Cheap Tricks
 

I wanted to start a thread about things we have learned that make working on our stuff easier. Tricks that cost little or nothing and save time, money and agravation. Most of these things are only learned thru experience or shared info (my buddy showed me this..). I think this will really help the younger folks and first timers the most. Mechanics and builders please share some of your tricks. Here is an example:

Sock Tech....Don't throw away your old white socks. I was saving mine for rags and found a couple more things they can be used for. I was nervous about scratching my white ceramic coated headers on re-assemby so I cut the tops off at the ankle, cut em from top to bottom and wrapped em around the header tubes and used masking tape to hold em in place. I then used the bottoms to protect my NOS sport mirrors. Check out the pics..

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Spiders!
If you live in the country and leave your gloves in the shop like I do before you put your hand in there throw em on the floor and heal stomp em good. This will kill anything that crawled in there. Only takes a second and could save you some real trouble (I've got Black Widows and Brown Recluse where I live).

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You pickin on me?
I couldn't get my Phillips screw driver to bite on the back 2 screws of my HEI, they sit down in recessed holes that collect water, dirt etc. and had corroded. I whipped out my trusty Ice Pick I bought at a thrift store for 50 cents and dug the crap out of the slots in the top of the screws. No problem, sure beat trying to drill the heads off!

Try to get one like this with a sheath, might save ya from poking a hole in your hand, keeps the point sharp too.

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I've got a few.
1. Wrap black tape around the knuckle joint on your socket set. That way it's not floppy anymore.
2. Hard to get a bolt threaded into a nut in a spot you can't reach into. Put some grease on the nut and put it in the box end of a wrench. The grease holds it into the box end.
3. Want to lube something with oil but don't want to slime everything else around it. Get a piece of wire and dribble the oil on one end and the oil will run right down the wire to where you want it to go.
4. Got a bolt that's loose and won't tighten up. Get some fine copper wire and thread the end in with the bolt. The wire will wind around and take up the slack.
5. With a fresh motor always start it up with just water in it. If you have a leak the water cleans up better than an anti-freeze leak.
6. Got a phillips screw you can't budge. Put some lapping compound in the cross. Gives more grip.
7. Always carry all your tools and spare parts with you. That way you'll never need them. You'll never have a problem on the road.
8. One more. Always carry a spare module in your glovebox if you have a HEI. Someday you'll need it.

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Thats good stuff right there....I only knew 3 out of the 8. Already smarter than I was yesterday.
Here's another one:
Yardstick, comes in handy measuring things like fenderwell height from the ground. Used mine yesterday to see if my new 36" Cherry Bombs were going to hit the trans crossmember, also works for a pretty good straight edge, and laying out sheetmetal patterns. They used to be free for the asking at the hardware store but I paid 25 cents for mine at a yard sale.

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If you need to touch up your engine paint and dont want to take everything apart take aluminum foil and wrap anything you dont want painted and paint away.

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Here's one I got from my Grandfather...
Glass Baby Food jars...nail the lids to the underside of a wooden shelf, take the labels off and screw the jar up. Real easy to see what's in them at a glance. Works with mason jars too.

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Never thought of that one either...thanks.

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Used dryer sheets for fiberglas work

forget special curvy wrenches use a cheapo and a torch

old vacuum cord and small white extension cords maye great multi socket extention cords.

Dim lights in your garage.. Clear cristmas lights seem to help a little

nail heads as filler to weld up trim holes

soak your small rusty parts in vinegar , take s a couple days

use a belt to remove oil filters

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"nail heads as filler to weld up trim holes"

Priceless info here!

I keep a couple clear plastic milk jugs around, take one to the boneyard with ya along with a $1 bar of Lava so you can wash your hands before you get back in the truck.
If you cut one in half right below the handle and turn it over it makes a pretty good funnel...with a handle on it even. Put the cap back on when your done and it won't drip fluid everywhere.

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Some cool stuff.

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If you need to add gear oil to your rear end and just need a little use a cheap plastic turkey baster (looks like an oversized medicine dropper) ,works good for filling up a convertible top motor on classic cars such as my wifes 72 Malibu convertible .And they can be had for about .25 each shortly after Thanksgiving so I stocked up.

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I also used a turkey baster for bleeding brakes by myself. Squeeze the ball, snap it on the bleeder head, loosen the bleeder and let go of the ball. It creates a vacuum and sucks the fluid up into it. This really does work, I used it on the race car all the time. Look around until you find the right size and like flashed said they are super cheap so you can by 10 for under $3. Brake fluid eats em up after a while so just throw em away and get another one!

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Baby stroller tool cart.Found this one at the side of the road where someone put it out for the garbage man. This thing is great, holds lots of tools, rolls in any direction, has locking wheels so it won't roll down the driveway, easy to push over gravel, sand, etc. so I wheel it out to my parts truck with no problem, saves running back and forth for tools. It also folds up almost flat so you can take it with you to help your buddy work on his stuff...and it was FREE.

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Take teflon tape and put it on your header bolts, that go into the heads. This simple little trick was in one of those 101 things for you to do to save you pain things in Hot Rod Magazine many years ago. I have been using this for years and believe it or not, the trick works. The bolts will not back out or come loose. I wrap the bolts just like you would a pipe fitting and screw them into the head. The teflon does not burn and the bolts come out when you want them to. Many miles and litle or no problems on many header setups!

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use the old brake fluid for gravy ,its easier to use a snapple bottle and hose ,one man operation

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Good ideas/info here!

My biggest simple tip is labeling bolts/screws in bags when you take them off the truck....and if you want to paint them before re-installing, stick them through a piece of cardboard and only the heads will be painted.

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Lots of good ideas Im going to steal ,good thread .

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I save the spray heads off of rattle cans of parts cleaner, glass cleaner, etc. The stuff that doesn't clog up and re-use them on cans of paint that do. That way I'm not throwing half full paint cans away.
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That's a lot better than the baster!
Thanks Willie
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Spark plug starter--short piece of vacumn hose over tip-for us big handed guys
Bell housing bolt wont go in? small drop of super glue on screwdriver tip to bolt head-once inserted -just pry slightly and its loose-old Hot Rod Mag tricks....jim

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drill bit stop. cut apiece of rubber hose a little shorter than the drill bit length. Keeps from going in to far

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Very, very smart, simple and cheap. Thanks.
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If you need to clamp something soft like vinyl or cloth on a door panel but need something strong enough to hold without scarring the material old fashioned clothes pins made of wood work great and they are dirt cheap.

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Another of my cheap tricks is to use store brand baby oil on my vinyl seats ,dashpad ,armrests and even my door weatherstrip gaskets to keep them looking good .It only takes a little on a dry cloth to make or keep it looking new.