What's the worst mechanical failure you've had while driving?

[Andy J]

In 1971 I built a very hot 327 for my '57 Chevy 2 door 210 sedan.I put everything I made the entire summer into that motor.One day I changed the oil,pulled onto the street,and put my foot in it.I heard a loud pop,then a loud clicking sound,and I coasted to a stop.No oil on the street,so I thought maybe something minor had happened.Pulled it back to the shop and checked it out.I had cheaped out on the timing gears and chain and the composite cam gear and chain had disintegrated.Pulled the heads and had several bent valves but no other damage.A pretty easy fix,but a lesson learned.Don't scrimp on anything in a high performance motor. 

[oldcarfudd]

1.  Modern car.  VW with an interference engine.  I'd had the timing belt replaced as required by owner's manual. About 3,000 miles later the new timing belt broke and the valve gear disintegrated.  VW fixed it on warranty, but didn't pay for the tow or a loaner.

 

2. Antique.  A very old repair failed on my Cadillac and I lost the right front wheel.  Properly fixed now.

 

 

3.  Antique.  1912 Buick crankshaft broke at the #4 journal.  Moldex is machining me a new one as you read this.

 

[SC38dls]

Fuel pump died on Rt66 on my 1960 Austin Healy with a Ford 289 in it. We had just left my new in laws going on our honeymoon!  
A cop drove me to a parts store and back to the car. He stayed there until I got it installed.  Needless to say I did it in record time and got back on our 51+ year adventure that is still going!  
dave s 

[edinmass]

 

A hydro lock on a top fuel dragster...........scattering the block, pan, and head into projectiles............and then on top of that was the nitro fire...........

[1937hd45]

29 minutes ago, edinmass said:

 

A hydro lock on a top fuel dragster...........scattering the block, pan, and head into projectiles............and then on top of that was the nitro fire...........

WOW! And we thought J Duesenberg engines were costly to rebuild. 

 

Bob 

[zepher]

Back in the 90's I found a motorcycle junkyard in Victorville that had some parts for an older 2-stroke dirt bike I had so I decided to make the 80 mile drive to get the parts.

Once I got off the freeway after going up the Cajon Pass, the bell crank, or Z-Bar as some call it, failed on my '64 Malibu convertible leaving me with no clutch.

I had no clutch and I was over 80 miles from home, dreading the drive in traffic down the Cajon Pass and back to my house.

Luckily, at that time I was a heavy equipment operator and I was used to driving a non-synchronized manual trans without using the clutch so I headed south hoping for the best.

Once I was moving it was no problem, but getting stopped at traffic signals or in stop and go traffic meant I had to shut the car off, put it in 2nd gear and use the starter to get the car moving.

It was quite the white knuckle adventure with all the traffic.

 

Then, there was the time I was driving to work in the same '64 Malibu before daylight, going up the 5 freeway in Santa Fe Springs.

Humming along when all of a sudden the engine died, all the lights went out and the radio shut off.

No electrical in the entire car.

That stretch of the 5 has no shoulders so I had to coast as far as I could and I managed to make to an off ramp, but not all the way down the ramp.

Popped the hood and just started wiggling wires and connectors.

Everything seemed fine until I grabbed the connector that goes through the firewall and into the back of the fuse block.

All of the electrical sprang to life!

I wiggled it more to try and get the best connection I could and drove into work.

Once there I had time to disconnect the battery and hit both sides of the connector with a small wire brush and clean up all the contacts.

Car ran fine for the trip home where I cleaned up all the connectors and solved the problem.

