On Thu, 01 Jan 2015 21:21:40 -0500, wrote:

On Thu, 01 Jan 2015 17:13:04 -0800, Oren wrote:

On Thu, 01 Jan 2015 19:57:39 -0500, wrote:

On a Chevy, 307 engine, I had to loosen a motor mount on one side,
jack the engine up a bit just to get one spark plug out/in. PITA.
What kind if Chevy? A Monza is the only Chevy I've ever had to loosen
a mount on, and I've been wrenching sing 1968. Unless you had a
really ****ty set of headers on it or were changing the plugs with a
monkey wrench.


IIRC a '68 Impala? Many years ago. I may be wrong on the model and
year but I took the motor mount nut off the frame and then lifted the
engine with a floor jack a bit - not damaging the oil pan.

Easy greasy
well, there is enough space under the hood of a '68 impalla to camp
in it, and nothing in the way of removing the plugs - they stick
basically straight out about 8 inches from the upper control arms,
between the 3 "horns" of the manifold. They have heat sheilds that can
bark your knuckles if you are not carefull, and the motor mount bolt
goes through the mount front to back.

I doubt from your description you ever changed the plugs on a Chevy V8

I forget. Maybe it was a '67 Chevy 307 engine. Point being -
installing one plug was difficult. ****ed me off! I did lift the
engine a tad from the frame and motor mount. I still prefer my Fords.

You can doubt me all you like - no worry. My oldest Chevy was a '36
pick-up truck.

On Thu, 01 Jan 2015 20:02:52 -0800, Oren wrote:

On Thu, 01 Jan 2015 21:21:40 -0500, wrote:

On Thu, 01 Jan 2015 17:13:04 -0800, Oren wrote:

On Thu, 01 Jan 2015 19:57:39 -0500, wrote:

On a Chevy, 307 engine, I had to loosen a motor mount on one side,
jack the engine up a bit just to get one spark plug out/in. PITA.
What kind if Chevy? A Monza is the only Chevy I've ever had to loosen
a mount on, and I've been wrenching sing 1968. Unless you had a
really ****ty set of headers on it or were changing the plugs with a
monkey wrench.


IIRC a '68 Impala? Many years ago. I may be wrong on the model and
year but I took the motor mount nut off the frame and then lifted the
engine with a floor jack a bit - not damaging the oil pan.

Easy greasy
well, there is enough space under the hood of a '68 impalla to camp
in it, and nothing in the way of removing the plugs - they stick
basically straight out about 8 inches from the upper control arms,
between the 3 "horns" of the manifold. They have heat sheilds that can
bark your knuckles if you are not carefull, and the motor mount bolt
goes through the mount front to back.

I doubt from your description you ever changed the plugs on a Chevy V8

I forget. Maybe it was a '67 Chevy 307 engine. Point being -
installing one plug was difficult. ****ed me off! I did lift the
engine a tad from the frame and motor mount. I still prefer my Fords.

You can doubt me all you like - no worry. My oldest Chevy was a '36
pick-up truck.
You are just pulling it out your rear as ALL Chevy small block V8s
from 1955 on to the early 80s were virtually the same.
Some of the easiest engines/cars to work on ever made _ EXCEPT when
they stuffed the 265 into the Vega/Monza body.

And my oldest Chevy was a 28 National sedan - Also had a 35 Master
sedan. And a 67 Chevy Nova sedan. Also drove a 63 Impala SS for
several months.

I also prefer my Fords. Currently own 1996 and 2002. Have only owned 4
fords previous to these 3

On Thursday, January 1, 2015 11:52:49 PM UTC-5, wrote:
You are just pulling it out your rear as ALL Chevy small block V8s
from 1955 on to the early 80s were virtually the same.
Some of the easiest engines/cars to work on ever made _ EXCEPT when
they stuffed the 265 into the Vega/Monza body.

I have a Chevy Lumina. You have to loosen the motor mounts and tip the engine forward to get anywhere near the plugs on the back side.

On Thu, 1 Jan 2015 21:20:42 -0800 (PST), TimR
wrote:

On Thursday, January 1, 2015 11:52:49 PM UTC-5, wrote:
You are just pulling it out your rear as ALL Chevy small block V8s
from 1955 on to the early 80s were virtually the same.
Some of the easiest engines/cars to work on ever made _ EXCEPT when
they stuffed the 265 into the Vega/Monza body.

I have a Chevy Lumina. You have to loosen the motor mounts and tip the engine forward to get anywhere near the plugs on the back side.

Only the dogbones, and I think you can put it in gear to move the
engine. Only changed the plugs on mine once, so don't quite remember.
Think I could get at the back plugs of the 2.8 in my Celebrity without
disconnecting the dogbone. Needed to use a u-joint on my extension.
Should have disconnected the dogbone, but didn't know that then.
Got a 2003 Impala now with a 3.4, and expect it'll be the same as the
Lumina.
Never had any issues changing plugs on my RWD cars, but transverse GM
engines are packed in tight.

