c/busted-but-not-broken

Just realized I was butchering my brake bleeds for 6 years

I always pumped the pedal like crazy after opening the bleeder valve until a neighbor caught me and said you're just sucking air back in... that backflow thing is real, right? Anybody else have a basic car fix they did backwards for way too long?

Walked into a repair shop in Phoenix and saw a guy using zip ties to hold his alternator in place

Three hours later I was in my own driveway doing the same thing because the bracket bolt snapped and I had to get to work, so has anyone else found a more permanent fix for a broken bracket that doesn't cost a fortune?

Vent: Everyone says to use OEM parts for everything, but my 1998 F-150 runs better on aftermarket brake pads from AutoZone

Got stuck on I-10 outside Tucson last summer with smoking brakes after I replaced them with the "correct" Motorcraft pads from the dealer. Swapped to the cheap Duralast gold ones and they've been solid for 14 months now. The OEM ones had some weird dust buildup issue nobody warned me about. Am I the only one who thinks the whole "only use factory parts" crowd is overthinking it for older trucks?

Spent 4 hours replacing a water pump on my Civic, only to realize I forgot to transfer the gasket from the old one

I went back and forth on whether to buy a torque wrench for the job, but the real time sink was removing the pump three times because the leak wouldn't stop. How long has a simple fix taken you after you missed one small step?

Took me 3 tries to replace a belt on my dryer. First time I put it on backwards.

I spent $20 on the wrong belt from Home Depot and then another $12 on the right one after breaking the old one pulling it off. The tensioner spring shot across my garage and I found it in a box of Christmas lights. Has anyone else had a simple repair turn into a three hour hunt for a flying spring?

Spent $40 on a breaker bar and still snapped a bolt off in my control arm

Bought a cheap Pittsburgh breaker bar from Harbor Freight thinking it'd save me money, but the bolt was rusted so bad I ended up snapping it clean off and had to drill it out anyway. Anyone else had a $40 lesson turn into a $100 problem with extraction tools?

Changed my mind about using JB Weld on a radiator crack

I was dead set on replacing my whole radiator after a 6 inch crack showed up in my old Civic. Then I watched a video where a guy pressure tested a JB Weld repair on a similar crack and it held at 15 psi for over an hour. Has anyone here actually gotten one of those patch jobs to last more than a few months?

I finally realized I was bleeding my brakes all wrong for 5 years

After watching a video from a shop in Denver, I found out I was letting air back into the line by pumping the pedal too fast. Tried it slow and steady on my Honda Civic last weekend and the pedal went firm for the first time ever. Anyone else learn a basic skill backwards for way too long?

Finally cracked the 200,000 mile mark on my old Toyota Tundra I rebuilt myself

After I snapped a timing belt tensioner bolt trying to replace the water pump back in March, I almost junked the truck, but I ended up tearing the whole front end apart with a $30 loaner tool set from AutoZone and somehow got it running again, and it just rolled over 200k on my way back from a job in Bakersfield - how many of you have hit a milestone like that after a bad fix?

Tried fixing my lawnmower last weekend... made it so much worse

My mower wouldn't start. Figured it was a clogged carb. Took it apart in my garage on Saturday. Lost a tiny spring and mixed up two gaskets. Now it won't even turn over. Anyone else make a simple fix into a total disaster?

Vent: Wasted $80 on a 'universal' bike repair stand that couldn't hold my mountain bike

I got this stand off Amazon thinking I was saving cash over a Park Tool one. First time I clamped my Norco, the clamp slipped and the whole thing tipped over, scraping my frame. Lost $80 and had to buy a proper one anyway. Did anyone else fall for those cheap universal stands that just can't handle a heavier bike?

That time I tried to fix my lawnmower carburetor in the dark

Last summer I was determined to get my old Craftsman mower running before the weekend, so I pulled the carburetor apart after sunset. I used a headlamp to see, but I dropped a tiny spring into the grass and spent an hour finding it with a magnet. Turns out I put the float bowl gasket on upside down, and gas leaked all over my driveway the next morning. Has anyone else learned the hard way not to work on small engines past 8pm?

Shoutout to my dishwasher after I tried to fix the drain pump myself

I thought I'd save $150 by unclogging the pump myself. Ended up snapping the mounting clip and had to order a whole new assembly for $45. At least now I know how to take the bottom panel off without breaking anything else. Anyone else have a fix that made things worse before they got better?

