Things happen fast.

[90LX_Notch]

Being a stay at home dad I work parttime at a friends automotive repair shop on Saturdays throughout the year. During the summer when my wife (teacher) is home I work there six days a week. The other day I did a trans swap in a '93 Toyota and needed some assistance with the trans jack as I was fighting with a bolt for a trans mount. As I was turning the bolt I ask a coworker to go down slightly with the jack. I was looking for 1/16th of an inch. Instead of tapping the release, he pressed on it and the trans instantly dropped about two inches. Since it was a large rubber mount, it allowed the bolt pivot in the bracket and one end to cock upward. Which, inturn pitched my thumb against a slight overhang in the bracket and cut it almost to the bone.

I always try to be aware of my surroundings and what can go wrong; especially when working with someone else. This happened so fast there was no time to react and most would say I have pretty fast reflexes.

The same can happen with machine tools. You may or may not be able to react fast enough. Be aware where your body parts are in relationship to dangerous surroundings.

 

[zeeprogrammer]

Wow. Sorry to hear about that. I hope there's no lasting problems.
Take care.

 

[Seanol]

Notch,
I had a similar thing happen.

I had a neighborhood kid helping me do a tranny R&R on my 98 GT and I was under the car on jackstands. I asked him to slowly lower the jack as I pulled the tranny from the pilot bushing. He dropped the jack down as I pulled and I has a T-45 sitting on my chest in no time!

Not as bad as cutting a finger to the bone but it took a while for the bruise from the tranny mount to go away!

Hope you get better soon and remember to keep it clean!

Sean

 

[zeeprogrammer]

Hope you get better soon and remember to keep it clean!

Thumb-sucking is under-rated.
I do it on occasion.

 

[90LX_Notch]

Thanks guys.

The good thing is it's on the outside edge of my thumb. It must of happened right at the end of rolling the bolt based on where the cut is. Eventhough it's deep, it only affects a small area on the side. Doubtfull there will be any lasting problems.

Sean - It must be a working with someone else on a trans job thing. Last summer my finger got smashed doing a trans swap on a Dakota 4x4.

Carl - Too funny!

 

[steamer]

Similar thing happened to my dad. He was working on a FWD fire truck with a 6 cylinder 900 cubic inch Wakesha in it and a manual transmission. Combined probably 3500 pounds anyway. He was trying to put the transmission back in when the jack failed. Now FWD means Four Wheel Drive. This truck had quite a bit of ground clearance and when the tranny finially hit the frame rails there was about 1/4" from the bellhousing to the concrete floor.....which is where his pinky ended up as he was scrambling to get out of the way.....all he got was 3 stiches in his pinky.....and probably a laundry change....he never said... :big:

Dave

 

[zeeprogrammer]

Which is about when I would go into a corner...take my thumb...and...
Well we all have our technique. A popular one is 'finger over nose'.
Blankies are good but not always available.

Like I say, it's under-rated. Very therapeutic. Highly recommended.
Ask any baby.

 

[bearcar1]

Gees Notch, I hope you smack the crap out of your assistant when you mend, "I said 1/16" of an inch you numbskull!!!!!" WHACK!! :big:


BC1
Jim

 

[rake60]

These things do happen!

My family has a long history of coal mine construction workers.
It goes back to my Great Grandfather. On one job my Grandpa
was the shift foreman. My Dad and Uncle Tom were on his crew.
They were preparing for a dynamite load to shoot out a tight corner
in hard rock where the use of the air driven jack legs could not drill.
When it gets that tight you have to drill the shot holes with an old
hand held star bit steel that is hit with a 20 pound hammer. After each
strike of the hammer the steel holder turns the bit 1/4 turn for the
next strike. Dad was the steel holder and Uncle Tom was swinging the
heavy hammer. The hammer glanced off the steel and hit Dad full swing
in the forehead. He said he never had a chance to feel a thing, but when
he woke up Uncle Tom was on his knees crying and Grandpa was
cursing threatening to kill Uncle Tom.

No one died that day......

Rick

 

[Blogwitch]

You lot, be very careful out there.

It wasn't long ago, a chap around the corner from where I live had his internal organs relocated, pushed up his throat from the inside, in an attempt to come out of his mouth, taking the path of least resistance. He didn't make it, and I suppose it wasn't a pretty sight for his wife, when she found him. Doing exactly what you are doing, working UNDER heavy loads, namely a jacked up car.

Graphic description I know, but it needs to be, to shock people into action to take care of themselves.

These sorts of accidents happen every day, and as he thought, they only happen to other people. Unfortunately it was his turn to become one of the other people. In fact, this sort of thing isn't an accident, it is a self imposed suicide, that just might happen.

If you must do it, and put your life in someone elses hands, always have some sort of physical stop under there with you, just to make sure it isn't you that the heavy bit sits down on. In fact do it anyway, you never know when something will happen. It is better to damage the heavy bit rather than yourself.

The heavy bit can be repaired, maybe they won't be able to fix you.

DO NOT PUT CASH BEFORE YOUR OWN SAFETY. It is you that pays the price.


Blogs

 

[90LX_Notch]

Blogwitch- You are absolutely right about support, especially since the car was close to six feet in the air. Luckily, I was not under the car. This particular trans mount was located in the engine compartment. I had both a stick jack and the trans jack under the car. The stick jack was on the engine. The trans was already bolted up to the engine.