On Thu, 1 Jan 2015 21:20:42 -0800 (PST), TimR
wrote:

On Thursday, January 1, 2015 11:52:49 PM UTC-5, wrote:
You are just pulling it out your rear as ALL Chevy small block V8s
from 1955 on to the early 80s were virtually the same.
Some of the easiest engines/cars to work on ever made _ EXCEPT when
they stuffed the 265 into the Vega/Monza body.

I have a Chevy Lumina. You have to loosen the motor mounts and tip the engine forward to get anywhere near the plugs on the back side.
Yup - but that's not a small block V8. Common problem on front drive
transverse applications. That said, it IS possible to change the plugs
an a 3100 without unbolting the mount if you remove the coil oplacks
and have the right tools - you WILL lose some skin!!!

On Thu, 01 Jan 2015 23:52:35 -0500, wrote:

You are just pulling it out your rear as ALL Chevy small block V8s
from 1955 on to the early 80s were virtually the same.

Call it what you like Clare. I'm not trying to convince you, just that
_once_ I had to loosen a mount to get a plug in (307). Maybe it was a
fluke, I don't know. Maybe I needed a different socket. I spent
plenty of time trying to get the one plug started to not avail. It
****ed me off so I jacked the engine ~ inch for some clearance. It
was the ONLY time I ever had to do that.

On Fri, 02 Jan 2015 10:44:22 -0800, Oren wrote:

On Thu, 01 Jan 2015 23:52:35 -0500, wrote:

You are just pulling it out your rear as ALL Chevy small block V8s
from 1955 on to the early 80s were virtually the same.

Call it what you like Clare. I'm not trying to convince you, just that
_once_ I had to loosen a mount to get a plug in (307). Maybe it was a
fluke, I don't know. Maybe I needed a different socket. I spent
plenty of time trying to get the one plug started to not avail. It
****ed me off so I jacked the engine ~ inch for some clearance. It
was the ONLY time I ever had to do that.
OK, you were putting the plug IN. I'll share a secret. Get yourself
a piece of vacuum hose about 8 inches long and put it in your tool
box. When you need to install a plug, put the hose on the end of the
plug and use it to guide the plug into the hole and spin it to start
it in the thread. You will never crossthread another plug, and it will
save your knuckles and a lot of swearing - plus save you resorting to
removing engine mounts.
Your problem wasn't access, it was alighnment.

I use the same trick for removing plugs in tight quarters. Get the
wrench on and break tt loose, then get the hose on and you don't have
to reach the plug or swing the ratchet in an almost impossible spot.

On Fri, 02 Jan 2015 17:09:03 -0500, wrote:

OK, you were putting the plug IN. I'll share a secret. Get yourself
a piece of vacuum hose about 8 inches long and put it in your tool
box. When you need to install a plug, put the hose on the end of the
plug and use it to guide the plug into the hole and spin it to start
it in the thread. You will never crossthread another plug, and it will
save your knuckles and a lot of swearing - plus save you resorting to
removing engine mounts.
Your problem wasn't access, it was alighnment.

I use the same trick for removing plugs in tight quarters. Get the
wrench on and break tt loose, then get the hose on and you don't have
to reach the plug or swing the ratchet in an almost impossible spot.

Nice tip. Thanks. In the case I mentioned I only loosened one mount
to lift the engine on one side...did not remove it but got some
clearance to get the plug started. Worked for me when I was 17 with
many fewer tools.

I love it when people share "secret" nuggets to solve problems.

Got any for window regulator motors so I don't rip the hide off my
arms in a door panel - where I can't see? G

On Fri, 02 Jan 2015 14:46:59 -0800, Oren wrote:

On Fri, 02 Jan 2015 17:09:03 -0500, wrote:

OK, you were putting the plug IN. I'll share a secret. Get yourself
a piece of vacuum hose about 8 inches long and put it in your tool
box. When you need to install a plug, put the hose on the end of the
plug and use it to guide the plug into the hole and spin it to start
it in the thread. You will never crossthread another plug, and it will
save your knuckles and a lot of swearing - plus save you resorting to
removing engine mounts.
Your problem wasn't access, it was alighnment.

I use the same trick for removing plugs in tight quarters. Get the
wrench on and break tt loose, then get the hose on and you don't have
to reach the plug or swing the ratchet in an almost impossible spot.

Nice tip. Thanks. In the case I mentioned I only loosened one mount
to lift the engine on one side...did not remove it but got some
clearance to get the plug started. Worked for me when I was 17 with
many fewer tools.

I love it when people share "secret" nuggets to solve problems.

Got any for window regulator motors so I don't rip the hide off my
arms in a door panel - where I can't see? G
What make and model??

When I was young, in my first job, and trying to learn how to do my own auto repairs because I couldn't afford to pay somebody, I had a strategy.

