Steel

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Morning guys

Had a quick look but couldnt see anything like this all in one place and im feeling constructive :tongueclosed:

Will start the ball rolling:

  1. Your window winder getting heavy to turn? or your power windows sound like its going to stop? Silicone spray is THE *poo* for lubing up your rubber window guides. when the window is down just a steady quick spray down the guts from top to bottom. Presto! (try to avoid using WD40/CRC etc, this stuff is notorious for eating away rubber and making it go all wavy)
  2. Lithium grease spray is also my go-to lube for hinges for doors and bonnets and also use it for lubing and coating park brake springs and park brake shoe adjusters as it handles heat well.
  3. Bendix ceramic lube. This stuff if you can find it is the best stuff i have found for lubing caliper slide pins and adjusters. Being ceramic it is really resistant to heat! good stuff! I also put it on the guide tabs and slides on brake pads, keeps them operating smoothly and not get stuck (yes i have seen it happen before)
  4. Wheel bearing grease i usually use the green castrol agri grease or the yellow coloured spheerol. Make sure you pack those bearings well, can never have too much lube :tonguewink:
  5. If greasing uni joints i prefer a quality grease with moly in it! nice gun metal grey colour. Its bad for getting everywhere seriously worst for it lol!
  6. Anti seize: can get them as a silver grade or copper grade. Copper grade has a higher temp threshold, so you would only really use this stuff for hot areas like exhaust manifold studs/nuts etc. Silver is perfectly fine for wheel nuts, brake bleeding nipples etc... Contrary to popular believe, anti seize is not a "lube" it does not make nuts fall off etc. its just to stop oxidisation and prevent seizing.
Thats all i can think of for now. If anybody else wants to add their little tips and tricks and info go right ahead. Would be awesome if we could make this a sticky with all this small and simple info that we never really thought about readily available :grinning:

im to bed guys! have fun

Oh: i generally only use wd40 etc for help loosening off seized or rusted nuts. INOX while it does the same thing is actually lanolin based and does not eat rubber like wd40. I will always get inox over the crc stuff any day. just as good, but doesnt eat rubber and leaves O rings alone. just FYI.

just remembered something else: CRC contact cleaner? only use the solvent based flammable stuff. The non flammable stuff, eats into plastic terminals and causes a lot of damage in a matter of months. Had million dollar machines parked up from electrical issues and took sometime before we found this out.
 
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okies... im awake now! ^^^^^ Hes onto it... thanks for the imput! Have had some sleep. Some more for the list:

  1. Im a huge fan of using engine flush additives, specially for Vtec/Mivec/VVTi engines. Def wanna keep those oil galleries clear of sludge. I use liquimoly generally but Nulon etc is great aswell. Toyotas and Hyundais (yes the new ones) i have seen blowing smoke on an engine that had less than 60,000kms. Despite regular servicing it turned out that the rocker cover breathers had all gotten blocked and was causing huge amounts of blow-by. Bother dealerships quoted a top end rebuild, spent half a day cleaning it with solvent and emry paper and all G at the end for a fraction of the price.
  2. Liquimoly friction reducer works as well. have been running it in my race cars, R1 motorcycles and my motards, takes a lot of rattling outta the old 1 cylinder thumpers and just gives that extra layer of protection. Sll my vehicles need it with the way i drive :smirk:
  3. Using silicone on grease nipples and brake bleeding nipples is an awesome way to keep the opening protected and stop it from getting blocked.
  4. When rebuilding brake calipers, careful when buffing the piston. Nissan pistons are the best made in terms of quality and metallurgy or so i have seen. I can lightly buff nissan pistons on a wire wheel, but have found that mitsu and toyotas are a softer/different makeup of metal. Use an extremely fine wet/dry sandpaper and LIGHTLY buff by hand. If you happen to have access to a lathe, you can afford a little more pressure. Another tip for buffing, you can use brasso with it as well to finally polish it.
  5. Also when rebuilding calipers, use a synthetic/ceramic based lube. Anti-seize simply doesnt cut it, it will go hard before too long and will act like a glue rather than keep it sliding freely. Dont worry about polishing the inside of the caliper where the piston goes, the rubber O ring is the seal. If the piston is hitting the inside of the caliper as its being used, you will have a much larger problem than worrying about scratches.
  6. When rebuilding show type brakes/park brakes, always pull apart the adjuster and hit every part with a wire buffer. Theres nothing than worse than fiddling through a tiny hole trying to adjust it when its basically seized or not/incorrectly lubed. That Bendix ceramic synthetic lube is awesome stuff.
  7. Autoglym car care products are my go-to as well. Armourall tends to attract dust. Autoglym smells nicer and has an anti-static affect. Highly recommend all there products.
Thats it for this avo anyways... :laughing: Keep the info flowing guys!
 
