Who second guesses their work later on. I do it all the time. Laying in bed and you start to wonder if you left a socket on the rod or if you tightened the driveshaft up enough. Who else does this. I also get those while in the car I just worked on. “Testing” it out Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Like the saying "can't see the forest for the trees'). I lay awake at night going over what I did, and realize I could have done it better or differently.
I have less skepticism and more confidence as I become more experienced in a particular job. I question/doubt myself when I attempt something I've never done before. Learning from my mistakes (there's been many) has been my best learning tool.
I always paint mark inside my engines. After I torque the mains,,,and the rods,,,the oil pump. It’s easy to get busy,,and get called away,,,or get side tracked,,and later wonder about it. I also always mark the crank with the bearing size,,,just for future reference. I have several rituals that I do during an assembly,,,,,I’m a little superstitious about this. Seems to work very good so far. Tommy
I am not a mechanic in any sense of the word, so every time I do something on one of my cars I double & triple check everything that I've touched. I recently rebuilt the front suspension on my Shoebox & am busier than a cut cat double & triple checking everything. Next is the brake system, should be good for a few sleepless nights.
Yes I do. I've partially disassembled a freshly built early hemi and a Buick Straight 8 in the past few years due to second guessing while trying to fall asleep. In both cases the second guessing was not required, but it can sure mess with your mind. Better safe than sorry I guess.
Yeah, it's like... I just know I'm going to screw something up. I just know I'm screwing something up. I just know I screwed something up. LOL Sent from my VS835 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I'm mentally challenged... ... and anal! Bad combination. Sent from my VS835 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Yesterday (with some help from my neighbor Jerry and his grandson John), I fired the Studebaker, it popped right off!!!!! But..........the electric fuel pump wouldn't operated unless I used the "priming" button (something wrong in the oil pressure safety switch circuit) and as I am trying to keep the motor around 2000 RPM John notes as he looking for leaks above that there is shiny substance on the ground. Turns out two fittings on the Automatic transmission cooling lines were leaking We've got that fixed now, just need to figure out why the fuel pump circuit isn't working and fix the turn signals since they are not working either. Yes...I worry about all of the processes that I either missed or did wrong
Even with the shelves I just built for the garage. I use a level. My stuff is straight, square, level and plumb. I shoot for plus or minus 1/16. Usually get it within plus or minus 1/8. I got 'em built and sanded and painted and then noticed one corner of the plywood that didn't quite line up perfectly with the frame. I started thinking I must have installed the plywood backwards or upside down. Of course I had to pull it off, check it a couple different ways, only to realize I had it right in the first place. Did I consider cutting a new piece of plywood to make it perfect? Yes I did. But there is a limit. LOL Sent from my VS835 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Being a machinist (retired), I never had the luxury of saying "that's close enough". So yes, it for sure carried over into my projects....................but I'm better now!
I had an engineering professor at the University of Tulsa 45 years ago who would say, when looking at our "solutions" to problems, "Well now, that ain't too swift but I guess it's close enough for government work." It takes the pressure off the need to be perfect.
I remember when I was 16 or 17 replacing the ball joints on an early Camaro. Just took it all apart and put new ball joints in and thinking, how does this little nut with a cotter pin keep the whole front end together. Worried about it every time I drove it, for a long time.
I will never drive the same again ♂️. And I’m in the car reading this! Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
The best is when you get done with something and step back, saying "hell yeah!" And then see how somebody else did it on the hamb and say "well shit"
If you forgot something it'll show up.. I have rules that Ive made up thru the years that seem to work for me..
Back in my younger days when I built a few motors, I discovered it was easier when I was nearing the end of the day, I wouldn't do the final bolt on the oil pan process, or install the intake just before the end of the day. I was much better off covering everything up, because I knew in the morning I would just have to double check something. Once I quit building motors, things got much better, but I still put the wrench on every bolt I've touched (and many I didn't touch) before I set the car down and backed it out of the garage. As far as being concerned about some fabrication I've done, I seldom second guess my work. I usually spend a lot of time analyzing things before I do anything, so when the project starts, I have the finished job pictured in my head. My mind tends to look for the worst that can happen scenario, so most issues have been worked out before anything was done. The job gets done to the best of my ability, and when its done, its done, unless I see a possible safety issue in the finished product, in which case, it isn't done... If I messed up, it will show up later. There have been times when I see the finished product and I think of what would have been better or easier and I will store that in my memory, so I can forget about it the next time too. Gene
I need to double check everything now that I am in my 70’s. What are we talking about? Sent from my iPad using H.A.M.B.
The Jalopy Journal