It turned out the best garage in town was the dealer, and they were also the highest priced. But they had more business than they knew what to do with, and didn't much care about mine. So I would get them to diagnose the problem and sell me the parts. They made money on the parts, I'm sure they had plenty of markup in there, but my labor was free, they didn't usually charge shop time for a quick look, and their diagnosis and advice was a heck of a lot better than mine.

On Fri, 02 Jan 2015 23:28:30 -0500, wrote:

I love it when people share "secret" nuggets to solve problems.

Got any for window regulator motors so I don't rip the hide off my
arms in a door panel - where I can't see? G
What make and model??

'94 Ford Bronco. I repaired one motor by replacing the nylon 'nubs'
and used white lithium grease. Had to drill out rivets and replace
them with nuts and bolts. PITA to use a ratchet on the inside of the
interior door panel. I did by HF Thumbwheel Ratchets for the next
motor fix, but I lost some hide and blood on the first repair

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-piece-thumbwheel-ratchet-set-94011.html

https://tinyurl.com/on9bgpq

On Sat, 03 Jan 2015 15:27:56 -0800, Oren wrote:

On Fri, 02 Jan 2015 23:28:30 -0500, wrote:

I love it when people share "secret" nuggets to solve problems.

Got any for window regulator motors so I don't rip the hide off my
arms in a door panel - where I can't see? G
What make and model??

'94 Ford Bronco. I repaired one motor by replacing the nylon 'nubs'
and used white lithium grease. Had to drill out rivets and replace
them with nuts and bolts. PITA to use a ratchet on the inside of the
interior door panel. I did by HF Thumbwheel Ratchets for the next
motor fix, but I lost some hide and blood on the first repair

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-piece-thumbwheel-ratchet-set-94011.html

https://tinyurl.com/on9bgpq


You just have to RIVET the darn things back in!
There are "rivets" made that have a pin in them that you drive in to
expand them that work pretty good if you don't have a heavy enough
rivet puller.

notbob posted for all of us...



On 2014-12-28, Tekkie® wrote:

NAPA usually has better grade equipment.

No longer.

I've shopped NAPA for over 40 yrs. Once an industry leader, now
they're jes another crappy cheapo auto parts chain. All their tools
are made in China, along with most everything else. You can't even
buy windsheild wiper blade refills, anymore. Gotta buy the entire
wiper blade assy. NAPA=CRAPA!

nb

Probably true. Nothing good ever seems to stay the same. It's been many
years when I was in the business and they were the go to people. Another one
bites the dust?

--
Tekkie

posted for all of us...



On Mon, 29 Dec 2014 08:54:08 -0800, "Pico Rico"
wrote:


"notbob" wrote in message
...
On 2014-12-28, Tekkie® wrote:

NAPA usually has better grade equipment.

No longer.

I've shopped NAPA for over 40 yrs. Once an industry leader, now
they're jes another crappy cheapo auto parts chain. All their tools
are made in China, along with most everything else. You can't even
buy windsheild wiper blade refills, anymore. Gotta buy the entire
wiper blade assy. NAPA=CRAPA!

nb

what auto supply store meets the grade these days?

Well, I'm finding I can often buy OEM from the dealer for the same
price or less than I'd pay for the crap at Napa or Parts Source or Car
Quest - so I usually go to the dealer to start with.

I find this to be true also. The dealers realize they have to be competitive

--
Tekkie

On Thursday, December 25, 2014 8:09:59 AM UTC-5, wrote:
I got a flat the other day and I carry a 4way wrench in my vehicle.
Although I greased all my lugnuts during the summer, for some reason it
seems that as soon as it gets cold outdoors, the damn lugnuts dont want
to come off.

Not only dont those 4way wrenches always seem too sloppy on the nut, but
they bend. And it seems that because they flex and bend, they lack the
power needed to bust loose a stubborn nut.

I tried everything to loosen them. I even carry a piece of pipe, and
slipped that over the end of the wrench, and could not loosen even one
of them.

I finally called a friend who has a lot of tools, and asked him to bring
a breaker bar and socket. With his breaker bar/socket, I was able to
get some torque. I still had to use my pipe on a few of them, but they
came loose. With that 4way, I could not budge them at all, and I was
probably applying more pressure.

I guess the solution is to just buy another breaker bar, and socket to
fit, and leave those in the vehicle all the time, along with my pipe.
But before I do, I just wanted to ask if there is some lugnut wrench
made, that actually does the job, without flexing and bending? It dont
need to be a 4way!

Thanks

I think you nailed it.

I picked up a GearWrench 24" breaker bar from Advance a while back because they had a deal where if you bought the 24" you got a shorter one free - and my main 1/2" drive breaker bar was an old 18" long Williams one, figured the 24" would come in handy for those extra special jobs. Get you a good quality 3" or so extension and a 6 point deep socket to fit et voila.

