July 12, 2010

How Is It Possible To Lose A Part This Big?

Sound Classics

One of the most frustrating things about do-it-yourself auto repair is dealing with vanishing parts. The only thing worse than turning a twenty-minute job into a two-day event by dropping that special nut, bolt or spring is to break the part outright due to sheer frustration or stupidity.

I’m well experienced with all forms of parts losing, but I seem to specialize in fumbling nuts and bolts into the depths of the most inaccessible places. With this in mind, I wasn’t surprised when during the process of replacing the eight too-lean jets on the four Weber carburetors on the Infamous Craigslist 1976 Ferrari Dino 308 GT4, I bumped one of the tops of the carburetors sitting on the edge of the air cleaner housing. I heard it go falling down into the engine bay with a succession of clanks and pings.

I figured it was no problem. After all, an air horn of a Weber DCNF is too big to lose, right? Read on…