Pre-start jitters

[92U 3406]

Just finished up a complete engine overhaul, my first HD diesel engine rebuild in a decade. I just got it dropped back in the machine last night and started hooking it all up, should be ready to fire up Monday afternoon. Of course its the weekend and I'm sitting at home and my nerves are getting to me.

I followed the manual to the T and double checked all my work before going on to the next step. I'm confident everything is good. Just wish I had the time to get it running before the weekend so I wouldn't have to stress about it all weekend.

 

[Newibiner]

Monday afternoon the stress will disappear after she fires up, leaving you wonder why did I worry all weekend.

 

[Coaldust]

I can relate, to many sleepless nights doing the job again in my mind, wondering if I forgot something or left a fastener loose.

 

[crane operator]

If you start drinking now, by monday morning you won't care if it fires or not.

 

[92U 3406]

I can relate, to many sleepless nights doing the job again in my mind, wondering if I forgot something or left a fastener loose.

Definitely. More than once this last week I've had dreams about this engine and I've woken up at 2 or 3 am almost every morning because of it. Not to mention countless reminders popping up on my phone reminding me to double check this and that lol.

 

[Acoals]

Yep, lay there in bed mentally reassembling everything . . . but wait, did I torque the . . .

 

[92U 3406]

Yep, lay there in bed mentally reassembling everything . . . but wait, did I torque the . . .

OCD is my downfall. I could put paint pen marks on a bolt and then still question it.

 

[mks]

Seems like it goes with caring about the work you do.

 

[Truck Shop]

Just remember {no guts no glory}. No since pestering it will start and run fine.

 

[chidog]

Never had the jitters. But then I never brag about how fast I can do the job either.
In the old days of true manual machinist work, we (all the machinists) could spend hours and even days to make a set up that would take, 5 minutes to do the cut. Yeah that was aerospace stuff.
I could never work on John Force's engine overhaul pit crew at the races.
Anytime anyone is rushed is when the problems happen. Or when your forced for some reason to cut corners.
92U 3406 mentions OCD, same here. And super slow at some wrenching jobs and proud of it.

 

[Mike L]

I feel the jitters on every engine I build. I make a conscious effort to not fire it up on a Friday. I’m not superstitious or anything but there’s no sense taking any chances and ruining my weekend. I got fish to catch and ducks to hunt!

 

[Vetech63]

Dam, I just wish I could be there hiding behind a steel table........rapping the table with a hammer when you started it up. LOL...................oh wait, I did that one already!

 

[Mike L]

When I worked in the truck shops the old hammer trick was done on almost every engine start up. Some days it was several hammers at the same time. it was loud enough that it was hard to actually hear if the engine had any funny noises.

 

[1693TA]

Just got my Perkins diesel forklift engine back from the community college last Saturday. Teacher is a good friend of mine for several years and had a couple of bright students needing work so had them assemble the engine. I know everything has been checked, then double checked on this assembly and it was a good experience for them. I was involved with photos near every step so am confident once finally installed, it will be fine. It was kind of funny to hear they measured ring end gaps, ring land clearances, piston ring widths, piston skirt clearances, thrust clearance, piston pit fitment, etc. and some of the stuff you only read about but don't do in an engine rebuild. I think if a spec was in the manual, it was checked. There was concern about "grind marks" on the rod(s) and pistons, but I have everything balanced and weight matched during a rebuild so this is normal. One of the students had never seen this except in videos and the reinforcement was welcomed. All OEM Perkins parts so probably alright out of the box but it never hurts to check anything these days.

 

[Truck Shop]

One I know that happened-guy was finishing up a rebuild on his FE block in his pickup,
other guys in the shop dumped a bunch of two stroke oil in the gas when he wasn't there.
You can guess what happened.

 

[barrelroll]

Yeah, it's always fun. I work 2 weeks on 2 weeks off, some time you get something done/ half done and head on days off and never see it run with someone else commissioning it. I'm always on edge the first day back hoping things went according to plan.

Another one anyone who's worked underground can relate to is did I brass out? In 6 years knock on wood I've never forgotten to brass out. A couple times I've done a second check of the brass board second guessing myself, one morning after a night shift a shifter caught me double checking, we both had a good chuckle. Leaving your brass on the board and getting hunted down to pull it off gets you on the blasting crew's **** list.

 

[jrgreene1968]

Ive been wrenching since 84, have rebuilt to many engines to count, and still go through the steps at night. Usually on the way home. Did I check this, did I torque that.. guess its normal. Ive only screwed up bad 1 time so far, and that was when I first started. Didnt get a cam bearing lined up in a waukesha. Needless to say, I check them a few times now

 

[Acoals]

Just finished up a complete engine overhaul, my first HD diesel engine rebuild in a decade. I just got it dropped back in the machine last night and started hooking it all up, should be ready to fire up Monday afternoon. Of course its the weekend and I'm sitting at home and my nerves are getting to me.

I followed the manual to the T and double checked all my work before going on to the next step. I'm confident everything is good. Just wish I had the time to get it running before the weekend so I wouldn't have to stress about it all weekend.

So now that you passed your jitters to the rest of us we need an update . . .

 

[1693TA]

Yes, do give us an update after you fire it off. I'd bet no problems at all.

 

[631G]

My opinion is that this is normal for anyone who gives a damn about their work. Comes with the territory. If you didn't care about your name being tied to the work you'd sleep like the dead waking up into a new world each and every day.