Tips and Tricks

Just thinking back to the old magazine days when they used to list "Tips and Tricks" for helpful solutions to for the ill tooled, emergency solutions, or that late night thrash when you need an solution to a problem to get this thing running. WARNING USE AT YOU OWN RISK NO GUARNTEES EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED!The list is for ideas the only person who can keep you safe is you, respect yourself accordingly. Please add to starting list.

Throw-out bearing / crank spacer removal  
Tools/items required(TIR)- solid rod matching the ID,a hammer, and grease
Fill the inside of the bearing or spacer with grease and place the bar bolt lifter etc into the ID and tap with the hammer.

Leaf spring /suspension bushing removal
TIR- 1-piece of threaded rod, large washer (same size as bushing or slightly smaller), flat bar bent in U shape(slightly longer than the bushing) with hole on the bottom of the U, 3-nuts
Cut the threaded rod short enough for access including removal, thread the rod through the bushing from the most accessable side and place the washer and 2-nuts on the least accessable side then lock the nuts together, on the accessable side place the 2-feet of the u-shaped flat bar on the frame then add the last nut. As you tighten the last nut the bushing will pull through into the U-shaped flat bar.

Rusted Bolt/stud removal
TIR- wd-40 ETC. candle, torch or lighter
Spray the bolt with penetrant let absorb, melt the candle onto the threads and let it cool the wax will wick into the threads and act as a lubricant and reduce friction and heat while removing. (good for old factory exhaust manifolds)

Makeshift Starter Button -bumping ignition
TIR - momentary-on switch, 2-alligator clips, 2-pcs wire, 2-terminal ends
Put 1-alligator clip, and 1-ring terminal on each end of the pieces of wire, screw the ring terminals on to the momentary-on switch, remove the start terminal from the solenoid, attach 1-alligator clip to the POS side and one to the "I" terminal of the solenoid, bump the ignition with the momentary on switch when it is safe to do so.

Tire infflation- Warning this is only if you are stuck in the dessert or the mountains and are fearing for your life, not recommended for other than survival!
TIR-Patch/plug kit, flamable aerosol (WD-40-Carb cleaner etc.) Long Stick or wooden matches
Patch the hole if required, spray the aerosol into the tire, from a SAFE place place the lit stick or through the wooden matches at the rim...and bang it may blow the tire off the truck but you are starving in the bush so it is worth a try...no cancel delete  

Real Winter car washing - lock maintenance
TIR-WD-40
Spray your locks with WD-40 prior to washing your vehicle in below zero temperatures, it will prevent them from freezing.

World's best penetrating lube is a 50/50 mix of ATF and acetone. Beats all others.

maverick wrote:World's best penetrating lube is a 50/50 mix of ATF and acetone.  Beats all others.

^^^^^ This! My uncle showed me this years ago. Works great!

maverick wrote:World's best penetrating lube is a 50/50 mix of ATF and acetone.  Beats all others.

Synthetic ATF...

With MEK works just as well as acetone.

I typed alot there ...some help you guys are

Winch tecniques for swampers
TIR- Your coat!
Through your coat over the winch cable(halfway), if it breaks it is more likely to hit the floor of the bush than it is to cut your azz in half.

Drilling holes in the block
TIR-Grease(Vaso works too) drill bit,tape(masking works)
When drilling holes in a sensitive area coat the drill bit with grease to catch the filings, and if you want a depth gauge wrap tape around the drill bit and when you reach the tape you are there.

Nos AN Fittings
TIR- cam lube (zinc kind), tape, hacksaw, teflon paste, wrenches.
If you do not have AN wrenches wrap your wrenches in duct tape, use cam lube to prevent galling of the taper on the AN fittings, use a paste for a thread sealer, NOT teflon tape as the teflon tape could ruin your solenoids if it gets into them, when cutting braid wrap the area you want to cut with tape and cut with a cut off saw/dremel/hacksaw.