Alternately, the heavy duty Ken-Tool 4-ways seem to be good, but I've migrated away from them as the socket ends seem to be bigger in OD than a 6 point socket and modern cars seem to have the lugs sunk into holes in the wheels.

Finally, what is the vehicle? Does it use those infernal stainless capped lug nuts? I got a whole nother rant on those pieces of excrement. Long story short, if you have them, I would replace with chromed steel ones toot sweet, and if any of the caps "spin" report back and I'll walk you through "peeling" them with a sacrificial screwdriver so you don't have to torch 'em off.

nate

posted for all of us...


gradually return to normal. Replacing regulators never completely
resolved it. Extremely scary at night when one is afraid the headlamps
are going to burn out and leave you in the total darkness...

It was a regulator problem and every Mopar mechanic knew to replace
the standard regulator with either the "heavy duty" or the electronic
replacement.,
The original was the Echlin/Napa VR32 style, while the heavy duty was
the VR34, or the externally adjustable Heavy Duty VR35


Ah yes I remember those numbers.

I liked NAPA ignition parts back then because they still used the brass
terminals in the distributer cap and the points and caps would never be a
problem. IIRC correctly there was a co named Standard whose parts weren't
too bad.

Hey Claire was the Champion plugs stock # RJ 45 for most Chrysler's?

--
Tekkie

posted for all of us...



On Tue, 30 Dec 2014 10:42:38 -0600, Vic Smith
wrote:

On Tue, 30 Dec 2014 10:02:39 -0500, "Mayayana"
wrote:

| For the comment on dealer-priced OEM parts -- I've never found any such
| pricing to be even _close_ to being true...OEM parts are, ime,
| exorbitantly priced at dealerships.

For what it's worth....
I know that Toyota parts have always included the
mechanic's markup of 66% when buying directly, which
I find very sleazy. (If a mechanic pays $60 they add
$40 as a hidden labor cost. Toyota would charge me
$100 if I buy directly from them.)

I don't know if all dealers are like that. I thought it
was a relatively new trick. But I learned something
else recently: I've often gone to AutoZone in the past.
There are several near me. But last year I went there
for a muffler/tailpipe assembly for my pickup. There
was a problem with it so I took it back. In the meantime
I'd bought the exact same thing at a local, independent
parts store. The indy store charged me about $80.
AutoZone had charged me about $150. Both were the
same after-market brand! So it seems that AutoZone
is charging dealer prices for after-market parts. That
possibility had never occurred to me. I'd just assumed
they were the cheap option.


Always check a couple places for part prices. Hell I've bought O2
sensors from Amazon for 1/3 the price at O'Reillys (now Murrays.)
$42 vs $150.
As far as dealership OEM, very seldom can they match a parts place.
Though I did buy a intake manifold gasket set at a Chevy dealer that
was only 10 bucks more than the aftermarket equivalent.
Even "body parts" like power window motor assemblies are much cheaper
on the net when you can find them.
The "on the net" guy has a lot less overhead - half the time he
doesn't even have or own the part you buy from him untill you buy it -
and he never sees the part - it is drop shipped from a warehouse
somewhere. Half the time the real good deals, price-whise, are
close-outs - stuff that came off the shelf of some business that
closed down because they could not compete - and often because nobody
would buy product from them the second time due to bad quality and
poor service provided trying to cut costs so they could always sell at
the lowest price.

That's what happened with the first two sets of bearings I bought
on-line - and even the set I eventually got from Rock were obviously
returns or retail shelf items because the one box had been opened and
the packaging and instruction papers were missing - the hub had worn
through the cardboard box in shipping and it was totally covered in
fine cardboard dust stuck to the preservative grease because the
sealed plastic bag it had originally been packaged in was also
missing.

"You want first quality oats you have to be willing to pay first
quality price. If you are willing to settle for oats that have already
been through the horse, they come a bit cheaper"

I had an earlier post that I sent too quickly...

Also the fit of the part will be correct while after market can be pure
crap. Especially body parts.

--
Tekkie

posted for all of us...



On Tue, 30 Dec 2014 10:02:39 -0500, "Mayayana"
wrote:

| For the comment on dealer-priced OEM parts -- I've never found any such
| pricing to be even _close_ to being true...OEM parts are, ime,
| exorbitantly priced at dealerships.

For what it's worth....
I know that Toyota parts have always included the
mechanic's markup of 66% when buying directly, which
I find very sleazy. (If a mechanic pays $60 they add
$40 as a hidden labor cost. Toyota would charge me
$100 if I buy directly from them.)


Then you've got a sleazy Toyota dealer.
Most dealers charge labour "by the book" and sell their parts at or
below MSRP. You cannot buy parts directly from Toyota USA or Toyota
Canada.
I say at or below MSRP because if you have a good relationship with
your counterman (and the dealer as a whole) they will often sell you
parts at a discount, like they sell to independent garages.

