Practical Tips

[greasybob]

I'm just starting this thread for showing old and new time and work saving general application TIPs.

This is the oldest trick in the book, but maybe your new to this. For getting the threads started or to remove hard to reach spark plugs a piece of rubber hose works well.

[greasybob]

If your installing or removing inner tie rod ends that have a hex drive but have limited space to turn a full length wrench, ( Dodge, GM), a wrench from your fan hub removal set works well to speed things up once the old tie rod is loose or until final torque on the new one.

[greasybob]

starting a siphon the easy way.

Ever have to empty a gas tank or get coolant out of a barrel and there's no pump handy. It's easy to start a siphon with your blow gun. Just use a 3/8th fuel line and cup the end of it a bit while pointing the air gun away from the end of the hose. The vacuum created at the end of the hose should be enough to get the fluid flowing. An easy siphon without the bitter after taste.

[Joe Rappa]

Ever have to empty a gas tank or get coolant out of a barrel and there's no pump handy. It's easy to start a siphon with your blow gun. Just use a 3/8th fuel line and cup the end of it a bit while pointing the air gun away from the end of the hose. The vacuum created at the end of the hose should be enough to get the fluid flowing. An easy siphon without the bitter after taste.

Great tip! I'll definitely use that one.

Joe

[greasybob]

ratchet straps

If you perform front end alignments, you'll notice that a lot of vehicles today have slotted holes for adjustment but don't come with the eccentric bolts or washers needed to make the adjustments. Often they are available from the parts stores for 20 bucks apiece on up, as high as $50 to $ 60 per side. Rather than spend the money and time to change these just loosen the bolts. The weight of the vehicle will usually force the control arm to move outwards. You can then attach a ratchet strap to pull the control arm back towards the center and tighten the bolt once it is in the correct position. Saving time and money.

[Witsend]

If you perform front end alignments, you'll notice that a lot of vehicles today have slotted holes for adjustment but don't come with the eccentric bolts or washers needed to make the adjustments. Often they are available from the parts stores for 20 bucks apiece on up, as high as $50 to $ 60 per side. Rather than spend the money and time to change these just loosen the bolts. The weight of the vehicle will usually force the control arm to move outwards. You can then attach a ratchet strap to pull the control arm back towards the center and tighten the bolt once it is in the correct position. Saving time and money.

Some older jeep products , but Not too many front wheel drive cars come to mind that give you slots in the front arms or subframe to give any provision for front camber caster adjust-ability that I can think of.
but the rear wheel toe is more common. Didn't know the manufacturers got cheap and took away the former Eccentrics. Guess it gonna have to take a determined Eccentric tech to have to say, If you don't find em , grind em .

[David Green]

I have seen suspension repairs completed using lengths of hard wood in place of suspension arms in the past, just then glancing at the picture I thought I was going to read about somebody fitting a ratchet strap in place of a suspension arm

[Matt]

Dirt cheap brake fluid recovery

Ingredients for recipe
1 discarded gallon window wash container (with cap)
26" of 5/32" vacuum hose

Drill one 5/16 hole through the center of the cap. and drill one 5/16 hole opposite the handle of the jug. Remove the cap and force vacuum hose through 5/16 hole, and then feed 3" extra. Thread 3" of extra vacuum hose through jug handle, then tighten cap back onto jug. Force other end of vacuum hose into other 5/16 hole opposite of handle on jug, this permits the residual used brake fluid to drain back into the jug. Once you get a pint or so of used brake fluid in the jug it really starts to stay put. Also, with the vacuum hose routed into the clear handle, you can get a good visual of the amount of air in the brake fluid stream while bleeding brakes. The 5/32" vacuum hose seems to fit most bleeders snug, freeing up both hands to operate the bleeder wrench and/or caliper collapse tool. I am a low volume shop so the gallon container lasts me a little over a year.

[greasybob]

That's pretty cool. You could always put some old small nuts and bolts in the bottom of the jug to give some ballast when it's empty.

[greasybob]

This is an old one but maybe you haven't seen it yet. To improve the control you have with your flex sockets, especially when at the end of a long extension, wrap the joint with a couple rounds of black electric tape.

[Witsend]

I like to keep a roll of ribbon sealer in the shop . I like to Use a small spec on end of a Phillips or torx headed screw driver to hold the fastener stuck to the end of the screw drivers or even occasionally sockets when having to go into tight areas. A little bit goes a long way, stretch into longer narrower widths, seals air gaps, water leaks, sticks thinks together , stops rattles of loose bezzles, etc, etc .

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/3m-window-weld-round-ribbon-sealer-3-8-x-15-ft-kit-08612/7100000-P

[ratchetman]

I love this thread. Mostly stuff I've tried a time or more. But will I remember those tricks at the right time? lol

[greasybob]

Here is a handy thing to keep in your box of electrical accessories, breadboard jumper wires. I use them for finding faults in data buses by pin pointing one module at a time and checking the wave form for each module as it is added to the network. I also use them when I need to by pass a CAN module by unplugging the module and putting the wires across the CAN terminals when the modules are wired in series. You can also use them for find open circuits. If you need to check the resistance in, say an evap vent solenoid circuit or any actuator, rather than running 10 feet of jumper wire just unplug the solenoid and put one of these bread board wires across the harness end and check the resistance (or put a small load on the wires) of the circuit from the controller end. The ends of the bread board wires are small enough that they won't damage the female terminals of most harnesses.

[Crusty]

Good ideas Bob. Your hands look like they've "seen" a lot. There is knowledge in those "dirty hands"-!!! That is REAL WORLD knowledge. That is something that makes engineers' eyes glaze over-!! LMAO-!!

Another idea is, lots of things such as oxygen sensors and wheel speed sensors get changed out. (just two examples). Cut off and save the pigtails from the old components. Now you have a matching connector to the vehicle harness and you can easily test the vehicle harness before the trigger gets pulled for a new component.

[Joe Rappa]

Another idea is, lots of things such as oxygen sensors and wheel speed sensors get changed out. (just two examples). Cut off and save the pigtails from the old components. Now you have a matching connector to the vehicle harness and you can easily test the vehicle harness before the trigger gets pulled for a new component.

Great idea. I also make occasional trips to the junk yard where I collect the other ends of those connectors off the harnesses.

Joe