Share your special trick thread.

[jaydee]

Well I thought it might be an idea to tell us about any special tricks you have for fixing something on a car.

This idea came about because I went with my brother to pick up a Mustang he just imported. It's the same as the Bullit Mustang, 390 fast back, but it had an after market 5 speed.
Anyway, the damned cluth had seized up, tried rocking it in gear to free it, no go.
Put it in 1st gear and turned over the motor getting it to jump forward, then the same in reverse again trying to get the seized clutch to break free, still no go.

So he got onto a tow truck driver he knew he picked it up and brought it home. The towy guy then shoved the garden hose into a small hole in the clutch housing with the engine running and filled it with water, let it drain off and repeated a couple of more times and hey presto, job done and drives like a charm, whale oil beef hooked.

[shedcoupe]

Well I find Cleveland plugs a bit of a hassle, so I drop the sump, let go the caps and big-end bolts, drop the crank and pull the rods and pistons, and reach up with a pair of long-noses or vicegrips and unscrew the buggers that way .....

Can't I take anything seriously ???

Sorry jaydee.

Hang on - what about the old get-the spigot bearing-out trick where you push grease into the spigot bearing (where the gearbox's input shaft enters the rear of the crank or flywheel), insert a suitable close-fitting dowel (or friction plate-aligning drift's nose), and give it a whack with a hammer so the grease pushes the bearing out.
Or is that an everyday practice now ?

Then there's the 'sealing the little radiator leak' trick by dumping a heap of pepper into it.

Come on fellas - bring on some real lateral thinking ....

[xtremerus]

Originally Posted by jaydee

Well I thought it might be an idea to tell us about any special tricks you have for fixing something on a car.

This idea came about because I went with my brother to pick up a Mustang he just imported. It's the same as the Bullit Mustang, 390 fast back, but it had an after market 5 speed.
Anyway, the damned cluth had seized up, tried rocking it in gear to free it, no go.
Put it in 1st gear and turned over the motor getting it to jump forward, then the same in reverse again trying to get the seized clutch to break free, still no go.

So he got onto a tow truck driver he knew he picked it up and brought it home. The towy guy then shoved the garden hose into a small hole in the clutch housing with the engine running and filled it with water, let it drain off and repeated a couple of more times and hey presto, job done and drives like a charm, whale oil beef hooked.

Stuck clutch plate? Start motor, feet on brake and clutch pedals, ram into 1st gear, BANG, clutch free.

[vibe_xr6]

removing valve spring retainers, get the socket on top of the valve spring and give it a good hit but keep pressure on the valve spring, make sure the heads of though lol

[jaydee]

Originally Posted by shedcoupe

Well I find Cleveland plugs a bit of a hassle, so I drop the sump, let go the caps and big-end bolts, drop the crank and pull the rods and pistons, and reach up with a pair of long-noses or vicegrips and unscrew the buggers that way ..

What, you mean thats not how it's done???

[jaydee]

Originally Posted by xtremerus

Stuck clutch plate? Start motor, feet on brake and clutch pedals, ram into 1st gear, BANG, clutch free.

Yep, tried that, but with a big 390 under the bonnet and only about 3 metres in front before I ran into another Mustang and about 3 metres behind with a pallet there I didnt have much room. I was pretty scared she'd fire right up and plough into the back of the Californian Special.

[spebgtsprint]

This is more a car detailing trick than mechanical tip, but have you ever noticed how faded/white the switches on E series become once exposed to the sunlight? (cruise controls/demister switches etc)

ATF - Auto trans fluid rubbed in a couple of times. Brings em up like new! (Armorall etc won't really cut it)

Cheers

Colin

[Simple6]

Originally Posted by spebgtsprint

This is more a car detailing trick than mechanical tip, but have you ever noticed how faded/white the switches on E series become once exposed to the sunlight? (cruise controls/demister switches etc)

ATF - Auto trans fluid rubbed in a couple of times. Brings em up like new! (Armorall etc won't really cut it)

Cheers

Colin

Baby Oil is what I always used.

[XDV800]

For all you regular mechanic types out there always fixing falcons, get a cheap **** single hex 13mm deep socket, grind down the outside of it till it fits into the void where the nuts on the plastic brake boosters live.

