Mechanics: Tips and tricks you've learned
- Thread starter guitarbutt
- Start date
I am just a shade-tree hillbilly, but here are a couple of my tips:
- I work alone, so this one might not work if others are around - When I take a tool out of my box, I leave the drawer open. That way, at the end of the job, when I am putting tools back, if a drawer is still open, I know something from that drawer is still out there somewhere. Obviously if your box is in a high-traffic area, or you work with others, this isn't practical. But I do one job at a time, and my box is in the corner out of the way, so it works for me.
- Another one for those "working alone" - Don't be afraid to talk to yourself, lol. I'm serious. Some times I'll be stuck on a problem and I'll just talk it out, out loud. It forces me slow down mentally. I used to talk to my brother-in-law (RIP), he was a little slow mentally, but he liked to watch me work. When I was in a jam, I'd explain the problem to him slowly, and the answer would usually come to me. He'd be excited because he got to see my "Dr. House" ah-ha moment, lol. But now I just talk to myself, and it still helps the thought process.
- Another one my "actual mechanic" friend taught me- persistent linear torque isn't the best thing for turning stuck bolts. When I was just starting out, I used to use a long-*** breaker bar when things got tough, and I would be breaking studs and snapping bolt heads off left and right (and taking the project to him whimpering for help). He showed me how with just a short breaker and a couple raps with his grisly fist it would break free. This was before every home mechanic had their own impact gun of some sort, of course. Now I only break out the massive breaker bar and cheater pipe on huge bolts or things I am trying to break on purpose. It's amazing how much less effort it takes to break a bolt loose with a short breaker, put pressure on it, and give it a couple whacks with a hammer (my grisly fists have carpal tunnel, so beating things with my fists was over a long time ago, lol).
- One more - I do a lot of electronics work, so this will apply to automotive and electronics. Make up some test jumpers with inline fuse holders. They come in handy in a lot of instances. For circuit board/SMD work, if you have a blown SMD fuse and want to see if it's just the fuse, jumper across it with your handy-dandy inline-fuse jumper. Use a glass fuse of the same value. If it blows, you know you have another issue. If it doesn't, then replace the SMD fuse. This is handy for me since I have GOBS of glass fuses. It's also handy when doing temporary bypasses on relays and such. It can save you if you accidentally ground out your power source, or energize something that draws a ton of current. Like that time I underestimated how much current an old electric radiator fan motor pulls... It wasn't coming on, and I wanted to bypass the controller to see if the motor was good. I disconnected the harness, and grounded the black motor lead. Then I used a small jumper from the battery to the red. POW! My jumper welded itself to the contact the instant I touched it, and in about 2 seconds got so hot it melted the insulation off the wire (hey-hey, the motor is good though!). If I would have been using a fused jumper it would have just popped and there would have been less heart palpitations for me, lol.
That's all for now. I might think of more.
- I work alone, so this one might not work if others are around - When I take a tool out of my box, I leave the drawer open. That way, at the end of the job, when I am putting tools back, if a drawer is still open, I know something from that drawer is still out there somewhere. Obviously if your box is in a high-traffic area, or you work with others, this isn't practical. But I do one job at a time, and my box is in the corner out of the way, so it works for me.
- Another one for those "working alone" - Don't be afraid to talk to yourself, lol. I'm serious. Some times I'll be stuck on a problem and I'll just talk it out, out loud. It forces me slow down mentally. I used to talk to my brother-in-law (RIP), he was a little slow mentally, but he liked to watch me work. When I was in a jam, I'd explain the problem to him slowly, and the answer would usually come to me. He'd be excited because he got to see my "Dr. House" ah-ha moment, lol. But now I just talk to myself, and it still helps the thought process.
- Another one my "actual mechanic" friend taught me- persistent linear torque isn't the best thing for turning stuck bolts. When I was just starting out, I used to use a long-*** breaker bar when things got tough, and I would be breaking studs and snapping bolt heads off left and right (and taking the project to him whimpering for help). He showed me how with just a short breaker and a couple raps with his grisly fist it would break free. This was before every home mechanic had their own impact gun of some sort, of course. Now I only break out the massive breaker bar and cheater pipe on huge bolts or things I am trying to break on purpose. It's amazing how much less effort it takes to break a bolt loose with a short breaker, put pressure on it, and give it a couple whacks with a hammer (my grisly fists have carpal tunnel, so beating things with my fists was over a long time ago, lol).
