Cheap Tricks

[RenoKeene]

Originally Posted by rpmerf

Great Thread! Wish I could remember something to contribute!

You just contributed...you brought it back to the top.
Thanks.

[rpmerf]

I do alot of electronics work, so there are a few simple tools I keep around.

Solder 2 wires onto a reverse light bulb(an LED and 670 ohm resistor works too), cover the bottom of the bulb in heat shrink tubing so it won't short if it touches something. Put a set of spade connectors on the ends. Made a bunch of different connectors to hook on the end, alligator clips are really useful. This is great because you can hook it up and muck around with things without having to hold a test light on something. with different connectors you can also connect it in line with something.

having a couple 2 foot long wires with alligator clips on both ends are useful also.

for cheap battery cable end, put a bit of copper pipe in a vice and drill a hole in it. I usually have a couple feet laying around that I can use.

NEVER underestimate having good grounds, especially in FI cars. I will run a couple extra 2 gauge cables between the battery block and body just to be sure.

[rpmerf]

get a paint sprayer and spray down the bottom of the truck with oil, trans fluid or hydrolic fluid. This helps get rid of squeeks, keeps everything lubed, and keeps the salt and grim off the bottom of your truck over the winter.

write the date on your oil filter, dist cap, any wear item

[rpmerf]

keep any jars for nuts and bolts. The giant pretzel jars are the best.

1/4" BBs make for great plugs for vac lines. Zip tie your vac lines on(very important in boosted applications)

buy CHEAP tools from the dollar store and harbor freight and leave them everywhere. its nice always having tools and not having to run around to find tools or leaving them somewhere. Keep the nice tools in the garage.

I collect rainwater from the garage into a 55 gal container. I wouldn't recommend it for drinking, but its great for washing your hands with if you dont have a water line in your garage.

speaking of water, filter the water in your house, you wouldn't believe the stuff those filters grab. Your tap water will be as good(if not better than) as store bought.

[JORGIE95961]

Use a piece of hose as a temporary grommet

pantyhose as an emergency fan belt

i whenever i have to remove my wheels i like to set them under my truck. Incase jack stands slip.. And keeps em outa the way.

Flip your air cleaner cover upside down an get just a tad more breathin'

2x4's in your rear coils will give you a quick lift if your draggin a#$
easy way to find exhaust leak: Ductape a leaf blower to your exhaust and squirt some soapy water on the usual suspects..

[xs-style]

Originally Posted by rpmerf

keep any jars for nuts and bolts. The giant pretzel jars are the best.

The best jars are plastic cookie jars. oreo cookie minis come in little plastic containers for a buck each at the dollar store. Eat the cookies while working, then store your bolts in it.

[RenoKeene]

I'd like to add to the storage jar thing...put you a 3/4" thick wood shelf about head height above your work bench and screw the jar lids to the bottom of it with 1/2" screws, then you have hanging clear containers up out of the way that you can see what's in em at a glance.
With a 2 foot deep shelf you can stagger 2 rows down thru there and store about all your fasteners. Easy to find what ya need and looks real cool too.
If you have done this post us a pic. Once you see this you'll have to have this setup!
I'm a renter so havn't done it....yet.
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[RenoKeene]

Originally Posted by rpmerf

I do alot of electronics work, so there are a few simple tools I keep around.

Solder 2 wires onto a reverse light bulb(an LED and 670 ohm resistor works too), cover the bottom of the bulb in heat shrink tubing so it won't short if it touches something. Put a set of spade connectors on the ends. Made a bunch of different connectors to hook on the end, alligator clips are really useful. This is great because you can hook it up and muck around with things without having to hold a test light on something. with different connectors you can also connect it in line with something.

having a couple 2 foot long wires with alligator clips on both ends are useful also.

for cheap battery cable end, put a bit of copper pipe in a vice and drill a hole in it. I usually have a couple feet laying around that I can use.

NEVER underestimate having good grounds, especially in FI cars. I will run a couple extra 2 gauge cables between the battery block and body just to be sure.

Everything you can post about elecTRICK is super valuable to me. Thank you very much!
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[RenoKeene]

Originally Posted by JORGIE95961

Use a piece of hose as a temporary grommet

pantyhose as an emergency fan belt

i whenever i have to remove my wheels i like to set them under my truck. Incase jack stands slip.. And keeps em outa the way.

Flip your air cleaner cover upside down an get just a tad more breathin'

2x4's in your rear coils will give you a quick lift if your draggin a#$
easy way to find exhaust leak: Ductape a leaf blower to your exhaust and squirt some soapy water on the usual suspects..

