The Tips and Tricks thread

[gearb0x]

Oh and another trick ive been using since i first picked up a spanner, if your undoing a bolt with a open ended/ring ended spanner and need a little more leverage, get an open ender and hook it into the ring end, doubles the length

a word of warning, ive bannana'ed many a cheap spanners this way

[puzzle man]

OK probably going to get caned for this but I'm not saying do it but i do and it works...

Engine Flush = mineral turpintine
drain oil put 3 1/2 lt of mineral turpintine in run motor for 5 min no longer than 10 then drain straight away
you won't believe the shit/sludge that comes out.

another popular option i have heard is fill the engine with diesel run idling (do not rev) for 5 mins then redrain, change filter fill with oil and your done. with the diesel being an oil it lubricates slightly as it idles.

but the mineral turpintine is no were near a lube..

[Draven]

Can't believe no-one has mentioned this yet:
The ultimate hand cleaner (better than washing detergent etc) is carbie cleaner! sure it's carcenogenic (sp?) and all, but all the mess on your hands just washes off with a few quick sprays. Moisturiser is HIGHLY recommended after this, as it seems to dehydrate your skin something awful.

and gearbox: that valve spring compressor contraption is a work of pure genious/art

[horse]

when fibreglassing, wear two rubber gloves, the outer one fills up with fibres quickly (if you're hand laying) , so its easier to just rip off an outer glove then rip one off and then get resin on your other hand.

[puzzle man]

when fibreglassing, wear two rubber gloves, the outer one fills up with fibres quickly (if you're hand laying) , so its easier to just rip off an outer glove then rip one off and then get resin on your other hand.

all so because the resin will EAT some gloves..

[leso]

put a cup full of deisel fuel in to your engine prior to an oil change drive to the shops and back and then change your oil....................

grab your digital camera take pics of anything that you are going to pull apart...if u rember delete the pics...also digital cameras are great for seeing in to place u cant get your head ...put the camera in there and take some pics..........

hope these help cheers leso

[takai]

CRC/WD40/SprayLube on exhaust hangers makes for easy removal and installation.

If you have a knuckle joint for your ratchet and it slops around too much then wrap the joint in electrical tape, it restricts the movement enough for it to be straight but not so much that its unusable.

[o_man_ra23]

Getting a motor thats sat about for a while to start is always fun. Insted of payin $12 for a can of aerostart or start ya bastard etc... just get ya trusty propane burner out, and let some of the gas into your air filter(no need to take the filter off). You watch the motor start then. Dont need much of a spark to ignite, so it can start a car on a low battery too.

Cheers, Owen

[Steve-AE86]

If you have a knuckle joint for your ratchet and it slops around too much then wrap the joint in electrical tape, it restricts the movement enough for it to be straight but not so much that its unusable.

OI!!! you taxed that idea from my toolbox yesterday! grrr....

here's an idea: if you want something that will clean your hands, and all you have is a block of soap, go to the tap, lather up, DONT RINSE, go to the garden, get a coke bottle lid full of dirt, rub it into your hands until clean, then wash off...grit is good.

either that, or buy handcleaner, cheapskates...

when you take a bonnet off a car to lift an engine, lay it on it's side, to prevent chipping the paint on the back corners, either that, or use a rag for each corner.

if you don't have a slide hammer, and you need to pull axles, don't bother busting a nut with an old brake drum...they're too small in diameter. get an old stockie wheel, and half bolt it on, then get a 3-4lb hammer and bash the living crap out of it...worked on my trueno, cheers Hen

[takai]

Nah Steve, ive known that one for a while. My knuckle joint has tape on it as well, if i could find it that is.

Watch out when using propane to start engines though, ive seen an engine backfire and the propane ignite externally to the engine. I have also seen a guy get his alternator with Start Ya Bastard as well as the intake and then that ignited.

[myne]

OI!!! you taxed that idea from my toolbox yesterday! grrr....

here's an idea: if you want something that will clean your hands, and all you have is a block of soap, go to the tap, lather up, DONT RINSE, go to the garden, get a coke bottle lid full of dirt, rub it into your hands until clean, then wash off...grit is good.

Here's something I've never actually tried, but really should.

The theory is if you put sunscreen or some other skin product on your hands/arms, your skin will be saturated, preventing engine oil from absorbing, making cleaning much easier afterwards. Obviously it'll probably only work for a couple of hours, but still, it should work.

[Valkyrie]

Hi,
If you are storing a radiator or an intercooler, cut up a beer slab and place the cardboard over the fins. Then tape the cardboard to the end tanks.
This allows a fair amount of protection for the radiator/intercooler.
This also legitimises drinking beer. A win-win situation I think.

Cheers

[Steve-AE86]

The theory is if you put sunscreen or some other skin product on your hands/arms, your skin will be saturated, preventing engine oil from absorbing, making cleaning much easier afterwards. Obviously it'll probably only work for a couple of hours, but still, it should work.

nah...gross. that's like barrier cream. i can't stand it, and it causes your fingers to be slippery, and it's a LOT harder to work.

not only that, but dry dirt would then be attracted to your hands...ick.

also, as a mechanic, it's bad enough having to wash my hands every half an hour, let alone having to put some sort of junk on them as well

[Classique71]

The same method above works while installing the intercooler - leave the cardboard on - make your brackets because it will be in and nout all the time !

mine went thru 4 weeks of in and out test fitting - and was moved around alot - came out totally unscathed and on perfect condition .. i only left the inlet and outlet exposed - the rest was cardboard + sticktape protected

[river]

Hi,

Here's an old tip that I have offered in a few threads on the old forums, but thought I'd also put it here.

A long screwdriver is great for finding bad bearings and noisy tappets etc on a running engine.

You put the pointy end on the offending part and put your ear to the handle. Move the point around where you think the sound is coming from. The noise transmits through the screwdriver shaft and you can hear it clearly when you're on the area where the noise is coming from. When the screwdriver is over the part making the noise you'll hear it loud and clear.

Of course, you gotta be careful. You don't want your screwdriver hitting a moving part and give you a flea in the ear!

seeyuzz
river