Post a tip for other DIY shiters

[Richard]

Amazon Wish List is good for that.

[djimbob]

Nothing particularly new in this, but all the professionals do it, apply heat to hard to remove nuts, works every time - how you do it is up to you - ranging from welding kit to blow lamps.

 

However, beware of setting other parts of your vehicle on fire, so be very careful and keep fire fighting kit nearby just in case

[Parky]

Using copper grease on bolts and spark plugs will ensure that when someone on here buys your car in ten years time, you won't be called every name under the sun when they try and dismantle part of your ex motor.

[sierraman]

Using copper grease on bolts and spark plugs will ensure that when someone on here buys your car in ten years time, you won't be called every name under the sun when they try and dismantle part of your ex motor.

Depends. You shouldn't use copper grease on something torque critical like say wheel nuts. The copper ease will increase slip by probably 20%. So you could end up potentially overtightning. Similarly technically you mustn't use it on ABS equipped cars on the brake pads, use the right stuff. Can't say I've ever had a problem with it in that respect, whoever did must have caked it on.

 

You shouldn't need it either on spark plugs, a bit of light oil should do the trick then actually tighten the plugs properly and replace them on time. Doing it that way they won't seize in place.

[Parky]

I had read that about wheel nuts but I have never had an issue. Admittedly I tend to do them up a little more than the suggested as a safety margin (65nm instead of 60nm for example). Have never had a wheel nut come loose or seize since using it.

 

Similar to you I have never had an issue with ABS brake pads either, like you say whoever said that must have put it on with a trowel.

 

And again you shouldn't need it on spark plugs but think how many Endura owners have wished the previous owner had wiped the threads with something when the plugs were changed previously? Possibly not a problem if they have been changed on time but as we all know the service histories on our cars can sometimes be best described as "patchy" or "what's servicing?"

 

Take the point about torque critical though as you are right there

[matty879]

Use impact sockets on EVERY nut or bolt, even when not using a impact gun, can't remember the last time I rounded anything off using this method.

or at least a 6 sided socket,12 point in my view are ok once the nuts cracked off,unless its a renault,i was taught when i worked in a motorcycle shop in my yoof always 6 point.

[matty879]

I had read that about wheel nuts but I have never had an issue. Admittedly I tend to do them up a little more than the suggested as a safety margin (65nm instead of 60nm for example). Have never had a wheel nut come loose or seize since using it.

 

Similar to you I have never had an issue with ABS brake pads either, like you say whoever said that must have put it on with a trowel.

 

And again you shouldn't need it on spark plugs but think how many Endura owners have wished the previous owner had wiped the threads with something when the plugs were changed previously? Possibly not a problem if they have been changed on time but as we all know the service histories on our cars can sometimes be best described as "patchy" or "what's servicing?"

 

Take the point about torque critical though as you are right there

ive heard of of plugs snapping off,its never happened on me,and i never torque them up,my local garage does copper grease them though,as they do always feel tight.theres usually a pool of oil in each plug recess which would lube the thread anyway when removed from the cork rocker gasket leaking

[PhillipM]

The trouble with wheel nuts and copper grease is that the torque spec is for a brand spanking new car out of the factory, with spotless new threads and sparkling nuts all with just the light lubricant from the plating on them.
 So yes, in that case, using copper grease can increase the torque too far.*

 However, 20 year old rusty shit with nuts that now look like they held the anchor on the titanic and threads that have been on and off 96 bazillion times won't be going to spec anyway, so in that case a bit of antisieze will generally stop the two picking up on oxidation/damaged plating and give you a more reliable torque reading, not less.

I always use anti-sieze, even on the racers. Galled wheelnuts in the middle of a forest 5 miles from service are not a good experience.


(although if you buy GOOD antisieze, not ALDI specialbuy, it will have a controlled friction level to reduce effects on torque settings - I have some Belzona I've been using for years I got when a local steel firm changed hands and had a clear our - one is a normal copper/graphite which is specced at 0.08u and needs a bit less torque, one is nickel-moly with 0.2u that's designed for using at standard torque settings).

[robinmasters]

Learn to control your temper. Seized nuts do not generally respond well to anger. They shear. Patience, penetrating oil, heat. In that order. 

