My distributor failure on the way to the Olds meet, and the look of bewilderment from other as I described the problem made me realize just when you think you have seen it all, life humbles you. It got me thinking a thread with automotive “WTF” stories might be interesting read for some.

My other most recent “WTF” automotive failure happen on Drag Week 2015. It was hot as hell that week, absolutely miserable. We had been fighting a overheating issue on a new engine for a friends dads 79 Anniversary Edition Trans Am. We got that problem solved about 8:30, headed to the next hotel.

I had been hearing a faint ticking noise in my car that I assumed was just a minor header leak. I didn’t pay too much attention to it, it was very mild. We were cruising thru Red Bud Illinois when the faint ticking suddenly became a loud banging noise. Before I could pull over, I felt a big bank, the noise stopped, the charging light came, then the entire car/trailer felt like I ran over something in the road.

Turns out the center of the crank pulley cracked, abd came off the engine!! The pulley flange was still bolted to the balancer, the jolt from the car/trailer was me running over the pulley.

Once again, how/why in hell does something like this happen?! I did have the stiffening plate inside the pulley flange. My next thought: how am I going to get this back together?! Where am I going to find a NON A/C crank pulley for a Olds?

Lucky for me, the automotive gods were smiling on me. As I mentioned earlier, this happened in Red Bud Illinois, about 3 blocks from the V8Tv restoration shop.

https://youtu.be/y2UiSXxd0YM

Someone called the shops owner (Kevin) and told him someone needed some help. He just happens to have a Olds crank pulley, except it was off a engine with A/C. He chucked the A/C pulley in a lathe, and cut away the pulley part leaving the flange. He then cut the broken flange of of my pulley, and then welded them together.


bingo!!! Back on the road!!

By this time, it’s about 2 am. I’m dead tired.

I decided to sleep a few hours and then head out early the next morning. I drive along the route, taking the required pictures to verify I actually drove the route, all I’d going well, until I get to the bridge separating Illinois from Tennessee. The checkpoint/photo I need is at a strip club, unfortunately I can’t get near the club because the are filming a scene for the movie Gone Girl!! They had all the equipment trailers and other crap blocking the way. Worst of all, they open the bridge for just a few cars to cross, then close it again to film, then open it up, let a few cars cross, etc. I wait 3 hours to get across the bridge.

Ben affleck and I think Rosemond Pike are in this car filming for the movie



Maybe someone in readerland is familiar with this bridge?

Once again, Ben Affleck and Rosemond Pike, the hood of my car on view, waiting patiently for my turn to cross the bridge.

The strip club is in the background


Another pic of the strip club. The lighted sign is what I’m suppose to take a pic of, with the car and registration number in plain view.


By the time I finally made it to the next track, I missed the cutoff by 15 minutes. I called my buddies ahead of time, told them to meet me in the staging lanes. My plan was to unhook the trailer and at least make one pass to collect a timeslip. No luck. The crank pulley cost me Quickest Olds that year. 😡

I did manage to complete Drag Week and collect my trophy for quickest Olds the following year.



So, anyone want to share stupid roadside problem stories??

 

Thats a good one Matt

i cant match it, but

Once coming home from a ski week driving a VW Rabbit all my idiot lights lit up on the dash while cruising at 65mph.
I shut the car down and coast to the side of the highway and pop the hood.
The alternator tensioner bolt has gone missing and the single belt that runs the alt and water pump is hangin loosely.
Amazingly i spot the missing bolt resting on a block casting down behind the alt.
the old water cooled VWs came w a single open end stubby wrench, a 10mm on one side and a 13mm on the other side.
The 13mm was the right size for the bolt and 10 minutes later i was on my way and no further problems were encountered.

For olds tales ive had similar good luck, my timing chain jumped on my 350 at the end of a 35 mile cruise i was only a couple hundred feet from my driveway when it died
and i towed it the rest of the way home w my truck.

Ive run out of gas 2-3 times all in fortunet spots, the best was maybe 1/4 mile from home i walked home and returned later w a gas can.
My sending unit was bad and my odo is off due to an axle change, throw in some bad math and you can see why i keep running out of gas.
Anyway i just changed the sender a couple weeks ago so that chapter is behind me

 

Great thought for a new thread!
I was in the Air Force in 1976 and drove a 1973 Dodge Charger with a 440. I Blew the engine 30 days before I was scheduled to transfer overseas and had to get the car back to my hometown in Virginia from Homestead AFB Florida. My buddies and I did a quick rebuild of the 440 and while the engine was out I decided to also rebuild the power steering box that had been leaking. Got everything put together with 2: weeks to go until the 1200 + mile trip home. Drove the car carefully during the break in period in preparation for the long ride, but noticed the steering seemed light. The night before I left I packed the car tight with all my worldly possessions. It was packed so full you couldn’t see out the rear view mirror or even over the pile in the passenger seat. The morning I went to leave I started the car to warm it up and was tuning the radio and the steering wheel went post to post from left to right with no hands on the wheel. I turned it back left and let go of the wheel and it immediately spun to a full right turn. Nothing was going to stop me from getting this car back to Va. and I drove the entire way (non stop) with a death grip on the wheel knowing if I let loose of the steering wheel a little the car would make an immediate right turn. White knuckles would not be a fair term.. God looks out for idiots and fools. I am living proof.