  1. Autoglym car care products are my go-to as well. Armourall tends to attract dust. Autoglym smells nicer and has an anti-static affect. Highly recommend all there products.

Autoglym are my fav stuff to use as well, however keep in mind they are petroleum-based. If you leave the lid off, it will evaporate somewhat, and the remaining stuff doesnt work nearly as good.
 
Can also use a dry lube on the felt on your window winders or on the felt on your door seals (more of a Euro car thing). Does the same job as silicone just without getting it on you glass, and some people believe it damages the felt over time. (Who knows if this is true or not)

Rubber grease is also kick ass for all coolant hoses/fittings ect and anything with an o-ring just about.

Also on coolant hoses, if the fittings are a little stuck cause theyre old, a little spray bottle of water and liquid soap mix is a great way to lube them to assist removal.

Just a pre-face for any additives, flushes and all that; There is never a chemical solution for a mechanic problem.
Not saying additives don't work, just saying they fix a symptom not the cause. Ie stop smoke doesnt fix your worn rings/valve stem seals/ect., it just stops smoke coming out of your exhaust. Something to keep in mind..
 
Autoglym's mad if you have the cash but meguiars are great too and can be cheaper.
 
Used Meguiars for years almost half a century, Wet Look, which was a polymer polish but is now a wax. Meguiars do still produce a polymer polish
but was told by Australian distributors they don't import it. Neither Autoglyn or anyone else appear to have a polymer polish, except Nu Finnish
which I find, not as good. For me goodby Meguiars!!!

Now found and use, show car finish, polymer polish. Zaino pro 2 for a magic wet look finish, gained with so little effort.
Lasts up to 4 months or more. Just put a smear on a polishing pad that will be enough for a full panel, wipe lightly
with straight line action. Let dry for more than fifteen minutes, do the whole car if you like, and lightly wipe off. Easy! And Wow
Don't use more than a small amount. If you wish, wax the car first and put Zaino over the top and experience the improvement.
Can and I have used Zaino over rubber and vinyl, even hoses under the bonnet, brings them up to a nice shine, works a treat!
Non abrasive, and UV protective qualities. Look up Zaino on the internet. You don't have to use two or more products at the same time
as suggested on the internet unless you want to. Zaino pro 2 works fine by itself as told to me by my state Vic, vendor distributor. There's one in each state.

Just Zaino pro 2 works better and is easier to apply then anything else I've ever used before. Want a better finish? Give it a second coat.
more than 24 hours after the first! Rub your hand over the finished job and feel it glide over.
 
Cooler pipe really tight to get on?
Or maybe a cooler pipe won't stay on?

Try hair spray.
It goes on gooey like lube
It's drys like glue
And usually soluble wit water and / or soap.
 
When cleaning up your hands and arms after working oin the car, if you dont have access to proper degreasers and solvents for washing up, using some washing powder. The grit is enough to help scrub off the hard stuff, and the chemicals and such in the powder will help loosen up the grease. Use about a teaspoon, and a few drops of water to make a sort of paste, and rub. Rinse it off properly, you know you'll be done when your hands arent slimey anymore.

Note that if you have any cuts or such, washing powder will sting a lot, so if youre a bit sensitive to pain, probably op to stay in your room and not breathe anymore.
 
When cleaning up your hands and arms after working oin the car, if you dont have access to proper degreasers and solvents for washing up, using some washing powder. The grit is enough to help scrub off the hard stuff, and the chemicals and such in the powder will help loosen up the grease. Use about a teaspoon, and a few drops of water to make a sort of paste, and rub. Rinse it off properly, you know you'll be done when your hands arent slimey anymore.

Note that if you have any cuts or such, washing powder will sting a lot, so if youre a bit sensitive to pain, probably op to stay in your room and not breathe anymore.
or get these, for $2 I usually grab a couple pairs when ever I go to SCA, they feel pretty good on your hands and dont break after 5 seconds like nitrile gloves

http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/Product/ToolPro-Polyurethane-Dipped-Gloves-One-Size-Black/379792
 
^^ theres always one... :tearsofjoy:

Removing the good ol spigot bearing/bush. If you dont have a puller and are too tight to go buy one (myself included :grin:) anything malleable will do the job. Have used bread, grease even kraft singles cheese! Just keep feeding it into the hole and keep tapping the bolt or whatever your using bit by bit and keep topping it up!

I should say for those on a budget...:laughing:
 
Another i just thought of for that PITA fuel filter?

You can use some loctite thread sealant on both ends and then dont have to tighten the ass outta it. Makes it far easier to replace in the future. :)
 
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