Let me know what everyone thinks, but I have been reading posts and every one has found inexpensive ways of doing things. E.g. Lady Rob using oven cleaner for plastic parts cleaning. I watch power block every saturday and they show trick ways of doing things or changing the purpose of a tool so we do not have to buy more (use the $ for more parts). Problem is I can't remember them. I there a way to add tips and tricks section for reference so other members can share with the site. The "Gears" tv show with Stacy David has a section, but would be nice to have our own Olds section. I know there are a lot of tip out there ready to be shared. What do you think?

 

The credit for oven cleaner on plastic parts goes to Yellowstatue who recommended it. It also makes a good paint stripper!
He also suggested when using combo wrenches, hooking another open end wrench into the boxed end of the one you are using to get much more leverage!

Wire clothes hangers are great for painting smaller parts - just hang and spray, and hang out of the way to dry!

Cheapo 5/8" flat washers (with a cutout made to it) make upper control arm bushing removal a cinch!

Plastic pipe fittings make lower control arm bushing replacement less painful, as well.

Sockets make good bearing drivers - lots of sizes to choose from, too!

C-clamps work great as small presses. I used one to crimp the metal top rail teeth into some new door panels.

 

Free frozen bolts with candle wax.

Heat the area with a torch and take an unscented taper candle (dollar store) and place it on the heated area. The candle wax will work its way in to all areas.

Beats cutting out rusted hardware.

This was from an isue of Hot Rod magaazine from the early 1990's!

 

Gee, you had me going with the title of the thread. I agree that it's not always easy to find an 'inexpensive' and 'practical' way to do repairs economically. Mother and necessity isn't always the best inventor either because some of the things I've heard of are downright unsafe.

For the most part, if you use the search feature of this site and use a keyword or phrase it will kick up related threads that give some good advice. I wish there was a section like you describe too, because as I get older I tend to remember more selectively, but not completey. Did I mention that getting older makes it hard to remember things accurately from time to time?

I'll have to check out Gearz; I loved watching that show until our cable package 'excluded it'. They did have some awesome tips, and I loved seeing what home projects were featured at the end of the show. Only things about Gearz that bugged me a litte. I like Stacey David, but he has waaaay too much space to work with, power lifts, seemingly unlimited budget, too many nice tools that are always handy, + everything he does fits together like it should. That's just not how the real world lives IMO.

 

subscribing. This thread could get very helpful, very fast.

 

-To paint corners or small areas with a rattle can, grab the old cardboard roll from a used up roll of toilet paper. Spray through it to keep the spray from the can more tight and focused.
-A couple tablespoons of ground pepper can help temporarily plug a pinhole leak in a radiator or hose and get you home.
-A bar of soap works as a decent air freshener. It is not overpowering like some at the auto parts stores. Just tear the end off of the paper wrapping. When it loses its kick peel some of the paper back and do so as needed.

More to come as They come to mind.

 

Clothes dryer sheets suppose to repell rodents, if nothing else keeps your car interior and underhood springtime fresh!

Other threads here(and elsewhere) about using vinegar as a rust remover.
It works!

Keep that old skateboard handy in the shop. Great large item mover that steers easily.

Old baseball bat makes a good alternate body hammer. Cut in half (or so) drill in the appropriate spot and insert bottom into the top.

 

just as nonhog said about the vinegar and rust.

it works great. It takes awhile but if you are not in hurry.

I soaked the bottom of a fender in it for 5 days. it took all the rust off
and the paint. I also put a rusted to he$% bracket in there. The rust came
right off with a garden hose. It looked like it just came out of the blaster.
You should rinse it with something like baking soda to neutralize the acid
in the vinegar. I am going to build a bigger tank to get a complete fender or door in.

 

When trying to put a nut on a bolt in a tight spot (i.e. thru frame bumper bolts) we grease up a socket to hold the nut in the socket. The grease also lets you
stick the washer to the front of the nut.

When sorting thru that big can of bolts/nuts looking for one dump them on a towel. When you find the one you want it's easy to put the rest back in the can by using the towel to funnel them back in.

If you are like me and use jack stands paint the spots where the stands touch the frame to give you a reference point. The next time you just have to line up the stands with the marks which is a little quicker.

