# Goof-up confessions



## Rentahusband (Aug 25, 2008)

Hey, wondering if any of you would be willing to share any of your goof-ups when working on small engines?

I will share a few of mine. 
I was going to start my log splitter and get it ready for storage. I pulled and pulled and pulled, darn thing would not start!! Never had an issue with it not starting. It is a 25+ year old Honda engine. I was using starting fluid, choking off the carb by hand and nothing. When transporting I have to shut the fuel off, otherwise the vibration causes the float to flood the engine. I forgot to turn the fuel on!!! Amazing how much easier it is to start it when the fuel is on. Did the same thing with a snowmobile. Started it up got a few feet and it died. I just got it and thought what the ****!!! I pulled and pulled. Purchased new plugs $7.95 x 3, Iridum kind as they were out of the regular plug. Forgot to turn the FRIGGEN gas on!!!

Reconnecting the spark plug wire also helps when starting. 

A friend brought back his mower I had serviced, saying it was not cutting the grass. Put the blade on upside down.

Had a motor on the bench and forgot to put the oil fill cap back on. Pulled it over and had oil all over my parts bin!!! Good thing it did not actually start!!

Reassembling a unit and finding I forgot a bolt or something after I thought I was finished!! 

Why won't this darn thing start!! Oh, would help to have *GAS IN THE TANK!!!*


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## usmcgrunt (Sep 16, 2007)

Ok,I guess I will be the first to be embarrassed by something worth remembering but not repeating.

I think I was around 11 years old and trying to get an old Honda 50 scooter to run.(it was a freebie)I'm pushing it down the street in an attempt to push start it when I seen the plug wire fell off.I continue pushing while reaching down and putting the plug wire back on with my other hand (i think I lost consciousness at this point) and the spark was so strong it paralyzed my hand and I couldn't let go until I ran it into a tree and finally broke loose of the scooter.(It's Ok to be laughing right now).I learned my first lesson about magnetos and voltage.:drunk:

More recently,I was working on a Ryobi trimmer that would start and idle great.Every time I squeezed the throttle,it would rev up and then die.I must have cleaned that carb ten times and developed blisters on my fingers from pull starting it.The trimmer had a slide type on/off switch that was faulty and the vibration would cause it to slide to the off position and killing the spark and then move back to the run position after stopping and had good spark.

As they say,Live and Learn so you don't repeat your mistakes.


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## Rentahusband (Aug 25, 2008)

Now that was a good one!!! 
I was working on a Briggs and could not get the darn thing to stay running. Carb off several times, blister on the hand. I did not have enough gas in the tank!!!!  Put more gas in and it ran fine.


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## geogrubb (Jul 28, 2006)

Took my powerwasher to a friends once, he and I both pulled on it until blue in the face, used starter fluid etc, nothing, his wife walks by and said "Did you turn the switch on?", it had the O - I switch...wrong position, started right up, then she looks at me and said, "I thought you knew all about motors"...OUCH. Have a good one. Geo


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## Rentahusband (Aug 25, 2008)

Oh how many times I have done that!!! I hate the O - I switches. Can never remember which position is on/off!! Maybe have to tattoo it on my wrist. My wife has said the same thing!!


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