I know. I was a Toyota dealer service manager for 10 years.
I don't know if all dealers are like that. I thought it
was a relatively new trick. But I learned something
else recently: I've often gone to AutoZone in the past.
There are several near me. But last year I went there
for a muffler/tailpipe assembly for my pickup. There
was a problem with it so I took it back. In the meantime
I'd bought the exact same thing at a local, independent
parts store. The indy store charged me about $80.
AutoZone had charged me about $150. Both were the
same after-market brand! So it seems that AutoZone
is charging dealer prices for after-market parts. That
possibility had never occurred to me. I'd just assumed
they were the cheap option.

Just like ASS U MEing you always get a good deal at Walmart or Costco.
Or any other "big box discounter"
They have to pay for their expensive advertizing some way- - - .


I agree with this. Most dealers offer discounts. I don't know Toyotas
pricing structure but they have to stay in business too. Every business buys
wholesale and sells "retail"

Also the Toyota dealer I go to doesn't charge for small **** like r&r
refills, bulbs, etc. Then again I throw them the money maker jobs and they
even discount my labor rate.

--
Tekkie

notbob posted for all of us...



On 2014-12-30, dpb wrote:

anyway, altho do have a couple S-K and Proto sets that came from there
50 yr or so ago.

You jes named the last two remaining USA based hand tool mfrs.
Believe me, that's not what NAPA is carrying, now.

nb

Both owned by Stanleyworks located outside the USA. I don't know about Snap-
On anymore.

--
Tekkie

posted for all of us...



On 30 Dec 2014 17:19:27 GMT, notbob wrote:

On 2014-12-30, dpb wrote:

anyway, altho do have a couple S-K and Proto sets that came from there
50 yr or so ago.

You jes named the last two remaining USA based hand tool mfrs.
Believe me, that's not what NAPA is carrying, now.

nb
I just bought a 11/2" taiwanese clone of the SK ball-head swivel
ratchet today at Princess Auto for $40.I paid about half that for the
original 3/8" SK back in 1969 or 1970 - when I was working for about
$2 an hour.
The Taiwanese tools are much better than the mainland Chines stuff and
this one appears to be as well made as the original S-K which has
served me very well for over 40 years.
Do S-K and Proto still actually produce their tools in the USA???

One source of S-K, Proto, Blackhawk, Bonney(?) tools is Graingers.

--
Tekkie

On Sat, 03 Jan 2015 21:01:00 -0500, wrote:

On Sat, 03 Jan 2015 15:27:56 -0800, Oren wrote:

On Fri, 02 Jan 2015 23:28:30 -0500, wrote:

I love it when people share "secret" nuggets to solve problems.

Got any for window regulator motors so I don't rip the hide off my
arms in a door panel - where I can't see? G
What make and model??

'94 Ford Bronco. I repaired one motor by replacing the nylon 'nubs'
and used white lithium grease. Had to drill out rivets and replace
them with nuts and bolts. PITA to use a ratchet on the inside of the
interior door panel. I did by HF Thumbwheel Ratchets for the next
motor fix, but I lost some hide and blood on the first repair

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-piece-thumbwheel-ratchet-set-94011.html

https://tinyurl.com/on9bgpq


You just have to RIVET the darn things back in!
There are "rivets" made that have a pin in them that you drive in to
expand them that work pretty good if you don't have a heavy enough
rivet puller.

The one single rivet wasn't the real problem. I 'doubled nuttered" a
small bolt with a star washer to replace the rivet. Holds up very
well. Two dimples in the interior door panel had to be drilled out to
1/2" to allow access to the bolt mounts for the regulator motor, as
did the one rivet having to be drilled. The hide removal and blood
letting is trying to mount the motor on the regulator inside the panel
when you have to "feel" your way and can't see what is going on.
Trying to get the motor gear line up. Now days they sure make it
difficult on a DIY type person. The back window motor is the same, for
the most part. PITA. I bought the thumb rackets after the first fix.
Still have two motors to fix sigh
--
Somtimes you just have a bad day at the dungeon

On Sun, 4 Jan 2015 15:47:42 -0500, Tekkie® wrote:

Probably true. Nothing good ever seems to stay the same. It's been many
years when I was in the business and they were the go to people. Another one
bites the dust?

I never realized (or checked) for a NAPA store in my city. Of all the
auto part stores around, none had the 'correct' +/- battery cables
for my truck. NAPA has exactly what I need. I was about to build my
own but the cable terminal crimper is expensive so NAPA is the got-to-
place in this case.

On Sunday, January 4, 2015 4:34:09 PM UTC-5, Tekkie® wrote:
notbob posted for all of us...



On 2014-12-30, dpb wrote:

anyway, altho do have a couple S-K and Proto sets that came from there
50 yr or so ago.

