Just a little tip for you

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Turbo4whl

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Similar, but I use colored zip ties. Especially at work when I have to disconnect a hydraulic unit and there are 20+ hoses. If I run out of colors I just double the colors. I always leave them on so if I have to do it again it's already marked or the poor shmuck going in after me at least has a clue.

For hydraulic hose removal:

I used to use a foot long, thick chunk of telephone cable. Many different colors and tracers. Slid one out, cut in half and wrap the fitting and the hose.

Now a better system I use are steel caps and plugs. Number stamped in pairs, match the numbers when reconnecting. The advantage here is, the caps and plugs keep the oil from draining out all over.
 

Poppy 87

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Hazard Fraught has neon colored ones, I will buy a package or two today for just this use. Genius!

Way back in my Navy days, I could quote the resistor color codes but I've long since forgotten them. And colors fade. And a lot of my junk is too greasy to write on, even with a Sharpie.
Silver, copper, white, black, brown ? Been along time since a@p school in 1990
 

Snoots

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Hazard Fraught has neon colored ones, I will buy a package or two today for just this use. Genius!

Way back in my Navy days, I could quote the resistor color codes but I've long since forgotten them. And colors fade. And a lot of my junk is too greasy to write on, even with a Sharpie.

You mean that's not tattooed in your brain?
 

Backfoot100

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Hazard Fraught has neon colored ones, I will buy a package or two today for just this use. Genius!

Way back in my Navy days, I could quote the resistor color codes but I've long since forgotten them. And colors fade. And a lot of my junk is too greasy to write on, even with a Sharpie.


Oh c'mon.... I'm sure not being used in our PC world now but this is how I was taught in the Navy to remember the color code.

Bad
Boys
Rape
Our
Young
Girls
Behind
Victory
Garden
Walls
 

77 K20

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Oh c'mon.... I'm sure not being used in our PC world now but this is how I was taught in the Navy to remember the color code.

Bad
Boys
Rape
Our
Young
Girls
Behind
Victory
Garden
Walls


I was taught something very similar by my instructor. He was ex-military also. I've been able to remember them since 1996:

Bad
Boys
Rape
Our
Young
Girls
But
V
iolet
Gives
Willingly

Get
Some
Now

These last ones are for the resistor tolerance. (Gold/Silver/None)
 

Ricko1966

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Here's another one the 4l80 transmission can be shifted by grounding the shift solenoids, I learned this after buying a donor truck in Columbia MO. It was stuck in limp mode nothing obvious that I could fix while there,so while looking at a wiring schematic trying to fix this thing 200 miles from home I figured out the shift solenoids get constant hot and ground to shift.I cut into the harness on the side of the transmission found my solenoid wires. scabbed in some 4 conductor , just pulled it taught slammed the door to hold it and drove 200 miles grounding wires to the cigarette lighter.Not only did it get me home but confirmed to me that the transmission mechanically was fine,and my shift solenoid were fine..I would assume all the E series transmissions could be done the same way for transmission diagnoses.
 
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Ricko1966

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Ok when your repairing your harness you hacked into use a piece of solder and 2 alligator clips to hold your pieces while you solder.

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Salty Crusty

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I worked in a calibration/micro-miniature repair shop. We did very little troubleshooting but a lot of repairs under a microscope. I'd get handed a board with a marked component on it along with the repair piece and my job was to put the new one in and make it look like everything was original.

I had all but forgotten the mnemonic chant for resistors, but I have another stuck in my brain...
Bob
Eats
Carol's
Virgin
Pu$$y
In
A
Big
Garage
Licking
Mostly
Her
Hot
Moist
Loins

I can't remember what this applies to. Amazing that I can remember that series of words but have no idea what for!
 

Dave M

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Here's a tip for ya, a couple of the screws that hold the tail lamp lenses on were a bit worn and l couldn't properly tighten the lenses on. So l fed a bit of zip tie into the hole and then melted it off with an electric soldering iron. Screws now tighten up snug.


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Dave M

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Do you have any of these silicon based rubber wrist bands, that are usually given away as promo's for advertising. They are durable and make great bands to go around the small tool cases, such as a socket set. Saves the cases spilling open and loosing pieces.


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Ricko1966

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Just remembered one.I have had fasteners before where you could barely touch the end of the bolt but sure couldn't start it or hold a nut anyway you try.I've superglued nuts to the tip of my finger before to hold the nut while I spun the bolt to start it. Yea the end of your finger is unhappy about it but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
 
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Ricko1966

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Just remembered one.I have had fasteners before where you could barely touch the end of the bolt but sure couldn't start it or hold a nut anyway you try.I've superglued nuts to the tip of my finger before to hold the nut while I spun the bolt to start it. Yea the end of your finger is unhappy about it but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
I truly was losing my mind when I came up with this.Was working at the dealership and don't remember all the details but it was running boards on some big SUV and the hardware missed the factory body plugs by inches.I tried at least an hour everything I and every one else in the shop could think of. It was actually funny after awhile because one of the guys starting saying stuff like this week on American runningboard, the parts dontfit and Rick loses it.
 

Ricko1966

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Okay here's a good one take old dish soap bottles and repurpose them. I have one I've put masking tape up the front and marked at 2,4,8,12,and 16 oz. I keep 2 stroke oil in it, I have 1 full of diesel for cleaning parts or starting diesels, and 1 full of gasoline, for cleaning parts,filling float bowls through the vent tube, getting grease off my hands, or just spraying a little down the throat of something that won't start.
 

Salty Crusty

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Wrap a rubber band around a loose wobble socket or adapter.

Lay a small piece of paper across a socket and jam it in with the bolt. It'll tighten it up enough for it to stay put while you thread it but will fall off when you're finished.

For door hinge bushings - use a 1/4" bolt with a washer and 3/8" plumbing compression nut. Slip the bolt with washer into the bushing from the top side, then add the compression nut on the bottom so the bushing will have clearance when it comes through the hole. Put a nut on the bolt and slowly tighten it. This pulls the bushing in straight. I've never cracked or broken one doing it like this.

Use a shop towel to remove manual window cranks. Slip the edge between the handle and door panel, then back-and-forth it like you're shining a shoe. The edge will snag on the clips and pop 'em right out.

Make sure she comes first. This is probably the most important tip if you want to keep working on your old trucks in peace...
 

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