The amount of times that little socket has come to the rescue to install a new $40 booster diaphragm rather than fork $200+ for a whole booster.

[BigBlue]

Originally Posted by shedcoupe

Hang on - what about the old get-the spigot bearing-out trick where you push grease into the spigot bearing (where the gearbox's input shaft enters the rear of the crank or flywheel), insert a suitable close-fitting dowel (or friction plate-aligning drift's nose), and give it a whack with a hammer so the grease pushes the bearing out.
Or is that an everyday practice now ?

Not sure about everyday practice but I switched to wet newspaper years ago to do the same job.
Better than a face full of grease!

Peter.

[Powdered Toast Man]

Originally Posted by fowlerj

Baby Oil is what I always used.

I'm pretty sure he said switches, not knobs.

[2011G6E]

I seem to recall some early 2.6 liter Sigmas had a problem smoking...something to do with the rings being too "soft", and losing tension, glazing the bores and causing it to smoke a bit.

A popular trick at the time was, apparently, to take the air cleaner off, run the engine at high revs, and dribble a handful of Ajax powder down the carby...supposed to fix it or at least minimise the problem...

[mash again]

pushing old brake pistons from caliper, use another nipple in the hose banjo fitting, then get any old electric 12v car tyre pump put it on the fitting and bamo out it comes, wrap a rag around the caliper and hold it from the rear of the caliper unless u want dents in your shed, car friend, wife or whateveris in front of it when it comes out.

[Road Games]

For anybody who has rebuilt their front or rear end and wondered where everything goes back together once fixed/repaired/powdercoated/chromed ??

All part No's ending in an odd Number are the left hand side of the car ..
Even's are the right hand side .. cheers Daz.

[gossy]

Originally Posted by jaydee

whale oil beef hooked.

Classic

[Gomez]

Constantly changing brake light switches on your EF/EL??

Replace it with the el-cheapo one supplied by REPCO, not the OEM Ford one.

I changed six OEM ones in 140,000kms....the cheap REPCO one has lasted 50,000km so far!!

[Road Games]

Originally Posted by Gomez

Constantly changing brake light switches on your EF/EL??

Replace it with the el-cheapo one supplied by REPCO, not the OEM Ford one.

I changed six OEM ones in 140,000kms....the cheap REPCO one has lasted 50,000km so far!!

If i may ?
We had an EL back in 2004, the brake bulbs were blowing every week (or so i thought) some advice from here was it could be caused by the percussion of closing the boot....
I banned my wife from using the boot for a month and surprise surprise my brake bulbs lasted about 6 weeks till she slammed it again after doing the shopping...

Never changed the switch though ...

[JG65TE]

everyone probably already knows this one.......... If ya looking for tdc ignition stroke, pull number 1 plug and jam dunny paper in tight in the plug hole and bump the starter until the paper shoots out. You have just found it.

[Pedro]

My wife has a current model Mazda 3 and the whole of the dash area is some kind of crap plastic that attracts finger marks (children) like bees to a honey pot. Armourall is useless but "Mothers Leather Conditioner" works a treat - no more prints. I don't know if this works on Fords or other brands.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by XR6menace

If i may ?
We had an EL back in 2004, the brake bulbs were blowing every week (or so i thought) some advice from here was it could be caused by the percussion of closing the boot....
I banned my wife from using the boot for a month and surprise surprise my brake bulbs lasted about 6 weeks till she slammed it again after doing the shopping...

Never changed the switch though ...

If you're talking 2004, I think you mean EF
unless you're Doctor Who and travel in a blue box.....

[Simple6]

Originally Posted by jpd80

If you're talking 2004, I think you mean EF
unless you're Doctor Who and travel in a blue box.....

I think you're 10 years ahead of yourself - EF was released 1994 & EL was released 1997(or late '96?) - so it's very possible for him to have one in 2004 without needing to be Dr Who!

[JG65TE]

if ya havin hassles getting builtup grease and dirt etc off your vinyl and interior, try sugar soap in the squirty bottle. it cleans very well.