 

I have heard and seen YouTube videos of steering wheels going lock to lock on their own, but have never personally experienced it. What causes that?

 

Not sure what happened! The car set for my overseas tour and when I returned I purchased a used box from a junk yard and the problem was solved. I will say that I was a pretty experienced general and heavy equipment mechanic at the time. I was way over my head in available information and experience when I rebuilt that box. There were not any U Tube vids or internet for reference. I suspect that one of the seals was incorrectly installed and allowed fluid to go where it was not supposed to go. Live and learn😁

 

I think I got hired by this. My 97 Explorer, at about 160k miles, was having accessory issues. I had a power steering pump heading out, serp belt itself, 1 idler, the tensioner, then THIS idler, then, later that year, water pump and finally AC clutch. Only thing that was ok was the crank pulley itself and the alternator.

So I'm doing 70 on I74, southeast out of Indy to Erlanger for a job interview with Toyota. I have a suit in the back and I'm early. Low music playing, first Shelbyville exit, I hear a screech, my steering ***** itself, alternator dies, temp climbs, whole damn cluster lit up like it had just been violated. Yank the wheel over, it calms down on exit ramp speed. Get it into a Super 8 lot, shut it down, had a wrench and a socket because I had been playing with serp belts recently. Pull belt, see smoked, checked pulleys, found bottom idler died and locked up.

Talked to Super 8 guy, told him I'd be back, called the Enterprise 4 miles down road at next exit, they picked me up, grabbed suit, got in, taken to their office. Rented that Neon, got moving, called the Ford dealership conveniently right there, ordered part.

Hauled *** to Erlanger, threw on suit, did interview. The HR lady said, where are you going tonight? I said back to Shelbyville. She asked if I had family there, and I told her about the car. She was like, you showed up early, in a suit, for an interview, in a rental car you whistled up with no notice as your car died? Seemed impressed.

Hauled *** back to Shelbyville, spent night in a VILE Super 8. Got called the next morning, offered job, then I went to the Ford dealership, bought a belt and a new idler. Inner race of pulley was tacked to bracket from heat; bearings went everywhere. Got it fixed and went home.

Idler pulley failures are not notable. Getting your job from one, at least partially, is, and having the car fail within range of a dealership of that brand and a rental car, and having just the two tools to replace it, is.

 

Great stories. I can think of one.

I moved to small town just north of Eureka California from Denver. Toyed around and with what car to buy and drive out there. I almost bought a 60 Cadillac four door. Beautiful car. Blue white interior. "Power " everything. Seats windows etc etc. I opened the door and saw I swear the most vacuum tubes together that I have ever seen on my life. I said yeah no. I found a 72 Vista Cruiser that was a former Winter Nationals tow car. Had the decals in the windshield for 73-79. Had early Cragers on it. My Dad said hey let me plan your trip. Sure Dad cool go for it. Routed me out driving north up Mount Lassen. Had me heading down two lane highways etc. I was going into Nevada at night. Sweating that gas gauge. Just feeding that 455. I ran as long as it could. Finally ran out. Rolled to a spot next to a small double wide. Called it good. Deal with it in the morning. Went to sleep. Got up in the morning. Grabbed my BMX bike and started riding down the two lane thinking I had to be close to a town. It is cold on the desert in the morning. 45 minutes later this guy in an old Dodge truck pulls up. What are doing out here? I explained. He laughed. That double wide you parked next to is a cat house. He took me to town which was 10 more miles down. I got gas. He knew the station owner so I didn't have to buy a can. He took me all the way back to my car. I put the gas in. Gave him the can. Thanked him for everything. You good he says. Oh yeah no worries. Went to start it and I had left the lights on when I went to sleep. Would not take a jump period. He had a battery in the bed of his truck. We threw it in. He followed me into town. I was going to buy a battery. He said no. Told me to keep it. Wouldn't take any money period.

Then came Mount Lassen. Steep tourist filled two laner. Bumper to bumper. 455 was running hot. Tight slow traffic on a climb was not good. Overheated bad. Took the time to cool down. Got 1 gallon of antifreeze that I had and the rest water. Gimped down the other side. Still had a ways to go. Rolled into my destination finally. 1200+ miles later. Thanks for the scenic route Dad. Ha ha. Happy to be there. Next morning car wouldn't start. Had to buy an alternator that day. Oh well. I did get there. Redwood forests and trees are something that every single person needs to see. Let alone live amongst them.