 

These are great ideas. Just read about using vinegar - that is a cheap way of doing it. After you soak it the dip it in a mixture of baking soda and water and rinse with water. how long can use reuse the vinegar???? Just make a soaking tub and cover when not using?? Keep the ideas coming.

 

Set your own front wheel toe alignment using scraps of angle aluminum, thick adhesive rubber pads, little bungee cords, two tape measures and some bricks...
My cost was nothing.
You make two of these contraptions and hook the tape measures to the opposite angle piece. Got me within 1/16".

 

Most all I've done left the vinegar pretty nasty. I toss it. A layer of crust formed after soaking my cyl. heads. Its cheap.

 

Vinegar also works great to clean oxidized carburetors, though it will remove any remaining anodized coating.

 

When reinstalling your engine, use a large adjustable wrench on the cheery picker wheels for the needed percise adjustments to line up engine with transmixer.

 

Just a while ago I was letting some parts soak in solvent to help clean up the grease. I used an old tupperware container and had to fill it up to the top so that the parts were completely submerged. I put the container with solvent and parts in a zip lock bag.

It was great because the bag helped control the fumes from the solvent, and when I was done I just let the solvent spill into the bag and took everything out. The used solvent was still good so I held a corner of the bag up to the original container and cut a small hole in the bag to pour it back in. I would only do this once per bag since the solvent tends to eat up the plastic.

An alternate to the vinegar trick is a mixture of molasses and water (one part molasses to 9 parts water). It's something I've seen but not tried. See the link here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZCFcxf5IBw where this guy uses molasses to get the rust off of complete body panels. Not sure how cheap it would be on a large scale, but interesting anyway.

 

Tin foil, have a roll in the shop for super quick masking.

 

A screwdrive can work as a stethiscope., place the metal end on the area that concerns you and place your ear on the plastic end. 3/8 fuel hose works on rod bolts to prevent scraping the rod journals. Left over paint cups can be re used just let the paint dry and now u have a place to put and bolts into. Strip caulking on the end of a socket will keep the bolt or nut in the socket if you dont have magenetized sockets. Old cotton t shirts work better than microfibers and alot easier on newer paint. If you break your paint sticks i half you have double the amount you can use.

 

yeah, this would be a good category by itself! Gotta try the vinegar trick! It does a good job cleaning out my beer tap as well!

 

35mm film cans with 2" long wood screws driven into the side make handy paint dippers. Great for POR15.
Rinsed out yogurt cups work great to hold smaller amounts of paint for just the current job.
Just chunk them when done!

 

put a deep socket on an extension and slip the socket over your ratchet handle to get more leverage.

 

Whenever doing a budget for a project, take your end result and X2, that will usually be your actual final cost after your while I'm in here's!!!

 

Well just finished watching "Power Block" on Spike TV and saw a great idea on using a strong magnet on a bolt in a difficult area to get the threads started. I can use that at work also.

 

About 8 - 10" of hose pushed on the end of a spark plug makes them easier to start in the head.
Swearing at inanimate objects seams to help, but lining 2 holes up with a small phillips screwdriver works better!
When jacking your car, lower control arms and rear shock mounts are immediate for one wheel! No suspension travel!
A small shot of WD, PB, or even a smudge of wheel bearing grease helps keep wheel studs rust-free, and helps against cross-threading!
Moving blankets keep the cold in the floor, not in your body, and are not as hard!
Your current floor mats on the ground will help your knees when trying to get under the dashboard!

 

If you have a wobbly/weak universal adaptor for your ratchet, use electrical tape around it to stiffen it up.
Cut about a 5x8 hole in the side of an antifreeze jug to make a quick disposable drain pan.
Junk yards are a great place to get a large supply of free fuses/lightbulbs/relays etc...
Large pieces of cardboard make great temporary creepers.

I lost a U joint cap once & a 5/8" or so socket with some duct tape got me home.
A pair of panty hose makes a decent substitute for a broken V belt.
If you need to paint a small spring, stretch it between 2 dry wall screws installed in a piece of 2x4.

 

Strong Magnets also work great on small metal trays to hold your loose parts when disassembling things. Put the magnet under the tray, small parts will stay inside and not fall out. + you can attach the tray to the car when needed! Store on the side of your tool box!