[Scott Bonesteel]

In about 1975, coming from Long Beach to Del Mar California with my friend Mike in his 6-cyl Ford pickup, circa 1960.  Half way home, truck just dies, we look under the hood and the fuel pump is just barely hanging on with one bolt.  Turns out my friend had just put a new fuel pump on, which had thicker bosses and the 3/8" bolts from the original were too short.  He probably had engaged only a thread or two of the bolts into the block and they vibrated out.  Lucky lucky, about 30 yards up ahead is a tow truck over on the side tending to another stopped vehicle.  He had a couple of bolts in his spare bin that fit and I bolted the pump on securely.  While stopped, we had noticed that the right rear wheel looked (and smelled) to be getting hot.  Pulled the wheel and the drum and backed off the drum brake shoes a little and the noise we had been hearing stopped.  Off again...

 

About 30 miles further down the freeway we are taking the off ramp to the right at Del Mar, my buddy suddenly states that he has no brakes.  Ramp dumps you right into a busy intersection where the Del Mar Racetrack (horses) lets out and we go bombing through the intersection, no brakes, don't hit anyone but then 'clunk' and we get thrown to the right.  I look out the passenger window and we are being passed by our own right rear tire, brake drum and axle, all in a bouncing assembly, axle hanging out of the side, which somehow manages to miss a brand new BMW.  We end up sitting in the center of the intersection, right rear of the rear end ground into the pavement, with oil pouring out of the rear end and ignited by, I assume, sparks from our slide across the road.  My buddy tries to put out the fire with a bottle of water he has in the cab, no luck, until finally an attendant from the gas station comes out with a fire extinguisher and puts the fire out.  Then lifted the right rear with a floor jack and wheeled us off to the side of the road.

 

Never rode in any of Mike's cars or trucks again, particularly those he had worked on.   

[intimeold]

In the early 1970's, I was young and not so intelligent; and to make matters worse I had a need for speed. On 2 wheels and 4 wheels. 

 

Maybe the worst new car I ever had was a 1974 Corvette, with the base  350 engine. So many defects attributed to GM and shoddy workmanship; made the car it's color.  It was Yellow, So you know. A pot of things showed their ugly head; almost from new.  Well, actually from the first day I bought it; starter, alternator, front wheel bearing, dash and instruments going out, and back in, more wiring issues; and this was early on in the first year I owned it. I am not even getting into the water leaks, into the passenger compartment.  I kept it inside; but occasionally, I drove it to an event and it sat outside over night. And of course it rained those few times; and the car would fill up with water. All of the defects were attributed to assembly line, no oversite and poor quality of some of the parts.

 

That was small stuff.  One day traveling about 65 mph, a connecting rod bolt and nut came off. We found the nut off of the rod bolt, in what was left of the oil pan. Was it break time and the assembly line worker forgot to torque all the nuts?  It had to be loose, because how would the nut belaying in the pan, off of the rod bolt.  What a noise as the engine came apart.  Considering there is not much dampening in a Corvette engine bay; and you do sit rather right beside the engine, in that car.  Didn't spend my money on any UAW vehicles for many years after that. It was the base engine; but still, somebody should have put it together a little better. 

 

Sorry if I hurt anybody's feelings; but that is the way I see it.      

[Brass is Best]

The heater on my friends Ram truck stopped working. Wouldn't have been so bad except we were going ice fishing in northern Michigan. it was -25 that day. 

[ron hausmann]

Going to field in national concours of America with my Kissel Gold Bug.
All of a sudden, my carburetor  sped up and the carb was running wide open.

On a Gold Bug, that’s tire screeching fast.

I had to turn it off before it did damage to observers.
It was just one small carb linkage nut that came loose, letting a spring overtake all control.

ron.

[Harold]

2 hours ago, intimeold said:

In the early 1970's, I was young and not so intelligent; and to make matters worse I had a need for speed. On 2 wheels and 4 wheels. 

 

Maybe the worst new car I ever had was a 1974 Corvette, with the base  350 engine. So many defects attributed to GM and shoddy workmanship; made the car it's color.  It was Yellow, So you know. A pot of things showed their ugly head; almost from new.  Well, actually from the first day I bought it; starter, alternator, front wheel bearing, dash and instruments going out, and back in, more wiring issues; and this was early on in the first year I owned it. I am not even getting into the water leaks, into the passenger compartment.  I kept it inside; but occasionally, I drove it to an event and it sat outside over night. And of course it rained those few times; and the car would fill up with water. All of the defects were attributed to assembly line, no oversite and poor quality of some of the parts.

