Tips/Tricks not in books
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Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,371
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From: just outside of Phila.
Tips/Tricks not in books
Hey all
I thought it would be an interseting post if everyone put up all of their little tips and tricks to working on autos/auto parts/auto techniques. The books only tell you so much...if I had a choice between a top of the line manual with pictures and a grumpy mechanic with 20-30 years of shop experience, I'd take the mechanic a hundred times over. I know I've run into things that haven't worked as well until I got advice that I never would have thought of from some of the older car guys I know. Let's see what everyone's got in here.
I thought it would be an interseting post if everyone put up all of their little tips and tricks to working on autos/auto parts/auto techniques. The books only tell you so much...if I had a choice between a top of the line manual with pictures and a grumpy mechanic with 20-30 years of shop experience, I'd take the mechanic a hundred times over. I know I've run into things that haven't worked as well until I got advice that I never would have thought of from some of the older car guys I know. Let's see what everyone's got in here.
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 19,402
Likes: 38
From: Bonita Springs FL
I work with a grumpy mechanic with 30 years of experience, and every time I listen to him, I get in trouble. He's constantly forgetting to put parts back on cars, putting stuff on in the wrong order, etc.
The other day, he pulled his 'turn signal relay' off his mustang to take to the parts store to get replaced. I laughed at him. It was his fuel pump inertia switch, and he was wondering why his car wouldn't start now.
The other day, he pulled his 'turn signal relay' off his mustang to take to the parts store to get replaced. I laughed at him. It was his fuel pump inertia switch, and he was wondering why his car wouldn't start now.
Tuned
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 483
Likes: 1
Here is a little one, often we use welding to remove broken bolts. When we need to strengthen the weld a little someimes I weld a lock washer on to the broken stud first. Locks are hard and pick up the joint strength. Then weld a flat washer and a nut on to that.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 2,007
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From: Oregon
I keep one of those plastic tote trays with the handle in the middle. Most any kind of job I do uses about a half dozen different tools, from automotive to plumbing to remodel. I just throw the tools in there and carry it around. They will slide next to the creeper or set in the engine compartment. A person can waste a lot of time hunting around on the fender or radiator, under the truck for a wrench or back and forth to the roll around. When I'm done I don't gather up tools, I just pick up the tote. If I'm done for the night, I can put the tote on the bench and have everything I need right there in the morning. I keep it totally empty between jobs. Works for me.
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 403
Likes: 0
From: cincinnati hamilton
my neighbor where i grew up used to paint his cars while sending battery current through the piece of metal..? anybody heard of that one? he said it helped the paint adhere to the metal surface better?
anybody heard of making a homemade arc welder?one guy was telling me he used a car battery and weld stick. couldn't really follow his explanation. would be cool to have a mini welder!!
rick
anybody heard of making a homemade arc welder?one guy was telling me he used a car battery and weld stick. couldn't really follow his explanation. would be cool to have a mini welder!!
rick
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,240
Likes: 3
From: Dallas, Texas
The guy using the battery while painting is right. The car is Positive charged and the paint gets a negative charge when it hits air. It will just keep over spray down. They make machines now days that paint the same way.
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 935
Likes: 0
From: TEXAS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Originally Posted by rickm5
my neighbor where i grew up used to paint his cars while sending battery current through the piece of metal..? anybody heard of that one? he said it helped the paint adhere to the metal surface better?
anybody heard of making a homemade arc welder?one guy was telling me he used a car battery and weld stick. couldn't really follow his explanation. would be cool to have a mini welder!! rick
anybody heard of making a homemade arc welder?one guy was telling me he used a car battery and weld stick. couldn't really follow his explanation. would be cool to have a mini welder!!
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Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,730
Likes: 20
From: Four Oaks, NC
Rickm5 said: "anybody heard of making a homemade arc welder?one guy was telling me he used a car battery and weld stick. couldn't really follow his explanation."
I don't know if that's possible or not, but I saw something very similar 20 or so years ago on an episode of MacGyver, he used a car battery, a clamp, and a nickel as a welding rod, to repair something. Now "SOMEONE" once told me that supposedly everything on MacGyver was designed to be as accurate as possible, in other words, if it worked on the show it is supposed to work in real life. Beats me.
I don't know if that's possible or not, but I saw something very similar 20 or so years ago on an episode of MacGyver, he used a car battery, a clamp, and a nickel as a welding rod, to repair something. Now "SOMEONE" once told me that supposedly everything on MacGyver was designed to be as accurate as possible, in other words, if it worked on the show it is supposed to work in real life. Beats me.