 

One of my favorite cheap tricks...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyW1p7SpYW8&NR=1

 

Great idea! I wish I woulda known this long ago!!

 

we are forgetting the best trick of all. trading labor for parts. I just picked up a mallory digital ignition and lakewood traction bars for my olds . All i had to do was tune my friends el camino .

 

OMG! That is so cool. Love the outfits too! Ah yes, back in the days when I had hair to spare

 

If you have to polish a rusty shaft, use a strip of emory cloth, and lots of w-d 40. Keep the cloth wet with it, and it will not load up. It'll look like it came out of a grinder. Also, if you have a shaft that is boogered up, and you don't have a file ( or lathe) handy, take a pair of channel locks with good sharp jaw teeth, and let it drag over the lumps and bumps. It will cut them down back to a round surface. It's rough, but it will serve to get you by until you can fix it right.

 

These are great tricks - any new ones out there?

 

Weld a medium sized length of steel pipe to an extra crank pulley for a harmonic balancer bolt tool.

A nut pick makes a decent cotter pin puller in spots where a 90 degree bend will not fit.

Use an extra top box to separate and hold all your different bolt thread sizes.

threaded rod and big washers make a good bushing press.

Bicycle wheel bearings will work in in a pinch if you lose your transmission check *****.

Fireplace ashes are free oil dry.

Lap joint band clamps are 10 times better at patching exhaust than soup cans, crappy flex pipe, or u bolt clamps.

Cutting the top off of plastic bottles gets you an instant funnel.

intake or exhaust manifolds make great wheel chocks.

Throw away the bolts in your kit, & Use anti seize and stainless hardware on shocks so they won't have to be cut later on.

 

Building a 68 shifter hump because I was too cheap to spend $100 for a used one:

 

Poke bolts into cardboard boxes to store, organize, and paint them!

Clothes hangers and wire are great for hanging parts for painting and letting them dry.

Before heading to the automotive paint supplier for small amounts of paint for small items, first check out the rattle can selection at your local hardware / paint stores. Rustoleum appliance epoxy, color "biscuit" = '72 Olds Cameo White! A stock "grey-white" powdercoat also = Cameo White!

Old gasoline not worthy for engine use (that still looks and smells like gasoline) works great for reusing as parts cleaners. I hear diesel fuel degreases well, too.

The toaster oven works for drying small parts after a water-wash to prevent rust. (Do not let the wife see...) Bigger parts can be quickly dried with your leaf blower outside.

WD-40 works as an "in-a-pinch" starting fluid.

Vices make good presses for small items.

Magnets work great at identifying good stainless steel from poor quality, or fake (misrepresented) SS.

 

A short length of garden hose works for locating which lifter is tapping or where a noise is coming from.By holding one end to your ear and moving the other end.When the hose is directly over the area it's pretty clear where it's coming from........You might want to do this when that neighbor who already thinks your not quiet right isn't around.

A shoe box or heavy paper grocery bag makes a great gasket.Coat the area with grease or oil lay the"gasket material"on to the greased area press and lift cut out the pattern.Use a spent riffle shell casing to punch out holes.


When I was younger,"not gonna say how long ago that was"a soup can and 2 large hose clamps on your rusted through exhaust pipe would get you through inspection,good for another 6 months.

railguy

 

Good job looks great,only one thing would make it perfect.Did you get the steel from a 55 gal drum. (:
railguy

 

Making your own whitewall tires out of tires you already own.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkcm3rh60p0

 

Use tire scraps to make jack cushions, rag joint donuts, or exhaust pipe hangers.

 

A short piece of foam pipe insulation on the "tooth" of my 69 hood has prevented a few headaches when working on the motor. Figured it out after a "that's going to leave a mark" moment....

 

The other day was changing all four tires on my widow neighbor's little rice truck that had been sitting up for 2 years. Bolts sorta' tight for this "older" guy. Using my "X" tire tool, couldn't budge them. Added about 18" of steel fence pipe on the opposite side of the one on the acorn nut, and popped right loose!

Once the oil filter hits the block, only hand tighten it 3/4 turn after that. Much easier to get off next time, and keeps gasket from distorting and causing oil leaks.

Love the vinegar for rust removal. Gonna' have to try that one. Vinegar's cheap, too!