Why is nothing easy?

[Ricks Cafe]

Hi All

I was just wondering if other members had started what should have been an easy maintenance job on their car but turned out to be far more than that.

For example: I needed to get to the the wiper linkage on my C Class Coupe. I followed the Haynes manual and it seemed a very simple job but the splash guard seemed to be fixed to the windscreen either being bonded or fixed by hidden fixings. Had to admit defeat!

I would be interested in other members experiences of repairs which turned out to be more difficult than expected.

 

[Mr. B]

My first girlfriend was.

 

[carat 3.6]

My favourite is trying to remove stuck injectors on merc cdi engines, each time is a new exciting adventure.

 

[ringway]

My favourite is trying to remove stuck injectors on merc cdi engines, each time is a new exciting adventure.

That's why I let my local MB dealership replace all six on my 320CDI.

 

[brucemillar]

My first girlfriend was.

Indeed she was.

Sent from my iPhone using MBClub UK

 

[SilverSaloon]

every "30 min job" i attempt on any car tends to last most of the day, with the air turning blue and usually means i end up getting bleeding knuckles.

 

[ringway]

I can recall my first real attempt at spannering.

Aged 17/18, I needed to change the alternator on my Marina Van. So, armed with what was probably a substandard socket wrench, I crawled underneath the van to set about removing the old part.

That's when things became more involved that I anticipated. The nut was well and truly seized, so I applied maximum downward force. The ratchet slipped and I smashed myself in the face.
There was blood everywhere and the next day I looked like I'd had a proper good hiding.

 

[Fizzer]

A few (dog) years ago I thought I'd just do a "quick plug swap" on a 2.8 Granada. The middle plug on each head snapped off leaving the threads in the holes .
I had to remove both heads and take them to a local engineering company for the threads to be reamed out. Their opinion was that for some reason the previous owner had Araldited the plugs in .
30 minute job eventually completed in 3 days

 

[Igurisu]

Recently I put a new filter in the air intake for the vents on the MX5. Popped the bonnet, ah, two of the nuts on the intake cover are under the scuttle panel. To get the scuttle off I had to remove the wipers, then the scuttle, then the intake cover. A 30 second job to replace a filter took the best part of an hour.

Always seems to be this way, at least the first time round

 

[ringway]

A few (dog) years ago I thought I'd just do a "quick plug swap" on a 2.8 Granada. The middle plug on each head snapped off leaving the threads in the holes .
I had to remove both heads and take them to a local engineering company for the threads to be reamed out. Their opinion was that for some reason the previous owner had Araldited the plugs in .
30 minute job eventually completed in 3 days

IIRC, our man Corned was on his way to Le Mans when a spark plug cracked on his E-Type. Araldyte saved the day.

 

[Fizzer]

"On his way to Le mans in his E type" now that sounds like my kind of road trip (ignoring the break down of course).

 

[BTB 500]

I went to replace the thermostat on my 1800 OHC Vauxhall Viva HC (genuinely a 10 minute job), and one of the two studs sheared off flush with the aluminium intake manifold ...

 

[KillerHERTZ]

No such thing as an easy mod!