Being smarter then the tools you have - Tuner-Junction

Ricky · #1 (**permalink**) March 8th, 2006, 08:12 AM

Lets be honest here most of us guys dont have all of the tools we need to get the job done so alot of times we have to be creative and figure out ghetto or new ways to do things. In this thread lets post up ways to get around not using specialty tools that we dont have to solve problems we face every day. Ill start.

DIY Breaker Bar
If you dont have a breaker bar and a bolt just wont move you can make your own makeshift breaker bar. You do this buy putting a metal pipe around the handle of the wratchet. Doing this gives you more leverage and makes it easier to turn the bolt. Alot of us have done this before. Also if you do this you should know that you have to be careful. Now you have the power to turn the bolt but in some cases you might break the extention, brake the wratchet, bend the wractchet or even strip the bolt. Use your common sense when doing this. Ive had all happen to me but striping the bolt.

Changing an Engine Mount with out a engine lift
This one Ive heard about from ultra magnetical at show I havent done it but some of you might want to try it out or might want to add to this because I havent done it. Bassically the idea is you can hit a certain part of the oil pan with a jack and it wont bend it. Its not the center Im not sure where you hit it with the jack but once you do find that spot you can lift the engine at an angle so you can change the mount you need to change.

*edit contributed by Jadkar
basically what happen is you just use the jack with like a piece of wood (so you don't adamage the oil pan) and you place the jack under the oil pan and CAREFULLY. Jack it up but remember your goal isn't to lift the engine it's just to support the weight once you feel the jack have the slightest bit of resistance then you know the jack is holding the weight. you can then unbolt the mount of your choice. Obviously the position under the oil pan depends on what mount you are taking off.

If your un-doing the trans mount then the jack actually goes under the trans, to get to the crank pulley there's not enough room to slide it off the crank so I have to take the weight off the mount near the timeing belt with the jack then unbolt the mount... and then I drop the engine down slightly with the jack so it's actually leaning out of the car this gives me the clearence to get the crank pulley off

Decompresing a spring with out a spring compresor
First off Id like to mention that you can get a spring compresor for free at most places like autozone discount autoparts and pepboys. How it works is you put down a credit card and they charge you for the spring compresor. They then let you borrow the tool and you return it when your done and get the money back. For future reference they also lend you out alot of specialty tools like ball joint seperators etc.

Also keep in mind that a compressed spring can do alot of damage when its released. You can seriously injur yourself or even kill yourself if you dont take caution when your working with this. Now if you have no access to a spring compresor and need to get this done to replace a shock or what ever this is what you need to do. You need to find a fence or a wall you dont give a shit about. Point the shock assembly at the wall or stick the bolt that keeps the shock compressed in there. Have some one stand on the shock assembly to keep it in place. Now un screw the bolt with a wratchet and watch the spring fly. Then you will understand why you need a spring compresor and why you should be careful. This will get the job done and you will be fine but evertime I do this I still get nervous

sloganish · #2 (**permalink**) March 8th, 2006, 08:40 AM

ive known about thios stuff, but never posted, used all the techniques to change my clutch yesterday!!! thumbs up

Clone · #3 (**permalink**) March 8th, 2006, 09:51 AM

nice tips. the DIY breaker bar thing is pretty bad though... you'll be breaking ratchets left and right. When I was young I stripped out at least two or three ratchets this way... broke the adapters on one or two others... my father was pissed.

You can buy a 1/2 breaker bar at Napa for like, $20, so you might as well buy one.

I dunno, it works if you have nothing else to use, it's just bad mechanics, in my opinion.

Ricky · #4 (**permalink**) March 8th, 2006, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clone

nice tips. the DIY breaker bar thing is pretty bad though... you'll be breaking ratchets left and right. When I was young I stripped out at least two or three ratchets this way... broke the adapters on one or two others... my father was pissed.

You can buy a 1/2 breaker bar at Napa for like, $20, so you might as well buy one.

I dunno, it works if you have nothing else to use, it's just bad mechanics, in my opinion.

yeah, I wouldnt do it if I had a breaker bar but the idea of the thread is makeshift stuff you can do when you have no other options. I put the stuff you mentioned in there to. You end up braking shit that way. Luckily for me my grandpa has craftsmen tools so when something gets fucked up I return it

Clone · #5 (**permalink**) March 8th, 2006, 08:40 PM

hell yeah, lifetime warranty and ease of replacement. just bring it to sears.

I've got like, $5000 in Snap On tools, and I broke one of their ratchets doing this exact same thing, the DIY breaker bar. Anyway, it's got a lifetime warranty, but since they dont sell Snap On in stores, I'd have to find a truck... since I dont work at a shop anymore, it's kinda difficult to find one.

jon ROCKS!!!! · #6 (**permalink**) March 8th, 2006, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clone

hell yeah, lifetime warranty and ease of replacement. just bring it to sears.

