Yup, I've seen zip ties used in some pretty exotic machinery.
"Temporary" or Hack Repairs, 'Fess Up!
- Thread starter BigAl
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Nothing wrong with Cobbeling/Jerry Rigging in a pinch!!! That just shows that you are creative,adaptable and have a good survival instinct! The problem lies in how long you let the hack work stay in place. In an ideal world you should do the repair proper when you are able. I used to do a lot of off roading and am a master of field repairs. I also carry extra raw materials with me though when I go out into the woods.
(Slightly Off) Topic What bothers me is when hack work was done and never repaired latter. I especialy hate it when professional do hack work because itis out of site and charge top dollar for their work. This is usualy when the repair is under the vechile or electrical. I have come unglued on other technicians for useing crimp conector and liquid tape on critical repair that should have been soldiered(sp) and shrink tube protected!!! When someone is chargeing you $35-$75 an hour for labor I think you have the right to demand their "A" game not some lame "B" or "C" game!!!
My Dad was special op's and later mechinized infrantry. I was taught from day one that you should always take care of your equipment and make sure all repairs were made to spec.!! The mission and your life might depend on the quality of your or someone else's work! So I always treated my customers vechiles with the same respect and attention to detail!Pride in ones work is a dieing philosophy in this country! I often tell people that it is easier to find an honest Lawyer then an honest Mechanic/Tech.!!!!
(Slightly Off) Topic What bothers me is when hack work was done and never repaired latter. I especialy hate it when professional do hack work because itis out of site and charge top dollar for their work. This is usualy when the repair is under the vechile or electrical. I have come unglued on other technicians for useing crimp conector and liquid tape on critical repair that should have been soldiered(sp) and shrink tube protected!!! When someone is chargeing you $35-$75 an hour for labor I think you have the right to demand their "A" game not some lame "B" or "C" game!!!
My Dad was special op's and later mechinized infrantry. I was taught from day one that you should always take care of your equipment and make sure all repairs were made to spec.!! The mission and your life might depend on the quality of your or someone else's work! So I always treated my customers vechiles with the same respect and attention to detail!Pride in ones work is a dieing philosophy in this country! I often tell people that it is easier to find an honest Lawyer then an honest Mechanic/Tech.!!!!
On my truck, the gasket for my 3rd brake light was allowing a little water in the cab during really heavy rain. I fixed that with RTV. That lasted about a year and half, then I bought an aftermarket LED replacement light. It really sucked removing the old light.
On a '98 Chevy Blazer my cousin owned and I drove sometimes, we would leave the bottom part of the driver's door panel unfastened so that we could beat on the power window motor with a screw driver when it would die. The plastic clips broke on another one of the door panels, so we used RTV to help keep it in place. This truck was a true beater, so it didn't matter.
My parents were really bad with our old 1986 Ranger. The shift knob kept coming off, so one day my mom drilled a hole through the shift knob and shifter and put a nail through it and bent the end of the nail down. The paint came off the top of the cab too, so my dad bought the wrong shade of gray paint at Wal-Mart and painted it. The truck was also bad about failing sniffer tests during emissions inspections. Rather than just fix the problem, my dad dumped whatever "guarunteed to pass emissions" chemicals he saw at the store in the poor truck. It passed emissions for years like that. Oddly enough, this truck was one of the most reliable vehicles my parents owned. The one time it would not run was when the timing belt broke because my dad was too cheap to replace it when Ford said to.
On a '98 Chevy Blazer my cousin owned and I drove sometimes, we would leave the bottom part of the driver's door panel unfastened so that we could beat on the power window motor with a screw driver when it would die. The plastic clips broke on another one of the door panels, so we used RTV to help keep it in place. This truck was a true beater, so it didn't matter.
My parents were really bad with our old 1986 Ranger. The shift knob kept coming off, so one day my mom drilled a hole through the shift knob and shifter and put a nail through it and bent the end of the nail down. The paint came off the top of the cab too, so my dad bought the wrong shade of gray paint at Wal-Mart and painted it. The truck was also bad about failing sniffer tests during emissions inspections. Rather than just fix the problem, my dad dumped whatever "guarunteed to pass emissions" chemicals he saw at the store in the poor truck. It passed emissions for years like that. Oddly enough, this truck was one of the most reliable vehicles my parents owned. The one time it would not run was when the timing belt broke because my dad was too cheap to replace it when Ford said to.
