When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
...when the shifter in the car suddenly stopped functioning while driving down the road the other day. It was quickly clear the shifter was no longer connected to anything but the ball joint at the bottom!
It turns out the circlip had disappeared from the shift shaft and the shifter had slid off. Fortunately, a zip-tie and some duct tape held it all together for the remaining 80 miles of my drive home! It was almost all highway, so I really only had to get it up into 5th gear once...
When the tensioner broke, I found a nearby auto parts store and browsed for something to improvise with. I bought that wrench because it was just the right size. I got so lucky, it happened at night 200 miles from home. I called my brother and he directed me to that store JUST before they closed! (Before I had a smart phone.)
I've had a few good roadside fixes. This is my favorite (used a combination wrench when my belt tensioner broke in two):
That's a good fix!
Yes, toolkits in cars - always necessary. They act as talismen, warding off breakdowns. (This is purely logical as you know that if you don't have a particular tool with you, you can be sure you will need it. The solution is to take every tool with you everywhere, thus ensuring that you never need any of them!)
When I drove to 944Fest I had a fully stocked Snap-On Tool bag. I was so nervous that something was going to happen since I had only had the car for a few months and it didn't even run when I got it.
Yes, toolkits in cars - always necessary. They act as talismen, warding off breakdowns. (This is purely logical as you know that if you don't have a particular tool with you, you can be sure you will need it. The solution is to take every tool with you everywhere, thus ensuring that you never need any of them!)
Oli.
I got an idea. Let's replace engine and suspension parts with tools, so we always have them (somewhere) in the car!
06-02-2015, 05:26 PM
Had to use some MacGyver tricks...