I've got like, $5000 in Snap On tools, and I broke one of their ratchets doing this exact same thing, the DIY breaker bar. Anyway, it's got a lifetime warranty, but since they dont sell Snap On in stores, I'd have to find a truck... since I dont work at a shop anymore, it's kinda difficult to find one.

send it to me and i can get it replaced for free

i just bought the rachets that are long enough so i dont need to use an extentsion, and if i did brake them, they are snap-on, and he comes and sees me first thing on monday mornings, he loves my $

Ricky · #7 (**permalink**) March 8th, 2006, 09:51 PM

yeah snap on tools are great because of the life time waranty the hard part is finding some one to replace it. I dont know about mac tools. Alot of people swear by them to but craftsmen is superconvenient

Johnlude85 · #8 (**permalink**) March 8th, 2006, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrmyz

yeah snap on tools are great because of the life time waranty the hard part is finding some one to replace it. I dont know about mac tools. Alot of people swear by them to but craftsmen is superconvenient

thats the only reason my box at work is full of craftsman. id personally rather have snap on then anything else, but like now...the shop im at only has a mac tool truck, no snap on truck. so id be SOL. craftsman hand tools, and SOME of their air tools are good. anything else i stay away from like power tools or drills, things of that nature.

Ricky · #9 (**permalink**) March 8th, 2006, 10:20 PM

whats wrong with their airtools

Clone · #10 (**permalink**) March 9th, 2006, 02:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jon ROCKS!!!!

send it to me and i can get it replaced for free

i just bought the rachets that are long enough so i dont need to use an extentsion, and if i did brake them, they are snap-on, and he comes and sees me first thing on monday mornings, he loves my $

are you serious? can I really send it to you and you'll replace it for me? I'll package/ship and pay for the shipping return, too.

PM me your info if you wanna do that for me, that'd be the shit.

Tadashisan · #11 (**permalink**) March 9th, 2006, 02:34 AM

talking about being smarter then your tools

it's being smart THAN your tools

Solee · #12 (**permalink**) March 9th, 2006, 04:16 PM

I just use a large c-clamp with a couple of small L brackets welded on to it to compress springs. Fuck real spring compressors lol.

hcarcrx · #13 (**permalink**) March 9th, 2006, 10:48 PM

if you are in a jam and you cant get a bolt out with a wrench, you put the box end on the bolt, take a larger wrench and put the box end onto the open end of the wrench thats on the bolt, you just have to figure out how to position the wrench, and this will also work as a breaker bar also

Clone · #14 (**permalink**) March 10th, 2006, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hcarcrx

if you are in a jam and you cant get a bolt out with a wrench, you put the box end on the bolt, take a larger wrench and put the box end onto the open end of the wrench thats on the bolt, you just have to figure out how to position the wrench, and this will also work as a breaker bar also

yup, done that before too.

mad-ass · #15 (**permalink**) March 17th, 2006, 05:57 AM

damn tools..LOL

Good tips

chris_s14 · #16 (**permalink**) March 28th, 2006, 01:48 PM

yeah ive broken a rachet thanks to the breaker bar but without it i wouldnt got my coilovers in haha.

thank god i have spares lol.

98'Lude · #17 (**permalink**) April 7th, 2006, 01:29 AM

lol not to hate but the idea for decompressing a spring is pointless because you'll need something to compress it when reinstalling

Rhythm Kid · #18 (**permalink**) April 7th, 2006, 08:56 PM

yeah man i would never decompress a spring without a spring compressor...it scares me period....Good advice though, least you encourage the right way to do it first, ya know?

macbasq · #19 (**permalink**) April 7th, 2006, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sin

DIY Breaker Bar
If you dont have a breaker bar and a bolt just wont move you can make your own makeshift breaker bar. You do this buy putting a metal pipe around the handle of the wratchet. Doing this gives you more leverage and makes it easier to turn the bolt. Alot of us have done this before. Also if you do this you should know that you have to be careful. Now you have the power to turn the bolt but in some cases you might break the extention, brake the wratchet, bend the wractchet or even strip the bolt. Use your common sense when doing this. Ive had all happen to me but striping the bolt.

i'd use a boxhead or regular wrench. NOT adjustable either. it's way to easy to strip the internal components of a ratchet, they aren't meant for a lot of force.

singleslamhp · #20 (**permalink**) April 8th, 2006, 10:07 AM

I tried to use a spring compressor from autozone, but the damn thing was too big and scratched the hell out of my shocks. I ended up using two rachet straps looped around the spring on oppossite sides. Just snugged them up by hand, then started racheting 2 clicks back and forth on each side. Worked awesome. Even fasted than the compressor! BTW these are ratchet straps that don't have any hooks on them. basically just one 4 ft strap attached to the rachet assy. It just loops around the spring and back to the ratchet.