Share your wrenching tips and tricks!

[61Scout]

Okay, so this type of thread has been done before. Please don't direct me to some old thread. I think topics can be revisited once in a while, no?

Here's one I picked up from a friend years ago. Do you ever have that last bit of coolant or oil getting in your way before putting on a gasket? Well here's an easy solution. Cut a short piece of rope and let it act like a wick to drain out the last bit of fluid. Then go have lunch or walk away for a little while. Come back and that those last few drops are gone. Now you can install that new gasket on a clean and dry surface, no fuss no muss.

-Kevin
_________________
1986 Westfalia Weekender Wolfsburg, RJE 2.3
1985 Tin Top, Subie 2.2 + 5MT
Floppy Mirrors no more: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=653018&highlight=
Remove the front spindle nut with ease: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=679567&highlight=
Remove the rear wheel bearing housing without messing with the big 46mm nut: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=679507&highlight=

-Nec Spe, Nec Metu

[61Scout]

No one else is going to share? Okay, well I'll give myself a bump then. Here's another trick a I picked up at some point. Here's a great solution for those fasteners that are hard to get back on... the ones that have a deep reach somewhere and end up falling out of your socket before you can reach the hole. Simply add a piece of paper between the socket and the fastener. This works for nuts too. Sometimes you have to find the right thickness of paper, but once jammed in there its not going anywhere. In the second picture I didn't rotate, that's the paper holding the bolt upside down.

Cheers,
Kevin
_________________
1986 Westfalia Weekender Wolfsburg, RJE 2.3
1985 Tin Top, Subie 2.2 + 5MT
Floppy Mirrors no more: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=653018&highlight=
Remove the front spindle nut with ease: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=679567&highlight=
Remove the rear wheel bearing housing without messing with the big 46mm nut: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=679507&highlight=

-Nec Spe, Nec Metu

[Zero419]

for when you need some extra leverage

(stole pic from web)

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1987 Westy Auto Bostig 2.0 Ztec

[Tobias Duncan]

[djkeev]

[IrideWheelies]

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89' Dove Blue Syncro Hightop

[syncrodoka]

[61Scout]

[randywebb]

ok, if there are no other threads...

if you are working alone and trying to diagnose something in the rear of the vehicle that requires you to be in the driving seat, a small digital camera in movie mode can be your friend

e.g. to test your brake lights, turn the camera on to movie mode and then go tap your brake pedal

this can prevent avoidance behavior by a S.O. who does not want to help with even the simplest tasks...

also, there is an entire book a guy wrote on doing carpentry/house construction by yourself - it might be titled "Working Alone"
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1986 2.1L Westy 2wd Auto Trans.

[desertrefugee]

Sometimes the best tip is to put a danged FOR SALE sign in the window.

(My first photo of the soon-to-be-mine 83.5 in January).

EDIT: Not that I have any current plan to do this. In some cases, though, the return on investment (sweat equity) doesn't merit tips, tricks or time.

The good news is that, on a Vanagon/Westy, that threshold is quite high.

My tip-o-the-day: Although probably known to many, keeping gaskets in place while positioning parts can sometimes be maddening. A blob or two of grease, strategically placed, will hold them nicely whilst you're performing the ballet required to get part X in place.

_________________
- 83.5 Westfalia - 2.2 GoWesty "power"
- a bunch of vintage motorcycles
- Numerous telescopes of various size and function

"For I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night." - Sarah Williams

[morymob]

Go th H.F. or your other choice and get oime of the small round 'super' magnets,put one inside the sockets of choice, keeps bolts in in order to get 'em started.If inside of socket not flat enuf to keep mag flat put a dab of goop or similiar in 1st.

[teej]

Use temperature to your advantage:

Gently heat cold brittle plastic, wire, hose (hair dryer or very careful low setting heat gun) to achieve your task. Parts become more pliable, and easier to fit, less likely to break from excessive force.

Higher heat (torch) on stuck fasteners.
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1986+ Wolfsburg Weekender Pop-Top 2.3 WBX Manual Trans

[Summers420us]

Fasteners such as steel screw in aluminum threads often corrode and are easy to strip on the first attempt of removal. A nice solid wrap or two from a hammer will usually break this corrosion bond and allow the fastener to be removed more easily.

For instance, a philips screw in an aluminum case… I use an old screw driver and place it in the head of the screw and wrap the end of the screw driver a few times. No damage to screw head, but this method almost always frees up the fastener for proper loosening.

Learned this over the years working on only Jap bikes that have side covers screwed on.
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1997 EVC
1988 2WD Westfalia with OE 2.1 (R.I.P.)

[campism]

You can sometimes make the tool you need for a certain job. My 17mm Allen was too long for access to the trans drain so I made a stubby out of a bolt and two nuts. Easier than hacksawing an Allen key sometimes.

Did the same thing when I needed a 14mm hex to adjust camber. This bolt was from a bicycle, holds the crank arm to the bottom bracket axle.

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'87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic

[dhaavers]

OK - I'll play...

[T3 Pilot]

Passing on an old trick I forget where I got it from.........

When disconnecting hydraulic lines for repair/replacement use a wooden golf tee sharpened in a pencil sharpener to stem the flow of fluid while you are preparing to install the new line.
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1988 Vanagon

The most important part in every vehicle is the nut behind the wheel......

[dobryan]

[Summers420us]

Golf tee works in fuel lines too.
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1997 EVC
1988 2WD Westfalia with OE 2.1 (R.I.P.)

[msinabottle]

When you know you're going to be spending quality time with an old bolt--you will probably have time to go out with a can of PB Blaster or an oil can full of 50/50 Acetone/ATF mixture to get onto the bolts you will later have to loosen. You might put something under them. Spray them. Spray them the next day. Spray them often until the time comes to remove them. Even ooooold components can respond to persistent sprizting before you have to get real with something.

Also--the digital camera is your friend. The picture Ben captioned to show the parts of the 1.9L was one I took of Winston's engine before going in. Don't wonder how to put something back together--take a digital photo. If there are other problems, you can put that photo up here and people will know EXACTLY about what you are talking.

Best!
_________________
'Winston,' '84 1.9 WBX Westy
Vanagon Poet Laureate: "I have suffered in
many ways, but never, never, never in silence."

[Vanagon Nut]