You jes named the last two remaining USA based hand tool mfrs.
Believe me, that's not what NAPA is carrying, now.

nb

Both owned by Stanleyworks located outside the USA. I don't know about Snap-
On anymore.

--
Tekkie

Snap-On is still USA made. Blue Point may or may not be depending on the tool.

SK is still USA

Proto I believe is mostly USA

Williams (now "Williams/Snap-On Industrial") varies. Have to check COO on their web site.

not sure if any other tool lines are all USA made or are easy to verify.

I wish my local NAPA carried SK and Proto! SK seems to be mail order only now after they lost a lot of dealers a few years back when they went under, but the new Ideal-owned SK tools appear to be just as good as the old ones you remember.

For sockets today I'd probably buy SK
for combination wrenches the new WrightGrips seem to be just as good as Snap-On Flank Drive Plus for a lot less money, and those two are a cut above everything else if you ever see yourself in a spot where you need to use an open end on something old and rusty. Otherwise I like my old SK SuperKromes.

On Sunday, January 4, 2015 4:37:40 PM UTC-5, Tekkie® wrote:
posted for all of us...



On 30 Dec 2014 17:19:27 GMT, notbob wrote:

On 2014-12-30, dpb wrote:

anyway, altho do have a couple S-K and Proto sets that came from there
50 yr or so ago.

You jes named the last two remaining USA based hand tool mfrs.
Believe me, that's not what NAPA is carrying, now.

nb
I just bought a 11/2" taiwanese clone of the SK ball-head swivel
ratchet today at Princess Auto for $40.I paid about half that for the
original 3/8" SK back in 1969 or 1970 - when I was working for about
$2 an hour.
The Taiwanese tools are much better than the mainland Chines stuff and
this one appears to be as well made as the original S-K which has
served me very well for over 40 years.
Do S-K and Proto still actually produce their tools in the USA???

One source of S-K, Proto, Blackhawk, Bonney(?) tools is Graingers.

--
Tekkie

SK stuff is way cheaper through Epstein's or Tooltopia.

nate

On Sun, 4 Jan 2015 12:58:19 -0800 (PST), N8N wrote:

Finally, what is the vehicle? Does it use those infernal stainless
capped lug nuts? I got a whole nother rant on those pieces of excrement.

I already said it's a 95 Chevy pickup. Standard rims. The lugnuts have
plastic caps that look like chrome lugnuts. I removed those worthless
things when I got the truck.

On Sunday, January 4, 2015 6:29:24 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Sun, 4 Jan 2015 12:58:19 -0800 (PST), N8N wrote:

Finally, what is the vehicle? Does it use those infernal stainless
capped lug nuts? I got a whole nother rant on those pieces of excrement.

I already said it's a 95 Chevy pickup. Standard rims. The lugnuts have
plastic caps that look like chrome lugnuts. I removed those worthless
things when I got the truck.

Ah, OK so they're the open ended ones with the little threaded bits on them.

If there's a standard chromed steel "acorn" style lug nut that will fit, I would replace all with those (but for a different reason - open end ones when not covered may allow corrosion to form between the stud and nut)

Really, chromed steel acorn lug nuts IMHO are what should be used on just about every street driven vehicle...

nate

On Sun, 04 Jan 2015 13:42:44 -0800, Oren wrote:

On Sat, 03 Jan 2015 21:01:00 -0500, wrote:

On Sat, 03 Jan 2015 15:27:56 -0800, Oren wrote:

On Fri, 02 Jan 2015 23:28:30 -0500, wrote:

I love it when people share "secret" nuggets to solve problems.

Got any for window regulator motors so I don't rip the hide off my
arms in a door panel - where I can't see? G
What make and model??

'94 Ford Bronco. I repaired one motor by replacing the nylon 'nubs'
and used white lithium grease. Had to drill out rivets and replace
them with nuts and bolts. PITA to use a ratchet on the inside of the
interior door panel. I did by HF Thumbwheel Ratchets for the next
motor fix, but I lost some hide and blood on the first repair

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-piece-thumbwheel-ratchet-set-94011.html

https://tinyurl.com/on9bgpq


You just have to RIVET the darn things back in!
There are "rivets" made that have a pin in them that you drive in to
expand them that work pretty good if you don't have a heavy enough
rivet puller.

The one single rivet wasn't the real problem. I 'doubled nuttered" a
small bolt with a star washer to replace the rivet. Holds up very
well. Two dimples in the interior door panel had to be drilled out to
1/2" to allow access to the bolt mounts for the regulator motor, as
did the one rivet having to be drilled. The hide removal and blood
letting is trying to mount the motor on the regulator inside the panel
when you have to "feel" your way and can't see what is going on.
Trying to get the motor gear line up. Now days they sure make it
difficult on a DIY type person. The back window motor is the same, for
the most part. PITA. I bought the thumb rackets after the first fix.
Still have two motors to fix sigh
Would sure help if they used better punch presses when they punch the
holes out of the sheet metal. Sometimes I think the auto companies use
surplus equipment from Gillette!!!!

