tips & tricks

buckhorn76

buckhorn76

Power User
2 You're 10
Nov 3, 2012
3,704
170
buckhorn ontario
VetteCoins
733
Car
1976
everbody has little things they come up with to make life easier.when working on our cars these little things become invaluable,wanna share yours ? it's always handy to have a little advance knowledge. i'll start with a couple. plastic bread bag clips numbered 1-8 make great plug wire markers. when filling a differential, use a marine gear case pump. it screws onto the bottle of lube. remove the gear case fitting and insert the hose into diff. pump about half bottle in then add your posi additive to the bottle. resume filling till you reach the level. these pumps are available every where marine stuff is sold for about 12 bucks.
 
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My only real tip is get to know a guy like Manny.

I wish I had the ability to work on the car a little more than I have/can. I'd require a local mentor that would want to have a few beers and get to work in the garage first.

If anyone knows a guy in Edmonton--HOLLAR!!
 
some more; i mounted a marine battery box on a two wheel hand cart,when not in use, it stays in the garage on a tender. ideal for powering my timing light given the placement of the car's battery. very portable and i prefer it to my portable power pack. useful for boosting or supplying 12v for testing etc. when fishing wire use a little piece of heat shrink to hold the new wire to the fish wire. it holds tight and becomes very compact making it less likely to catch on something.:D
 
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buckhorn76 said:
...i mounted a marine battery box on a two wheel hand cart,when not in use, it stays in the garage on a tender.
Click to expand...

Excellent idea. I have an extra heavy two-wheel cart. I'll put this one to use.

I recently had to replace the water pressure tank in our basement. We're on a well. It's an old galvanized tank that holds about 50 gallons and already has a pressure gauge on it. Rather than take it to the metal recycler, I'm going to convert it for use as an air tank for pumping up tires, etc. I'll set it up outside my shop, and I'll be able to add air to any tires needing it without opening up the door to the shop and firing up the compressor.
 
I took a hand cart (sale CTC 29.00) and bolted LED light bars at 3 levels
Put in my buddies repair shop for use on different projects..
When the vehicle is on a lift, it was dark underneath...not now!.. total cost $100.00....having light ... priceless
 
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the cigarette lighter in my c3 doesn't work and i have no interest in finding out why. now,how to charge the cell phone ? -easy- i connect an alligator clip pigtail 12v socket to the battery and plug in the charger. or use a ten dollar 75w inverter and use my 110v charger. :D
 
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Steamer said:
Water pressure tank not recommended for air. They're only designed as a low pressure tank and will NOT take anything higher that 60 PSI. If you spring a leak with water, small squirt, with air big BANG!!!!!!!
Rob
Click to expand...

buckhorn76 said:
hi 67; make sure the valve and gauge can take the psi of compressed air !!:eek:
Click to expand...

Thanks, guys. I assumed that I could keep at least 60 lbs in there as that is where our water usually was.

I guess it's off to the recycler after all unless someone can suggest an alternative use for it.
 
Keeping shop clutter under control is always difficult for guys who do a lot of their own projects, especially for large oddball shaped tools - things like circular saws, sawzalls, etc. And, I don't like the look of rows and rows of paint cans, etc. displayed on open shelves.

When I got an opportunity to take some office cabinets for free from a company that was moving, I jumped at it. They were even the correct colour for a shop. I think they've helped me keep things well under control.

Never look a gift horse in the mouth. :D

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If you hear of a business moving, or going under, see if you can buy some of these up cheap because they're easily $500 each when new.
 
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A couple of years ago, a neighbour was going to throw out a four drawer filing cabinet. There was nothing wrong with it so I brought it home for the shop. I file all my service manuals and any other automotive related stuff in it. Like 67heaven, if I had the opportunity to buy a mess of cabinets I would jump at them too. Some of the stuff that you can buy in stores is so flimsy as to be pretty well useless.
 
hey 67 ; that's pretty funny,i have almost the same set up here !! i got my filing cabinets at the " buckhorn walmart " [ local dump ]. great for big stuff and air tools and the like. i have a small 3 drawer on wheels that my wire feed sits on with helmet,brushes,chippers,spools, gloves,etc. in the drawers. :D
 
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When I built my shop, I purposely raised it three feet above the surrounding terrain, thus requiring a sloping driveway up to the doors. If I am working on a vehicle that I can't get running, but I need to get it into the shop, I simply hook up a car battery to the 8,000 lb electric winch bolted to the floor, and haul it in. Six large Grade 8 bolts into the 6" thick fibre-reinforced concrete floor. Works like a dream.

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Easily pulls vehicles up on the hoist too.
 
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buckhorn76 said:
the cigarette lighter in my c3 doesn't work and i have no interest in finding out why. now,how to charge the cell phone ? -easy- i connect an alligator clip pigtail 12v socket to the battery and plug in the charger. or use a ten dollar 75w inverter and use my 110v charger. :D
Click to expand...

Cig lighter is on the same fuse at the interior lights and glove box light. Make sure the center console trim is grounded too.

Greg.
 
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