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Best way to prevent having to remove a stripped out fastener is to not strip it out in the first place. Use high quality sockets and wrenches like Snap-On flank drive to reduce the chance of rounding off edges.
Line wrenches are great but not all are equal. Different brands use different materials. Some materials will feel springy and will have a tendency to stretch open and cause rounding. I prefer a less springy and more ‘brittle’ material – my favorite line wrenches are made by Hazet.
One trick that i use for extra traction on stubborn fasteners is to apply a couple drops of thread locker or valve grinding compound between the wrench and fastener. This helps the wrench grip the surface and reduces slipping. It works like sand under your tires in winter.
Try the blue wrench. That is a blow torch followed by a dousing in penetrating oil. The quenching effect helps to mechanically break the threads apart. This works great for brake lines. Heat alone helps free up the stuck brake line collar, and it helps the penetrating oil seep into the threads. This may make the difference between removing the fastener with ease or rounding it off further.
If you feel a wrench rounding a fastener, just stop and regroup.
For areas where you can only use a wrench, try a vise grip. Get a good bite on the fastener. Slipping will just dull the teeth on your vise grip and ruin the fastener further.
For fasteners where you would use a socket, you can get some twist sockets that hammer onto the head of the fastener and bite harder as you loosen. There is also a version for inside-drive fasteners like torx and allen.
Best way to prevent having to remove a stripped out fastener is to not strip it out in the first place. Use high quality sockets and wrenches like Snap-On flank drive to reduce the chance of rounding off edges.
Line wrenches are great but not all are equal. Different brands use different materials. Some materials will feel springy and will have a tendency to stretch open and cause rounding. I prefer a less springy and more ‘brittle’ material – my favorite line wrenches are made by Hazet.
One trick that i use for extra traction on stubborn fasteners is to apply a couple drops of thread locker or valve grinding compound between the wrench and fastener. This helps the wrench grip the surface and reduces slipping. It works like sand under your tires in winter.
Try the blue wrench. That is a blow torch followed by a dousing in penetrating oil. The quenching effect helps to mechanically break the threads apart. This works great for brake lines. Heat alone helps free up the stuck brake line collar, and it helps the penetrating oil seep into the threads. This may make the difference between removing the fastener with ease or rounding it off further.
If you feel a wrench rounding a fastener, just stop and regroup.
For areas where you can only use a wrench, try a vise grip. Get a good bite on the fastener. Slipping will just dull the teeth on your vise grip and ruin the fastener further.
For fasteners where you would use a socket, you can get some twist sockets that hammer onto the head of the fastener and bite harder as you loosen. There is also a version for inside-drive fasteners like torx and allen.
This is a bleak subject but maybe i can give you some hope. If you don’t like where you are or you don’t feel like you are being paid what you’re worth, than run. Your tool box has wheels for a reason. As a tech, or anyone else seeking employment for that matter, you have options. Shop around. Choosing an employer is no different than shopping for a car or a new washing machine. Do your research and pick a shop or washing machine that will work for you. Interview your employer when you apply and don’t just sit there and let them buy you for the lowest bid. Your skill set makes you a tool and it sounds impersonal, but that’s all you are to a shop owner. So many techs are complaining about their pay and they did it to themselves. Either because they didn’t keep up with the times, or they took that lowest bid. Be a valuable tool and sell yourself for what you’re worth.
Can’t find a well paying job? Look elsewhere. Maybe you heard that a certain manufacturer pays well only to find out you could make more flipping burgers. Location location location. Don’t expect to find a well paying job at a Mercedes dealer in rural Arkansas. High end does not mean high pay. If you want to make money at a high end dealer than find a dealer in a wealthy area. Drive through the area and see how many vehicles of that brand you can spot. The volume of vehicles in a specific area will directly translate to the amount of work you will see at the shop, and it will also directly reflect on demand for technicians. High volume brands like Toyota and Ford will always be busy in densely populated areas. You may need to step out of your comfort zone and move. There is no sense in complaining about your pay when you are living in a small town and working at a small dealer.