 

Oh, and a fucking big breaker bar. For some reason a lot torque applied using a big lever seems to break less stuff than the same amount of torque applied with a small ratchet handle. I suspect it's due to the torque being applied progressively with a big lever, rather than violently and suddenly.

 

I might have posted this before, but mole grips. Buy some every time you're in the tool shop. It seems like a simple tool with limited applications, but it's like having extra hands. 

[Laseraligningfoofooflanges]

I feel daft writing this due to the limited automotive applications.. But sticky nuts and bolts that wont run all the way down the thread, Grab the fuckers and whack the nut an the wall/floor or put it on the ground and hit the flat.

 

Frees off the shite and scale on the threads, Handy for when you havent got a wire brush.

 

Also it sounds daft but i like to give bolts a wiggle as i put them in to get the thread sitting right, Its hard to explain and i must sound mental.

 

As above theres a lot to said for giving a stubborn nut a good clobbering on the flats. Some really cunty ones can even be knocked round with a repeated battering

 

And another which might sound like common sense.. On jubilee clips you cant see or get at readily use the appropriate socket or a jubilee spanner, It saves you chewing up the nut on the jubilee and if using a ratchet is a damn sight quicker.

[Junkman]

Don't use silicone sealant or other purpose made rubbish to glue gaskets into place.

 

Use this instead:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/COLLE-Multi-Usage-50-g-PATTEX-/142138339921

[steveo3002]

The trouble with wheel nuts and copper grease is that the torque spec is for a brand spanking new car out of the factory, with spotless new threads and sparkling nuts all with just the light lubricant from the plating on them.

 So yes, in that case, using copper grease can increase the torque too far.*

 

 However, 20 year old rusty shit with nuts that now look like they held the anchor on the titanic and threads that have been on and off 96 bazillion times won't be going to spec anyway, so in that case a bit of antisieze will generally stop the two picking up on oxidation/damaged plating and give you a more reliable torque reading, not less.

 

I always use anti-sieze, even on the racers. Galled wheelnuts in the middle of a forest 5 miles from service are not a good experience.

 

 

(although if you buy GOOD antisieze, not ALDI specialbuy, it will have a controlled friction level to reduce effects on torque settings - I have some Belzona I've been using for years I got when a local steel firm changed hands and had a clear our - one is a normal copper/graphite which is specced at 0.08u and needs a bit less torque, one is nickel-moly with 0.2u that's designed for using at standard torque settings).

good point there , always makes me laugh the experts asking for the torque figures for a coolant tank bracket thats 25 years old rusty and seven coats of hammerite.....the figures are for brand new mint stuff !!!

 

my tip dont paint hub faces where the wheels bolt up , or pulleys etc , it'l go loose /fall off when the paint heats up/wears off  

[Sir Snipes]

An Impact gun will free-off something a BFO bar might snap. Hammer action mo-fos!

[steveo3002]

Don't use silicone sealant or other purpose made rubbish to glue gaskets into place.

 

Use this instead:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/COLLE-Multi-Usage-50-g-PATTEX-/142138339921

whats that then ?

[lisbon_road]

I use copper slip but always a tiny tiny amount.  Have seen pictures where people have absolutely dipped bolts and pads in it.  No way.

 

I also advocate just undoing slightly things like bleed nipples when you have access to a caliper, such as when changing a wheel.  So undo the bleed nipple just very slightly and then tighten it.  That way when you need to, it will come undone.

 

Not saying I always remember mind.

[Richard]

If you do snap off a bleed nipple it's usually possible to bleed through the brake pipe or hose connection. This might involve taking the caliper off and holding it upside down, but it gets the job done.

[Mr A Lawrence]

[anonymous user]

Do not go on eBay when under the influence

[PhillipM]

I'm not sure what Junkman linked to but I don't use silicone for gaskets other than for poorly fitting surfaces - everything else I use anaerobic Surface Seal for, you can get it from 3M, Norfest, QH, etc - basically it's a thickened gel Loctite so it only sets on the mating metal surfaces and any excess in the inside is oil soluble so it just washes away - no risk of silicone bits floating around inside!

It also sets in about 10-15 minutes so it's usable almost straight after you've assembled something. And it can be used on toleranced/machined mating surfaces (gearboxes, crank ladders, etc) without screwing the tolerances as there's no fillers in it.