 

Real close to nooldsfan's Lassen area(North of Susanville) back about 1968 or so and I was driving a 1946 Chevy PU all original of course. We(first wife was with me) we were deep in the desert near Painters Flat shooting varmints and such when my fan belt decided to leave the area in two pieces and the truck heated up. I would drive a little while then allow the truck to cool off get maybe 1/4 mile before it needed another cool down. This was going to take all night to get to anything that looked like civilization at this rate. Then low and behold I came across a hay bailer that had been abandoned years before and borrowed a belt off of it. It was flat and too small to fit around the generator but it would turn the fan if I didn't push it. Slipping and squealing we made it to Susanville Fifty miles before dark and needed lights or the battery went dead.... Wish I still had that PU..... Tedd

 

Running between LA & SF in the 80’s my 98 convertible’s chrome mechanical fuel pump (they still sell ‘em) just broke in 2 pieces in the middle of I-5. 30 miles from anywhere in both directions.

Two farmworkers gave me a lift on the dirt frontage road and offered me a beer from one of the 2 18-packs of Bud in the backseat of a beat Datsun B210. I passed since I had a fuel pump to replace and at least 5 hours to go. As we’re going 50mph on the dirt road the drivers goes “watch this” and pulls the gear shift lever right up out of the gear box. The rubber surround was missing. I remember watching dirt road running underneath the car.

They dropped me off at the auto parts store. When I asked about an Olds 425/455 fuel pump and the counter guys just laughed. I settled for a Holley universal electric, some clamps and hoses. Eventually I got back to the car, mounted it on the passenger inner fender and wired it to the battery with a length of red wire. My 5 hour trip turned into 12 or so hours. When I pulled into the garage the fuel pump was still going after I shut down the car. Clipped the battery lead and went to bed. Long Day

Or another one - how ‘bout finding a ‘66 Big Olds Lower control arm in the mountains of Big Bear, CA in 1986? Took a few days.

Or carb fires from leaky Qjet’s? Or wiring shorts? First date with my wife: I asked her (probably barked at her) to open the hood slowly while I hit the engine with fire extinguisher. She was very disinterested in opening the hood of a smoking car.

Or losing an upper trailing arm going to Xmas Eve dinner? Ain’t goin’ nowhere with a skewed rear axle.

I may have gotten better about preventative maintenance and safety over the years.

Cheers
cf

 

Let me guess, the mechanical pump that cracked was a Holley? I have had TWO of those break, and have seen pictures posted here.


Absolute junk.

 

I had one of those, but I caught it before it broke completely in half. The engine was starving for fuel because the pump body was flexing and not actually pumping.

 

I was working for Monkey Wards at the time.
I pull my first R.O. of they day, I go out to the parking lot and there is a 1973 Olds 98 4 door (cream yellow ) all the R.O. says is CK BRAKES so I start her up check the brake pedal it seems ok, I make a pass through the parking lot and as I approach the bay door I apply the brake and this beast wants to make a 360 !!! I stop and collect my self (CK my britches ) and as I now very slowly decide to pull in I see 2 characters approaching the car I swore it was Daryl and his other brother Daryl from the Newhart show !! they follow me into the shop and I ask is this your car ? they say yes were on our way to Utah and my brother here had to make some road side repairs !! I said yeah she don't stop to well !! well then Daryl says" that's cause she only has 1 front break" you see we was leaking brake fluid real bad and couldn't keep her full no more !!
so my brother here had to stop the bleeding !! he points to the end of his belt and says see !! then tells me he cut little pieces of leather from his belt removed the two rear brake lines from the wheel cylinders and put little pieces of leather between the fitting and the wheel cyl and tightened them back up (to block the flow of brake fluid to the wheel cyls) he had to do the same to one of the frt calipers that was also leaking so the vehicle was braking on one frt caliper only !! hence the 360 !! red neck ingenuity strikes again !! but hell it worked !! they told me they didn't have a lot of money and could I keep the price of the repair down. in those days we rebuilt wheel cylinders as long as the fittings and bleeders weren't rusted, so I rebuilt the rear wheel cyls cleaned the rear shoes the best I could with brake clean and rebuilt just 1 frt caliper to keep the price down for them,
the car sat in our lot for 3 days after I finished the repair, I think they had to have somebody wire them money for the repairs, don't know where they slept for 3 days but when I returned to work one day the Olds was gone and so were they, true story !!!

 

Yup. Low quality chromed junk. Never again. Happily reliably running Carter fuel pumps for years now.

 

ive got one,back in 67, dad bought a 65 vista cruiser. we took it on a trip out west, before we left he had a new rear wheel bearing installed,all was going well,but he said car felt funny when stopping. stayed at a koa campground,dad jacked up the car,looked under, the repair place forgot to put the brake drum on, could of killed us. 3 days to get a brake drum for a 65 olds smh.