Comedy of Errors

[clmixon]

With WESTOC at the end of the month and 90K on the ST, it was again time to do the brakes ( I get about 30K per rear and 45K front.

I had ordered during one of Honda Direct Lines sales and had them on the shelf for a while in the unopened padded envelope that they had been shipped in.

There I was, sitting in 98 degree heat on the carport, cleaning calipers and getting everything nice and ready to put the pads in place.

• Mistake one, not opening the package BEFORE I started working

I open the bag, pair the two matching part numbers up at the front and the single part number at the back.

• Mistake two, not checking part numbers against the very nice clearly printed shipping invoice.

I fit the first set of front pads and that's when the first inkling of doubt crept into my small, befuddled brain. Why are these pads so thick that they are touching in the caliper?

Duh, invoice is correct but they pulled and shipped TWO back sets and ONE front set.

The front pads are at about 60% wear, so I start calling around thinking I can get some EBC pads.....NOPE

Ok, re-install the old front pads and then after using the appropriate Anglo-Saxon phraseology, I start on the back pads (after all, I have two sets now.

Start removing the back caliper;(yes I know you can just pull the pin without removal, but I don't want to shove those pistons back into the caliper with out a good cleaning.)

Left muffler no problem.....Right Muffler clamp is snapped, looks like it has been leaking a while (burn marks in cork insulator)

Finish the brake pad install, no problems and then I start hunting for a replacement clamp. As I have posted in another thread, the Auto Zone 54 mm fits fine but that was after another round of phone calls. (Uh St-1300, is that a 4 wheeler?) and another round of visits to the auto gnomes.

Anywhoo, lessons learned

1, Do MTCE in the winter, its cooler
2. open the bag and check the order BEFORE pulling things apart
3. make friends at the auto parts house too
4. I am too damn old to sit on concrete for 4 hours plus to accomplish a 30 minute job....

Next week, Washing Machine repair for the foolish or How to spend $370 to learn that the technician missed the class on hose clamps. The alternate title is "50 year old plumbing with 30 year old tape on it seldom means a good surprise....

Chris

 

[Killtimer]

I've got a set of fronts in my parts bin. Want me to bring them to WeSToc and hold your beer while you change them out in the parking lot?

 

[clmixon]

Nah,

Thanks Steve but with my luck, I'd probably end up needing a transfusion afterward.

See Ya soon,

Chris

 

[roginoz]

I've got a set of fronts in my parts bin. Want me to bring them to WeSToc and hold your beer while you change them out in the parking lot?

Or, stop in Wichita on your way up. I keep a spare set of pads in stock, the lift table and shop stools keep us off the floor, and the garage is air conditioned. The beer in the garage fridge is domestic (Bud and Bud ice,) but the cigars in the humidor are Dominican.

 

[Art Franz]

Or, stop in Wichita on your way up. I keep a spare set of pads in stock, the lift table and shop stools keep us off the floor, and the garage is air conditioned. The beer in the garage fridge is domestic (Bud and Bud ice,) but the cigars in the humidor are Dominican.

I wish Wichita was on the way, I'd come a couple days early and help. lol

 

[dr1954]

Chris, anyone that tells you he hasn't done the same thing before is full of: :bsflag:

I spent Sunday morning replacing the brakes on my youngest daughter's car.

Got out of bed early to beat the heat. Made sure I had other transportation available because I knew I had forgot something. Took my time and.........NO PROBLEMS. Has to be a first for me.

 

[TinyL]

Or, stop in Wichita on your way up. I keep a spare set of pads in stock, the lift table and shop stools keep us off the floor, and the garage is air conditioned. The beer in the garage fridge is domestic (Bud and Bud ice,) but the cigars in the humidor are Dominican.

Hell, I'm going to Rogers garage just to help him with his overstock problem of cigars and beer

 

[Saint Joe]

4. I am too damn old to sit on concrete for 4 hours plus to accomplish a 30 minute job....

I think most bike work I do goes like this, but then I read and reread posts and instructions so [hopefully] I don't screw up!

 

[st1300r]

LOL. sounds a little familiar.
At least you got a good look at the old pads and know how much is left.
How do you get 45k on a set of fronts?!

That reminds me I need to get another muffler clamp for the parts box.

101- make sure the fill bolt comes off before pulling the drain bolt.

 

[sirepair]

Man, that sounds soooo familar; I'll do you one up, but not M/C related....

"The Saga of the $800 Ear Ring" (Works best when you hum the music from "Alice's Restaurant")

A few years back, Annette is getting ready to go somewhere, so she is putting on ear rings.