Well, I'd say that SOME of my improvised repairs, like reinforcing a stripped wiper arm spline with a roll pin, or replacing a known problem relay in a circuit with a big switch, might actually be more durable and easier to service than the original factory design.
Something to think about: Can an improvised repair actually be an upgrade?
A friend, about 40 years ago had a fairly new VW Beetle. One weekend, and miles from home, the fuel pump failed. After he figured out that the engine wasn't getting gas he found an empty wiskey bottle on the side of the road where he had broken down. He siphoned gas out of the tank, filled the bottle up, then cut a small hole in the bottle cap with his pocket knife. He then rigged the bottle with some wire so that it dripped gas into the carb. Of course the engine ran at a very fast idle but off he went! He got home OK with only about 3 or 4 fillups. We laughed for months over that one and what a good thing it was that he didn't have a gashog V8!
aCid whatever...
Great stories! Must have been pretty good stuff!
Everwhat, because there are those instances where duct tape, bailing wire, Super-Glue and/or spit can do a lot to KEEP one on the road.
A temp repair is just that: TEMPORARY.
JB Weld (tm) actually works!
Cheers!
p.s. zip ties, tin foil (like from a gum wrapper) a match stick head, twisted string, a cigarette butt, etc. can all be of use depending upon the situation
Great stories! Must have been pretty good stuff!
Everwhat, because there are those instances where duct tape, bailing wire, Super-Glue and/or spit can do a lot to KEEP one on the road.
A temp repair is just that: TEMPORARY.
JB Weld (tm) actually works!
Cheers!
p.s. zip ties, tin foil (like from a gum wrapper) a match stick head, twisted string, a cigarette butt, etc. can all be of use depending upon the situation
Ayup, that'd count in all 50 states.
Had an e-brake part break inside a rear rotor and make a horrible noise each time a wheel stud head would hit it. I took out the offending part as a temporary fix.
I was then faced with the decision of whether to repair the broken component or just take out all the e-brake stuff from both sides.
Yup...
I was then faced with the decision of whether to repair the broken component or just take out all the e-brake stuff from both sides.
Yup...
OK, this was hack.
After my daughter "customized" the rear end of my aging '89 Reliant at an intersection, I gave up. I figured that as long as it was safe, I would just continue to let the kids drive it until something made it die entirely . . . no further investment allowed. I noticed that the alternator housing had somehow cracked in half. Amazingly, both halves were mostly together and it was still working. I put a 6" hose clamp I had around it to hold it together. It was still working fine a year later when a bad head gasket sent the car to the boneyard.
After my daughter "customized" the rear end of my aging '89 Reliant at an intersection, I gave up. I figured that as long as it was safe, I would just continue to let the kids drive it until something made it die entirely . . . no further investment allowed. I noticed that the alternator housing had somehow cracked in half. Amazingly, both halves were mostly together and it was still working. I put a 6" hose clamp I had around it to hold it together. It was still working fine a year later when a bad head gasket sent the car to the boneyard.
These are the two best stories on here so far.
Another story, hack? I dunno:
A friend had an unrestored '66 Mustang (future project) that he hadn't started in over a year. He needed to get it running again because he was moving out of state so he had me look at it. It wouldn't even fire. It appeared to be getting fuel and good spark. Maybe the gas was bad . . . so I primed it down the carb with a little gas . . . nothing . . . then ether . . . nothing. I got to thinking' "This thing is sure cranking over easy. I wonder if it has any compression?" I poured a little motor oil down the carb. That puppy fired right up. Maybe the rings freed up after a little run time, because he was able to drive it all the way to Pennsylvania.
