Things we have learned the hard way

[hotshot]

A bent cylinder fin never does return to its original position, they just snap off no matter how careful you are!

 

[weedkilla]

It's better to let the kid working with you tie the brushcutter on top of the toolboxes on the truck, than to say "leave that there, I'll tie it on".

Even if he can barely tie shoelaces, it would have been better than me not tying it on at all.

 

[fearofpavement]

Just this week.... I tried to start my vintage Honda CB750K. Wouldn't start. It had been sitting about 6 months. Finally decided to drain the carb bowls thinking maybe the ethanol messed something up. Nothing came out of the carb bowls. Figured I had a restriction at the shut off valve. Disassembled that and to shorten a long and frustrating story, once I put fuel in the tank it started right up. duh.

 

[Matt B]

Don't get disappointed about the rubbish comp on your recently purchased ($2) 020AV until you check that the previous owner has tightened the spark plug...

 

[imagineero]

Chocolate fish can't swim. I miss you little buddy.

Whenever anyone gives me a saw that won't run the first thing I do is drain the tank and fill with fresh mix and put a spark plug in. That does it a surprising amount of times, regardless of what they tell me the problem is.

 

[Cantdog]

This whole thread reminds me of a saying I heard recently - "You start life with a full bag of luck, and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience, before you empty the bag of luck"

LOL!! This thread reminds me of a saying too. One of my favorite sayings is "It wouldn't be half so funny if it wasn't true"...think about it a minute......

 

[Heilman181]

if you ride motorcycles, never compensate for the lack of skill with horsepower.

My dad always said, "If your gonna be stupid, you gotta be tough!"

It never made a damn bit of sense what he was saying until I was about 15 years old. I am sad to report that it makes PERFECT sense now.

 

[greendohn]

Used a cotton rope yesterday as a piston stop. That worked very well, I got the clutch off without any problems,,the problem was the rope got stuck/pinched between the piston and exhaust port,,it took me a minute to figure out how to push the piston back down,,,

 

[TheManOfStihl]

I learned recently NOT to let my buddies borrow my splitting mauls. One of them got home with it, and decided it was too dull so they sharpened it for me.

"It always gets stuck in the wood, so I sharpened it again, and it still gets stuck. Now the handle is starting to crack..."

Sigh, thanks fellas. Get yer own splitting equipment next time.

 

[ILikesEmGreen]

I learned recently NOT to let my buddies borrow my splitting mauls. One of them got home with it, and decided it was too dull so they sharpened it for me.

"It always gets stuck in the wood, so I sharpened it again, and it still gets stuck. Now the handle is starting to crack..."

Sigh, thanks fellas. Get yer own splitting equipment next time.

Smdh... gotta love splitting green poplar or gum.

Sent from my C811 4G using Tapatalk

 

[TheManOfStihl]

Ok, so remember at the beginning of this thread that I said that I blew up the clutch on my 064? Well last night I decided that I need to remove what's left of the clutch, so it'll be ready for when I get a new one. So, I installed the piston stop and ran the engine over by hand to contact the piston stop. I turned that clutch with all my might, and it would not budge. Yes, I was going clockwise, I realize it is a left hand thread. I tried it many times, socket kept slipping off or I just couldn't hold the saw down, either way it was not coming loose. So, being a dumbass I grabbed my impact, gave it a quick rap or two, and noticed the clutch flopped in the correct direction. Sweet, I thought, I got it! Well, little did I know, I got it good. The clutch in fact did not break free, but the impact rammed the piston into the steel plug piston stop and punched a hole in the piston. A perfect shape OEM piston! I pulled the jug to see how bad it was, and almost had a mental breakdown. Why would I do that?! Now I need more than a clutch!!


Oh, and the clutch is still on the crank. Sigh.

 

[zogger]

Ok, so remember at the beginning of this thread that I said that I blew up the clutch on my 064? Well last night I decided that I need to remove what's left of the clutch, so it'll be ready for when I get a new one. So, I installed the piston stop and ran the engine over by hand to contact the piston stop. I turned that clutch with all my might, and it would not budge. Yes, I was going clockwise, I realize it is a left hand thread. I tried it many times, socket kept slipping off or I just couldn't hold the saw down, either way it was not coming loose. So, being a dumbass I grabbed my impact, gave it a quick rap or two, and noticed the clutch flopped in the correct direction. Sweet, I thought, I got it! Well, little did I know, I got it good. The clutch in fact did not break free, but the impact rammed the piston into the steel plug piston stop and punched a hole in the piston. A perfect shape OEM piston! I pulled the jug to see how bad it was, and almost had a mental breakdown. Why would I do that?! Now I need more than a clutch!!


Oh, and the clutch is still on the crank. Sigh.

sucks!

I think I have read here dozens of times, don't use a piston stop..use rope by hand or nothing, just the compression with the impact.

Is there a clip on that thing? On the end of the crank? I really don't know, I have yet to have a stuck clutch I couldn't get off.. (I know it will happen now though)

 

[machinisttx]

Never stand too close to handwheels on old machine tools, especially if they don't have a fold in handle. Had one on a big surface grinder catch me in the nuts and lift me off the ground at the first shop I worked in. The powerfeeds on that machine had lots of power. I'm kinda queasy now just remembering it.

Be sure to turn the brim of your welder's cap to cover your top side ear if welding in a horizontal position.

 

[TheManOfStihl]

No there's no clip, just threads. For some reason the clutch was installed but there is no oil pump behind it. I bought it that way, but didn't know it until the clutch exploded. Turns out I would have had to remove that clutch anyway.

I should have known better. I have a plastic tab piston stop but always thought it was too chinsey to use.... well I think I'm going to use it next time. Either that or the rope trick. No more with this steel piston stop. I've had one experience too many now. I have used this thing for about two years now, and NEVER with results like that. But, I never use an impact on my saws either. Live and learn I guess.

At least it was MY saw and not a customer's saw. I'd be telling a story of a grown man in tears. "Here's your 064 back, the one that had the bad clutch. Now it's got a new top end, no charge." Makes me cringe to even think about having to say that.

 

[XSKIER]

Just remember how much you've "smartened up" this week!

 

[VA-Sawyer]

No sense in kicking a man when he is down. Sorry to hear about that piston.
Back to the thread.......
Any time a saw fails......the dealer will blame it on bad gas.

 

[anlrolfe]

I have learned that the old bath towel that I lay in the jump seat/storage of my Ranger can absorb about 1/3 gallon of bar/chain oil before becoming saturated.

I've also learned that you may never know what dimpled the bottom of the oil jug but you sure the heck know it happened from the results.

 

[TheManOfStihl]

I think I have learned this week that just because someone hands you a Poulan saw for nothing, that doesn't mean you have to make it work properly. I've been tinkering with this Poulan Pro 220 for a few days on and off, and it's driving me nuts. I see why they gave it away!

 

[anlrolfe]

I learned long ago that "free" ends up costing me at least $100 bucks one way or another.

 

[procarbine2k1]

I learned that sometimes gambling on a fart just wasn't worth the risk