Another point that should be discussed is unions. We all have our opinions of unions, and many times not so positive ones. Times are tough, and employers will work you to the bone for pennies in return. Unions may be a necessary evil. You work with a contract, your job has some protection, you have rights, and you will be paid a fair wage. As far as i see it, unions are a way of keeping employers honest. No, i don’t work at a union shop. It’s not a perfect system, but neither is ’employment at will’. The arrangement you choose should reflect the type of shop and area you will be working in.
Techs can make good money. 100K is still possible for the high value pros. There are still dealers paying $40+ per flat rate hour. There is no reason to be stuck in a dilapidated hole, making $12 an hour.
Lastly, don’t contribute to the problem. You are contributing if you are allowing a shop take advantage of you. Just as a consumer is contributing to a greater issue when they purchase cheap, poorly made products. You are valuable so choose an employer that deserves you.
This is a bleak subject but maybe i can give you some hope. If you don’t like where you are or you don’t feel like you are being paid what you’re worth, than run. Your tool box has wheels for a reason. As a tech, or anyone else seeking employment for that matter, you have options. Shop around. Choosing an employer is no different than shopping for a car or a new washing machine. Do your research and pick a shop or washing machine that will work for you. Interview your employer when you apply and don’t just sit there and let them buy you for the lowest bid. Your skill set makes you a tool and it sounds impersonal, but that’s all you are to a shop owner. So many techs are complaining about their pay and they did it to themselves. Either because they didn’t keep up with the times, or they took that lowest bid. Be a valuable tool and sell yourself for what you’re worth.
Can’t find a well paying job? Look elsewhere. Maybe you heard that a certain manufacturer pays well only to find out you could make more flipping burgers. Location location location. Don’t expect to find a well paying job at a Mercedes dealer in rural Arkansas. High end does not mean high pay. If you want to make money at a high end dealer than find a dealer in a wealthy area. Drive through the area and see how many vehicles of that brand you can spot. The volume of vehicles in a specific area will directly translate to the amount of work you will see at the shop, and it will also directly reflect on demand for technicians. High volume brands like Toyota and Ford will always be busy in densely populated areas. You may need to step out of your comfort zone and move. There is no sense in complaining about your pay when you are living in a small town and working at a small dealer.
Another point that should be discussed is unions. We all have our opinions of unions, and many times not so positive ones. Times are tough, and employers will work you to the bone for pennies in return. Unions may be a necessary evil. You work with a contract, your job has some protection, you have rights, and you will be paid a fair wage. As far as i see it, unions are a way of keeping employers honest. No, i don’t work at a union shop. It’s not a perfect system, but neither is ’employment at will’. The arrangement you choose should reflect the type of shop and area you will be working in.
Techs can make good money. 100K is still possible for the high value pros. There are still dealers paying $40+ per flat rate hour. There is no reason to be stuck in a dilapidated hole, making $12 an hour.
Lastly, don’t contribute to the problem. You are contributing if you are allowing a shop take advantage of you. Just as a consumer is contributing to a greater issue when they purchase cheap, poorly made products. You are valuable so choose an employer that deserves you.
Greetings! I’m Konrad from Los Angeles. Long time viewer, first time poster. My experience as a tech spans 12 years. The past 7 years have been spent as a flat rate slave at an Audi dealer. I’m master certified by Audi and have platform certifications for every model and engine in current production. Other certifications include the required stuff from the EPA, and ASE master certification for whatever that’s worth.
Greetings! I’m Konrad from Los Angeles. Long time viewer, first time poster. My experience as a tech spans 12 years. The past 7 years have been spent as a flat rate slave at an Audi dealer. I’m master certified by Audi and have platform certifications for every model and engine in current production. Other certifications include the required stuff from the EPA, and ASE master certification for whatever that’s worth.