- One more - I do a lot of electronics work, so this will apply to automotive and electronics. Make up some test jumpers with inline fuse holders. They come in handy in a lot of instances. For circuit board/SMD work, if you have a blown SMD fuse and want to see if it's just the fuse, jumper across it with your handy-dandy inline-fuse jumper. Use a glass fuse of the same value. If it blows, you know you have another issue. If it doesn't, then replace the SMD fuse. This is handy for me since I have GOBS of glass fuses. It's also handy when doing temporary bypasses on relays and such. It can save you if you accidentally ground out your power source, or energize something that draws a ton of current. Like that time I underestimated how much current an old electric radiator fan motor pulls... It wasn't coming on, and I wanted to bypass the controller to see if the motor was good. I disconnected the harness, and grounded the black motor lead. Then I used a small jumper from the battery to the red. POW! My jumper welded itself to the contact the instant I touched it, and in about 2 seconds got so hot it melted the insulation off the wire (hey-hey, the motor is good though!). If I would have been using a fused jumper it would have just popped and there would have been less heart palpitations for me, lol.
That's all for now. I might think of more.
What does this accomplish?
steveo3002
Well-known member
if you need to hold a nut or bolt into a socket ...a scrap of newspaper /tissue over the head then fit the socket works like magic
Bad Eye Bill
Well-known member
I use a piece of electrical tape for that job.
Borntoolate
Well-known member
I like to put bolts back into the hole they came out of if at all possible.
Borntoolate
Well-known member
Rust remover - Cheap and it works great.
50% Vinegar, 50% Water. Make sure to remove oil and grease. It won't work through oil or grease.
Soak submerged over night. Next day should be clean as can be. Remove and dry. Occasionally I have had to give it a second soak. This is usually due to dirt or grease build up or if the rust build up is very heavy.
Take note that this will take off all the rust and expose bear metal which will want to rust immediately if you leave it wet. So dry it well. If it's hard to wipe dry hit it with a hand torch after cleaning and rinsing. Spray some paint on it if that is ok. Or just oil it and wipe it clean. WD40 is also ok. Note that WD stands for Water Dispersant.
If the rust is heavy and flaky it helps to scrape that off first so the work gets done on the stuff that is hard to get off. You can buy other rust removers which work great but nothing beats the price of this.
I sometimes have a pan or jar of this stuff working on whatever I happen to have around the shop that needs clean up. IT can be used for a week or so on numerous items depending on what you have. We flooded in 2016 and so this combo got a lot of use on various things. Works great!
Also could be a remedy for cheap rusty tools you find at a sale, flee market or in your yard (oops). Various sized pans or Tupperware from the kitchen are useful for odd sized items since they need to be submerged or you can do one end and flip it and do the other end. That just takes two days and not one.
So buy a gallon or a quart of vinegar and put it on your shelf.
50% Vinegar, 50% Water. Make sure to remove oil and grease. It won't work through oil or grease.
Soak submerged over night. Next day should be clean as can be. Remove and dry. Occasionally I have had to give it a second soak. This is usually due to dirt or grease build up or if the rust build up is very heavy.
Take note that this will take off all the rust and expose bear metal which will want to rust immediately if you leave it wet. So dry it well. If it's hard to wipe dry hit it with a hand torch after cleaning and rinsing. Spray some paint on it if that is ok. Or just oil it and wipe it clean. WD40 is also ok. Note that WD stands for Water Dispersant.
If the rust is heavy and flaky it helps to scrape that off first so the work gets done on the stuff that is hard to get off. You can buy other rust removers which work great but nothing beats the price of this.
I sometimes have a pan or jar of this stuff working on whatever I happen to have around the shop that needs clean up. IT can be used for a week or so on numerous items depending on what you have. We flooded in 2016 and so this combo got a lot of use on various things. Works great!
