Odds and ends to get from junkyard for "tools"

[signcrafter]

I like to pick up some odds and ends each time I go to the junkyard(pick n pull). Things like some wire harnesses or terminals or relays, brake fluid caps, power steering caps, different fasteners and clips and fittings, etc. Just things that can come in handy and more so things that I can make testers out of or use for things like brake caps for pressure bleeding brake lines. Things that are handy to have in the toolbox for testing or repairs.

So what are some things I should be looking for? I know it will vary by different vehicles but what are some things you have gotten or would like to get from junk yards? I'm going to make a trip sometime this week and want to pick up some things.

I'm especially interested in electrical testing things right now. So what terminals or harness plugs can come in handy?

I'm cheap and I like to make my own stuff! So help me out here!

 

[Holt]

Just different sized bolt in general. Relays also.

 

[signcrafter]

Ya I try to grab a few common bolts each time I go.

Another thing I want to make is some fuel pressure tester adapters for the vehicles I work on.

 

[signcrafter]

Anybody have suggestions of useful parts from the junkyard?

 

[diggerrick]

If you can get them cheap, I love having a few spare screw jacks around - they're great for leveling things.

 

[Chuck122]

Fuses, relays. A bucket of miscellaneous light bulbs are also useful. Radiator caps can get expensive so having a bunch on hand can also come in handy. If you have a specific vehicle to work on, any parts can be good to have.

 

[Buickguy]

car emblems

 

[signcrafter]

car emblems

I'm not really into getting things to resell. More looking for parts that are "useful" to me. Things like different plugs to make electrical testers and other parts and fitting sto use as testers or tools.

Looking to see if anyone has made useful testers or tools from junkyard or spare parts?

 

[JSGAuto]

York Style AC compressor and make your own air compressor!

 

[ex-x-fire]

Another thing I want to make is some fuel pressure tester adapters for the vehicles I work on.[/QUOTE]

I've done this too, I even made an adaptor for those banjo bolt style fuel lines.

 

[devoncoolman]

Injector pigtails can come in handy. Alot are the same or simillar from car to car. If u get about 10 different ones ull just about have all ull need

 

[Danglerb]

Depends on the deal you get from the the junkyard. I've only been once to the local PicApart and the Gringo tax (charged for every nut, bolt, bit of wire, etc.) made it a fair deal at best. If you get good prices, charged by the pound for misc hardware etc. there are a ton of parts worth grabbing for either yourself or ebay.

Best hardware are the nuts and bolts off older Volvo's
I have like a page long list of stuff Fox body Mustang guys look for.

Some pigtails are good, but Bosch injector pigtails I get off ebay new for $2 each.

I'd need a truck if there was a picapart with decent pricing or deals on larger loads. Then I would need a warehouse, but I could buy a forklift, so it will never happen.

 

[bob from indiana]

I have several old style lug wrenches that I have heated up and straightened into some nice pry bars. Old bumper jacks will do a nice job of pulling steel fence posts.

 

[ilovevocs]

I find more useful items at the scrap yard than the bone yard. I have scored some really cool castings, casters, tanks, hydraulic cylinders, anything really. I love going to the scrap yard, my dad thinks I'm nuts for buying other people's garbage but I think people are nuts for ever throwing this stuff away!

 

[signcrafter]

If I get some time this week I'm going to go and pick up some common harnesses like fuel injectors and whatever else I can come across. Also going to try and get some fuel rail adapters to make some fuel pressure tester adapters. Also thinking a handful of various relays. Someday I would like to make a set of relay testers but not sure if that's possible or not or just buy the full set for just over 100 bucks.

To be honest I'm a scavenger and cheap and like to build my own projects so trips to the junk yard are very exciting to me! Also making simple things like electrical break out harnesses and various tester adapters gives me great pride. I'm kind of silly like that!

 

[crewchief888]

i look for the stuff that somebody else has already pulled off and hidden, waiting for 1/2 price day


my best score was a nearly new 35" BGF mud terrain that someone had stashed under a truck, and covered with a bunch of floor mats and carpet for $15 then scrapped the aluminum wheel for $8




i grab stuff like fuses, relays, common harness connectors, (mainly for jeeps, and my s10 blazer)

i search through any conversion vans for switch panels, accessory fuse/relay panels. i check all the commercial type trucks and vans, for anything stashed in toolboxes or drawers.
aftermarket guages and lights

 

[wafrederick]

Torshion bars out of any older Chrysler product with the torshion bar front suspension make great punches.Even the 1988 to current Chevy/GMC 4x4 trucks,the torshion bars make great punches too out including out of any all wheel drive safari/astro vans

 

[wise]

In a small town I used to live in theres a pretty sweet junkyard, and he gets a crusher in once every year or so, and for 5 bucks you can wander around and gather fuses, harnesses, bolts, emblems... basically anything not heavy. Canadian tire's prices for five of the same amperage blade fuse is around 11 dollars... so its actually the deal of the century!

 

[DaleK]

Windshield wiper, power window, power seat motors or actuators can come in handy.

