Top tips - anyone got any to share?
Top tips - anyone got any to share?
Author
Discussion

buzzer

Original Poster:

3,621 posts

269 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
To start this one off... I went to see my mate today and he was doing the timing belt on a Peugeot 406. A bit of a pig of a job as access is limited. he did something which I though was a great idea.

He took a stanly knife with a new blade, and proceeded to cut the cam belt in half, to make a half wide belt... A bit at a time as he turned the engine. Once it was split fully, he cut the first half of the belt off and removed it completely, leaving half the belt still on to the rear of the pulleys.

he then slackened the tensioner slightly and slid the new belt into place on the first half of the pulleys! once in place he cut the remainder of the old belt off and slid the new belt fully into place. he said he often did them like this as it was a good way of ensuring the timing was correct (assuming it was in the first place...)he then tensioned it as normal.

I thought this was a great way to ensure you get the timing correct as sometimes its difficult to see the marks or you need special tools to lock the engine, diesel pump ect.

anyone else want to share tips like this?

B'stard Child

31,072 posts

275 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
buzzer said:
To start this one off... I went to see my mate today and he was doing the timing belt on a Peugeot 406. A bit of a pig of a job as access is limited. he did something which I though was a great idea.

He took a stanly knife with a new blade, and proceeded to cut the cam belt in half, to make a half wide belt... A bit at a time as he turned the engine. Once it was split fully, he cut the first half of the belt off and removed it completely, leaving half the belt still on to the rear of the pulleys.

he then slackened the tensioner slightly and slid the new belt into place on the first half of the pulleys! once in place he cut the remainder of the old belt off and slid the new belt fully into place. he said he often did them like this as it was a good way of ensuring the timing was correct (assuming it was in the first place...)he then tensioned it as normal.

I thought this was a great way to ensure you get the timing correct as sometimes its difficult to see the marks or you need special tools to lock the engine, diesel pump ect.

anyone else want to share tips like this?
Done that many times myself but one slip and it's a tangled mess so definately a case of get positioned and slowly slowly

ExPat2B

2,159 posts

229 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
That is a bloody good tip !

I have nothing that genius, but mine are :

Don't let monkeys with airguns near you car.

Taking the engine off one mount and tipping it sideways a bit is a good way to get to sides of inline 4 engines in narrow bays.

Rubber strap wrenches are good for taking off coolant hoses.

Washing up gloves are a handy source of extra grip.

Righty tighty, lefty loosey.







markcoznottz

7,155 posts

253 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
Dont spend too much time on pistonheads

Dont eat yellow snow.....

RobM77

35,349 posts

263 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
I'm not anywhere near good enough mechanically to give out tips, but one that's saved me time recently is to think about a problem logically and with an open mind, rather than blindly following instructions. The wiper motor on an S2 Elise is supposed to be a clam off job, and I printed off the workshop manual pages and set aside a Saturday to do it. However, as I was clearing some space in the garage on the Friday night, I stood and had a look at the problem properly and realised that my small hands could get in under the clam and change the motor in situ with no clam removal at all. The whole job took 30 minutes after breakfast the next day, rather than the 6 hours or whatever that garages had charged me, and that I'd consigned myself to.

B'stard Child

31,072 posts

275 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
markcoznottz said:
Dont eat yellow snow.....
That was gonna be mine wink

As a penance if a nut or bolt feels like it's tightening up stop go back the other way - clean threads - apply oil etc etc

williamp

20,388 posts

302 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
a magnet n a long piece of flexible cable is probably the most sueful thing I own

take your time

Measure twice/read the manual twice, then get to work

Have a wireless inetrent connection. Then buy an old laptop and have this in the garage- there is masses of info and how-to on the internet, and you can read it all whilst working on the car

B'stard Child

31,072 posts

275 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
Always make sure before drianing fluids you have the means and access to replace them

ie that the gearbox filler plug can be removed before you drop the oil out into a bucket!!!

If you don't and you shear off an allen key flush in the filler plug turning the car upside down to fill the box up via the drain plug is the next avaliable option and it needs more than one person and can lead to other problems like fuel, engine oil and battery acid leaks

Austin.J

888 posts

221 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
This does NOT fix things...


PHmember

2,487 posts

200 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
I have absolutely NO DOUBT that this is a DPM, but it's always great to watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQhfcdQf1QA

Emsman

7,325 posts

219 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
Best tip ever........



A sitting p1ss is better than a standing st

jas xjr

11,309 posts

268 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
t-cut is great for removing scratches on cd's a dvd's and computer games. apply a bit to a cloth and rub from the edge to the centre. repeat as necessary , remove excess with a damp cloth

T84

6,941 posts

223 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
jas xjr said:
t-cut is great for removing scratches on cd's a dvd's and computer games. apply a bit to a cloth and rub from the edge to the centre. repeat as necessary , remove excess with a damp cloth
That's about the only good use for it

ukzz4iroc

3,500 posts

203 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
jas xjr said:
t-cut is great for removing scratches on cd's a dvd's and computer games. apply a bit to a cloth and rub from the edge to the centre. repeat as necessary , remove excess with a damp cloth
Nice one, thanks!

BigS

874 posts

202 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
Don't force it, use a bigger hammer.
Oh and shiny side goes up, greasy/oil side goes down wink

Edited by BigS on Friday 24th September 17:14

spyder dryver

1,330 posts

245 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
RobM77 said:
......and realised that my small hands could get in under the clam...
F'narr F'narr!

Westy Pre-Lit

5,088 posts

232 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
Whenever you leave your car parked illegally, leave your windscreen wipers turned to 'fast wipe' to avoid parking tickets.

Jam Spavlin

909 posts

214 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
If hitting it with a hammer dont fix it, you have an electrical problem.

Wing Commander

2,220 posts

261 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
Westy Pre-Lit said:
Whenever you leave your car parked illegally, leave your windscreen wipers turned to 'fast wipe' to avoid parking tickets.
hehe Like it smile

freddytin

1,184 posts

256 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
buzzer said:
To start this one off... I went to see my mate today and he was doing the timing belt on a Peugeot 406. A bit of a pig of a job as access is limited. he did something which I though was a great idea.

He took a stanly knife with a new blade, and proceeded to cut the cam belt in half, to make a half wide belt... A bit at a time as he turned the engine. Once it was split fully, he cut the first half of the belt off and removed it completely, leaving half the belt still on to the rear of the pulleys.

he then slackened the tensioner slightly and slid the new belt into place on the first half of the pulleys! once in place he cut the remainder of the old belt off and slid the new belt fully into place. he said he often did them like this as it was a good way of ensuring the timing was correct (assuming it was in the first place...)he then tensioned it as normal.

I thought this was a great way to ensure you get the timing correct as sometimes its difficult to see the marks or you need special tools to lock the engine, diesel pump ect.

anyone else want to share tips like this?
I've seen quite a few lads cut the timing belt in half with the engine at a fast tick-over (easier and neater ).

Apparently one of the works Subaru teams employed this procedure.