Also could be a remedy for cheap rusty tools you find at a sale, flee market or in your yard (oops). Various sized pans or Tupperware from the kitchen are useful for odd sized items since they need to be submerged or you can do one end and flip it and do the other end. That just takes two days and not one.
So buy a gallon or a quart of vinegar and put it on your shelf.
Forgottonia
Well-known member
This is more of a hack to fix a common, but minor problem. Every few years I get a "gascap" error message written in numbers on my odometer telling me that my gascap is no longer airtight. No big deal, they're only $10 or so. I suspect many here know what I'm talking about. Last time this happened I simply wrapped a couple layers of aluminum duct tape around the defective gas cap to make it a bit thicker. Worked like a charm. This kludgey little repair job lasted for three or four years. Last week I finally got another "gascap" message on my odometer. So I just replaced the aluminum duct tape. Faster than driving down to the parts store!
MrPink
Well-known member
I as of recent had to install a couple "vertical" philips screws and my screwdrivers are non magnetic so I have found a dab of wheel bearing grease works perfect for holding the screw while starting the threads.
split washers are worthless - use the right kind of locking chemical
2nd, Loctite makes a low-strength purple - great for tiny M4 fasteners on shift knobs, etc.
the top sentence is based on some new info - engineers actually measured split-washer function several years ago
2nd, Loctite makes a low-strength purple - great for tiny M4 fasteners on shift knobs, etc.
the top sentence is based on some new info - engineers actually measured split-washer function several years ago
bwringer
Well-known member
I'd say the larger point is to pay close attention to the condition of the hoses, clamps, and the fittings on the radiator and engine, and to make sure you look closely at the underside of the fittings with a mirror or whatever to catch any hidden corrosion or damage.
By the time you're working with radiator hoses, the vehicle is often at a point in its lifetime where rubber is stiff, spring clamps are getting weak, and corrosion is at work.
ArkTinkerer
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2010
- Messages
- 369
Shade tree mechanic here so this may be old news to the pros. When dealing with an older car, especially one new to me, if I find myself at a loss to understand a problem, it helps to consider that there may be two broken/defective parts rather than just one. Isn't common but it has happened more than once. This is especially true when dealing with vacuum leaks.
2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
Always assume you'll be the next guy to work on it. If you dont, its 100% certain you WILL be the next guy, and get to deal with what you left for him.
For example, had to put a wheel bearing hub in a Chrysler 200 yesterday for false ABS activation. Between the Hub shocker and a 498 air hammer, it took about 5 minutes to coax it out. Before reinstalling I took my carbide burrs to the inside of the knuckle to remove as much rust as possible. Hub slipped in easily with tons of grease everywhere. Hopefully the next guy will have an easier time than i did.
For example, had to put a wheel bearing hub in a Chrysler 200 yesterday for false ABS activation. Between the Hub shocker and a 498 air hammer, it took about 5 minutes to coax it out. Before reinstalling I took my carbide burrs to the inside of the knuckle to remove as much rust as possible. Hub slipped in easily with tons of grease everywhere. Hopefully the next guy will have an easier time than i did.
keep your tools organized and work area clean
I put all my tools away after every job, unless I am going right onto another job but even then I know what I am leaving out so when I wipe everything down and put it away I can tell by a quick glance that there is a socket, ratchet, etc missing.
Guys I have worked with over the years have lost some expensive ratchets that went out the door with the customers car never to be seen again, and I have added to my collection of tools by finding stuff as I am working.
I put all my tools away after every job, unless I am going right onto another job but even then I know what I am leaving out so when I wipe everything down and put it away I can tell by a quick glance that there is a socket, ratchet, etc missing.
Guys I have worked with over the years have lost some expensive ratchets that went out the door with the customers car never to be seen again, and I have added to my collection of tools by finding stuff as I am working.
bwringer
Well-known member
It's usually never two, either... at least five or ten interrelated issues is common.
I work with vintage motorcycles quite a bit, and this is a huge mental hurdle for a lot of otherwise mechanically competent folks.
People are used to newer cars, where you generally have one problem at a time. That's almost never the case with a vintage vehicle, at least until you bring all the systems back to like-new function and reliability.
It's like peeling an onion to get through all the layers of interrelated problems caused by age and neglect, and it can be a daunting and frustrating exercise in archeology.
