Tips you might find useful

[edd]

After seeing a few new members on here I thought it nice to start a tips thread . So let's start with.
Cutting a bolt to length . I spin a nut on hold the part your cutting off in the vice and once cut you can undo the nut ensuring a good start on the cut end ,you may want to file but it's a handy trick .
Any other suggestions
Edd

[Davenott]

Couple of quick photos on the phone, before and during taking something apart.
Reel of freezer bags and a permenant marker pen, label and bag everything as you take it apart.
White board or chalk board on garage wall, write everything you need to order etc. [like the wife uses in the kitchen to list my jobs...]
Dave.

[jleyton]

Ring end of a combination spanner on the open end of a combination spanner, in extreme circumstances, to increase the effective length and torque when tackling tight nuts.

Cheers

Julian

[Guest]

Get someone else to do it

[rac]

After seeing a few new members on here I thought it nice to start a tips thread . So let's start with.
Cutting a bolt to length . I spin a nut on hold the part your cutting off in the vice and once cut you can undo the nut ensuring a good start on the cut end ,you may want to file but it's a handy trick .
Any other suggestions
Edd

Yes surprising how many people shorten a bolt without filing a lead on it to help fitting nut or getting it started in a hole-nothing worse than cross threading especially in a blind hole--oops!

[edd]

Try to use the Af not the metric size when working on old cars , there is a slight difference that may cause a headache as sometimes you only get one chance to slacken something off . I have'nt got many snap on tools but when i see something old and rusty its with a 6 sided socket or one of my favourite ring spanners .
Edd

[rac]

Yes I agree problem is a lot of our cars are 40yrs+ old and it seems a lot of people in the past have fitted metric fasteners, not too bad as this is mainly nut and bolts but you often have to try different spanners to get a good fit and as you say 6 sided sockets are a must on anything rusted-good quality ones not some of the chocolate ones coming from you know where!!

[cosmicwheels]

Ducktape over all the holes a nut can leap into, mark parts with tippex.

[Staggard]

Use centre punch to mark marrying parts or to mark simular parts to ns or os Eg ns one punch os two punch marks.

[dasadrew]

After seeing a few new members on here I thought it nice to start another tips thread....
Any other suggestions
Edd

edited for accuracy

http://www.stag.org.uk/forum/showthread.php?22303-Steve-s-Tip-of-the-Time&highlight=tips

Sorry. On a short fuse tonight...

[Ian F]

Edd

No dis-respect to anyone on here, and thanks for all the help and knowledge imparted as well as the Forum support, but my greatest tip would be:

Get an SOC member to view the bl**dy car BEFORE you buy the darn thing.

i failed to do it, and have learnt the (semi) hard way, and there seem many new members doing the same. Just ask for help and someone on here will help and view the car with you and impart there hard earned knowledge?
i
an F

[MandM]

Try to use the Af not the metric size when working on old cars , there is a slight difference that may cause a headache as sometimes you only get one chance to slacken something off . I have'nt got many snap on tools but when i see something old and rusty its with a 6 sided socket or one of my favourite ring spanners .
Edd

Also tighten, loosen, spray, tighten, loosen, spray, more speed less hast, brains over Braun, and good quality spanners as Edd has said

[stagmuffin]

Ducktape over all the holes a nut can leap into, mark parts with tippex.

tippex that's a blast from the past lol ,can you still get it ? I used to mark the timing marks eg tdc and etc on the pulleys for when using a strobe as it displays clearly but I thought with all the new fangled printers it was a thing of the past .

[tractorjames]

Something I had to do the other week was remove the plug for the overdrive pressure filter, got I bolt with a suitably large head (1" ish), cut off threaded part to leave just the hex head, drill two holes that relate to the holes in the filter bung, knock two appropriate sized roll pins through and you can use it with a spanner to undo the bung or like me weld an old socket on so it's dual use.

Easier and less redneck than undoing with a hammer and punch, main reason I did it was so that I could refit with a torque wrench

James

[tractorjames]

tippex that's a blast from the past lol ,can you still get it ? I used to mark the timing marks eg tdc and etc on the pulleys for when using a strobe as it displays clearly but I thought with all the new fangled printers it was a thing of the past .

I use tippex for this now available in a pen and for big jobs a mate brings home proper white paint pens from the shipyard, I think made by edding.

James