 

That was small stuff.  One day traveling about 65 mph, a connecting rod bolt and nut came off. We found the nut off of the rod bolt, in what was left of the oil pan. Was it break time and the assembly line worker forgot to torque all the nuts?  It had to be loose, because how would the nut belaying in the pan, off of the rod bolt.  What a noise as the engine came apart.  Considering there is not much dampening in a Corvette engine bay; and you do sit rather right beside the engine, in that car.  Didn't spend my money on any UAW vehicles for many years after that. It was the base engine; but still, somebody should have put it together a little better. 

 

Sorry if I hurt anybody's feelings; but that is the way I see it.      

My friend bought a brand-new orange '74 Corvette and had a similar experience to yours.  The fit and finish was terrible and he had many electrical and mechanical issues from the get-go.  It was so bad he drove the car directly to my house from the dealer before he brought it home to show his parents.  I took it for a spin and it had lots of issues.  The dealer was useless.  After multiple visits, the service manager told my friend that the dealership didn't build the car, GM did, and they were done with it.   It was quickly traded-in and that was the end of that.

[Ed Luddy]

I have more than one incident, but lets go with my memory!

1975, I just changed the factory steelies on my 1970 Torino 429 SCJ for a set of Cragar's. I didn't torque them, just stand on the 4 way. A few days later the right rear  went for a trip after I stood 

on it and took the lower quarter panel with it.

 Next was a 1979 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham coming thru Toronto on the busiest 24 lane highway in North America when the freshly replaced tires were not correctly torqued. The right front went for a trip on it's own.  It wasn't much fun. I was able to get it stopped after much sliding and kissing the guardrail ..

That is a truly scary place to be, feel the the impact as you watch much of the trim off a 2 yrs. old Cadi  being ripped off as 12 lanes of 401 traffic tried to avoid or ignore you. 

 The wildest part of that  accident was a 56 Ford Thunderbird behind me  that did a sideways skid to avoid me, then stopped with all 12 lanes of traffic behind them do the same!

 

 

 

 

[31nash880]

Have had many came to think of it.

1964 chevelle 2dr wagon lost oil pressure and rod through block.

1970 cutlass company car lost lf front wheel assembly.

Most expensive: blown engine in 1987 jag leading to full resto. 

Scariest: Wife calling while driving with no brakes, brake fluid boiled being to close to exhaust.

Scariest 2: same for son on 1986 jag.

[wayne sheldon]

I have enjoyed reading these tales of breakdowns, near disasters, and ultimate triumph! I often think that is one of the best parts of this hobby. Doing things few people ever manage, handling situations suddenly thrown at us, and often making it home or being back on the road soon after.

Between my older relatively modern cars, and the fact I usually drive them into the ground, and the antiques? I have had so many things I haven't a clue where to begin?

Worst mechanical failure? That is hard to define.

Funny, best timing for a breakdown? (Modern vehicle.) Our young family was loaded up in the van, ready to begin a 600 mile round trip to visit family. Engine started, pulled away from the curb and the engine died. A quick look revealed the timing chain sticking out through the timing gear/chain cover. 

Runner-up. I had just completed a 600 mile round trip for work, much of it on winding mountain roads. 

when a ball joint broke on my little pickup. In my driveway.

Antique? I was getting ready to load the model T racing car I used to have for a Speedster/Racer Endurance Run to begin the next day. The final adjustment was a minor tweak to the toe-in, when the tie-rod broke (revealing an old crack hiding inside the tie-rod end. I dug a spare out of my parts pile and had it painted and installed in an hour. (The Endurance Run was GREAT!)

