Had a friend back in the late 70's changing the tranny in his Nova. We were drinking a beer at my place, he's telling me about it. He's got it up by the rear bumper, yes, 2 old style bumper jacks! I told him he was nuts, and showed him a pair of cribbed 16" 2x4's that were tall enough to get the tranny out and wouldn't tip. Made him promise to come get them before he fucked with it anymore. He didn't. Dead the next day. Think he was 26.
Working on the brakes on my old Chevy back in the 70's some time. I jacked it up and lowered the control arm on a cement block, cores verticle, Proud of how safe I was being, I grabbed the fender and gave it a good shake, damn block broke into bits. I won't refuse lucky when I get it. Daryl
He has jack stands under the car, but the car is not sitting on them. There is a chance that if the car fell it would land on the jack stands, but more than likely they would topple over. From what I can see he would survive since the toppled stands would allow enough space to prevent him from being crushed. Back a long time ago we would use 12 x 12 wooden cribbing blocks to make the car safe.
Been there. Helped a buddy swap out a C6 tranny in his 68 Mustang fastback many moons ago. I do seem to remember us doing a bit better job of blocking up the car.
My neighbor when I was 14 years old, was working under a car supported only by a hydraulic jack. At some point, I heard him yelling for help. I went over there saw the situation and pumped the jack a few times to free him. It turns out that the hydraulic seals were bad, and the car was settling slowly and trapped him before he realized it. He did not appreciate it when I told him that my dad told me never work on a car supported only by a jack, but he did thank me for coming quickly.
My grandfather was a mechanic and had a car (36' Dodge dad thinks) fall on him in 1945, spent a year in a partial body cast, ended up with one leg an inch shorter than the other. He couldn't work full time anymore so the part time backyard shop became a full time family shop with my dad and uncles as the workforce.
I was active in Emergency Medical Services for many years. I have personally taken two dead guys out from under cars. Not smart.
ReplyDeleteDarwin award in waiting
DeleteHad a friend back in the late 70's changing the tranny in his Nova. We were drinking a beer at my place, he's telling me about it. He's got it up by the rear bumper, yes, 2 old style bumper jacks! I told him he was nuts, and showed him a pair of cribbed 16" 2x4's that were tall enough to get the tranny out and wouldn't tip. Made him promise to come get them before he fucked with it anymore. He didn't. Dead the next day. Think he was 26.
ReplyDeleteThis is one reason women live longer than men....the most common reason men die before their wives, though, is that they want to....
ReplyDeleteWorking on the brakes on my old Chevy back in the 70's some time. I jacked it up and lowered the control arm on a cement block, cores verticle, Proud of how safe I was being, I grabbed the fender and gave it a good shake, damn block broke into bits. I won't refuse lucky when I get it.
ReplyDeleteDaryl
He has jack stands under the car, but the car is not sitting on them. There is a chance that if the car fell it would land on the jack stands, but more than likely they would topple over. From what I can see he would survive since the toppled stands would allow enough space to prevent him from being crushed.
ReplyDeleteBack a long time ago we would use 12 x 12 wooden cribbing blocks to make the car safe.
Been there. Helped a buddy swap out a C6 tranny in his 68 Mustang fastback many moons ago. I do seem to remember us doing a bit better job of blocking up the car.
ReplyDeleteOf course it's a Pontiac.
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what I was going to post.
DeleteMy neighbor when I was 14 years old, was working under a car supported only by a hydraulic jack. At some point, I heard him yelling for help. I went over there saw the situation and pumped the jack a few times to free him. It turns out that the hydraulic seals were bad, and the car was settling slowly and trapped him before he realized it. He did not appreciate it when I told him that my dad told me never work on a car supported only by a jack, but he did thank me for coming quickly.
ReplyDeleteMy grandfather was a mechanic and had a car (36' Dodge dad thinks) fall on him in 1945, spent a year in a partial body cast, ended up with one leg an inch shorter than the other. He couldn't work full time anymore so the part time backyard shop became a full time family shop with my dad and uncles as the workforce.
ReplyDeleteHe really needs steel toe shoes.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like competition for a "RoadKill" episode.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand how you can be competent enough to do that work if you aren't smart enough to comprehend the danger you put yourself in.
ReplyDelete