Whats the best "trick" or tech tip a mentor showed you?

If you wanna work in the shop, you better make damn sure you pick up after yourself

Something kids in my classes have not learned yet.

 

Shop Rule #1: You have to ask if they are OK before you start laughing.

 

Never Eat Yellow Snow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

sometimes when i make a template to fill a hole in sheetmetal i hold a piece of paper on one side of the the hole and on the other side i mist spray can primer. or u can press on the paper and make a crease

 

When wrenching underneath, trim a 4X8 sheet of blue bulder's styrofoam to fit around the jackstands. 1/2 or 3/4 inch thick works good. Work a while, sleep a while, work some more.

 

Don't grind aluminum on a grinding wheel.

 

I just use a 1/2 inch 12 point wrench .Bang it on there, and hit the cable end with a hammer.


A good use for a damaged flat tip screwdriver, is to grind it into a mini gasket scraper. Work great in tight areas.

I'm embarrassed how old I was when I learned these:

When setting up a pinion in a bare housing, put it in a bearing press , flange down , and compress the crush sleeve down close to specs with the press.


When you set up your engine hoist for a pick, close the valve and pick the arm up by hand and it will stay up. Saves all that pumping. Duh!

 

Setting up DANA rears;
1. To determine your pinion preload shim, take a piece of thin electrical solder and put it behind the front outer race. Tighten the pinion until you get the right amount of preload, then disassemble. Mike the flattened solder, that's the shim you'll need.

2. Have a pair of new carrier bearings ground out for a slip fit on the carrier assembly. Set your backlash and carrier preload with the slip fit bearings, then press your new bearings on with the same shims.

 

Groucho, I agree with Toner on getting the nut as hot as you dare, but after that I go off and do something else until the weld is stone cold. My theory on that is the heat will crush the rust to some degree, and then you get maximum shrink on the bolt by letting it cool. Have had real good luck that way and never have to reheat.

 

the one about starting all bolts befor tightening them is one of the earliest ones i can remember my dad tellin' me.

here's a couple more i havent seen posted.

told to me by an old timer body guy(no pic). at the end of yer body hammer tape up a wad(round and round) w/ electrical tape. enough to make a little bump. if you know how to correctly use a body hammer you just just hold it and swing it and let the weight of the hammerhead do the work. you dont slam it like a sledgehammer or like drivin' a nail. the "bump" in the tape keeps the hammer from slipping though yer hand.


if you have a good screwdriver(mac,snap-on..)that has a hex at the base of the handle. if there is a tight/stubburn screw put the correct size wench on it. than you can put some weight on it w/ one hand and turn/tourque with the other. (and yes i do have vise-grip marks on some of my craftsman phillips).

 

If you are fabricating something for one side of the car and will have to make another for the opposite side of the car, do not just make the second one the same (or a 'mirror' image) as the first until you have measured the second side too. Cars are rarely the same side-to-side, and the second part will most likely be slightly different.

I have wasted a lot of time and material until I learned this.

 

Probably not too fancy, but I made a lathe out of my drill press. Use a long bolt with a washer on the head end of the bolt, secure whatever you're turning inbetween that and another washer and nut, and chuck up the threaded end of the bolt into the drill press. BAM! Instant lathe. This is also great for polishing things quickly.

 

Some exhaust manifolds use rather small bolts that are very easy to break of when removing, usually flush with the head. (Ford v-6's are one that comes to mind.) Rather than taking a chance of shearing the bolt and then having to extract, just cut the bolt heads off with a grinder, pull off the manifold and remove the bolt with vice grips near the head. Use heat on the bolt if it does not come easily. New bolts are much cheaper than the cost of removing a broken bolt.

 

A rock tumbler and some sand work well to clean rusted small parts while you work on other things.

 

Dammit man, how is this possible? Iv done plenty of tune ups, and not even so much as a thankyou!