[MR.BA.GT.332]

everyone prob knows this one: but ever noticed when you polish your car with a cream based polish and when it dries you get white crusty bits around badges and little nooks and crannys? Use a toothbrush and gets it off easy

and other one i do when cleaning my car, to get the wheel archs looking nice and new and clean again, give them a good hit with a gerni, and then when i use armourall tyre foam on the tyres, i do all up under the guards too and all the dirt and muck runs straight off and makes em look brand new!!

also use the tyre foam in the engine bay and never had any issues and seems to help keep rubber hoses in good nick!

Another one i learnt from another AFF member: when flushing your radiator, drain your coolant, then get washing powder and make up a paste (use about 1 cup of washing powder) then pour the paste into your radiator and fill the system with fresh water and run for a day or 2, then drain again and repeat till system is all clean... dont be surprised if you have to do it a couple of times... works a treat!

[shedcoupe]

Originally Posted by JG65TE

everyone probably already knows this one.......... If ya looking for tdc ignition stroke, pull number 1 plug and jam dunny paper in tight in the plug hole and bump the starter until the paper shoots out. You have just found it.

Carefully placing a clean chopstick down the plug hole with the rocker cover off, watch the valves open and close as you turn it over by hand (not the starter motor !) and watch the chopstick rise or fall - then you can figure out when #1 is at TDC.
Alternatively, use the starter motor and shoot a chopstick through your eye or break it in the cylinder. Not.

[JG65TE]

along the lines of 460. I use harpic toilet cleaner to clean the radiator, dont use it on alloy headed or alloy radiators tho. cleans good as. Shed coupes way of tdc is pretty good too, but requires the rocker cover off. im way too lazy for that. dunny paper trick will do it first time everytime.

[XRGhia]

Originally Posted by fowlerj

I think you're 10 years ahead of yourself - EF was released 1994 & EL was released 1997(or late '96?) - so it's very possible for him to have one in 2004 without needing to be Dr Who!

Yeah, EF 1994-1996
EL Mid 1996-1998

[mrbaxr6t]

use butter NOT MARGARINE to remove road tar from your paintwork, best way is to park car in sun so the panel steel is warmed a little, rub some butter onto the tar, leave car in sun come back in 45 minutes and wash car as per usual routine tar will come off without rubbing your arm back to your elbow, if it doesn't all come off simply repeat the process until it does, this is harmless to your paintwork commercial "tar remover" products strip your paint, dont believe me use a white cloth and watch it turn the color of your car rapidly.

[shedcoupe]

Originally Posted by JG65TE

Shed coupes way of tdc is pretty good too, but requires the rocker cover off. im way too lazy for that. dunny paper trick will do it first time everytime.

JG65TE's way of finding TDC is much simpler than mine. D'oh.
Also - chopsticks are for rice-burners. Aussie cars can use wire (ie. pinch a coathanger from the missus and cut it up), just make sure to put a tight little loop in the end with a pair of long-nose pliers so that you don't scratch the bore if the wire gets stuck between the wall and the piston crown's edge. Wire also has the advantage of bending if it gets bound up as the piston rises, which a chopstick won't do.

That butter / tar trick sounds invaluable - I just don't bother to get the tar off the daily heap as it too hard.

I've done Japanese-car OHC upper / lower timing chains and have done a lot of swearing while I'm doing them due to general incompetence and inexperience.
Apparently the ones that can be got at from a port in the top of the front cover can be done by breaking the old chain, tying the new (broken) chain onto the old one and carefully rotating the crank / camshaft / other to pull the new one in, and then you re-pin the new chain (and check that the valve timing is right of course) but I'm not sure if this is a myth or not.

[galaxy xr8]

Originally Posted by mr_460bigblock

Another one i learnt from another AFF member: when flushing your radiator, drain your coolant, then get washing powder and make up a paste (use about 1 cup of washing powder) then pour the paste into your radiator and fill the system with fresh water and run for a day or 2, then drain again and repeat till system is all clean... dont be surprised if you have to do it a couple of times... works a treat!

It's Lectric soda crystals not washing machine powder.

[Road Games]

Originally Posted by galaxy xr8

It's Lectric soda crystals not washing machine powder.

I used washing powder when the rad / trans cooler split .....