A few years later, after I had sold the racing car, I hastily put together a boat-tail roadster project I had been working on. We barely got it running in time to get it to the Endurance Run. The total test run was driving it onto the trailer (less than fifty feet!). No time to sort out anything! My son and I got it to the starting line, and then the fun began. We had trouble with the steering (barely too much caster, steered very hard at anything over 20 mph). The vacuum tank valve plugged up due to the gasoline tank not being flushed quite enough (hastily assembled). The tech inspection made us install a "fire shield" on the wooden firewall, which in turn resulted in an electrical short and set fire to half the wiring! A set-bolt in the Muncie overdrive that I hadn't had time to fully check out vibrated out. Knowing the probabilities and NOT wanting to destroy the transmission, on the side of the road we drained the gear-oil into a plastic bag, fished out the set-bolt and safety wired it (like it was supposed to have been!). Grease back in and together we continued on! A good friend had elected to follow us for the rest of the Run. WE crossed the finish line after nearly everybody had gone home. Only a few of the cleanup crew was there to see us arrive.

I have never sought trophies. However, that evening we were awarded "Hard Luck, but Completing the Run"! We EARNED it! And I treasure that trophy.

 

Over the years, I have thrown two connecting rod bearings. Both were shut down before any significant damage was done. One of them I changed in the motel parking lot that evening and we continued the tour the next and final day. The funny part about that one? It was the ONE and ONLY time I ever carried a spare connecting rod on a club tour. And it was the only time I threw a rod bearing on a club tour.

 

In relatively modern cars, I have blown the clutch three times. One was a previous owners unbelievable mistake/repair, one a defective OEM replacement disc. The other a throw-out bearing seized up. Coupled with twice going out to drive home vehicles that someone else blew the clutch? Five times I have driven significant miles with no clutch, including in traffic. I am quite familiar with starting the engine in first gear!

 

Running an errand for my dad in his pickup once, the rear end suddenly blew. Turned out the pinion bearing had seized while on the freeway, blew the seal out and everything got red hot fast! After allowing to cool, and a bit of grease acquired and put in, an hour on side streets got it ten miles home (the entre third member was toast!).

 

A bizarre chain of circumstances caused me to overheat my pickup in a very bad place to do so. A necessary burst of rpm caused a sudden burst of steam and blew the top tank nearly off the radiator! (Turned out the radiator had been defective since new!) A very long story I have told before. Suffice to say, I carefully limped it six miles to get off a long bridge plus another thirty miles home and repaired the radiator the next day! No apparent ill effects, that engine was fine for another hundred thousand miles!

 

I have suffered catastrophic brake failure several times, never in a real antique. Drove one car for a day with almost no brakes, I had to get to work, was very careful. On my lunch break I went out and discovered a brake drum had broken apart. Made a phone call, had the replacement drum and changed it that night. One time blew out a master cylinder. Twice blew out wheel cylinders (single master cylinder systems lose all hydraulic brakes when that happens!). 

 

The list goes on. But that is what happens when you have driven somewhat over a million miles! Most of it in vehicles more than twenty years old, and often abusive miles.

I have had more than my fair share of bad repairs by previous owners. Rarely had troubles caused by myself, except of course the couple antiques I put together too quickly to replace cars sold and make it onto a tour or Endurance Run.

Also had my fair share of defective new and/or rebuilt parts. A 1966 Chevrolet pickup I had many years ago and drove a lot for six years? Had three fuel pump failures in one vehicle. Two of them during the new pump warranty period! A no charge replacement doesn't mean much when you are sitting on the side of the freeway with a failed fuel pump! Also had a fuel pump failure on the 2001 Ford Expedition. Talk about a "no fun" repair!