Here's a simple example: my neighbor brought me an old lawn mower that "just needed a spark plug" last week.
Upon examination, I found:
- Remnants of an ancient stinky fluid that might have been gas years ago in the tank
- Carburetor hopelessly clogged and corroded.
- Fuel line cracked
- Blade installed upside-down
- Starter rope broken
- Primer bulb cracked
And the root of all the trouble? The flywheel key was sheared.
Put all those overlapping problems together and you get the story:
- Someone hit something years ago and the flywheel key sheared. Didn't bend the crank, fortunately.
- They wore out the primer bulb and broke the starter rope trying to get it started again.
- The hated mower went into a corner of the barn for a number of years
- Many years later they decide to roll it out for the yard sale. "Needs spark plug", someone says.
- My neighbor comes along and gambles $10.
Why the blade was upside-down I'll never know, but it had been used like that for a while. That was a bit of a red herring.
Clean out the gas tank, bolt on an Amazon carb, fix the flywheel key, replace the primer, starter rope and fuel line, and it starts on the first pull. With fresh oil, a clean air filter, and a sharpened and correctly mounted blade, it's ready to do backyard battle for years to come.
The spark plug was fine...
Now multiply that by several other interrelated systems on an old bike, car, or tractor, and things can get very complicated very quickly.
One of my favorite sayings is "We've found A problem, but we probably haven't found ALL the problems."
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Wrench97
Well-known member
When in doubt look at whatever was fixed last.
leadfoot415
Well-known member
It's amazing what a little fore thought doing a repair now and putting in a few extra moments to apply some silicone lube to a slide pin, grind down the caliper bracket and apply anti-seize, anti-seize behind a rotor hat, grind corrosion from center wheel hub to make sure it torques down secure and evenly makes things go smoothly later. The quality of the repair is much greater when you take the required time to do it right.
2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
Only way to do it in the rust belt. I use a 2.5lb hammer to beat brake pads out of the brackets when I replace them. Sometimes it takes more than one hit!
I did the rear brakes on my wife's car a couple months ago, which we bought used. I was very pleasantly surprised to find liberal use of anti-seize and grease on the slide pins. Hardest part of the job was getting one of the wheels off. I was expecting a fight.
Jswain
Well-known member
There's your problem.
Ronald H Levine
New member
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2021
- Messages
- 1
I clean off the pointer and harmonic balancer where you shine your timing light super clean and put on different colors of reflective tape to see the strobe reflection brightly even in full sunlight. I put the reflective tape on with high precision by locating top dead center accurately. The first time I used a dial indicator graduated in thousandths of an inch and a helper for precision, but while doing that and having made a precise mark I tried out a super easy method that proved to be just as accurate and didn't need a helper watching the dial indicator. I used clear tubing on a spark plug hole (leak down tester or even a tapered rubber stopper with the tube) to a clear glass jar of water in front of my face as I turned the engine ever so slowly from below while watching the flow of bubbles on the compression stroke. As the bubble flow slows as it approaches top dead center, I continue ever so slowly until I see the last tiny bubble and then make my mark for precision timing mark made with two colors of reflective tape -- one for advance and one for retard.
OP
guitarbutt
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2017
- Messages
- 237
Deadblow hammers are invaluable tools when force is needed and damage isn't
Wakefield
Well-known member
Like freeze spray sold to janitor firms for chewing gum from carpet removal?
jeepnatv4life
Well-known member
#1 thing I took away from My schooling.... The pen gets you paid "Found bad Wire, repaired" IS no where as appetizing as every circuit you tried before getting there written in a paragraph or more..
jeepnatv4life
Well-known member
Explain??
Bad Eye Bill
Well-known member
The bulb will light. When you find the short and remove it, the bulb will go out.
If you're gonna put sealer on a hose connection, apply the sealer to the fitting - not the inside of the hose. Think about it. The normal direction to push the hose on will leave a bead of the sealer on the inside of the hose near the end of the connector - which can break off and clog things. Putting the sealer on the connection makes the excess sealer squeeze out on the outside of the connector where you can wipe it off.