Ear ring (cheapie, not a diamond or anything) is dropped and promptly heads to the dark nether-world of plumbing. No problem, I'll pull the trap...

Open the door under the sink, then remember that when the house was built, the P/O decided he did not want unsightly traps (I guess) under his sink, so the pipe goes straight through the floor and the trap is in the crawlspace (go figure!?!)

I loosen the fitting at the bottom of the sink, wrestle the pipe down and out, using a flashlight and the flexi grabber/finger things (you know, for trying to find the long-lost bolt you dropped in the fairing of your STeed..) I locate the ear ring and recover. So far, so good!

I then re-insert the pipe into the mysterious hole in the floor, and as I'm pushing down on it to get it to line up with the sink drain, I hear a substantial "CRACK" and suddenly there is nothing on the bottom end for the drain pipe to go in to. &*%$#!!

Into the wonderous world of the crawlspace I go. I wish I had bought a house with a full basement.....

I army-crawl the 50' to the area under said bathroom, gaze about and notice a chunk of ABS plastic lying on the ground, just under what appears to be a white octopus of pipes, with a gaping hole in the middle of it. WHO THE FRACK PLUMBED THIS PLACE?!? In the space of about 1 cubic foot must have been 5 or 6 drains and vents that all came together, with the bathroom drain being central to the whole mess!!

"BRAGGIN-FRAGGIN-FRIGGIN-*&^%$#@!!!" :censored

Off to Lowes I go; purchase a bunch of fittings, junctions, T's and P's, 6' of pipe, pipe cutter, primer and glue. $50 or so.

A few hours of lying on my back, cutting, fitting, cleaning, prepping, cursing and gluing and I finally have the job done! And I still have all my fingers!!

As I'm cleaning up, I notice that there is a copper water supply line that is ever-so-slightly leaking at a junction. After pulling off the re-engineering of the entire waste water draining system in the house, this should be a piece of cake! (Open mouth, insert foot here...)

So, I wait till Saturday, then drag the pipe cutter, plumber's torch, solder, flux, etc (another $50 or so) down in to the crawl space. I crank the water supply valve off and have the wife open a couple falves in the house to relieve the pressure. Cut out the defective junction, shove some bread up in the line (old plumbers trick!) and proceed to solder the joints. Somehow, I managed to do this without burning down the house! I turn the water back on, check for leaks and, at least at that moment, life is good!!

Sunday morning Annette gets up and heads to the bathroom, only to return a few moments later to tell me that the floor is wet. Now what?

A quick inspection of the ugly, giant, ill-placed (in the corner of the bathroom) water heater shows it has sprung a leak. I instantly recall my father telling me the hows and whys of this exact failure; metal vessel under pressure, swells and contracts due to heat, pressure, etc. Once pressure is completely relieved it cracks at a weld when repressurized...yadda, yadda, you get the point. More cursing insues.... censored:censored

Well, I always HATED that giant metal tube in the corner of the bathroom!


So, I do some research and decide to go with a "Tankless" electric hot water heater. I can leave it in the same basic location, but instead of a humongous cylinder lurking in the corner, this thing is about the size of a big box of cereal.

To fleabay I go.... with credit card in hand.... and two days (and $350 or so) later :ups1: shows up with the wonder box! In the mean time, I went to the local 'letric supply and got 3, that's right, count 'em, THREE, 40 amp 220v circuit breakers and about 100' of 8gax4 wire (another $150) to facilitate the relocation of a WHOLE BUNCH of electrons.

See, the cool thing about a tankless heater is that is uses absolutely NO electicity when you are not running hot water. None, nada. But when you turn on the hot water, this thing INSTANTLY heats the water as fast as it goes through it! So to do that, it uses a BUNCH of 'letric juice! Up to 100+ amps at full tilt.

Back in to the crawl space again. By now, I can slip in and out of the little doorway like a performing seal! Run the necessary wires from the breaker box to the bath room, modify the copper pipes to the new desired location, plumb it all up, wire it all up, turn on the water, flip on the circuit breakers and VIOLA!! Instant hot water!!

I breath a sigh of relief and look about, but catch myself before I can find anything else to "fix"!! :nuts1:

So now, the saga is complete. The ear ring was recovered, the dirtry water drains out, the hot water comes in, and that little ear ring only set me back about $800!!

Next time, anything worth less than $1K is getting FLUSHED!!

 

[st1300r]

Now THAT right there's funny!!!

 

[Dinkie Diesel]

Man, that sounds soooo familar; I'll do you one up, but not M/C related....

"The Saga of the $800 Ear Ring" (Works best when you hum the music from "Alice's Restaurant")

A few years back, Annette is getting ready to go somewhere, so she is putting on ear rings.

