 

Iraq, changing a fuel control on a Huey, freezing rain, couldn't feel my fingers. Had already been up for probably 17 hours or more, had to get it done and my coworker on the project was inside because it was too cold!

 

1977 in the middle of the New Mexico desert. Saw a sign that said "Next Services 200 Miles" I glanced at the odometer and made note of the mileage. At exactly 100 miles the fuel pump stopped working. Fortunately I had a spare. Stopped on the side of the road it was pouring rain and we were watching a thunderstorm moving across the desert towards us. Lightning striking the ground and we were the highest metallic object in the whole area. I never changed a fuel pump so fast in my life. I do remember burning hot oil running down my arms.

I grew up in so-cal. That's the best I got.

 

Oh yeah, who doesn't dig a good t-storm?

Summer of '84.. changing my stock car over from the BBC to SBC and a storm pops up. Lynching the engine the traditional way, under a big assed oak tree with a chain fall hanging from a limb.

The engine is in place and the sky turns black at 6 PM.. big rain drops and the rumble of thunder. So I scramble to get the chain fall down, gather up the tools.. on a dirt driveway... and get the car covered up. Crossing the lawn with the hood over my head and I feel every hair on my arms and neck stand on end... I toss the hood to the side and literally hit the dirt. BOOOOOMMM, lightning struck the ground in the yard next to mine, heavy smell of ozone in the air. About the closest I've come to being turned into a crispy critter...

Bob

 

Good old Seattle monsoon and snow a few times.

 

I changed a cylinder head on Charles Lindbergh's airplane in flight! With just a crescent and a Phillips screwdriver at 2,000 ft.

 

1978....south of Atlanta...mid August....110 humid degrees....changing out rear spring packs in a 53 foot reefer loaded with tomatoes in a gravel parking lot. Another good one was changing rear brake chambers on a garbage truck in July......fuckin maggots skydivin' off the side of that sombitch.

 

When I was the mechanic on a dairy farm. 20 below 0, working on the pto drive shaft on a loaded manure truck in the middle of a cattle pen with fresh manure on the ground. I remember that every time my coworker whines how rough he/we have it here at work.

 

Spring 1981 in NYS, transmission went out on my Maverick that was parked in front of the house. The street was on an incline so I was able to get it up on a set of ramps. I needed it to get to work the next day so waiting wasn't an option. I get under it and start wrenching, then the sky opens up. Hard for the first 5 minutes or so, then it tapered off to a steady down pour. I had no trans jack so it was arm-strong lifting all the way. Pull the bad one out, slide it off my chest and out from under the car. Grab the good one, put it back on my chest all while there's a steady flow of water running down the street, around my head and down my shirt. Got it done in record time!

 

1957 Chevy 283 fuel pump change in 10 degree weather with about a 15 mph wind. Couldn't get the pump, pump rod and bolt in. Finally took the radiator out to get more access.

 

knee deep in shit...literaly. I work on wastewater systems. At least it was rich people shit so it didn't stink.

 

I gotta say, you military guys are some tough MoFo's, my hats off to you. I couldn't even imagine having to deal with incoming fire, much less wrenching in those conditions.

Ha! Never thought of it that way, but sounds pretty close!

 

I dont know about wrenched, but I used to detail cars out of highschool. Some people are FUCKING DISGUSTING. Tabacoo chewin redneck that consistantly missed his spit cup, apparently for years, comes to mind. That stank ass stuff was EVERYWHERE. Crazy Dog/Cat people are nasty two, one dude came in with a pretty new Suburban at the time with a HUGE St Bernard in the middle row, had slobber stains down the doors to the point where it was thick and crusty and dog hair matted into everything.