Probably the reason I am claustaphobic now is becasue of a very stupid incident I did.
I had just got done installing this transmission I rebuilt. Took it for a test drive all was great. Looked under the car and noticed a leak. Not bad, but for a new trans, should be any leak at all. So I assumed it was the accumuator cover or the O ring for the vac modulator. Grabbed the floor jack, jacked it up, slid under the car, checked the O rings, tightened up the Vac Modulator that was only hand tight and I had forgot to torque it. I was only under the car for maybe 3 minutes. Went ot slide out and couldn't move. The jack had leaked down while I was under the car and the unibody frame came down across my chest and pinned me. I was the only one home, and with big lots, no neighbors that were home could hear me. I was pinned for about 15 mnutes and all these thoughts racing thru my hed. Breathing heavy and scared shitless with all this pressure across my chest was not a good thing at all. Of course the jack continues to slowly leak down and I feel it getting tighter and tighter. Lucky for me, I finally look to the side under some shrubs into the neighbors yard and I see little feet walking down the driveway toward the street. So I yelled the girls name. She didn't hear me or was looking for me and didn't see me and kept walking now back into the house. She has just went to check the mail at the curb. So I am screaming her name and Help, I need help. Finally I hear her yell back, where you at? I said under the car, come here hurrry. She said hold on, let me check on my baby. I said, NO please, come here, I only need you for 5 seconds. Hurry up. Finally she ran over and I told her to pump the jack. She didn't even know how to pump a floor jack. A young teen mom. Finally, she got it up enough so I could slide out. I felt very very lucky, that she went to check the mail. That 15 minutes, seemed like a whole day and I am not even kidding. Moral is, ALWAYS use a jackstand. Even if just for a quick adjustment, always always always use a jack stand and never trust a jack. NEVER !!! I still have the piece of **** jack to this day and I know it still leaks down, but it keepls me in check. I know to alwasy use jack stands now. You'll never see me under a car without being properly supported.
