Mechanic's tidbits of advice

[matthewb0051]

A few years ago I was changing front lower control arms on the missus' LR3 and accidentally damaged the threads on the drive shaft. No way the nut was going back on. I finally just called it a day and left the thing up on jack stands over night.

Following day, after sleeping on it and figuring out how to fix, I went out and cut off the first thread and a half. The driveshaft was shortened by a mm or two but the nut would now go on and thread. Proper torque was achieved and the thing is still that way today.

So yes, walk away when necessary.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Funny- now I remember another story.
A coworker had a pristine international scout. The thing worked perfectly. Wanting to keep it running, she took it to a mechanic, who suggested new spark plug wires. She agreed, and then the problems started. It ran rough. Later, it wouldn't run at all. Turns out the shop had put in wrong wires/and/or not inserted them all the way into the distributor cap, so the spark was having to jump, and that burnt up the ignition.

I spent a whole summer working on that car for her!!!!

[widebody911]

First thing to do is look for what the previous owner modified that screwed*** things up. Then, you will have found your solution.

git blame

[speeder]

Plenty of truth here. I remember once some very cranky old mechanic saying about some schit box, "this thing has been worked on by everybody and nobody good!"

I often remember that.

I specialize in restoring old stuff and I can't over emphasize how much value there is on originality, i.e. not having been "improved" by some jackwad over the years. People often wrongly disparage super low mileage vehicles and it's true that they often need a lot of attention but I'd rather have something built by Germans 40-50 years ago than "built" by some pissed-off moron in Arizona or Kansas any day of the week.

I was salivating over Grady's '68 911 and should have bought it for $80k or whatever it went for. Just to have that car that had only been touched by the factory and him...sigh.

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

It is always easier to do it right the first time , than to do it again. It seems as if I have to re- teach myself this lesson periodically .

My SC keeps teaching me this

[id10t]

One thing I learned while working on computer hardware, OS issues, and networking is to keep a log book.

When I started on doing some stuff on the 356 (electric contacts needed love, throw out bearing, generator) I started keeping a log book of what I had done, where what it looked like, etc (thank god for digital photos). Came in handy a few times.

The other thing I've learned from computing that applies very well to working on a 50+ year old car (and probably a much younger one as well) is the value of Good Documentation. And no, the factory isn't always the source of good docs, nor is a common publisher (I have a Haynes/Chilton type manual for "Porsche 356/912/911" that shows a radiator on 'em....). The older and more specialized you get, the more likely you'll find good/great documentation from the community - in the case of the 356, Harry Pellow's books, Joe Leoni's wiring diagrams, etc.

[sand_man]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

It is always easier to do it right the first time , than to do it again. It seems as if I have to re- teach myself this lesson periodically .

So true! There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but there is always enough time (and $$$) to do it over.

[WPOZZZ]

righty tighty lefty loosie unless working on Mopar wheels.

[sugarwood]

Originally Posted by RKDinOKC

When was a teenager was visiting a friend. He had some sort of socket set. Just messing around and yakking about something had picked up the socket wrench with a socket on it and started spinning it around. Low and behold the neighbor across the street's garage door started opening and closing.

We rode our bikes around the neighborhood and at least two houses on each block the ratcheting socket wrench would open and close the door.

That's the only tool trick I know besides getting the broken thing on the car to work.

Was anyone able to understand this?
He used to turn a socket wrench in the air and it would open garage doors?
Sounds like a serious LSD trip to me!

[sveiks]

Originally Posted by WPOZZZ

righty tighty lefty loosie unless working on Mopar wheels.

Exactly.....1966 dodge Polara station wagon.....

[LakeCleElum]

I started working in a service station garage 7 days a week at age 15.....If my boss said it once, he said it 1000 times; especially to my buddies that had no money:

THROW THE WHOLE GOD DAMMED Chit IN THE BAY AND START OVER......

[manbridge 74]

Definition of hack mechanic is --- anyone who has previously worked on what you are currently working on.

Attention to detail. EVERYTHING is important.

I like the above thoughts about originality too. Period mods are Ok. I'm sure Grady put a few personal touches on his 68'.

[manbridge 74]

On the wall at Singer......

[RANDY P]

most of the time butchery is in the interest of saving money. Duct tape VS. replacing the part in question. Some of the times is aftermarket trash people are conditioned to believe are better than OEM.

I see it like cleaning a wound, rip it all apart, start over, and only if it's manageable. I see any hack, I generally don't buy. Life's too short for that.

rjp

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by sugarwood

Was anyone able to understand this?
He used to turn a socket wrench in the air and it would open garage doors?
Sounds like a serious LSD trip to me!

The first color TV my dad bought used a remote that worked on sound.
When you clicked the channel button a hammer would strike a rod inside the remote and the sound it made would change the channel.
The volume button would also strike a different length rod and that would change the volume. Sounds ridiculous but it worked and the remote used no batteries.

Maybe garage door were the same at some point?

[Don Ro]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

The first color TV my dad bought used a remote that worked on sound.
When you clicked the channel button a hammer would strike a rod inside the remote and the sound it made would change the channel.
The volume button would also strike a different length rod and that would change the volume. Sounds ridiculous but it worked and the remote used no batteries.

Maybe garage door were the same at some point?

An ex g/f had a TV with this remote...it made clanky-springy sound.
Many moons ago.

[rusnak]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

If you are working outside, especially if it is freezing cold, put a pan of old, gunky oil under the area where you are working. If you drop a nut, socket - any small item - will inevitably land in the goop, instead of getting lost in the grass/gravel/mud, etc.

I've had to do quite a few repairs out in the field, in the dirt, cold, dark, etc. My rule is to never work in the dirt, cold, dark, etc if you don't have to. The reason is you want everything to be clean. You want to have good light, and you want to keep yourself as clean as possible too. If it's immobile, then I bring light, water, and a box of disposable towels to the repair site unless I'm deep in the field. I try to avoid those as much as possible.

[sc_rufctr]

Stupid little things by a PO

I took the door trim off my W140 to check a soft close issue... And guess what. No vapor barrier!
The door card has been softened & deformed by the moisture so I've had to buy a second hand door card from a breaking yard!

[shadowjack1]

Keep your work area clean.

[RF5BPilot]

I worked in a shop where the owner (and lead mechanic), when faced with trouble shooting, would spend the first 20 minutes "putting the car back into factory spec." So....checking to see the number of places in timing, carburetion, etc., that some mechanic felt he knew more than the factory and created his/her own specs for tuning. Seemed to work well for him (and also seemed to cure a number of issues that people hadn't even told him about yet....)