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 920
Likes: 2
From: Colville
Positively charging a car while painting will atract as much dust as paint particles. I was taught to always ground a car body for painting.
I try to spray bolts and nuts ahead of time with penatrating oil, like a day or so.
When somthing gets frustrating don't throw the tool tote across the garage, take a long break and go to another task, take some time to think it over. And other ways to try and acomplish the job.
Alot of times I find that the part almost falls into place or the hidden bolt start easily
when starting fresh.
I try to spray bolts and nuts ahead of time with penatrating oil, like a day or so.
When somthing gets frustrating don't throw the tool tote across the garage, take a long break and go to another task, take some time to think it over. And other ways to try and acomplish the job.
Alot of times I find that the part almost falls into place or the hidden bolt start easily
when starting fresh.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 2,007
Likes: 0
From: Oregon
Electrostatic sprayers have been around for a while. High voltage, low current. The gun is positively charged and you connect the ground lead to what you're painting. They are a lot of fun. You can watch the mist suck right to the metal and the paint will actually flow around corners like pipe, you spray one side and some paint will go around it and stick to the other side.
A decent rig costs about $3000. I've seen them used mostly for repainting office desks, file cabinets, ect, and a similar setup is used for powder coating. (Like HF's little $60 one).
The downside is they don't work all that well for fine automotive finish. You also have to be careful not to arc the gun, (paint mist + sparks = ?). Any kind of breeze will throw off the spray pattern.
I've used one a couple times, but couldn't justify the cost. It would be nice to have one though. If you're carefull, there's very little overspray, (almost no overspray), to the point that you don't have to throw a tarp down and you can barely smell the paint.
A decent rig costs about $3000. I've seen them used mostly for repainting office desks, file cabinets, ect, and a similar setup is used for powder coating. (Like HF's little $60 one).
The downside is they don't work all that well for fine automotive finish. You also have to be careful not to arc the gun, (paint mist + sparks = ?). Any kind of breeze will throw off the spray pattern.
I've used one a couple times, but couldn't justify the cost. It would be nice to have one though. If you're carefull, there's very little overspray, (almost no overspray), to the point that you don't have to throw a tarp down and you can barely smell the paint.
Elder User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 589
Likes: 0
From: Canastota
It would be nice if they made a book for vehicles 100,000 miles and over. They make everyting sound so easy, but after a few years, things "bond" together and stuff gets rusty. A good tip- get a good hammer, chisel, oxy acetlyne torch and a "soft headed" hammer(one that wont damage parts). O yea, get yer tetanus shot!
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,240
Likes: 3
From: Dallas, Texas
I know one trick for changing Spark Plugs on a Aerostar. Buy a long Snap-On 5/8 socket and use a short 17mm or 18mm wrench to remove them. It takes me 30mins to change plugs now. The book gives 2 hours.
The only stuck parts I run into are rusty old exhaust nuts and bolts. I now spary them days before with Tri-Flow and they are easy to remove. I also use copper coat when I put stuff back together that does not require lock tight. That is another thing to deal with is "Lock Tight" the things need to be heated a little when it's the red stuff.
The only stuck parts I run into are rusty old exhaust nuts and bolts. I now spary them days before with Tri-Flow and they are easy to remove. I also use copper coat when I put stuff back together that does not require lock tight. That is another thing to deal with is "Lock Tight" the things need to be heated a little when it's the red stuff.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,314
Likes: 35
You can use metric instead of SAE sockets:
6mm ~ 1/4"
7mm = 9/32
8mm ~ 5/16
11mm = 7/16
13mm = 1/2 = 12.7
14mm ~ 9/16 = 14.29
16mm = 5/8
17mm ~ 11/16 = 17.4
18mm ~ 11/16
19mm = 3/4 = 19.05
21mm = 13/16
22mm = 7/8 = 22.25
24mm = 15/16
25mm = 1 = 25.4
27mm = 1 1/16
30mm = 1 1/8"
36mm = 1 7/16
6mm ~ 1/4"
7mm = 9/32
8mm ~ 5/16
11mm = 7/16
13mm = 1/2 = 12.7
14mm ~ 9/16 = 14.29
16mm = 5/8
17mm ~ 11/16 = 17.4
18mm ~ 11/16
19mm = 3/4 = 19.05
21mm = 13/16
22mm = 7/8 = 22.25
24mm = 15/16
25mm = 1 = 25.4
27mm = 1 1/16
30mm = 1 1/8"
36mm = 1 7/16