Forum Replies Created
-
Replies
-
Ignitor ? As in aftermarket ? Stay far far away from such things ! When these things came out decades ago a mechanic who had been wrenching since before the WW2 told me exactly how it would fail, and it did, and I have seen MANY others fail since then. Points, factory ingition, duraspark, whatever it is, its not going to have the failure rate of “points eliminators”.I love points and OEM ignitions of all sorts. My two cents worth on points. I have seen them last YEARS without adjustment and about point float. I had a Rat Chevy that had points that would would pull enough RPMs to completely trash a valve train before the points ever started bouncing. Points myths dispelled once again.
Ignitor ? As in aftermarket ? Stay far far away from such things ! When these things came out decades ago a mechanic who had been wrenching since before the WW2 told me exactly how it would fail, and it did, and I have seen MANY others fail since then. Points, factory ingition, duraspark, whatever it is, its not going to have the failure rate of “points eliminators”.I love points and OEM ignitions of all sorts. My two cents worth on points. I have seen them last YEARS without adjustment and about point float. I had a Rat Chevy that had points that would would pull enough RPMs to completely trash a valve train before the points ever started bouncing. Points myths dispelled once again.
I have used the same SK Tuff1 ratchet for 25 years — back when SK was Facom. Not the stuff now. Not much dead space. However, there is NO ratchet even close to the dual 80 Snap-on. I would say there is no other ratchet even worth buying. The reason I am suggesting Eric give the gearless a review is because it’s such a weird wrench.
I have used the same SK Tuff1 ratchet for 25 years — back when SK was Facom. Not the stuff now. Not much dead space. However, there is NO ratchet even close to the dual 80 Snap-on. I would say there is no other ratchet even worth buying. The reason I am suggesting Eric give the gearless a review is because it’s such a weird wrench.
No Pawls. No feedback either. In theory it sounds great. I haven’t had a chance to run it through the paces yet. Then I will have an opinion. For now, I am undecided.
No Pawls. No feedback either. In theory it sounds great. I haven’t had a chance to run it through the paces yet. Then I will have an opinion. For now, I am undecided.
Keep something in mind about this. In about 1985, Gm switched from intake bolts that go from an angle into the heads to straight ones…some guys ream out the holes oval so the newer intake can go into older heads, others don’t like this method. There was one year that a tpi system had angled bolts but most don’t. Older smallblocks also take a different oil pan with a two piece main seal and perimeter valve covers, but newer full round main seal, and these chevys use valve covers with center bolts. Know what you have, and know what you are going to…Transmissions all pretty much bolt up the same until 1998 models.
Keep something in mind about this. In about 1985, Gm switched from intake bolts that go from an angle into the heads to straight ones…some guys ream out the holes oval so the newer intake can go into older heads, others don’t like this method. There was one year that a tpi system had angled bolts but most don’t. Older smallblocks also take a different oil pan with a two piece main seal and perimeter valve covers, but newer full round main seal, and these chevys use valve covers with center bolts. Know what you have, and know what you are going to…Transmissions all pretty much bolt up the same until 1998 models.
Bought a Jeep Cherokee very, very cheaply. A large name Trans shop had quoted previous owner about 1200 for a clutch. Owner declined the repair. I bought the jeep, Drove it home bled the clutch slave, and away I went. Doubled my money in a few short months when selling the jeep.. That shop trans shop owner was building himself an 180000 square foot house, ironically.
Bought a Jeep Cherokee very, very cheaply. A large name Trans shop had quoted previous owner about 1200 for a clutch. Owner declined the repair. I bought the jeep, Drove it home bled the clutch slave, and away I went. Doubled my money in a few short months when selling the jeep.. That shop trans shop owner was building himself an 180000 square foot house, ironically.
Greetings. I am here to share as well as learn. Eric’s videos are truly awesome ! I may know only a little about newer cars with FWD and computers, but consider myself pretty well versed in older cars. I have a 23 T-bucket with a tunnel ram and dual Holleys than I can run year round. Several others told me it couldn’t be done at my altitude of 5000 ft above sea level. Guess what happens when a mechanic something cannot be done ???
Greetings. I am here to share as well as learn. Eric’s videos are truly awesome ! I may know only a little about newer cars with FWD and computers, but consider myself pretty well versed in older cars. I have a 23 T-bucket with a tunnel ram and dual Holleys than I can run year round. Several others told me it couldn’t be done at my altitude of 5000 ft above sea level. Guess what happens when a mechanic something cannot be done ???
My thoughts similar to Eric’s.. buy the best tools you can. Snap-on, Mac and Matco hand tools are cheap enough that anybody can buy them. Limited use heavier duty stuff is in my opinion better off rented or bought used or something. Example. A dual 80 3/8 Snap-on ratchet isn’t very expensive in the long run. Something like impact sockets, on the other hand, are a different story. HF may cost 50 or 100, but the Snap-ons might be 800 for the same thing. When the average tech may need 6 or 8 sets, the numbers just don’t add up. All depends. For Screwdrivers, wrenches and stuff, there is no substitute for the big three, but other things like a ball joint press or spring compressor, makes no difference to me when I work. I recently bought an entire collection of Snap-on stuff, a bunch of things including I wouldn’t normally buy, but there is was a set of allen wrenches in the collection that look like something from a Kmart vending machine; cheap, cheap plastic holder, just bad. My 25 year old craftsmans set of the same style are way better, so there is something to be said for the age and vintage of the tools. The ergonomics on the small metal Snap-on tools are second to none, however. The latest runs of Snap-on screwdrivers with the countoured handles make any other screwdrivers look sad. My two cents worth on that.