A friend had an unrestored '66 Mustang (future project) that he hadn't started in over a year. He needed to get it running again because he was moving out of state so he had me look at it. It wouldn't even fire. It appeared to be getting fuel and good spark. Maybe the gas was bad . . . so I primed it down the carb with a little gas . . . nothing . . . then ether . . . nothing. I got to thinking' "This thing is sure cranking over easy. I wonder if it has any compression?" I poured a little motor oil down the carb. That puppy fired right up. Maybe the rings freed up after a little run time, because he was able to drive it all the way to Pennsylvania.
Preparing to replace the timing belt/tensioner and water pump/thermostat on my '82 Rabbit Convertible. All parts and tools on hand, manual at the ready. This should be a four-hour job, tops.
Start disassembly...
The crank pulley socket head cap screws are hopelessly stripped. No problem, save this part for next time - source a replacement pulley at the junkyard.
I can still change the water pump/thermostat while I have it apart.
Remove the water pump housing/assembly from the engine block. Three of the wimpy little bolts that fasten the pump to the housing now have the heads broken off.
I need a crank pulley and I need a pump housing and I need to drive this car all week.
Put it all back together and of course the water pump housing leaks where two adjacent bolts are missing. Clamp the housing together with the trusty Vice-Grip Pliers. Small little dribble of a leak. Worked fine until the next weekend.
Now the pulley bolts get buttered with anti-seize as do the water pump housing bolts.
fat biker
Start disassembly...
The crank pulley socket head cap screws are hopelessly stripped. No problem, save this part for next time - source a replacement pulley at the junkyard.
I can still change the water pump/thermostat while I have it apart.
Remove the water pump housing/assembly from the engine block. Three of the wimpy little bolts that fasten the pump to the housing now have the heads broken off.
I need a crank pulley and I need a pump housing and I need to drive this car all week.
Put it all back together and of course the water pump housing leaks where two adjacent bolts are missing. Clamp the housing together with the trusty Vice-Grip Pliers. Small little dribble of a leak. Worked fine until the next weekend.
Now the pulley bolts get buttered with anti-seize as do the water pump housing bolts.
fat biker
Does preventive maintenance count? One of the engine mounts (the dog-bone on top of the tranversely mounted v6 Chevy) got loose and engine pushes the transmission's dipstick against the brake master cylinder occasionally. Before the dipstick damaged too badly I removed it and right now the tube is sealed with aluminum tape. We don't like AT fluid to get contaminated don't we? I also reversed the the symmetrical dog-bone to see what may happen and the engine play is reduced greatly, so I'm not in hurry to get that $3.65 part.
Mine isn't huge but I once took a trip from SC to NY in my old 1983 Nissan Pkp. I had "everything" done before hand so I was pretty confident that the truck would make the trip. Somewhere around VA, I noticed a strange noise. I thought maybe the engine was going to seize so I pulled over and let it sit before checking the oil. Everything was OK so I continued on. I drove the truck the whole summer before realizing that the noise I heard was the A/C compressor on its last legs. I finally had to cut the belt and remove the tensioner pulley. I had to drive back to SC w/out air (besides the 60 mph kind). Never did get it fixed.
I got fairly reliable cars (corolla and integra) so the only things I have kludged are:
1) Sew a new piece of carpet on the driver side one, to patch a worn piece.
2) an oversized lug and screw to overcome a stripped tranny pan thread.
3) superglue a window glide rail to stop annoying rattle.
1) Sew a new piece of carpet on the driver side one, to patch a worn piece.
2) an oversized lug and screw to overcome a stripped tranny pan thread.
3) superglue a window glide rail to stop annoying rattle.
1982 Nissan P/U, stop/park lamp socket bad and not separately replaceable from the whole assembly so we just busted it off and replaced it with a generic socket with a metal mounting flange for $3 and some self-tapping screws (the assembly is plastic).
I think it'll pass the safety inspection now..
I think it'll pass the safety inspection now..
Also on the Ford Contour some 'tard had apparently replaced the brakelight bulb by removing the whole assembly (as evidenced by the marks on the plastic housing), and didn't reinstall it right so it rattled. I cut a piece of vacuum hose and stuck it between the rear windshield and the housing to stop it from rattling.
The sad part is that the rear part of the assembly simply unsnaps to replace the bulb.
