This could be a great thread, if people have it in them to tell everyone else their screwups. I know I have my share. I had the motor in my 1600 roadster rebuilt back in the early 80's. I was working as a mechanic at Travis AFB in Ca. I made a parts run to SFO to get some loaner parts from Pan American airlines.
On the way down I filled up at a Flying J gas station. I made it almost back home before the car started running like shit, belching white smoke and generally running like crap before it died and I pulled onto the shoulder of I-80.
I assumed I had blown a head gasket, pulled the head and found nothing obviously wrong with the head or the gasket. The plugs were all wet though and it sure didn't smell like gasoline to me.
I put the motor back together and cranked it up and it sputtered one or twice as the carbs filled up but that was it. I was stumped, it had good compression, good spark and fuel. WTF?
I ended up buying a 70 1600 parts car and swapped the engine and trans into it. I went to fire up this combination and I had the same result. Cough, cough, then nada.
On a whim I hooked up a can of gas to it and the things ran perfectly. I swapped my motor only to discover I had a bad tank of gas. Of course by this time the gas station was off the hook.
I think this is slightly worse than draining the transmission instead if the oil! :sick:
I kept the car for another 8 years so it wasn't a total loss but it sure did piss me off at the time.....
I have had few more mis-adventures over the years but this was the most lamebrain I will cop to.(At least on the internet)
slemers