tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181310435977891397.post4581153255834409922..comments2008-04-22T00:14:56.976-04:00Nick Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742551843387605596noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181310435977891397.post-4426698524026613712008-04-22T00:14:00.000-04:002008-04-22T00:14:00.000-04:002008-04-22T00:14:00.000-04:00dennis,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for sharing your single-serving tools.<BR/><BR/>I know just enough auto repair as was required from growing up in Virginia. One thing I've realized in NYC is that most people don't understand the machines they use everyday, especially their cars. It's sort of embarrasing to tell people how to fix their cars when I ride a bike everywhere.<BR/><BR/>Funny you should mention removing a freewheel hub with a punch. I've used the same trick to remove bottom-bracket cups at some of the community bike shops I've volunteered at. Works great when you don't have the right tool.<BR/><BR/>And... as... soon... as.... I... can... pry... myself... from... the... office... I'll post more to the blog.Nick Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742551843387605596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181310435977891397.post-41147658289177589992008-04-15T12:12:00.000-04:002008-04-15T12:12:00.000-04:002008-04-15T12:12:00.000-04:00Great blog! Great post!<BR/><BR/>You end up making a lot of single-serving tools working on cars, especially old ones.<BR/><BR/>- My fiance's 96 Eclipse had bolts on the side of the engine that were so hard to get to, you could just barely fit a wrench, but not your hand! So I cut one end off a 15 mm wrench and jammed the cut handle into a 1/2 in pipe, to make a cheater bar.<BR/><BR/>- Changing the clutch on a 71 VW Super Beetle engine requires holding the flywheel while turning the gland nut with 350 ft-lbs of torque. (Action-reaction - that means whatever holds the flywheel must resist 350 ft-lbs too.) There's a tool for it - I didn't want to buy it. So I used a T-post from an old electric fence (plentiful in Oklahoma) and hooked it under two flywheel bolts. It worked, but we bent the end of the T-post around in a complete J-shape in the process!<BR/><BR/>Sometimes a simple steel nail-set (punch) and a hammer can replace expensive specialty tools. You place the tip of the punch on the thing you want to unscrew, and use the hammer to beat it around the circle. Sounds awful but it works better and damages less than you'd think. I used it to remove a stuck freewheel hub on my bicycle recently - without damaging it. Also works on hex-head bolts and nuts, if they're large diameter.Dennis Ferronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03601234553344631838noreply@blogger.com