On Sun, 4 Jan 2015 16:32:27 -0500, Tekkie® wrote:

posted for all of us...



On Tue, 30 Dec 2014 10:02:39 -0500, "Mayayana"
wrote:

| For the comment on dealer-priced OEM parts -- I've never found any such
| pricing to be even _close_ to being true...OEM parts are, ime,
| exorbitantly priced at dealerships.

For what it's worth....
I know that Toyota parts have always included the
mechanic's markup of 66% when buying directly, which
I find very sleazy. (If a mechanic pays $60 they add
$40 as a hidden labor cost. Toyota would charge me
$100 if I buy directly from them.)


Then you've got a sleazy Toyota dealer.
Most dealers charge labour "by the book" and sell their parts at or
below MSRP. You cannot buy parts directly from Toyota USA or Toyota
Canada.
I say at or below MSRP because if you have a good relationship with
your counterman (and the dealer as a whole) they will often sell you
parts at a discount, like they sell to independent garages.

I know. I was a Toyota dealer service manager for 10 years.
I don't know if all dealers are like that. I thought it
was a relatively new trick. But I learned something
else recently: I've often gone to AutoZone in the past.
There are several near me. But last year I went there
for a muffler/tailpipe assembly for my pickup. There
was a problem with it so I took it back. In the meantime
I'd bought the exact same thing at a local, independent
parts store. The indy store charged me about $80.
AutoZone had charged me about $150. Both were the
same after-market brand! So it seems that AutoZone
is charging dealer prices for after-market parts. That
possibility had never occurred to me. I'd just assumed
they were the cheap option.

Just like ASS U MEing you always get a good deal at Walmart or Costco.
Or any other "big box discounter"
They have to pay for their expensive advertizing some way- - - .


I agree with this. Most dealers offer discounts. I don't know Toyotas
pricing structure but they have to stay in business too. Every business buys
wholesale and sells "retail"

Also the Toyota dealer I go to doesn't charge for small **** like r&r
refills, bulbs, etc. Then again I throw them the money maker jobs and they
even discount my labor rate.

Exactly how I operated as Service Manager when I was at the Toyota
dealership. Why make a work order for a 5 minute job when it costs (at
the time, 10 years ago, before computerized work orders) $25 to
process a work order, including the cost of the pre-printed form -
through to final disposal/archiving from the Cardex file.

On Sun, 4 Jan 2015 16:12:35 -0500, Tekkie® wrote:

posted for all of us...


gradually return to normal. Replacing regulators never completely
resolved it. Extremely scary at night when one is afraid the headlamps
are going to burn out and leave you in the total darkness...

It was a regulator problem and every Mopar mechanic knew to replace
the standard regulator with either the "heavy duty" or the electronic
replacement.,
The original was the Echlin/Napa VR32 style, while the heavy duty was
the VR34, or the externally adjustable Heavy Duty VR35


Ah yes I remember those numbers.

I liked NAPA ignition parts back then because they still used the brass
terminals in the distributer cap and the points and caps would never be a
problem. IIRC correctly there was a co named Standard whose parts weren't
too bad.

Hey Claire was the Champion plugs stock # RJ 45 for most Chrysler's?
Most used RN14Y and RJ14Y (slant sixes, 318 and 360 standard
performance) and RN12Y or RJ12Y for 273, 340, and 360 HP)

Oren posted for all of us...



On Sun, 4 Jan 2015 15:47:42 -0500, Tekkie® wrote:

Probably true. Nothing good ever seems to stay the same. It's been many
years when I was in the business and they were the go to people. Another one
bites the dust?

I never realized (or checked) for a NAPA store in my city. Of all the
auto part stores around, none had the 'correct' +/- battery cables
for my truck. NAPA has exactly what I need. I was about to build my
own but the cable terminal crimper is expensive so NAPA is the got-to-
place in this case.

Around here the NAPA stores have the crimper and will make you any style
length one wants. I guess it's a crapshoot about the stores.

--
Tekkie

posted for all of us...



Hey Claire was the Champion plugs stock # RJ 45 for most Chrysler's?
Most used RN14Y and RJ14Y (slant sixes, 318 and 360 standard
performance) and RN12Y or RJ12Y for 273, 340, and 360 HP)

Ah yes, that's the numbers. Thanks!

--
Tekkie

posted for all of us...




Exactly how I operated as Service Manager when I was at the Toyota
dealership. Why make a work order for a 5 minute job when it costs (at
the time, 10 years ago, before computerized work orders) $25 to
process a work order, including the cost of the pre-printed form -
through to final disposal/archiving from the Cardex file.

Many business' do not realize this. I have worked for some. The gov't is
especially good for this. This is counter productive because the better
people are using work around s and outsmart what should be tracked.