 

[jmm]

If they have any German brands, grab as many different sized hose clamps as you can. The ones in a Benz and are pretty nice, though don't expect to find em in pristine condition. After a little work to knock off the grime, you'll see what I mean. The edges are turned away from the hose, they're hefty, and very well machined. Lightyears past the chinese junk the parts houses are hawking.

 

[jamesc]

whenever we are sending a car at work to the scrap yard I usually will grab the easily accessable bulb sockets and then any relays and pigtails. you can make those relay jumpers if you have extras to pick apart. you could grab oil pressure switches out of cars that have odd ball threads and make adapters to test with a standard 1/8 npt oil pressure tester.

 

[signcrafter]

whenever we are sending a car at work to the scrap yard I usually will grab the easily accessable bulb sockets and then any relays and pigtails. you can make those relay jumpers if you have extras to pick apart. you could grab oil pressure switches out of cars that have odd ball threads and make adapters to test with a standard 1/8 npt oil pressure tester.

Any pictures of relay jumpers?

Any specific pigtails or harnesses that come in handy more then others?

 

[rob0781]

This is a cool thread, im interested to see more responses

 

[geojag]

Toyota Hilux/4runner/Landcruiser jacks/handles. They are awesome little jacks. They beat most any other factory jack and are very small.

 

[4BT]

Stubs of various fuel/oil fittings for the vehicles I work on. I cannibalized a Gm trans cooler line to make a fluid flush line from 3/8 clear tubing. No drips. Pop the clip at the radiator; reinstall line and I can watch the fluid go from brown to light red easily.

 

[getbent4x4]

Depends what vehicle you are working on. Buy what you don't need and waste money.

 

[steveo3002]

seat belt webbing can be usefull , its super strong and can come in handy

could make your strap wrenches too

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

I need to do this. There's so much on a junk car that can be useful.

Hoses- fuel, hydraulic, radiator, vacuum. Different sizes for those quick little projects where you want a rubber bushing or something to slip over a handle.

Fuses.

Front turn signal and rear brake light bulbs with sockets. Wire one up with clips on the ends and use it as a fuse replacement when trying to track own shorts. Verrrrry handy.

Windshield washer bottle and hoses along with T's and nozzles. They can make good drip oilers for drill presses if you make your own mounting bracket.

Wiper motors, window motors- a nice source of geared low speed motors for projects.

Any heavy duty switches from trucks / industrial

Heavy duty gauges from industrial.

Dome lights - They are nice for sheds, inside large tool boxes, etc. Easy to replace the bulbs with LED versions for better power usage.

Seat belts for webbed strap material is a good idea I saw here. I may have to do that too.

Rear axle from a front wheel drive car such as a Chevy Citation or Celebrity. It's a nice complete axle for trailers or even cut up for projects. Nice self contained wheel hub assembly.

Relays, relays, relays.

Blower motor.

Makes me want to keep a spare car around just for projects!

 

[ex-x-fire]

Toyota Hilux/4runner/Landcruiser jacks/handles. They are awesome little jacks. They beat most any other factory jack and are very small.

Got a picture of one?

 

[ex-x-fire]

Here's a cool little coolant tee (double tee) for adding extra sensors or sending units on a custom build. I found it on a early to mid 90s ****** with the base engine.

 

[ndoran]

ABS harness ends for repairing damaged connectors or testing sensors

 

[geojag]

Got a picture of one?

I don't right off, but the last picture of the first post in this forum shows one:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/classifieds-buy-sell-no-commercial-ads-please/60839-1987-4runner-turbo-manual-******-thats-right.html
The ones I have snagged came from 89 and 94 4runners. Older ones were in a compartment in the back, newer ones it is under the back seat.

 

[ZRX61]

Leaf springs to make slappers for sheet metal work.

 

[rob0781]

I like to pick up some odds and ends each time I go to the junkyard(pick n pull). Things like some wire harnesses or terminals or relays, brake fluid caps, power steering caps, different fasteners and clips and fittings, etc. Just things that can come in handy and more so things that I can make testers out of or use for things like brake caps for pressure bleeding brake lines. Things that are handy to have in the toolbox for testing or repairs.

So what are some things I should be looking for? I know it will vary by different vehicles but what are some things you have gotten or would like to get from junk yards? I'm going to make a trip sometime this week and want to pick up some things.

I'm especially interested in electrical testing things right now. So what terminals or harness plugs can come in handy?

I'm cheap and I like to make my own stuff! So help me out here!

Can you post a pic of a brake fluid cap made for pressure bleeding pkeas, this sounds like a cool tool project, what do you recommend to supply air?

 

[steveo3002]

copy something like this...just make a hole in the lid and use a gland? fitting

that one uses a spare tire to pressure it ..or search diy pressure bleeder and some folk use a garden sprayer , lots of how to's on google

 

[signcrafter]

Can you post a pic of a brake fluid cap made for pressure bleeding pkeas, this sounds like a cool tool project, what do you recommend to supply air?

Here's a google image search of some, https://www.google.com/search?hl=en...urce=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=ET_MUYfFF8HXyAHuzIDIBA.

It's basically a copy of the motive bleeder, http://www.motiveproducts.com/.