[Bleach]

I found out the hard way why the "t-pot" carburetor in these cars is nicknamed firepot or towering inferno. The '56 in my avatar had a mishap several years ago. I wanted to surprise my daughter by picking her up from school one day. My wife and I took a nice uneventful trip to her school that was around 10 miles. We got there, parked in one of the lines that would file by the pickup area, and shut off the car. Then when the kids were let out from their classes it was time to get moving. I went to start up but it wouldn't after a few attempts. Finally there was a feeble almost start but it ended with poof, a back fire under the hood. To my horror I then started to see wisps of smoke sneaking out from the sides of the hood. I didn't have a fire extinguisher at the time but had a few big rags under the seat. I popped the hood and just wrapped the area around under the air cleaner to contain the flames. A school employee that usually directs the lines of cars had ran over with an extinguisher and put out the rest of the fire. We all ended up taking a flatbed home with the car. Luckily there was no real damage from the fire. I had a lot of cleaning to do. Fire extinguishers leave a lot of powdery crap than can leave some corrosive residue if it isn't cleaned off promptly.

 

[cutlasguy]

I used to get my 73 Charger inspected at a local garage, where the mechanic considered a proper inspection asking me if there was anything he should check! Naturally I always replied "nothing" and on went the sticker! On day on my way to work, a car slammed on it's brakes in front of me and I did the same. Ever see what happens when your brakes lock up at 70 mph? Well I did! I hit the median, crossed over and hit a car on the entrance ramp, and careened back across, sliding along the median, and finally coming to a stop! That was the last time I would tell a mechanic "nothing to inspect! In fact I never took my Charger to him again!

[edinmass]

 

Over the weekend, by good friend borrowed my open car trailer to buy a 66 Chevy pick up. A nice old stock unit. Never been abused. On his way home, he called me from the side of the road. Said he was driving along and ran over some parts in the road. The parts.......a chunk of block, a piston, and a rod. The bad news was it came out of his truck while going down the road..........trailer is fine, but covered in oil like the 66 was also. The GMC Duramax.......is now a boat anchor.

[Restorer32]

Driving Dad's '64 Coupe Deville home from the drive in movies at 2:00 a.m.  Engine stopped and we drifted off to the side of the road. The young lady with me was in a panic not wanting anyone to see her or what she was wearing.  Popped the hood and saw the fuel pump hanging from its hoses.  Luckily the bolts were there also but we had no tools.  Called my Bro and he brought tools. We reinstalled the fuel pump and proceeded on our way.

[SC38dls]

The real question for Restorer32 is — if you were parked in the last row of the drive in and the movie was over at 12 midnight why was it 2 am and the young lady was worried about what she was or wasn’t wearing? 
dave s 

[edinmass]

At one point.....she was wearing a smile.......if Jeff knew what he was doing. 😏

[Dandy Dave]

When I first started driving I had a 1957 Dodge D-100 Pick up. One day while driving it started to vibrate like mad and then the engine sized. Got it back to my Uncles place and pulled the pan to discover that the crank shaft had broken in the of one of the throws half way between the crank journals. 

[JACK M]

Speaking of GMC Dura Max.

I have a friend that was on his way from SoCal to Ohio to pick up a collector car for his boss.

This was last week.

He made it to all but two hours from his destination.

I think he said fuel pump failure, He had to put the trailer in storage and leave the truck at a dealer and fly home.

Seems that they need to pull the cab off to clean all of the fuel lines.

I guess he flies back in a few days to continue the trip.

Why would GM design a truck that needed that much tear down to clean the fuel system?

Glad it wasn't me.

[TAKerry]

6 hours ago, Restorer32 said:

Driving Dad's '64 Coupe Deville home from the drive in movies at 2:00 a.m.  Engine stopped and we drifted off to the side of the road. The young lady with me was in a panic not wanting anyone to see her or what she was wearing.  Popped the hood and saw the fuel pump hanging from its hoses.  Luckily the bolts were there also but we had no tools.  Called my Bro and he brought tools. We reinstalled the fuel pump and proceeded on our way.

I suppose we could have a thread on Drive In movies!   I would add the time my battery died and I was one of the last couple of cars to leave! Not many people left for a jump start.