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

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by 63comet, Apr 5, 2013.

  1. Salty
    Joined: Jul 24, 2006
    Posts: 2,259

    Salty
    Member
    from Florida

    My worst....putting a new tail section onna helo in a hurricane in 30-50 foot sea on a frigate that the flight deck was 13 feet off the water....we hadda tether ourselves to the helo...oh and it was cold as shit...raining sideways and the waves kept knocking you on your ass....fun times.
     
  2. 3spd
    Joined: May 2, 2009
    Posts: 557

    3spd
    Member

    I've got 2 decent ones:

    1) replacing an in-tank fuel pump on a 100+ degree day on asphalt and the tank was full. When dropping the tank I spilled a bunch of gas causing the asphalt to turn to goo and pretty much glue me to the ground. I was pretty light-headed after that one.

    2) Outside in the rain replacing a u-joint on my f-250 with only 1 hand because earlier that week I had stuck my thumb in a bench grinder and severed the artery at the knuckle.
     
  3. Skavangs49_Merc
    Joined: Nov 10, 2012
    Posts: 158

    Skavangs49_Merc
    Member
    from Sturgis,SD

    In a one car garage with my dogs and a leaking roof if you notice on my avatar the car is uncovered but right now it has a tarp over it. Looks to me if my landlord doesn't replace the roof I wont have one next year!!
     
  4. blowby
    Joined: Dec 27, 2012
    Posts: 8,661

    blowby
    Member
    from Nicasio Ca

    I worked at a Chevron station with a guy and I don't know what was going on inside of him but he had a habit of coming over to see what you were doing and letting out the most unbearable smelling farts you could ever imagine. He got a big kick out it and heaven help you if you were in the middle of something where you couldn't quickly evacuate the area.
     
  5. G'day all, In January of 1982 it was 25 degrees below zero here in North Dakota and the transmission went out on my daily driver. So, I had an extra trans from one of my parts cars and I proceeded to install it into the dd. However, I had 3 broken bones in my right wrist and a cast from elbow to thumb and fingertips. And yes, I am right handed. I had to keep rolling out from the car and going in to thaw the broken wrist and fingers out. But, I got it fixed and still have the car. Probably spite I guess.

    ms
     
  6. 72 LTD with a bad starter. -25F air temp and high winds. I got the passenger side up on jack stands and my Dad laid plywood down the one side to keep the wind out while I froze my ass off.

    Two other cold winter nights (but in the 20's) with a 71 Chevy Pickup. First I broke a distributor shaft in the motor. Walked and hitchhiked back into to town and got dropped off at a 24hr Super Value grocery store at 11 or midnight. It had a hardware section and automotive section and surprised the hell out of me that they had a new distributor. So I bought and a wrench and got a ride back to my truck and change the distributor on the side of the road in the middle of night. A few weeks later the timing chain broke and I had to thumb it home again.
     
  7. tjet
    Joined: Mar 16, 2009
    Posts: 1,335

    tjet
    Member
    1. Early Hemi Tech

    I was airline mechanic, so I'm use to sucky conditions. I still work for an airline, but now I gotta desk job - WoooooooHooooo!
     
  8. Hotrodmyk
    Joined: Jan 7, 2011
    Posts: 2,302

    Hotrodmyk
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. Northwest HAMBers

    Changing a clutch in a garbage truck in Vernon, CA. Didn't matter what the temprature was.
     
  9. Rickybop
    Joined: May 23, 2008
    Posts: 9,606

    Rickybop
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    You fleet mechanics are tough MFs. "A spring pack on a garbage truck." Whew...lol.
     
  10. agrezy1
    Joined: Aug 12, 2012
    Posts: 20

    agrezy1
    Member
    from tn

    middle of august in palm springs 122 degrees 60% humidity during moonsoon season when it couldnt get any worse doing an lof on a diesel pusher rv the wind started blowing sand dune sand across the parking lot covering me in a sweaty sticky sandy mess...that day sucked...
     
  11. Jan 1975 - had to get to school and our first factory job - my bud Kelly and I put the clutch in the old Stude truck in an evening of cold shit...he in the cab with a spot light and the floor cover off and me on the ground a cussing....got er' done...at the time it was our only ride and he was expecting his first baby girl by summer.....


    lwf - jks.jpg
     
  12. ibarodder
    Joined: Oct 25, 2004
    Posts: 223

    ibarodder
    Member

    I had a service call on a tractor tire, and the tractor was right in the same area where they had been butchering a hog !
     
