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Excellent tip to organize parts during teardown...

TNToy

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Thought I'd share this with you guys, since it worked so well.

We had a Toyota Camry come in today, and I did everything related to the timing belt on it (water pump, oil pump cover re-seal, etc). I'm not a Toyota tech, so it's not committed to memory like it would be on one of our vehicles.

I had to remove around 30 10mm bolts from the timing cover and the oil pump cover, and keep track of which bolt went where. As usual with Toyota, there were three different lengths.

So I was setting each part on the workbench, and had a brainstorm when I looked at the sharpie lying there:

1. Crudely sketch each part directly on a sheetmetal -topped workbench, making a dot for each bolt. Write labels if you feel like you need to. If you're really ****, make it to scale.

2. Set each fastener where it belongs on your disfigured giraffe... or maybe that's supposed to be a 5-ZFE Toyta timing cover... I'm not sure.

3. When you're done with reassembly and have pulled the car out, wipe the diagram clean off the bench with a can of brake cleaner... leaving a blank slate for next time. Brake cleaner dissolves permanent marker ink.

:)

Unlike paper or cardboard with the bolts poked through it, the sharpie-on-sheetmetal trick doesn't care if you get grease, oil, or coolant on it. And the wind doesn't blow it away. It's pretty much foolproof as long as you don't spill brake cleaner on it.

Should work for those of you with stainless countertops or toolboxes, too.
 
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ImportTuner

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TNToy said:
Thought I'd share this with you guys, since it worked so well.

Occasionally we get a vehicle in that's not the brand I service in & out every day. I did a timing belt/tensioner/idler/water pump/oil pump cover re-seal today on a Toyota Camry... and while it was pretty straightforward, I don't have the location and size of each fastener committed to memory, since I don't do multiple Camry timing services each week.

Well, I did what I usually do: Try to keep the bolts in or near the parts as I removed them, but there are some (like timing cover bolts) that are various lengths, and have to be kept in order to avoid playing "guess which bolt" on reassembly.

So I was setting each part on the workbench, and had a brainstorm when I looked at the sharpie lying there:

1. Crudely sketch part directly on the sheetmetal -topped table, making a dot for each bolt. Write labels if you feel like you need to.
2. Set each fastener where it belongs on your disfigured amoeba/diagram thingy.
3. When you're done and have pulled the car out, wipe the sharpie ink off with a can of brake cleaner... leaving a blank slate for next time.

:)

Unlike paper or cardboard with the bolts poked through it, the sharpie-on-sheetmetal trick doesn't care if you get grease, oil, or coolant on it. And the wind doesn't blow it away. It's pretty much foolproof as long as you don't spill brake cleaner on it.

Should work for those of you with stainless countertops or toolboxes, too.
I do the same thing except on a oil drip pan ... the parts don't roll away and it's an easy cleanup ..
:bounce:
 
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wilbilt

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Most excellent!

I liked "disfigured amoeba/diagram thingy" better, as it was so descriptive...:beer:
 
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kartracer55

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Pretty good idea. I have always drawn pictures on cardboard but that is a much better idea.

Jim
 
OP
T

TNToy

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West Tennessee
PAToyota said:
I've always used the corrugated cardboard system and just throw the cardboard out when I'm done.
That works great, except I always manage to accidentally kick it, or knock it off the workbench.

Haven't found a way to mess this up. :)
 

IntrstlarOvrdrve

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Dec 24, 2005
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Chattanooga, TN
Usually just draw on the cardboard? I usually just poke the bolts through the cardboard where they belong...even if I kick it nothing gets out of order.
 
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