[overrun]

An Impact gun will free-off something a BFO bar might snap. Hammer action mo-fos!

 

The amount of loose paint/rust/shit they shake off whilst doing it is also impressive!

 

Bought myself a 7pc long ring spanner set.

[alf892]

If you think a bleed nipple might snap just strip the calliper/cylinder and warm it up. It will then undo.......loads quicker and cheaper than dealing with a broken one. It does require an amount of Zen thinking though if you are to avoid that ' ah...here it goes...oh fuck' moment.

 

Nipping a caliper off and the piston/seal out will add 20 mins to the job. It also allows you clean the bit just to the outside of the seal that makes caliper seize.

[barefoot]

When the high level brake light on your Jaguar falls off and lies on the rear shelf, and you have a look at it and see that it's clearly been stuck back on a few times because it's a shit bit of design with just two sticky pads. Buy a third sticky pad and stick a Nescafe coffee jar lid onto the bottom of the light unit, this will provide just enough support to make it stick back on properly. It's also practically invisible to the naked eye - you've got to know that it's there to see it.

[DSdriver]

peage (tolls on French autoroutes) are a great way of getting rid of all your euroshrapnel coins on the way home - and pissing off the queue behind you

[brickwall]

Nothing wrong with orange swarfega - does a great job.

 

What I have found though is that if you pump out a big amount, it works badly - very few granules in it. If you pump out a small bit, for whatever reason, a decent amount of granules comes out in the liquid and then it works very well and shifts everything.

 

I think a bloke I know thought I was being tight when I told him this lol... but it really is true.

 

Smells nice too.

 

Can I also recommend Workzone heavy duty hand wipes. Cheap and they do work - no smell either.

[PhilA]

Learn to control your temper. Seized nuts do not generally respond well to anger. They shear. Patience, penetrating oil, heat. In that order. 

 

Oh, and a fucking big breaker bar. For some reason a lot torque applied using a big lever seems to break less stuff than the same amount of torque applied with a small ratchet handle. I suspect it's due to the torque being applied progressively with a big lever, rather than violently and suddenly.

 

I might have posted this before, but mole grips. Buy some every time you're in the tool shop. It seems like a simple tool with limited applications, but it's like having extra hands.

 

My grandfather said that, when he was working boilers in the shipyard. A long row of bolts to undo, 5 days to undo them. He said the other guys would strain at the burned rusty things, he would apply oil to them all then go home, come back the next day, add more, go home.. Foreman cared not, you were only fired if you didn't do the task by the end date- if you didnt turn up he didn't care until then.. Next day more oil and work the loose ones. Repeat and the amount of exertion required and broken studs much reduced.

 

Also, long tools you generally have enough leverage to hold at right angles to the piece being undone, extra sideways forces added to the torque will shear a bolt more often.

 

Here is my hint on that topic- if you can, apply a couple to the tool you are uaing to undo. That is, an equal force on the opposite side of the fulcrum. You will find it much easier to undo the object.

 

You can try it.. Try opening a tight tap on a sink pushing on just one arm of the tap. They were made so you can put another finger on the opposite side to make it much easier to move. Also the reason to but a good cross-brace for your wheel nuts.

 

Phil

[Bren]

Setting up a csi style tent over your vehicle when spannering prevents half wits coming over to and enquring if you would be willing go service their car for the generous price of £20.

 

Also, dont drink in boozers with flat roofs.

[forddeliveryboy]

Hitting seized things often helps, even just to calm you down a bit. But you need a hammer of roughtly the right weight and something to transfer the shock to the right place without deforming anything.

 

Take Citroën spheres - sometimes, if they've been on at the back for years and years the steel and alloy have seemingly welded together, despite the presence of LHM all those years ago. Trying to undo can snap chain wrenches and threaten to tear the cylinder mountings away. Trick is to find a piece of aluminium tube (mine's about 3 inches diameter), squash one end to a point and locate this on the alloy cylinder where the threads are. Then a couple of sharp raps to the other end with a hammer. Always works, unless some gorilla tightened them so much they've all but stretched the threads.

[sierraman]

My local has a flat roof?? What's the significance of a asphalt roof?

[Junkman]

whats that then ?

 

Better.

[Stevebrookman]

I don't care if it's been posted before but after my trip out today-don't believe a word a  seller says.

 

Stecve