Vise Grip this
- Thread starter sberry
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FOCUS.FREAK
Well-known member
Hey, at least you get a free pair.
AceofSpad3s
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- Oct 1, 2014
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- 1,808
If it's stupid, but works, it ain't stupid.
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Bill Bowman
Well-known member
I had a neighbor who borrowed a pair of c-clamp vise grips from me to hold the water outlet (broken bolt) down on his '80's era Honda Civic. After about 4-5 month wait, I finally told him to give them back and fix the thing right.
I should get some copper connectors for these. We put a new deal on a couple times a year. All is well when its used, it sits for stretches too. The thing had other issues and was parked on a remote location. I had my Brother go ****** it back up yesterday. I need to fix a shifter problem and a steering problem and may run it thru the paint booth if I really get ambitious or get some help.
thebeekeeper1
Well-known member
Nothing runs like a Deere!
Farmall450
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countryroad82
Well-known member
Don't ever pop the hood on my work van. In summer months there may or may not be a set crimping off a heater hose to keep the stupid heat from blowing constantly.......
Richard Cranium
Well-known member
Years ago, I had a go-cart get stolen, when I got it back from the police, it had a set of vise grips on one of the steering linkage that they had broke, I still say I lost in that deal.
Empty Pockets
Well-known member
I wasn't allowed to use dad's vise grips for that...... I had to use those made by a company called "China"
shoggoth80
Well-known member
I had to use vise grips on the window regulator of the Metro I used to own. The splines had stripped out, on the driver's side. This was very common. Finding a new one was wasn't happening... and all the cars in the pick-n-pull lots had the same problem, or were the wrong year range. Lol.
I'm pretty sure that I have seen vise gripped battery cables before, like in real life. Lol. I used a pair of needle nose ones to keep my sway bar link from rotating so I could reinstall it properly. New would have been best... but meh... it's my beater car.
They get a lot more use working on cars and trailers than a non-mechanic would imagine I think. Dreadfully useful.
I'm pretty sure that I have seen vise gripped battery cables before, like in real life. Lol. I used a pair of needle nose ones to keep my sway bar link from rotating so I could reinstall it properly. New would have been best... but meh... it's my beater car.
They get a lot more use working on cars and trailers than a non-mechanic would imagine I think. Dreadfully useful.
fatfillup
Well-known member
Seen the battery cable vise grips several times. Seen the window crank versions also. Never saw the bike seat pair,,,,,,,,,,,,,,they must be rare
Provincial
Well-known member
I don't have a photo, but I had a heavy equipment mechanic working for me at one time that drove an FE-powered Ford pickup (I think a 390) that had an exhaust manifold held on with four vise grips. He had broken the bolts while replacing an exhaust gasket, and didn't want to spend the time drilling out the remains.
This is the same mechanic that drove a dump truck 20 miles back to the shop after it had spit out a U-joint cap. He found the cap by walking back up the road, then put it back together. Lacking any bolts, he wrapped the knuckle with mechanics wire and duct tape and drove it home!
He actually did pretty nice work. I told him when I hired him that I wanted things fixed properly, and for permanent repairs, he followed my direction. He could jackleg with the best of them when it was necessary!
This is the same mechanic that drove a dump truck 20 miles back to the shop after it had spit out a U-joint cap. He found the cap by walking back up the road, then put it back together. Lacking any bolts, he wrapped the knuckle with mechanics wire and duct tape and drove it home!
He actually did pretty nice work. I told him when I hired him that I wanted things fixed properly, and for permanent repairs, he followed my direction. He could jackleg with the best of them when it was necessary!
Flatdaddio
Member
There's nothing more permanent than a temporary fix...
One of the best I have ever heard,,, and this is total hearsay, was a dropped valve in a big engine on a military equipment, guy takes valve cover off, takes spring and keepers out and pulls valve up and clamps it off, managed to get cover back on before night fall and they creep the thing back to a base. (no personal knowledge of this though)
I do have a couple china grips used as simple clamps but they are not good for field work where a guy expects it to do what it can.
