Repair/mechanic tricks and or tips?

[paulharvey]

When im taking anything apart I keep a coffee can with about 1" of diesel in it, every bolt/washer/spacer/nut or small part goes in the can with diesel. They are clean, and not lost in the sand. More use for those of us that dont have asphalt or concrete to work on.

 

[Yonko]

Universal joints which are used on socket wrenches are very hard to use because they "flop around". If you wrap tape around them they become a lot more stable and controllable.

 

[ROUNDBABY]

I done something lately putting that hard to get in the top starter bolt. I taped the long bolt and end of socket both together using masking tape to keep bolt from falling out and guided it in to the hard to see hole with one of them pen epandable magnets that you use to get fallen nuts and bolts out of tight places. It's a 2 man job. Had to use long extensions with socket and ratchet FROM UNDERNEATH CAR AS I GUIDED FROM ABOVE WITH MAGNET PEN. Masking tape come right off as the long bolt was tightened in top of starter. TOOK 2 WEEKS TO FINALLY GET THAT PAIN OF A STARTER BOLT OUT TILL THIS PLAN WORKED!!!!

 

[ROUNDBABY]

I had to put a starter bolt and tape it with masking tape to socket with long extensions and us a expandable pen magnet to guide it in from above. the starter bolt stayed in the socket as I put the pen magnet on it as dad guided into that tough to find hole from below. REALLY TWO TRICKS IN ONE--TAPE CAME OFF JUST RIGHT WHEN IT WAS TIGHTENED UP.

 

[ROUNDBABY]

HANG THE EXTRA RINGPINS ON YOU'RE THROTTLE LEVER ON THE DASH IF THE KNOB AIN'T TO BIG. PUT A COUPLE SPARES IF YOU LOOSE ONE.

 

[texaswren]

With older machines, sometimes the new FACTORY parts aren't an exact fit. I got a new fuel sender for my David Brown 1390 from the dealer, and it was just barely too big to fit in the original opening. I needed to file out the hole, but the tank was half full of diesel. I placed a good strong magnet right next to where I was filing, held the round file backwards, and filed OUT, so that all the metal particles were coming up where the magnet could catch them. I won't say I didn't get ANY filings in the tank, but I got a heck of a lot less than I would have without the magnet.

 

[Ncorrigible]

Good Tip! Since double stick tape is not always available single sided tape made in to a roll - sticky side out works too. I used that with nut drivers a bunch back in the old days when we actually fixed computer I/O equipment. Tape roll on the end of the nut driver to get a nut started then use the nut driver as intended. This was supposed to be a reply to Bird, but I did something wrong.

 

[/pine]

If you drop something (especially small parts etc.) watch it rather than trying to catch it...this prevents possibly knocking someplace where it may be even harder to find...

 

[Iplayfarmer]

If you drop something (especially small parts etc.) watch it rather than trying to catch it...this prevents possibly knocking someplace where it may be even harder to find...

I've learned that too from long experience. I could never catch anything anyway, so I learned to watch where it falls instead.

It's good to see this thread back active again. I've used some of the tips and tricks since I read them here.

 

[California]

If you drop something (especially small parts etc.) watch it rather than trying to catch it...this prevents possibly knocking someplace where it may be even harder to find...

Best solution I ever found is the biscuit-magnet on a 3 ft handle, from HF. I can sweep it under the workbench or tractor and recover the dropped nut etc faster than I can find it by eye.

I also bought the small bar magnet with wheels on the ends that looks like a push broom. I've pulled up an amazing amount of ancient rubbish - small hinges, welding wire fragments, nails, from the gravel outside my open-front tractor stall.

When something is lost in weeds and its critical then I bring out another HF $25 toy, the wand like they use at airport security. That will buzz on anything. If I still can't see the object, blot the area with a 6 inch long bar magnet - '100 lb recovery magnet' - to lift the object out of the weeds. Clank!

(I bought the last three items to clean up after a low-bid idiot roofing crew left roofing nails everywhere including dribbled all down the driveway.)