We've all had our share of automotive "uh oh" moments where disaster was just a second away, but it was narrowly averted. For example, peeking under the hood of a car with failing hood lift struts - you have your head buried in the engine bay in a pretty compromised position, then get up to grab a tool or something. Moments later, the hood slams shut. That sort of thing. I've had a couple pretty serious moments I wanted to share.
Many years ago. Young and even more ignorant than I am today. I'm driving around in my turbocharged NA-T Toyota Supra. I turbocharged it myself using bits and pieces of the turbo model's parts, but with lots of piping components from Home Depot. Well, an intercooler hose popped off a piece of 90 degree Schedule 40 intake charge pipe. The car started stalling, so I pulled into a parking lot to get the hose back on.
Well sir, the pipe was only accessible from underneath the car, so I set the parking brake, put the car in gear, and jacked it up with a tire jack. Then I stuck my head underneath doh the car and started wrenching. Not long into the repair, I noticed the car making sporadic creaking noises. Creak. Creeeaaak... creaak.. So I got up out of there just in time to watch the car roll over the spare jack. Yeah, I learned something that day.
Another instance, I had a project supercharged Lexus. I started noticing a fuel smell while idling. I thought nothing of it at first, but after a few days I decided to pop the hood to investigate closely. And there I saw it... right off the rising rate fuel pressure regulator's inlet hose barb, gasoline was dripping.... right onto the exhaust manifold heat shield.. and boiling off on the spot.
In about zero seconds flat I turned the car off and tightened the hose clamp. That could have ended differently.
These days I don't modify cars anymore, they're fast enough for me stock. So life is quite a bit less dramatic on the road.
Any similar stories you'd care to share?
Many years ago. Young and even more ignorant than I am today. I'm driving around in my turbocharged NA-T Toyota Supra. I turbocharged it myself using bits and pieces of the turbo model's parts, but with lots of piping components from Home Depot. Well, an intercooler hose popped off a piece of 90 degree Schedule 40 intake charge pipe. The car started stalling, so I pulled into a parking lot to get the hose back on.
Well sir, the pipe was only accessible from underneath the car, so I set the parking brake, put the car in gear, and jacked it up with a tire jack. Then I stuck my head underneath doh the car and started wrenching. Not long into the repair, I noticed the car making sporadic creaking noises. Creak. Creeeaaak... creaak.. So I got up out of there just in time to watch the car roll over the spare jack. Yeah, I learned something that day.
Another instance, I had a project supercharged Lexus. I started noticing a fuel smell while idling. I thought nothing of it at first, but after a few days I decided to pop the hood to investigate closely. And there I saw it... right off the rising rate fuel pressure regulator's inlet hose barb, gasoline was dripping.... right onto the exhaust manifold heat shield.. and boiling off on the spot.
In about zero seconds flat I turned the car off and tightened the hose clamp. That could have ended differently.
These days I don't modify cars anymore, they're fast enough for me stock. So life is quite a bit less dramatic on the road.
Any similar stories you'd care to share?