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Share your sweet mechanic shortcuts and tool hacks with everyone!
I'll start by posting these two:
1) Apply a little Dawn dishwashing liquid, the basic Blue type, on radiator hoses, injector O-rings, suspension bushings, etc - any time a "rubber" part is a tight fit into or over a steel part. Gotta be Dawn, its different because it evaporates so the "slip" does not last forever (which causes the part to come apart too easily if you use another non-evaporating brand). The slip that the Dawn gives you will last about 10 minutes is all, depending on how thick you put it on.
2) Speaking of hoses... if you find it hard to cut a hose and get a sweet even end, try a good pair of pruning sheers from the Garden Center. The kind with the lower anvil is curved. Cuts hoses like butter and leaves a clean edge.
1) Apply a little Dawn dishwashing liquid, the basic Blue type, on radiator hoses, injector O-rings, suspension bushings, etc - any time a "rubber" part is a tight fit into or over a steel part. Gotta be Dawn, its different because it evaporates so the "slip" does not last forever (which causes the part to come apart too easily if you use another non-evaporating brand). The slip that the Dawn gives you will last about 10 minutes is all, depending on how thick you put it on.
Perhaps Dr. Bob will chime in to explain why Dawn is different.
My light-bulb moment over the last year of ownership was around how to best clean guide-cables where there are valleys, such those in the sunroof assembly.
Solution
Get a drill, the cable and a rag saturated with a WD-40
Then, pinch the saturated rag around the cable with one hand, attach the other end of the cable to the drill and engage the drill.
Sorry for the blurry pic!
Give it a few runs and you'll be left with a near-pristine cable:
Good stuff. Following.
I use adhesive cleaner to rid the underside of the hood from sticky black substance accumulated from closing on the rubber bead. It does not harm the paint, and works like a quick charm.
Tape a hard to reach bolt or hex head screw into the socket so it doesn't fall out, once engaged pull the socket back and remove the tape before tightening fully to prevent the tape getting trapped. Far more secure than magnetism.
Can be used with a nut as well, just put something behind the nut in the socket to keep it forward, I use bubble wrap.
Both help a lot when you have big hands and small places.
It isn't bad, it's just not a very good lubricant. It is a very good water dispersant (that's the WD in WD-40)
It is also good for coating ductile iron cylinder walls on a new motor to keep them from rusting until the engine is run. The WD-40 is known to flash off without leaving residue the moment the motor starts.
PS: you do need to be careful what lube you use on "rubber" items as some are damaging to the rubber. Different lubes for natural rubber (rare), synthetic rubber, delrin, and polyurethane. But the Dawn works on all of them without harm to the part.
PS: you do need to be careful what lube you use on "rubber" items as some are damaging to the rubber. Different lubes for natural rubber (rare), synthetic rubber, delrin, and polyurethane. But the Dawn works on all of them without harm to the part.
And, Dawn is the treatment of choice for birds that have been coated in 20-50!
See how everything falls into place?!
The main ingredient in WD 40, is fish oil. You can eat it with no long term ill affects.
The part about the fish oil is a myth...never have been able to determine if it's safe for long term consumption (although I've certainly ingested done over the years)
I test connections with a milliohm meter. Mine is an antique that hasn't been calibrated in 20 years, but a new one is under $100. Firmly apply probes to each side of a connection to identify corrosion, contamination, loose fit, etc. In some cases where the two parts of a connection aren't readily available, I'll stick pins through the insulation and measure the connection that way, then wipe the holes with a glue or sealant. Double the connectinos for Kelvin sensing (look it up).
A milliohm meter works well for testing grounds, cable integrity, fuses, etc.
04-14-2016, 11:31 AM
Life Hacks - Mechanic's edition
