Replacing windshield wiper blades is one of those things that most of us forget right up until the five foot blizzard hits. Those wiper blades that have been baking unused in the hot sun all summer? Toast. The good news is that replacing wiper blades or wiper refills takes minutes, and can provide improved visibility in even the crummiest weather. Swapping out a set of wiper … [Read more...]
Tool of the Week: Snap-Ring Pliers
From the how did they get that thing in there division comes the snap-ring pliers edition of Tool of the Week. Snap-rings themselves are also known as circlips, rotor rings, and retaining rings. These flattish rings are usually found holding in a bearing or assembly by way of being stuck into a machined groove. In this case a pair of snap-rings was holding a piston onto a … [Read more...]
Tool of the Week: Engine Stand
From the Mitsubishi forklift engine department comes this special Engine Stand bonus how-to edition of Tool of the Week. The Engine Stand is a purposeful tool that is designed to hold an engine block for dismantling and assembly. While these stands are great to have around, they do not posses an abundance of utility when not holding up an engine. Most engine stands are often … [Read more...]
Tool of the Week: Universal Joints
Welcome to the we'll make it fit bonus trick edition of Tool of the Week. If there were an equal amount of space around every nut and bolt, we would all only need one kind of wrench. The reality is getting the twist to the fastener in just half the battle. What goes together like butter at the factory usually puts up a fight in the garage. Why did they put that bolt up there … [Read more...]
Gap and Replace Spark Plugs
Changing a set of spark plugs is a task that always sounds like an easy job, because most of the time it is. Swapping out a crusty spark plugs for a freshly gapped set is one of the few routine things left to tune up on modern engines - with modern being a relative term around here. Problems start with certain engines and spark plug designs that can turn changing the spark … [Read more...]