Servicing Disasters?
Discussion
Today I took apart my Hope XC rear hub to treat it to some new bearings, all went well, greased it all up and put it back together, put cassette back on, put on a new brake disc at the same time......and then realised that a spacer that should have been inside of the freehub, was sitting on the deck 
So it made me think, whats your worst servicing disaster?
My all time greatest mistake is opting to use a gurt big normal wrench as it was close to hand, on the bleed nipple of a Shimano XT disc brake caliper - que the whole nipple bearing torn off
So it made me think, whats your worst servicing disaster?
My all time greatest mistake is opting to use a gurt big normal wrench as it was close to hand, on the bleed nipple of a Shimano XT disc brake caliper - que the whole nipple bearing torn off
). 
Was a bit of Wheel Truing Guru in my days as a mechanic and was usually able to turn my hand at the most bent of wheels.
Got a typically screwed wheel in, crap quality, had been badly repaired by yanking the tension up in the wrong spokes in order to get rid of a simple bend, and so I set to work.
Only thing is (as it was usually the case) this wheel had really been hammered.
So spent some time while customer was loitering in the shop getting it straight and I did. Nice one I thought. Dropped it out of the jig, and went to 'stress' the wheel (where you 'bend' the wheel in order to get the spokes to rest) and worked my way around the wheel.
Got to the crucial 'sideways' bend, and whilst I had the customer to my back I pushed down (was never a good thing to do in front of the customer).
Cue a quiet 'pop' and the wheel folds into a lovely crisp shape.
Shit.
I quickly glance at my collegue, who looks at me wide eyed.
I think quickly about my options.
I spin the wheel around, bend it back, and lo and behold, the wheel goes back, straight as anything.
I quickly hand the wheel to the customer, advising they should replace it, and never heard back from them.
I often wonder whether that wheel is still going
plently more mechanic stories where that came from
Got a typically screwed wheel in, crap quality, had been badly repaired by yanking the tension up in the wrong spokes in order to get rid of a simple bend, and so I set to work.
Only thing is (as it was usually the case) this wheel had really been hammered.
So spent some time while customer was loitering in the shop getting it straight and I did. Nice one I thought. Dropped it out of the jig, and went to 'stress' the wheel (where you 'bend' the wheel in order to get the spokes to rest) and worked my way around the wheel.
Got to the crucial 'sideways' bend, and whilst I had the customer to my back I pushed down (was never a good thing to do in front of the customer).
Cue a quiet 'pop' and the wheel folds into a lovely crisp shape.
Shit.
I quickly glance at my collegue, who looks at me wide eyed.
I think quickly about my options.
I spin the wheel around, bend it back, and lo and behold, the wheel goes back, straight as anything.
I quickly hand the wheel to the customer, advising they should replace it, and never heard back from them.
I often wonder whether that wheel is still going
plently more mechanic stories where that came from
My first attempt at brake block changing as a ten year old with the old insert type rubber blocks
Descending the hill to my then road I hear two "pops"
I had put the brake block holders in back to front and the rubber blocks had slid out cue no brakes, bale outfrom the sharp right bend and head straight on down the unmade path and bale out big time 100 yards later into the River Shuttle, wet walk back up the hill to look for my brake blocks and refit them the right way round 
Descending the hill to my then road I hear two "pops"
I had put the brake block holders in back to front and the rubber blocks had slid out cue no brakes, bale outfrom the sharp right bend and head straight on down the unmade path and bale out big time 100 yards later into the River Shuttle, wet walk back up the hill to look for my brake blocks and refit them the right way round fixedwheelnut said:
My first attempt at brake block changing as a ten year old with the old insert type rubber blocks
Descending the hill to my then road I hear two "pops" I had put the brake block holders in back to front and the rubber blocks had slid out cue no brakes, bale outfrom the sharp right bend and head straight on down the unmade path and bale out big time 100 yards later into the River Shuttle, wet walk back up the hill to look for my brake blocks and refit them the right way round
Descending the hill to my then road I hear two "pops"
I had put the brake block holders in back to front and the rubber blocks had slid out cue no brakes, bale outfrom the sharp right bend and head straight on down the unmade path and bale out big time 100 yards later into the River Shuttle, wet walk back up the hill to look for my brake blocks and refit them the right way round Excellent
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