The sad part is that the rear part of the assembly simply unsnaps to replace the bulb.
Four clever bits of shade tree engineering come to mind:
1. '76 Civic CVCC, Exhaust pipe broken just upstream of muffler. Cut both ends out of a 3 lb Maxwell House can, cut lengthwise, wraped around the joint, u-clamped both ends. Lasted more than 20K.
2. Same car. Seized caliper. Hung caliper off to the side, and blew one piston out using brakes. Removed from car and beat other piston out. Smoothed corrosion off with crocus cloth. Reassembled with really cheap new pads, bled, and it worked well for about a year, and then seized again. I then fixed it right.
3. Bad injector return line leak on '78 MB 240D while far from home. Went to a handy Meijer, purchase some aqaurium airline tubing, and used to replace leaking injector return line. Got me home.
4. '67 Corona, 1478cc, 78x78mm cyliner dimensions, 2R. Had brakes fail about 250 miles from home. The piston had bottomed out in the master cylider and would not return. Removed master cylinder, went to hardware store. Bought spring intended for use in a door closer, of a suitable diameter. The bore of the master cylinder looked okay and the rubber looked good. Reassembled with door spring in place of orginal, bled brakes (a long process after installing a dry master cylinder), made several serious trials, and was good to go. The car went to the junkyard several years later with the hardware I had installed. Also had to repair the clutch master in this Toy. One of the rubbers from my MGB brake master rebuild kit was a perfect fit for the clutch master of the Toyota.
1. '76 Civic CVCC, Exhaust pipe broken just upstream of muffler. Cut both ends out of a 3 lb Maxwell House can, cut lengthwise, wraped around the joint, u-clamped both ends. Lasted more than 20K.
2. Same car. Seized caliper. Hung caliper off to the side, and blew one piston out using brakes. Removed from car and beat other piston out. Smoothed corrosion off with crocus cloth. Reassembled with really cheap new pads, bled, and it worked well for about a year, and then seized again. I then fixed it right.
3. Bad injector return line leak on '78 MB 240D while far from home. Went to a handy Meijer, purchase some aqaurium airline tubing, and used to replace leaking injector return line. Got me home.
4. '67 Corona, 1478cc, 78x78mm cyliner dimensions, 2R. Had brakes fail about 250 miles from home. The piston had bottomed out in the master cylider and would not return. Removed master cylinder, went to hardware store. Bought spring intended for use in a door closer, of a suitable diameter. The bore of the master cylinder looked okay and the rubber looked good. Reassembled with door spring in place of orginal, bled brakes (a long process after installing a dry master cylinder), made several serious trials, and was good to go. The car went to the junkyard several years later with the hardware I had installed. Also had to repair the clutch master in this Toy. One of the rubbers from my MGB brake master rebuild kit was a perfect fit for the clutch master of the Toyota.
15A toggle switch to take 12 volts from the battery to manually cycle the compressor for the air conditioning on and off. Because the evaporator would ice up under the dash, the airflow would be greatly reduced, the signal that it was time to "cycle" the compressor off for a bit. The ice would melt, the evaporator start to warm, and then I'd "cycle" the compressor back on to resume the AC.
Worked great, less billing!
Worked great, less billing!
My heater core started leaking in the beginning of summer took a 13mm deepwell socket and a few hose clamps to get me by. Its fixed properly now that it is getting cold. My left turn signal and blinker were randomly working from a bad connection at the switch. Fixed with a few relays and push button switches from a car alarm that still work like factory when the turn signal arm is depressed. 89 Blazer by the way not worth putting the money into a new switch.
Power steering box was leaking at the lower reservoir hose on a 93 grand am to I took an extra screw in hollow bolt for the oil pan from a frantz bypass filter and drilled it out a bit to screw in there to fix with a little RTV worked like a champ. Just a few that came to mind keep them coming this is a great thread.
Power steering box was leaking at the lower reservoir hose on a 93 grand am to I took an extra screw in hollow bolt for the oil pan from a frantz bypass filter and drilled it out a bit to screw in there to fix with a little RTV worked like a champ. Just a few that came to mind keep them coming this is a great thread.
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