Jorgie, you are one smart dude...got any more wisdom you can share? I'm writing this stuff down as fast as I can!
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[flashed]

WOW ,this post is my new favorite so keep them coming .Later Im going to print these handy tips and put them in a folder and keep them in my shop for future reference as I need them. When my truck comes home someday in the future I may even have a copy in the glove box.

[RenoKeene]

Hey flashed, you have already taught me a thing or two...could you teach me how to print this stuff out? My hands are beatup pretty bad, even missing a piece of my right one (and I'm right handed..of course) and tryin to write all this down hurts. Typing on this crackberry is crazy hard but some things are worth the pain. This thread is worth it for sure!
Any help would help...I think we are all brothers on here.
Brad
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[chevy_man5]

Easiest way I can think of to print these out would be to open a blank word document (or other text program), highlight and copy the hints, paste them on the word document, then print it out. You can just keep adding to the list.

[flashed]

I just hit print on the computer screen and print the entire post of pages ,takes a while but worth it.

[Dub_X]

I don't know if this has been posted yet, but electrolysis was a major help when redoing the front suspension in my '88 and everything was rusted from the a-arms to the t-bars. Now, this takes a few days, but believe me it works. You can look it up and do it however you want to, but the way I do it, is with either a plastic tote or a 55-gallon drum barrel, fill with water, stick some rebar in there, wrap each rebar in copper wire, connecting them together, and make sure you have a battery charger, baking soda, and steel wire or small chain in handy.

M'kay, rebar should be about 4" taller than what you're using [in my case it was a 55 gallon barrel, so, tall as hell]. Pour about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of baking soda [I use arm & hammer], mix it until the baking soda dissolves. Clean the tops of the rebar, easiest with just a wire wheel. Wrap the copper around EACH rebar, about an inch or 2, maybe 3 above the water, then whatever you're cleaning suspend it from bar to bar with a small chain or steel wire. Take the battery charger, attach the negative clamp to whatever you're cleaning, and the positive clamp to the copper wire wrapped around the rebar. Once the battery charger goes on, the rust will slowly go away. This may take from a few hours, to a few days, but it works! It's cheap, and I think easy.

[dmartin1]

WOW i never knew about that rebar rust trick! thats awesome! i wonder if you could hook a chain from it to the entire truck lmao

[rpmerf]

I've never used electrolysis for cleaning parts...just creating hydrogen and making pure rust for thermite

[Dub_X]

When I redid the front suspension in my truck, I did that to clean my a-arms, my torsion bars, hell even the cams on the t-bars. Lol, it works pretty damn good.

[NONHOG]

Mix Drano or Red Devil Lye drain cleaner with hot water for a pretty decent paint remover.

Bubble wrap and blu tape makes for a good fender cover. My old store bought cover always ended up getting dirty and scratching the paint it was suppose to protect.

[RenoKeene]

Thanks dub_x, that's huge!
Nonhog...I love bubble wrap, never thought of that though, thanks.

Easy-Off oven cleaner works real good on tough greasy parts..wear rubber gloves and don't breath it!
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[Chris4x4Gill2]

Storage tip: for those large oddball shaped tools that dont come with a storage case, things like circular saws, sawzalls, etc., an old filing cabinet is great to put them in. Works great for any large bulky item.

I got mine for $5 when they were cleaning them out here at work. They come up on CL from time to time as well. They are made to be stuffed full of paper so the rollers/slides are pretty heavy duty.

[Chris4x4Gill2]

one most people probably already know, to close off a hose that you have taken off of something, a bolt inserted into the end and hose clamp or zip tie makes a great stopper.

[RenoKeene]

Hey Chris...thanks for the file cabinet idea, I've got 2 just sitting there doing nothing...not for long though.
I think I'll label the drawers "Junk" to confuse thieves.

[Dub_X]

Originally Posted by Chris4x4Gill2

one most people probably already know, to close off a hose that you have taken off of something, a bolt inserted into the end and hose clamp or zip tie makes a great stopper.

Lol, my cousin did something like that...last year he rolled his '94 Chevy 3500, not completely so it didn't destroy the truck, but it tore an AC hose, so he plugged the hose at the AC condensor with a bolt. LOL

[Chris4x4Gill2]

Originally Posted by Dub_X

Lol, my cousin did something like that...last year he rolled his '94 Chevy 3500, not completely so it didn't destroy the truck, but it tore an AC hose, so he plugged the hose at the AC condensor with a bolt. LOL

Necessity is a good incentive to get creative.

One of my most used items in the shop is my "tool cart" I found an old kitchen island at a yard sale. It came on castors so it rolls anywhere its needed, has two shelves for holding parts or tools, and the top is wood so its a non-marring for working on "nice" stuff i dont want to scratch. Best part, one side is perforated like pegboard so hooks for holding more stuff attach easily.

The REALLY BEST part..it was free!

[Dub_X]

Lol nice!