There's one thing I started doing years ago, when I used to work on a lot of cars with friends who didn't always think things through before acting. I purchased a spare rubber wheel chock. Every time I drove the front of a vehicle up service ramps and chocked the rear wheels, I put the spare wheel chock on the floor of the driver's seat next to the pedals. That "reminder" kept anyone from absentmindedly trying to drive the vehicle down off the service ramps without first removing the chocks from the rear wheels when the work was finished. I still do that to this day.
I always keep a small collection of decent quality used pliers sourced from garage sales on hand. Any time I encounter a situation where custom ground plier jaws or custom bent plier jaws would make a job a lot easier, I either make a pair right then or I make one after the job is finished so I have it for the next time I encounter the same situation. Those are some of my favorite pliers, and they usually end up being useful for multiple other tasks as well.
I make small laminated cards for every vehicle or piece of equipment I do regular work on. The cards include all the common info needed for general maintenance. Oil drain plug bolt size/torque, wheel lug size/torque, brake caliper bolt sizes/torque specs, brake rotor minimum thickness, grade and amount of oil for each oil change, oil filter part number, wiper blade lengths and part numbers, headlight and tail light bulb part numbers, etc. I keep those cards in the glove boxes of my own vehicles, or in my shop. For small equipment like my lawnmower, I have info like the blade bolt torque, spark plug gap and spark plug part number, spark plug tightening torque, oil type, oil fill capacity, oil fill plug/drain socket size, air filter part number, etc.
I keep a small spray bottle of water with a tablespoon or so of baking soda dissolved in it on hand. A light spray quickly fizzes away visible corrosion from battery terminals, battery clamps, or the battery tray. It also allows for better inspection of battery wire strands. I usually spray battery terminals about twice a year to keep them looking and working good.
Lastly, I always put anti-seize on the surface of a brake rotor that rests against the hub. I spread a tiny finger dab across the entire surface. The metal surface basically just looks damp and sparkly. If I can visibly see anti-seize there's way too much. The super thin coating prevents the anti-seize from ever migrating onto the brake rotor surfaces over time, but it's enough to prevent the brake rotor from sticking to the hub when it's time to change out the brake rotors.
I always keep a small collection of decent quality used pliers sourced from garage sales on hand. Any time I encounter a situation where custom ground plier jaws or custom bent plier jaws would make a job a lot easier, I either make a pair right then or I make one after the job is finished so I have it for the next time I encounter the same situation. Those are some of my favorite pliers, and they usually end up being useful for multiple other tasks as well.
I make small laminated cards for every vehicle or piece of equipment I do regular work on. The cards include all the common info needed for general maintenance. Oil drain plug bolt size/torque, wheel lug size/torque, brake caliper bolt sizes/torque specs, brake rotor minimum thickness, grade and amount of oil for each oil change, oil filter part number, wiper blade lengths and part numbers, headlight and tail light bulb part numbers, etc. I keep those cards in the glove boxes of my own vehicles, or in my shop. For small equipment like my lawnmower, I have info like the blade bolt torque, spark plug gap and spark plug part number, spark plug tightening torque, oil type, oil fill capacity, oil fill plug/drain socket size, air filter part number, etc.
I keep a small spray bottle of water with a tablespoon or so of baking soda dissolved in it on hand. A light spray quickly fizzes away visible corrosion from battery terminals, battery clamps, or the battery tray. It also allows for better inspection of battery wire strands. I usually spray battery terminals about twice a year to keep them looking and working good.
Lastly, I always put anti-seize on the surface of a brake rotor that rests against the hub. I spread a tiny finger dab across the entire surface. The metal surface basically just looks damp and sparkly. If I can visibly see anti-seize there's way too much. The super thin coating prevents the anti-seize from ever migrating onto the brake rotor surfaces over time, but it's enough to prevent the brake rotor from sticking to the hub when it's time to change out the brake rotors.
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wafrederick
Well-known member
The GM trucks when replacing the alternator,don't use a hammer on those steel sleeves on the mounting bracket.Get a 5/16 bolt,2 1/2 to 3 inches long,a shallow 16mm or 5/8 socket and a nut.Put the head of the bolt toward the rear putting the socket in and the nut.Tighten the nut up watching the sleeves move just enought to get the alternator in.Learned this from youtube subscriber How To Automotive and it works.