  13. grate slammed
    in the dump 89* high humidity had to dig my way under garbage truck in 4 places
    truck leaning with a mattress and a blowup jumping castle wrapped around the drive shaft between rear axles
    all the air lines ripped out brakes locked
    so I could back off the brakes for the wrecker to tow it home
    I was laying in the maggots fantastic aroma all around
    and do not forget the dump master screaming that it is closing tome and I am in the way

    they pushed my driver over this with compactor
     
  14. don't you just love the dripping maggots
     
  15. woodbutcher
    Joined: Apr 25, 2012
    Posts: 3,310

    woodbutcher
    Member

    Don`t know about nastiest condition,BUT,when I worked for a friend of mine in his citrus groves we has to go out first thing one morning to fix a pickup that had quit right at quitting time the day before.Drive shaft fell out.WELLLLLLLLLLLL,we get there and friend says well roll under and see what we need.WELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL,I came back out faster than I went under.He says whats up?I says if you want that thing fixed YOU get under and see whats needed.He says if you don`t get back under that truck,you ARE fired.I said ok with me.Hr slides under and HE comes back out quicker than I did.Found TWO of the biggest meanest COTTON MOUTHS curled up around the rear of the tranny that you have ever seen.I says well get under there and see whats needed to fix it.He says FU2.I says am I still fired?Says he nope,lets go get a beer.
    Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
    Leo
     
  16. Well below freezing, and very windy, changing a fuel pump on a SBC.
    .
     
  17. No garage as a teenager,worked out in driveway Illinois winter. Shovel snow from around 63 Impala S.S. chip tires out of ice to jack it up to pull trans. to pull motor. Skipped school to pull front clip offa car in junkyard and put on mine,snowin and blowin so bad they let the kids go home from school early! I was buckin drfts on the way home...Did this sorta crazy shit all the time...no car not fun... 16 years old 1976... Tis no wonder I aint quite right to this day...wish I had that old S.S. to pull my Stude to the digs... Don't havta lie...truth is stranger than fiction...When I relate to people some of the stuff we did I know they think I'm shittin them....I don't care tho...I know the truth...Ha,me and a buddie outran the Morrison cops with that car one night...took the Garden Plain road with our lights off runnin a hunnerd plus, the cop never saw us turn....we watched him go down the wrong road with cherries blazin...haha we were laughin...nervously.....but thats a whole nother story....
     
  18. Believe it or not it's true! I've spent many hours fixing log trucks outside in northern Alberta at -40 to -45c. On the opposite side of the scale once did a cam swap on a 65 impala in southern BC, it was so hot had to have the tools in the horse trough to be able to pick them up.
     
  19. Bart78
    Joined: May 11, 2011
    Posts: 717

    Bart78
    Member

    In run a landfill and allso have to work on a bunch of equipment. I have work on stuff that had shit on it that I have no idea what it was.
     
  20. triumph 1
    Joined: Feb 9, 2011
    Posts: 591

    triumph 1
    Member

    On machinery in NewOrleans right after Katrina hit. Filth, shit, rust, unbearable heat/humidity. No running water or power. It sucked!
     
  21. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,264

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I got a sunburn and tipped over my beer once. Sorry, I live in California.
     
  22. BOHICA
    Joined: May 1, 2006
    Posts: 345

    BOHICA
    Member

    I'm sure it wasn't, else you wouldn't be posting here, but that actually sounds fun.
     
  23. Chrisbcritter
    Joined: Sep 11, 2011
    Posts: 1,970

    Chrisbcritter
    Member

    In Tijuana, in December, on a rainy muddy street (two wheels on the sidewalk) trying to close up a hole in the oil pan of my O/T '76 LTD with a center punch, needlenose pliers and a ball peen hammer. Luckily (because I sure can't credit it to skill) it worked and never leaked after that.
     
  24. Commish
    Joined: Jan 9, 2010
    Posts: 379

    Commish
    Member
    from NW Ok

    Put a clutch in one of those big heavy seismograph trucks, in the bottom of a sandy ravine where it quit. 100 F+ day, and the tranny weighed in the neighborhood of 700 lbs. All we had were hand tools, and pry bars. Used a mechanical transmission jack on 2 4x8 sheets of 3/4 plywood.
     
  25. I agree. Missouri SUCKS!!! Man I hate this place.
     
  26. In Colorado about 8 Years ago. Replacing a Pan Gasket with the temp at 20-0 at 10PM in my driveway. I was laying on cardboard on the snow. The work lamp kept me warm and after a while, it felt like I had to finish it to challenge myself. But it was stupid cold that I know.
     
  27. haha good timing for me to pop in to see whats going on, lets see, replacing rod bearings outside when I was happy to be under the car to stop some of the rain, scrapping a motorhome to get the 413 and 727 and having to stop at the burn barrels so my fingers could warm up enough to hold a 10lb sledge, those were the first to come to mind, never had a shop, always worked outside so guess thats all..
     
  28. Muttley
    Joined: Nov 30, 2003
    Posts: 18,500

    Muttley
    Member

    You name it, I worked as a tow truck driver for seven years.
     
  29. 63comet
    Joined: Jan 31, 2006
    Posts: 508

    63comet
    Member

    Wow, six pages in two days. This is the most popular thread I've ever started here.

    You guys that had to work in war zones win. I'll take snow, mud, lightning over bullets and bombs any day. Not to mention I'm sure y'all had plenty of dirt and grime to go with those.

    And FWIW I did work on the car yesterday after all, realized Iwas being a bitch about the drizzle. Still didn't get that damn pitman arm off.
     
  30. I welded in inner and outter rockers on my grandparents van in the snow last year.
     

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