Other: (Safety) Top Ten Safety Errrors

[DEEPNHOCK]

(From The Prestolite website)

1. Not Disconnecting Your Battery

Before working on your car, disconnect your battery to avoid a tool like a wrench shorting out the battery terminal. Always disconnect your battery before welding, because you could back-feed high voltage and damage electronics.
2. Not Using Spark Plug Wire Markers

This is an easy mistake to fix. Use our Spark Plug Wire Markers and always connect your wires to the right cylinder.
3. Not Using Anti-seize Compound

Use anti-seize compound when you are connecting steel and aluminum to allow for easy removal in the future. This will protect you from harmful corrosion.
4. Having Left Over Parts

Oops. You forgot something. This might not be quite as important when assembling that coffee table you just bought, but when you're racing your newly assembled engine over 100mph, you'll want to have included all the parts.
5. Leaving Old Gasket Material on Mating Surfaces

Scrape all that leftover gasket material off of your mating surfaces to ensure a tight seal with your next gasket. You can avoid the problem of leftover gasket material by using our Ultra-Seal, Multi-Layered Steel, Copper and Aluminum Gaskets which have coating to protect from sticking.
6. Not Using the Right Sealer When Needed

In some cases you might need to apply sealer to your gaskets. Be prepared with the right kind, like Blue silicone sealer7. Not Running Through a Full Heat Cycle to Check Fasteners

Recheck the torquing of your fasteners after a full heat cycle to ensure proper seal and compression.
8. Over/Under-torquing a Fastener

Over torquing could stretch or snap the fastener. A stretched fastener causes incorrect compression which may result in leaks. Always use the manufacturers specifications for torquing and a proper torquing wrench..
9. Forgetting to Relieve Fuel Pressure Before Service

Otherwise when you pull the filter off you'll get a face full of gasoline.
10. Ignoring Safetey Procedures

This may sound like a cheesy public service announcement, but ignoring safety procedures is dangerous and could cost you a lot of time in the long run. Make sure to wear safety goggles and gloves. When using a jack, please use jack stands; we do not want to see you all getting hurt out there.

[RadioRoy]

And when you are driving, the big one is not paying attention. Being egotistical enough to think that you have it all figured out so that you can only use part of your brain to do the task while the other/majority of your brain sends texts, reads emails, yells at the kids, fiddles with the radio, or looks around at the scenery.

[Aussie Hawk]

(From The Prestolite website)

1. Not Disconnecting Your Battery

Before working on your car, disconnect your battery to avoid a tool like a wrench shorting out the battery terminal. Always disconnect your battery before welding, because you could back-feed high voltage and damage electronics.
2. Not Using Spark Plug Wire Markers

This is an easy mistake to fix. Use our Spark Plug Wire Markers and always connect your wires to the right cylinder.
3. Not Using Anti-seize Compound

Use anti-seize compound when you are connecting steel and aluminum to allow for easy removal in the future. This will protect you from harmful corrosion.
4. Having Left Over Parts

Oops. You forgot something. This might not be quite as important when assembling that coffee table you just bought, but when you're racing your newly assembled engine over 100mph, you'll want to have included all the parts.
5. Leaving Old Gasket Material on Mating Surfaces

Scrape all that leftover gasket material off of your mating surfaces to ensure a tight seal with your next gasket. You can avoid the problem of leftover gasket material by using our Ultra-Seal, Multi-Layered Steel, Copper and Aluminum Gaskets which have coating to protect from sticking.
6. Not Using the Right Sealer When Needed

In some cases you might need to apply sealer to your gaskets. Be prepared with the right kind, like Blue silicone sealer7. Not Running Through a Full Heat Cycle to Check Fasteners

Recheck the torquing of your fasteners after a full heat cycle to ensure proper seal and compression.
8. Over/Under-torquing a Fastener

Over torquing could stretch or snap the fastener. A stretched fastener causes incorrect compression which may result in leaks. Always use the manufacturers specifications for torquing and a proper torquing wrench..
9. Forgetting to Relieve Fuel Pressure Before Service

Otherwise when you pull the filter off you'll get a face full of gasoline.
10. Ignoring Safetey Procedures

This may sound like a cheesy public service announcement, but ignoring safety procedures is dangerous and could cost you a lot of time in the long run. Make sure to wear safety goggles and gloves. When using a jack, please use jack stands; we do not want to see you all getting hurt out there.

Jeff, they're all very good items to keep in mind, but for my money the MOST important is your note about 'Jack Stands'. I will never get under any part of my cars by using the jack alone, and even when it's on the stands before I get under I give it a good shake in each direction - just to be sure.

[jg61hawk]

Good Post: I plead Guilty to:8. Over/Under-torquing a Fastener

Over torquing could stretch or snap the fastener. A stretched fastener causes incorrect compression which may result in leaks. Always use the manufacturers specifications for torquing and a proper torquing wrench..

I tend to overtighten and I know that what you posted is true....it can actually be bad. A lot of heat is generated all over the vehicle and "they" knew how tight they wanted the nuts and bolts because of expansion. So Yes, Your Honor, I am GUILTY of this charge!!!!

[PackardV8]

11. Not knowing how to read a calendar.

Can't tell you how often I see a Studebaker on dry-rotted tires, completely corroded brake system, fuel lines cracked plug wires, rusty spark plugs, worn out distributor cap and rotor. When the owner is asked how long since they were changed, the first answer is always, "Nearly new." Yeah, nearly new ten-fifteen years ago.

jack vines