My thoughts similar to Eric’s.. buy the best tools you can. Snap-on, Mac and Matco hand tools are cheap enough that anybody can buy them. Limited use heavier duty stuff is in my opinion better off rented or bought used or something. Example. A dual 80 3/8 Snap-on ratchet isn’t very expensive in the long run. Something like impact sockets, on the other hand, are a different story. HF may cost 50 or 100, but the Snap-ons might be 800 for the same thing. When the average tech may need 6 or 8 sets, the numbers just don’t add up. All depends. For Screwdrivers, wrenches and stuff, there is no substitute for the big three, but other things like a ball joint press or spring compressor, makes no difference to me when I work. I recently bought an entire collection of Snap-on stuff, a bunch of things including I wouldn’t normally buy, but there is was a set of allen wrenches in the collection that look like something from a Kmart vending machine; cheap, cheap plastic holder, just bad. My 25 year old craftsmans set of the same style are way better, so there is something to be said for the age and vintage of the tools. The ergonomics on the small metal Snap-on tools are second to none, however. The latest runs of Snap-on screwdrivers with the countoured handles make any other screwdrivers look sad. My two cents worth on that.
Greetings Fellow Techs ! I have been addicted to Erics videos and there is always some new tip or trick to learn, no matter how old or seasoned we may think we are. Here is my story/intro. I got my start in mechanics when the corner shop was the place you went to get your car tuned. No OBD, no datalink, no cans, no ecms, just machinery and 12 volts here and there. Heck, some of those guys didn’t even like HEI distributors. Within 3 blocks of my home were 3 entirely separate fully equipt shops/service stations with inground hoists, tire machines, and even new tires for sale. Safety inspections and tires were alot of what they did, but with a little interest, one could often times gather new knowledge or maybe even a part time gig as a helper with little sweet talking. This was a time time when the techs would have to pull themselves from the job they were doing to pump somebody’s gas or maybe check tires. They were not called TECHS then, more like just Joe or Jerry the mechanic/station attendant. Those shops had a certain smell to them, and some had things thrown on the pavement to make a bell ring so the guy inside could come and check oil or pump gas. I digress. What got me into the automotive field was something quite different than what goes on today. Before muscle cars became commodities traded by the wealthy, they used to hang around neighboorhoods like fresh fruit waiting to be picked, usually very cheaply. A quick ride in a 409, big solid lifter Rat, or something of the likes and it would turn any kid with a mechanical aptitude into car lover quite young. Headers and big carbs were a rite of passage, and dual carburetors put you right at the top of the car heap so to speak. In order to have one maintain this tetra-ethyl lead filled dream of many youth, there was something that went along with that and it was a way to fix it. Thus many of us became mechanics by way of passion, or need because we couldn’t be be paying Jerry the mechanic to adjust our dual carbs weekly, just wasn’t gonna happen. I am not ASE certified as that wasn’t part of the equasion back then, nor will I ever be as the things I repair now are specialty cars and the latest training would have little relevance to my field of work. For a young tech, ASE is, of course essential, however everybody has different needs. As I have seen the car evolve for decades I see many of my peers retiring, or worse, and certain trades are lost with them. As I see this trend of younger computer/car guys replacing my peers I see an emerging hole in the service market for guys with knowledge of older cars. I am not talking about somebody who races a 9 second camaro and wants to make everything fast, I mean a technician who can keep an expensive GTO or Chevelle with points and a quadrajet and other STOCK parts or whatever on the road for somebody who doesn’t want to modify it. Old cars with modern fuel injection are something many folks read about, but its really not the norm and really not conventional due to cost and upkeep. I was one of the first grease monkeys anywhere to fit a full working EFI in a very old car using all OEM components and there are SO many problems with that concept, the Hot Rodding magazines don’t fill one in on. Back then there was no “PAINLESS” Back to my point. I think EVERY young technician should learn as much about carbs and points as they can. Learn what makes a 442 something different than a delta 88. Learn the real meaning of SS, not todays version of it. Grab every old service manual you can. The old cars they are getting more expensive an often times the well healed owners are willing to pay good money to have them run like they did when they were new, IF they could find the person that knows how to work on them. Priuses, and back up cameras, and all the modern fluff will come go, but a GTO or something of that ilk will be preserved. This came to me one day as I was supertuning a Quadrajet. Something that at one time was as common as the sunrise, but now thrown into the depths of obscurity and I was having a heckuva time even getting the right parts and the few experts on these carbs that actually rebuild them are backlogged for at least a year, and EXPENSIVE to have done, and so it made me think that there is growing need for this type of “TECH”. I have yet to have to have owned or seen very many muscle cars or vintage equipment that was really sharply tuned as this is a very lost art. I diagnosed a performance issue on a very expensive red white and blue Rebel Machine with a 390, and the previous owner had installed a rebuilt motor with cam, and headers, and other performance goodies, but overlooked the throttle opening and timing issues. Wow was all I could say. Which leads me to this last thought. How many younger people think old cars are slow because 9 out of 10 of them are tuned wrong ? Thats my experience/rant. Nice meeting y’all