Don't have magnetic sockets,put a small dab of grease in the socket
Don't have magnetic sockets,put a small dab of grease in the socket
2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
That, and the bulb limits current. Say a typical test light is going to pull .250amps max, a tail lamp bulb 2 to 2.5. If it's a dead short, this is a lot easier. All you need to know is that current can flow to ground. The fact that a 20amp fuse is popping instantly is irrelevant.
Circuit breakers are nice as well.
2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
You can also just take a roloc disc or cut off wheel and grind the sleeve flush with the case. Itll pull in when you tighten it. Always be careful trying to press those on a spray-n-pray reman as it might be seized.
I always have a set of super cheap Harbor Freight hex keys. When you need to make a custom hex bit socket, you just cut up what you need and don't need to order a specialty socket.
Example, I have a set of hex bit sockets but the 10mm was too long to get the fill plug out of my C6 Grand sport Vette's rear diff. Instead of cutting down my expensive socket, I cut a HF hex key, slid it in a 10mm shallow socket and was able to get the drain plug on and off with ease
Example, I have a set of hex bit sockets but the 10mm was too long to get the fill plug out of my C6 Grand sport Vette's rear diff. Instead of cutting down my expensive socket, I cut a HF hex key, slid it in a 10mm shallow socket and was able to get the drain plug on and off with ease
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Great response. I do similar with my own vehicles but I keep a small 3"x5" wire bound notebook in each glovebox where I document each service or repair to my vehicles. On the inside of the opening cover, similar to what you write on index cards, I write the important items such as oil grade, filter #'s, common torque spec's for oil drain plugs, trans drain plugs, wiper sizes (part #'s), bulbs, serpentine belt part #'s and any other relevant information. In my filing cabinet I have a file for each of my vehicles with receipts in which I also write the date and mileage the part was replaced in addition to the small wire bound notebook that I keep in the glove box.
For my OPE I have a file in my filing cabinet where I keep the owners and parts manuals for each of my pieces of equipment and on the front I have the same information written down plus the date and vendor that I purchased them and even the salesman's name if I remember. I do this as soon as I bring the piece of equipment home while it is still fresh in my mind. Salesman's name is probably not important but when I need to go in for parts or to purchase another piece of equipment when you mention to them that they helped you at such and such date to buy X they seem to perk up and pay a bit more attention. I recently went with my sister-in-law and her fiancé to buy a new riding mower for their new home and prior to going to the small outdoor equipment store I pulled my folder to get the salesman's name correct whom I bought mine from. When we walked in and asked specifically for him he came out and remembered me as well as seemed to pay a bit more attention to detail when I introduced my SIL and her fiancé.
Lastly, I use anti-seize on nearly everything that rolls out of my shop but one of my pet peeves is when I see it slathered on parts and oozing out all over the place. Anti-seize is something that less is more and should be used as such.
wafrederick
Well-known member
This is the video l seen,
I know this is an old-ish post, but this is something I first saw in the writings of Rob Siegel in the BMW CCA magazine ("The Roundel")
I have several circuit beakers with wire leads, heat shrunk and took the spades off burnt fuses and soldered to the ends, they have seen much use.
Wrench97
Well-known member
The advantage to the test light/light bulb is if you have visual alert when shaking harnesses(when the bulb blinks you found the spot where the short is.
Another method is to use a low air buzzer in place of the fuse then you have a audible alert.
Another method is to use a low air buzzer in place of the fuse then you have a audible alert.
Some aspects have already been mentioned here.
Also;
If you have a short circuit somewhere and the fuse just blows right away. You replace the fuse with a bulb and then you have light on the bulb and current flowing through the circuit to the fault where the short is. This means you can use clamp meter set to DC amps to trace the current to figure out where the damage is.
One example: Subaru with some weird short in the tail-lights. One fuse blew right away. After inspection nothing was obviously wrong. So I replaced the fuse with 50W headlight bulb and used my clamp meter to trace where these ~5A was going and discovered a big screw had been driven through a wire loom close to the rear seat.
So one of the features is to be able to energize (run current) shorted circuits to make measurements not possible with any kind of fuse.