Keeping track of nuts on bolts

Keeping track of nuts on bolts

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Sump

Original Poster:

5,484 posts

166 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
quotequote all
nuts and bolts *

As my DIYing gets more and more serious I'm finding myself not so confident in keeping track of nuts and bolts.

At the moment I use a combination of this:



And also keeping nuts and bolts with the parts that are coming off.

But I am still finding myself questioning myself and double guessing where the bolts came from, especially in the compartment version. Especially where I would be dropping a subframe and all of a sudden there will be something in the way so I will quickly remove a bolt and put in a compartment. It's this type of bolt that I'd forget where it'd come from.

How do you guys keep track of where the nuts and bolts came from?


T1pper

275 posts

135 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
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Digital photos are a quick and easy way to keep track most phones have the capacity for this nowadays if you have any doubt before starting a job this can be invaluable.
I like to replace bolts loosely into their locations if possible or group them together with the various components such a s starter motor bolts with the starter you can even gaffer tape any fixings to the component if they are to be left dismantled for some time.
lastly larger bolts can be pushed through a cardboard template to keep them in order this works well with head bolts etc.



phillpot

17,105 posts

182 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
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Sump said:
How do you guys keep track of where the nuts and bolts came from?
Big ones go back in the big holes and the little ones go back in ........................... wink

AndrewEH1

4,917 posts

152 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
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Line them up in the order they came out in, then put them back in along the line in reverse order.

Photos can help too.

Mr2Mike

20,143 posts

254 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
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I use a large divider box and just group the fasteners from one complete assembly in a box, e.g. all the bolts from the bellhousing, the bolts from the engine mounts etc...

Use of the Mk1 eyeball and a few brain cells then allows you to put them back where they came from, being careful of blind holes where there are multiple fastener lengths.

mattyc69

330 posts

151 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
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"Bolts in holes" best thing my college lecturer every told me.

Camera phones also help a lot,

I often use cardboard with holes popped out for things like push rods inserted.You can write on the card were it's from etc then.

ch427

8,857 posts

232 months

Wednesday 11th February 2015
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stick them in masking tape and label it! The wider masking tape is ideal for this.

nickboazracing

130 posts

236 months

Thursday 12th February 2015
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Small plastic bags, then write on them what the bolt or part is and where it's from.


Perseverant

439 posts

110 months

Saturday 14th February 2015
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Digital camera can be great! I tend to chuck them in a plastic box and go by common sense and memory in reassembly mode. I do remember overhauling a SAAB cylinder head and carefully keeping shims etc. carefully on a shoebox lid with holes then dropping the lot! The air was full of valves and springs and shims and collets - you can imagine the scene. Luckily I had a micrometer and lots of other bits so was able to replace some lost collets and sort out clearances.

JordanTurbo

937 posts

140 months

Saturday 14th February 2015
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As mentioned "Bolts in holes" is a good rule to follow. Works for 90% of jobs I do.

For longer complex jobs that won't be done in one hit, like if I'm doing a full engine rebuild over a few weekends, a cheap pack of envelopes and a shoe box does me well. Remove component, place fasteners in envelope, label, seal and put in box.

When you come to rebuild you just have to find and open the corresponding pack of bits. No problems, even if it's months later. smile


Edited by JordanTurbo on Saturday 14th February 22:33

Iang84

962 posts

165 months

Thursday 19th February 2015
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Short jobs back in holes on to the studs for longer jobs I use sandwich bags and masking tape with the name/location of the part it came off but if its something I have worked on before eg my motorbike fairings I just use my memory

Krikkit

26,500 posts

180 months

Saturday 21st February 2015
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I tend to use sandwich bags and a marker to label the parts as they come off if I can't follow the bolts in holes method.

Make sure the bags are the blue (more expensive) type though, some of the cheaper ones rip far too easily and scatter all your bolts to the wind!

CrutyRammers

13,735 posts

197 months

Sunday 22nd February 2015
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I do something similar to the bags version, but with chinese takaway tubs.

bearman68

4,642 posts

131 months

Saturday 28th February 2015
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If I've got a big job to do, with lots of sub assemblies, I will put all the nuts and bolts for that sub assembly in a little pot, with the assembly. I try and keep the bolts associated with the assembly as much as possible,and will try and put bolts in holes as much as possible.
Sometimes I'm lazy, and throw all the bolts into the top of my socket set - and that usually results in disaster when I accidentally kick the socket set or something stupid. I always try and put bolt packets next to a wall to avoid kicking the pot over as well.
I do quite a lot of kicking in my workshop frown

Jimmyarm

1,962 posts

177 months

Tuesday 3rd March 2015
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Get a big magnet tray (or two if doing suspension both sides at the same time)

Line the bolts/nuts up in the order you took them off, refit them backwards. If you are feeling posh you could put the nuts on the bolts they came off.

Simples smile

Sump

Original Poster:

5,484 posts

166 months

Tuesday 3rd March 2015
quotequote all
Well I've done 2 big jobs and my brain somewhat automatically new which bolts go where. I just had them in the compartments and the order I took them off in. No biggie I guess!

andygo

6,786 posts

254 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
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Sump said:
Well I've done 2 big jobs and my brain somewhat automatically new which bolts go where. I just had them in the compartments and the order I took them off in. No biggie I guess!
I did a big job the other day. 15 sheets of loo paper sorted me out. smile