 

Change your own tires? Getting em off can be a pain, getting em on is easy, but how to seat the bead? Get a tire filler thingy ( yes its a technical term ) that has a clamp on it. Take a 5 gallon bucket, and set the rim on it with the unseated tire. Use both knees and both hands, and you can force one side of the tire onto the bead with weight. Hook up the clampy filler thingy to the valve stem ( without the valve in ) and give her air! Place your greasy size 12 in the center of the rim, and with both hands, grab the tread and pull up. Bingo! instant set bead!

I can do 4 tires ( as long as the bead breaks like its supposta ) in about 20 minutes using a bead hammer, wd-40, 2 spoons, and a bucket =)

 

If you want to pull a steering wheel but your dumbassed friend, brother, neighbor etc "borrowed" your puller and never brought it back you can still do it.

Sit in the drivers seat and remove the cover and whatever to get to the main nut holding the wheel on and remove it. This is the most important step (more later) screw the retaining nut back on a few threads at least.

Now pretend you are a bongo drum player and slap the front of the wheel on both sides back and forth a few slaps with the heal of your hand on one side then the other like you were rocking it back and forth.

Then do the same thing on the side of the wheel towards the dash and presto it should pop off.

Now if you forgot the most important step of putting the nut back on a few threads you very possibly could end up with a giant knot in the center of your forehead when the wheel suddenly pops off and there is nothing to stop it from flying into your face.......... ask me how I know this.

 

With smaller tires you can wrap a rope around the tread side of the tire and use a stick or something and twist the rope.It squeezes the center of the tire forcing the outside to the bead.

 

Ever smash your finger trying to nail in a corner or using small nails? [ like in joist hangers or hurricane clips ] cut a piece of cardboard about an inch wide and how ever long you want. Stick the nail through the cardboard in a corner, put the nail where you want it and start it with a hammer. Now that it started you can pull the cardboard away [ it will tear off the nail] Then drive it home. you can use the same piece of cardboard over and over.

 

probably one you all have used but was first to me...under the car and can't find the oil filter wrench?, stab the oil filter with a screwdriver and use it as leverage to turn it loose.

if you have a memory like me, keep a box of ziploc sandwich bags/freezer bags and sharpie in the garage, when dissasembing put screws, washers and anything you know you will lose easily and mark it. when you go back to the project you remember what/where all items belong.

always clean up the shop, put away tools, sweep etc. at the end of working that way the next time you go out there everything is ready and in order.

 

This is a great idea, i have an old sears vacuum pump for a/c work and a corny keg with the fittings! I'm gonna get some line and go to town

 

Always thought this was a pretty slick trick for removing window cranks (if you didn't have the 'recommended' tool handy):

http://toolmonger.com/2009/03/03/how-to-remove-a-window-crank-the-easy-way/

 

I was young and its very simple..the use of a second box-end wrench on the end of the first for the leverage that you might need to bust that nut!

 

Another one I figured out myself.

If you are doing an oil change with a latex or nitrile glove, once you remove the filter hold it in your hand with your palm directly on top of the openings in the filter then with your other hand remove the glove that is holding the filter by pulling it over and around the filter.

The filter will now be pretty sealed and will not leak when you toss it out.

 

When trying to undo a harmonic balancer/crank bolt put a breaker bar on the bolt head & locate it on the frame rail or ground & turn the engine over on the key. Works every time

 

I love the laser pointer idea.........

 

Just make sure it's in the right direction, also pull fuse for fuel if fuel injected or power for distributor.

 

A helpful tip I have found when weldind butt joints on light metal back up your weld joint w/ a piece of copper plate. Since flat copper plate is hard to come by and expensive, a short piece of copper pipe flattened in your vise works just as well.

 

Brass works too.

 

Bothered by gnats & mosquitos in the Spring & Summer...Wipe yer face with a dryer sheet..keep a few tucked in yer shirt pocket... Really..come on guys,give me a break...this ain't another dryer sheet joke...this really works AAANNNDDD
if yer not afraid of catching Hell from yer neanderthall type friends...raid the wifeys stash of Skin-So-Soft lotion (Avon makes it, I think)...really smells good & keeps the gnats & mosquitos away...plus ya don't want to smell like beer & gasoline ALL the time...