Technical Little tips and tricks for garage hobbyists.

I was taught that a bolt or screw should have a couple thread out, on a blind hole best practice if at least 1 -1/2 diameter for depth, usually the bolt is of higher strength than the tapped material and more threads increase the clamping ability.
Dan

 

A bolt must at least fill the hole or mason bees will build a nest in it.

 

yes you did and its kinda fun to watch!!

 

I wanna add my 2 cents worth but I checked my change and I dont have a cent.

 

From the web,,,

 

I actually like the look of 2 threads peeking out of a nut

 

That's a standard rule of thumb where I work - no exceptions. I like the look too and it gives me more confidence on the joint.

 

Too old to be climbing in and out of a pick up bed but it needs a Por-15 bed liner? Make your daughter do it!

 

looks as if she is doing great work

 

I told her she will do the base coat when we paint it black next spring. Dad will handle the clear bit.

 

You should be very proud of her interest and effort.

 

I hope you are paying her at union scale, Dad!

 

While it's not something I can show pictures to illustrate; cell phone video can be handy.
I've set my phone up inside my car's trunk to check for latch location, taped it to a piece of cardboard and hung it in front of the radiator to verify hood latch engagement, set inside the glovebox to figure out why the latch wasn't working right, laid it on a creeper to watch drag link to pan clearance thru lock-to-lock travel, and a few others. I've either put light in with it or used the phone's light in closer confines.

 

I dont know if this is common knowledge, but i was surprised when some other people were surprised by it. A speedway vacuum port that was made of cheese, made a mess of some threads on a newly installed intake on an installed engine. I didnt want to have to pull the intake, so pipe tap, some real sticky grease and a 12point socket to hold the tap and non flexhead ratchet to make it a little rigid since my tap wrench that would fit a 3/8 npt tap wasnt going to fit in there. Coat the tap in grease, do a few turns, clean it off completely, coat it again, few more turns, and repeat. The chips get caught in the grease and nothing makes its way into the intake so i didnt have to remove it, regasket, reseal, etc. I've done it similar for spark plug holes, stuff at work, garage, and has saved alot of time and effort over the years. I used Lucas red n tacky because i already had it, but it works great for this scenario.
*Sorry didnt realize how big the pictures were

 

You can use an infrared bathroom heat lamp to cure the paint. Much more durable.

 

Why improvise; they made a tool just for heating paint. Father-in-law said it made that old enamel lay down like glass. Not sure what I'm going to do with the thing.

 

I cut the top off of a 2-liter soda bottle to heat rattle cans. Just fill with hot tap water and put paint can in, give it a few minutes and paint away.

Pretty much free and idiot-proof.

 

I recently used the phone to record bubbles in the brake fluid while reverse bleeding my brakes. I clamped the phone to a yardstick that reached from the core support to the cowl over the master cylinder. Worked great, showed me what I needed to see.

 

From the Web,,

 

When I worked in the body shop at our local Chevy Buick dealership as a young feller we didn't have the fancy paint heater. We used a single burner hot plate with the paint in a pan of water to keep from overheating it. Alkyd Enamel only, not very volatile.

 

I don't know why the paint heater suggestion reminded me of this but:

Any oily substance can be poured into a cylinder that's mid-stroke on compression and the spark plug reinstalled to lock up an engine so it doesn't spin when you're trying to R&R the crank pulley or flywheel.

This is particularly useful when trying to do a crank pulley in vehicle as you often can't get an impact in there without draining the cooling system.

If you have tools to lock the cam(s) you can also use it for timing belt replacements.

I've even used water in cases where I was 100% sure I'd be getting the car running again same day.

 

From the Web,,,

 

What keeps the whole works from sliding up on the red pole when pushing down on the handle?

 

@BJR I'd guess the leverage on the top pulling out and at the bottom pushing in causes the silver square to jam on the red upright. You could add a locking thread on the other side, but it would add a lot of extra steps to the process.

 

From,,,,you know

 

I am betting the back [ left here] side is like a bumper jack.

Ben

 

And what is that used for?

 

BJR, haven't you ever used a "chainsaw"?