I do have a couple china grips used as simple clamps but they are not good for field work where a guy expects it to do what it can.
This reminds me of a cross country trip (Wisconsin-Tennessee-California) in a friends Dodge Rampage pickup (FWD car with pickup back). The engine started running real bad and we pulled over and took the valve cover off, one of the OHC followers was broke on an exhaust valve. Since the intake valve and ignition worked the mixture would ignite but not have any where to go. We pulled the intake valve follower as well, drove it on 3 cylinders to my brothers pace in Tennessee, replaced the bad follower and drove it to California and back to Wisconsin no problems.
Seen the battery cable vise grips several times. Seen the window crank versions also. Never saw the bike seat pair,,,,,,,,,,,,,,they must be rare
Seen those as well as the hood release pair, the seat adjustment pair and the blower control pair.
chris142
Well-known member
I've seen the bare wire end connected to the battery post with a hose clamp.
fatfillup
Well-known member
I don't have a photo, but I had a heavy equipment mechanic working for me at one time that drove an FE-powered Ford pickup (I think a 390) that had an exhaust manifold held on with four vise grips. He had broken the bolts while replacing an exhaust gasket, and didn't want to spend the time drilling out the remains.
This is the same mechanic that drove a dump truck 20 miles back to the shop after it had spit out a U-joint cap. He found the cap by walking back up the road, then put it back together. Lacking any bolts, he wrapped the knuckle with mechanics wire and duct tape and drove it home!
He actually did pretty nice work. I told him when I hired him that I wanted things fixed properly, and for permanent repairs, he followed my direction. He could jackleg with the best of them when it was necessary!
I was going through a box lot I got at an auction and there was a clamp type device that was specifically made to clamp exhaust manifolds where the stud snapped. The still make them but I can't remember the name of it.
I think this is it
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000COX90M/?tag=atomicindus08-20
As far as the field repair to get something home, hats off to him. Saved a tow bill which on a big truck can be substantial.
fatfillup
Well-known member
Ron Swanson
Well-known member
My lawn tractor currently has a set of small needlenose vice grips holding the negative terminal to the battery. It has been there for 2 years now and the tractor starts great.
Seen the battery cable vise grips several times. Seen the window crank versions also. Never saw the bike seat pair,,,,,,,,,,,,,,they must be rare
Usually it was a ten speed and the handlebars are turned up too
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txvwnut
Well-known member
I actually do that/this regularly when I put and engine on the run stand or the dyno. Makes it easy to kill power if **** hits the fan at rpm, just reach over and knock the vise grip off.
hangfirew8
Well-known member
Negative is an OK hack to get home. Big metal hanging off the positive is an accident waiting to happen.
I've seen the hose clamp fix more often. In some circles it seems to be considered an acceptable fix. I carry a bunch of hose clamps and muffler clamps in every vehicle for ad hoc repairs, but never confuse using them with doing it the right way.
-HF
I've seen the hose clamp fix more often. In some circles it seems to be considered an acceptable fix. I carry a bunch of hose clamps and muffler clamps in every vehicle for ad hoc repairs, but never confuse using them with doing it the right way.
-HF
Years ago I bought a 74 Nova for parts. It had C clamps holding the head pipe to the exhaust manifold as well as several on the valve cover to stop leaks. And I've used a vise grip for a battery connector several times, works good.
ChevyEFI
Well-known member
four.cycle
Well-known member
ha! we had those! can't remember what vendor we got them from. like a permanent C-clamp. the ones we had were pointy on the end of the screw so they'd bite into the metal.
hose clamps are a must-have item for all kinds of hillbilly fixes.
hose clamps are a must-have item for all kinds of hillbilly fixes.
May Pop
Well-known member
Back in the 70s I had a Chevy wagon which the gas tank strap had rusted away. A pair of vise grips clamped to the lower quarter panel held the tank in nicely. The only problem was if you drove over a driveway the vise grips fell off. After loosing a pair we added a safety wire to hold them just above the pavement. Only had to use them a couple of months before I did a permenant repair.