Ear ring (cheapie, not a diamond or anything) is dropped and promptly heads to the dark nether-world of plumbing. No problem, I'll pull the trap...

Open the door under the sink, then remember that when the house was built, the P/O decided he did not want unsightly traps (I guess) under his sink, so the pipe goes straight through the floor and the trap is in the crawlspace (go figure!?!)

I loosen the fitting at the bottom of the sink, wrestle the pipe down and out, using a flashlight and the flexi grabber/finger things (you know, for trying to find the long-lost bolt you dropped in the fairing of your STeed..) I locate the ear ring and recover. So far, so good!

I then re-insert the pipe into the mysterious hole in the floor, and as I'm pushing down on it to get it to line up with the sink drain, I hear a substantial "CRACK" and suddenly there is nothing on the bottom end for the drain pipe to go in to. &*%$#!!

Into the wonderous world of the crawlspace I go. I wish I had bought a house with a full basement.....

I army-crawl the 50' to the area under said bathroom, gaze about and notice a chunk of ABS plastic lying on the ground, just under what appears to be a white octopus of pipes, with a gaping hole in the middle of it. WHO THE FRACK PLUMBED THIS PLACE?!? In the space of about 1 cubic foot must have been 5 or 6 drains and vents that all came together, with the bathroom drain being central to the whole mess!!

"BRAGGIN-FRAGGIN-FRIGGIN-*&^%$#@!!!" :censored

Off to Lowes I go; purchase a bunch of fittings, junctions, T's and P's, 6' of pipe, pipe cutter, primer and glue. $50 or so.

A few hours of lying on my back, cutting, fitting, cleaning, prepping, cursing and gluing and I finally have the job done! And I still have all my fingers!!

As I'm cleaning up, I notice that there is a copper water supply line that is ever-so-slightly leaking at a junction. After pulling off the re-engineering of the entire waste water draining system in the house, this should be a piece of cake! (Open mouth, insert foot here...)

So, I wait till Saturday, then drag the pipe cutter, plumber's torch, solder, flux, etc (another $50 or so) down in to the crawl space. I crank the water supply valve off and have the wife open a couple falves in the house to relieve the pressure. Cut out the defective junction, shove some bread up in the line (old plumbers trick!) and proceed to solder the joints. Somehow, I managed to do this without burning down the house! I turn the water back on, check for leaks and, at least at that moment, life is good!!

Sunday morning Annette gets up and heads to the bathroom, only to return a few moments later to tell me that the floor is wet. Now what?

A quick inspection of the ugly, giant, ill-placed (in the corner of the bathroom) water heater shows it has sprung a leak. I instantly recall my father telling me the hows and whys of this exact failure; metal vessel under pressure, swells and contracts due to heat, pressure, etc. Once pressure is completely relieved it cracks at a weld when repressurized...yadda, yadda, you get the point. More cursing insues.... censored:censored

Well, I always HATED that giant metal tube in the corner of the bathroom!


So, I do some research and decide to go with a "Tankless" electric hot water heater. I can leave it in the same basic location, but instead of a humongous cylinder lurking in the corner, this thing is about the size of a big box of cereal.

To fleabay I go.... with credit card in hand.... and two days (and $350 or so) later :ups1: shows up with the wonder box! In the mean time, I went to the local 'letric supply and got 3, that's right, count 'em, THREE, 40 amp 220v circuit breakers and about 100' of 8gax4 wire (another $150) to facilitate the relocation of a WHOLE BUNCH of electrons.

See, the cool thing about a tankless heater is that is uses absolutely NO electicity when you are not running hot water. None, nada. But when you turn on the hot water, this thing INSTANTLY heats the water as fast as it goes through it! So to do that, it uses a BUNCH of 'letric juice! Up to 100+ amps at full tilt.

Back in to the crawl space again. By now, I can slip in and out of the little doorway like a performing seal! Run the necessary wires from the breaker box to the bath room, modify the copper pipes to the new desired location, plumb it all up, wire it all up, turn on the water, flip on the circuit breakers and VIOLA!! Instant hot water!!

I breath a sigh of relief and look about, but catch myself before I can find anything else to "fix"!! :nuts1:

So now, the saga is complete. The ear ring was recovered, the dirtry water drains out, the hot water comes in, and that little ear ring only set me back about $800!!

Next time, anything worth less than $1K is getting FLUSHED!!

I have a brother!!!

 

[clmixon]

Oh my God! Pat you win this round,:bow1: but remember, I promised the story of the washing machine reapir next and it is a true winner....

BY the way, I may have to break the bike near Rog's house just to get the beer

Thanks for letting me vent, stay tuned for more later

Chris