Last Tuesday I tried to fix my lawnmower and ended up flooding the carb 3 times

Tried the cheap socket vs the mid-range for a stubborn bolt on my lawn tractor

Last weekend I stripped a 15mm bolt head on my Craftsman lawn tractor using a $10 socket from the auto parts store. Had to drill the bolt out, which added 3 hours to what should have been a 30-minute deck swap. Ordered a set of GearWrench sockets for $45 and the next bolt came off like butter. Anyone else find that paying a little more for tools saves you way more time in the long run?

Tried to swap a dryer belt and wound up with a drum that won't turn at all

Last Saturday I pulled apart my Whirlpool dryer to replace a worn belt, but I somehow got the tensioner spring jammed wrong and now the drum just sits there when I hit start. Has anyone else managed to turn a simple 20 minute job into a weekend project that needs a do-over?

TIL you can overtighten a serpentine belt tensioner pulley and wreck the bearing

I swapped my alternator on a 2005 Civic last weekend and cranked the tensioner bolt way past snug. 30 miles later the bearing seized and threw the belt off on the highway. Has anyone else cooked a cheap part by overdoing the tightness?

Debate: Did I waste $150 on that 'lifetime' serpentine belt or save money in the long run?

I spent $150 on a fancy Kevlar-reinforced belt for my 2008 Ford Focus, but then snapped it trying to install it with a cheater bar - should I have just bought the $25 standard one and replaced it every 3 years instead? Anyone else torn between going cheap or overkill on parts after a botched fix?

Tried to replace my dryer heating element and found a sock in the blower wheel

Spent three hours taking apart my Whirlpool dryer because it stopped heating, replaced the thermal fuse and heating element, and put it all back together with zero change. Turned out a single sock had jammed the blower wheel the whole time. Has anyone else chased a phantom fix for way too many hours?

Spent $60 on a new throttle cable and still had the same bogging issue

Took me three afternoons and a lot of cussing to figure out my old motorcycle was just choking for air. I kept swapping cables and adjusting the carb, but it turned out the air filter had a mouse nest packed in from sitting all winter. Cleaned it out for free and the bike runs better than it has in years. Has anyone else spent money on the wrong part before checking the simple stuff?

Tried replacing my own thermostat. Then it clicked nonstop for 3 days.

Was sure I could swap my old thermostat for a new smart one. No problem. Hooked up the wires the same way. Forgot one was a common wire. Furnace turned on and off every 30 seconds for 72 hours. Finally called my buddy who laughed and said the C wire powers the thermostat without shorting the system. Cost me 4 bucks for a wire cap and 10 minutes to fix it. Anyone else miss a tiny detail and create a bigger mess?

Why does everyone overthink lawn mower blade sharpening?

I see posts on here all the time where people spend 45 minutes with a dremel tool or a bench grinder trying to get a perfect razor edge on their mower blades. My grandpa showed me how to do it with a basic 10 inch flat file back in 2008, and it takes me maybe 10 minutes total for both blades on my old Toro. The trick is you don't want a sharp edge like a kitchen knife, you want a smooth, slightly dull edge that won't chip when it hits a rock. I see folks balance their blades with a special tool too, when you can just put the center hole on a screwdriver and see which side dips. Last spring I watched my neighbor file his blade for 30 minutes, put it back uneven, and then blamed the engine for the rough cut. He has done this three times now. Has anyone else noticed people wasting time on lawn equipment maintenance that really doesn't need to be that complicated?

The washing machine repair that cost me double last Tuesday

I was trying to swap out the drain pump on my old Whirlpool and accidentally pulled the wire harness loose from the main board. Had to call a guy in from Toledo to re-solder it, $180 later I sure wish I'd just watched the full YouTube video first. Has anyone else gotten in over their head on an appliance fix that seemed simple?

The day I realized I was overfilling my lawnmower oil for 10 years

I always topped off the oil to the very top of the dipstick on my old Craftsman mower, thinking it was better to have more. Then last spring I found a puddle of oil under it after a cut and a neighbor walking by asked if I ever checked the manual. Turns out overfilling blows out the seals... did anyone else miss that basic tip for way too long?

Fixed my dryer after ripping the belt on attempt #3

Last Sunday I tried swapping the belt on my old Kenmore dryer. Got it threaded wrong and it snapped right off when I hit start. Took a break, watched a 6 minute video from some guy in Ohio, and saw I had the tension pulley backwards. Second belt went on perfect, dryer runs quieter than it has in 5 years. Anyone else find that taking a breather halfway through a fix saves more time than rushing?