--
Tekkie

posted for all of us...



On Sun, 04 Jan 2015 13:42:44 -0800, Oren wrote:

On Sat, 03 Jan 2015 21:01:00 -0500, wrote:

On Sat, 03 Jan 2015 15:27:56 -0800, Oren wrote:

On Fri, 02 Jan 2015 23:28:30 -0500, wrote:

I love it when people share "secret" nuggets to solve problems.

Got any for window regulator motors so I don't rip the hide off my
arms in a door panel - where I can't see? G
What make and model??

'94 Ford Bronco. I repaired one motor by replacing the nylon 'nubs'
and used white lithium grease. Had to drill out rivets and replace
them with nuts and bolts. PITA to use a ratchet on the inside of the
interior door panel. I did by HF Thumbwheel Ratchets for the next
motor fix, but I lost some hide and blood on the first repair

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-piece-thumbwheel-ratchet-set-94011.html

https://tinyurl.com/on9bgpq


You just have to RIVET the darn things back in!
There are "rivets" made that have a pin in them that you drive in to
expand them that work pretty good if you don't have a heavy enough
rivet puller.

The one single rivet wasn't the real problem. I 'doubled nuttered" a
small bolt with a star washer to replace the rivet. Holds up very
well. Two dimples in the interior door panel had to be drilled out to
1/2" to allow access to the bolt mounts for the regulator motor, as
did the one rivet having to be drilled. The hide removal and blood
letting is trying to mount the motor on the regulator inside the panel
when you have to "feel" your way and can't see what is going on.
Trying to get the motor gear line up. Now days they sure make it
difficult on a DIY type person. The back window motor is the same, for
the most part. PITA. I bought the thumb rackets after the first fix.
Still have two motors to fix sigh
Would sure help if they used better punch presses when they punch the
holes out of the sheet metal. Sometimes I think the auto companies use
surplus equipment from Gillette!!!!

Where do you think Gillette gets the blades from? The scalpel makers get
first divs, then Gillette, then Ginsu knives.

--
Tekkie

On Thu, 8 Jan 2015 15:36:55 -0500, Tekkie® wrote:

posted for all of us...



Hey Claire was the Champion plugs stock # RJ 45 for most Chrysler's?
Most used RN14Y and RJ14Y (slant sixes, 318 and 360 standard
performance) and RN12Y or RJ12Y for 273, 340, and 360 HP)

Ah yes, that's the numbers. Thanks!
A 45 would be an AC plug R45XL and R44XL

On Thu, 8 Jan 2015 15:34:55 -0500, Tekkie® wrote:

Oren posted for all of us...



On Sun, 4 Jan 2015 15:47:42 -0500, Tekkie® wrote:

Probably true. Nothing good ever seems to stay the same. It's been many
years when I was in the business and they were the go to people. Another one
bites the dust?

I never realized (or checked) for a NAPA store in my city. Of all the
auto part stores around, none had the 'correct' +/- battery cables
for my truck. NAPA has exactly what I need. I was about to build my
own but the cable terminal crimper is expensive so NAPA is the got-to-
place in this case.

Around here the NAPA stores have the crimper and will make you any style
length one wants. I guess it's a crapshoot about the stores.

You jogged a cob-web in my head. ISTR last century having a local
auto parts store or gas station that could make cables on the spot.

The important tool is a quality crimper.

Looking at crimpers months ago, I found some likes and reviews of this
one. Instead of using a hammer - posters put the crimper in a bench
vise to make the crimp.

Photos:

http://www.temcoindustrialpower.com/products/Crimpers/TH0007.html

Hey. Price is down

Oren posted for all of us...



On Thu, 8 Jan 2015 15:34:55 -0500, Tekkie® wrote:

Oren posted for all of us...



On Sun, 4 Jan 2015 15:47:42 -0500, Tekkie® wrote:

Probably true. Nothing good ever seems to stay the same. It's been many
years when I was in the business and they were the go to people. Another one
bites the dust?

I never realized (or checked) for a NAPA store in my city. Of all the
auto part stores around, none had the 'correct' +/- battery cables
for my truck. NAPA has exactly what I need. I was about to build my
own but the cable terminal crimper is expensive so NAPA is the got-to-
place in this case.

Around here the NAPA stores have the crimper and will make you any style
length one wants. I guess it's a crapshoot about the stores.

You jogged a cob-web in my head. ISTR last century having a local
auto parts store or gas station that could make cables on the spot.

The important tool is a quality crimper.

Looking at crimpers months ago, I found some likes and reviews of this
one. Instead of using a hammer - posters put the crimper in a bench
vise to make the crimp.

Photos:

http://www.temcoindustrialpower.com/products/Crimpers/TH0007.html

Hey. Price is down

Buy NOW! But wait there is more... We'll double the order you only pay
quadruple the price! Watta deal.

--
Tekkie