Recent content by willyswonka

I don't work flat rate any more, but do take pride in being able to beat labor times. But I also got a reputation as the electrical diag guy in our shop. I never beat the book on those jobs. But it all depends on how you work and what kind of work you do. I started out working at a Sears...

I agree with pretty much everyone on the screwdrivers/bit sockets. Especially torx. The matco ones really do strip out more often for some reason. If you ever use a manual impact driver, again, for whatever reason, the Snap On has more breakaway torque than a craftsman or a matco that look...

No sealant, torque the nuts to 11 lbf. If you want to replace them, any high volume tire shop should have tpms kits with new gaskets, valve cores, and nuts.

I've had range of work shoes from Keens (the most comfortable) to wal-mart cheepos to redwings, but the problem I had with all of them is that the soles would break down from chemical exposure and wear out really fast. Never had a pair last more than a year. This time around I got a pair of...

Regarding the oil filter, it looks like someone may have removed it. I had a '54 wagon with that engine and it had a filter canister mounted where your ignition coil is. The coil was mounted further forward and the bracket for the oil filter bolted on where that bare stud is in front of the...

Zebralights are amazing. The only downside is you have to take the batteries out to charge them, but they are super easy to swap (even in gloves). Shockingly bright for how tiny they are, I use one at work and have dropped it in drain pans, kicked it across the shop, cleaned it in a parts...

I can't tell from those pictures exactly how the hangers you're using are shaped, but what about spacing them on the end where they attach to the rail instead of on the wall side? A lot of commercial style rail hangers have adjustable posts for exactly that type of problem. Might not be worth...

+1 on the french cleat. Removable from the wall without risking damaging the piece. Epoxy to the art, masonry anchor to the wall, won't go anywhere and no risk of burn through or heat distortion welding to the back of the piece...

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-UltraFlex-Non-Skid-Knee-Pads-361/100297187?N=5yc1vZc220 I have a pair of these that I wore for three summers of gophering for my dad laying hardwood. They get a little sweaty, but they're light and easy to move in. I'd always wear them with just the bottom...

I've been seeing them on Bosch mass air flow sensors for MB and BMW. They use them to hold the sensor element in the housing, presumably so you can't just swap out the elements and return the new housing with the old element in it.

I use Sunex (both deep and shallow) at work, and they've been great. The laser etched labels have started to wear off some of the ones I use a lot, but as far as I know all brands do that.

Does anyone know what kind of warranty the Blue Point YA35610 hose clamp pliers have? I've heard that on cable style hose clamp pliers only part of the mechanism is covered.

I've been looking a picking up a serious business air hammer, specifically either a Matco MT1815 or a Snap On PH3050. I'm a mechanic, so it's going to see fairly heavy use, and I don't know if it's worth looking at buying used. How much can go wrong on one of these hammers? How hard is...

The underlayment is designed specifically to absorb shock and not deform over time so, if it is working right, it won't serve to level the floor at all. However, most standard (4' plank) laminate can handle 1/8" deviation over a 6' span so you shouldn't have to worry about the floor not...

The skill 77 has been getting a lot of love, but I'll put in a vote for the Makita Hyploid. It's a little heavy (although I've never used the mag version) but cuts green hardwoods faster than most homeowner grade chainsaws.