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With some one talking about the blue tooth OBD-II reader.... Can any one recommend me a "Good" reader/clearer for my current vehicles (E39 and a Trailblazer). I want to keep the price under 200, but 250 would be ok. I would like to have PC interface, plan on putting an old XP machine in my garage. Big Bonus: Able to read codes from a potential E30/E34 that will pop up in my garage one day. Any suggestions?
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Jan 26, 2011 03:09
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Are there any good tools wholesalers out there? Maybe a place that isn't the cheapest on every piece but has a good selection of most types of tool at a competitive price?
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Jan 26, 2011 03:40
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Brigdh posted:How can I measure torque on a nut that is only accessible using an open ended box wrench? As others have said; crows foot at 90 degrees. If it's good enough to fly planes, it's good enough for your car.
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Jan 26, 2011 04:15
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BrokenKnucklez posted:With some one talking about the blue tooth OBD-II reader.... You can get an OBD-II reader/clearer on ebay for $30. ANy E30 or E34 is going to be pre-OBD-II so you will need to get something else for those. A lot of older cars (Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Nissan just from personal experience) can be 'scanned' and cleared by jumping pins in an electrical plug and reading the flashing of a check engine light. I don't know if BMWs can be manipulated this way. Chryslers are even easier, just turn the key back and forth 5x and they will spit the codes via check engine light or digital odometer (if equipped).
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Jan 26, 2011 17:07
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BrokenKnucklez posted:With some one talking about the blue tooth OBD-II reader.... For BMWs, there's only one choice, the Peake FCX tool. ~$100 used (~$140 new, but there are tons of used ones out there), but it reads all the BMW specific codes and can reset the service intervals too. You'll probably need the '00 and under variant, depending on the year of your E39. They make a universal one too, but it's a bit more money. If you have the round port under the hood, you can just order the older version and you'll be fine on your car + an E34, if not, you'll need the universal model. Not sure about E30s, don't really know much about them, but it says it can read pretty much any "modern" BMW (ie OBDI onwards).
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Jan 26, 2011 17:20
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PBCrunch posted:Chryslers are even easier, just turn the key back and forth 5x and they will spit the codes via check engine light or digital odometer (if equipped). Is this for all OBDII compliant models, or just a specific range of years?
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Jan 26, 2011 17:34
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BrokenKnucklez posted:I would like to have PC interface, plan on putting an old XP machine in my garage. I think it's worth pointing out here that the USB standard does not allow for USB cables over 15 feet due to excessive signal degradation past that length. Not a big deal with a laptop in the car but maybe important for planning where in the garage to put a desktop PC. Cables that go longer have a built-in amplifier and cost a good deal more. e: I wonder if a powered hub between 2 15-foot cables would work? Splizwarf fucked around with this message at 18:11 on Jan 26, 2011 |
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Jan 26, 2011 18:08
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Splizwarf posted:I think it's worth pointing out here that the USB standard does not allow for USB cables over 15 feet due to excessive signal degradation past that length. Not a big deal with a laptop in the car but maybe important for planning where in the garage to put a desktop PC. Cables that go longer have a built-in amplifier and cost a good deal more. You're right, but they're not that pricey: http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=103&cp_id=10303&cs_id=1030301&p_id=7531&seq=1&format=2
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Jan 26, 2011 20:20
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jesus christ, that guy is doing 1.5" depth cuts with a drywall bit... No wonder his surface quality sucks :-) STill that's impressive.
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Jan 26, 2011 21:15
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Splizwarf posted:I think it's worth pointing out here that the USB standard does not allow for USB cables over 15 feet due to excessive signal degradation past that length. Not a big deal with a laptop in the car but maybe important for planning where in the garage to put a desktop PC. Cables that go longer have a built-in amplifier and cost a good deal more. Yeah I gave that thought and decided to get a cheapy service cart from HF to mount the PC to it with some other random bits of odd crap that can hang out with it. Thanks for the info! Oh the E39 is an 03, so I would need OBD-II
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Jan 27, 2011 04:47
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Came across a 183 part Mechanics Kit at sears on clearance for $83, plus there was some sort of promotion where I got another 15% off. Only thing wrong with it was a small crack on the carry case, and one 1/4 drive deep socket was missing. It's now my full time tool kit in the truck. If someone jacks it during the next desert race, I'm out like 70$.. better than my big tool kit. I'll still need to add a few speciality tools plus a breaker bar or two. Now I got to keep an eye out on the clearance isle.
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Jan 30, 2011 00:38
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A couple years ago when I didn't have a garage, I had a coolant change done at a car wash place with an oil change bay. They had some device in which they unhooked one of the radiator hoses, and then pumped something like 10 gallons of coolant through the entire system, flushing it out and leaving it full with fresh coolant. Now I'm thinking such a system would be helpful in my garage, instead of having to jack the cars up in several steps just to get a 15 gal bucket underneath, wait for the old stuff to drain, then fill and burp the system. How much do these systems cost, and are they really effective?
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Feb 7, 2011 05:40
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You can DIY it with two (big) buckets and two hoses, tie in at the lower rad hose. The machine is expensive and only really better from an 'am I dumb' perspective.
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Feb 7, 2011 06:10
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Brigdh posted:Now I'm thinking such a system would be helpful in my garage, instead of having to jack the cars up in several steps just to get a 15 gal bucket underneath, wait for the old stuff to drain, then fill and burp the system. How much do these systems cost, and are they really effective? Skimmed through the Mac Tools website and the two I found were ~3,000 dollars a piece. Just get a low profile drain pan to keep from having to jack the vehicle up as much (or any at all) and pick up on of those coolant funnel kits that attaches in place of the radiator cap. On the other hand, if you have $200 to spend on something cool, then Matco's MCR102A cooling system refiller is the way to go. It uses an air compressor to first vacuum the air out of the cooling system (it's awesome to watch all the hoses suck together), then after it's done you can close all the valves and watch the gauge to see if the system is holding the vacuum. This way you can see that it has no leaks. After you confirm that there are no leaks you can stick one of the hoses into a jug of fresh coolant and open the valves, and the releasing of the vacuum will pull the coolant into the system and fill it completely without allowing air pockets to form. It really is an awesome tool and every shop should have one. I can't get Matco's website to give me an individual page but here is the page it's listed on today.
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Feb 7, 2011 14:18
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Goddamn, that is cool as hell. Looks like it should be relatively simple for Harbor Freight to eventually copy. Or maybe Autozone / Checker will start loaning something like it out.
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Feb 7, 2011 17:30
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Diesel_Doc posted:On the other hand, if you have $200 to spend on something cool, then Matco's MCR102A cooling system refiller is the way to go. It uses an air compressor to first vacuum the air out of the cooling system (it's awesome to watch all the hoses suck together), then after it's done you can close all the valves and watch the gauge to see if the system is holding the vacuum. This way you can see that it has no leaks. After you confirm that there are no leaks you can stick one of the hoses into a jug of fresh coolant and open the valves, and the releasing of the vacuum will pull the coolant into the system and fill it completely without allowing air pockets to form. It really is an awesome tool and every shop should have one. My friend's mother-in-law works for Matco and gets a p hefty discount...I might have to get one of those.
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Feb 7, 2011 17:42
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Diesel_Doc posted:
How much air does it use? Could I get away with using a 10 gal Craftsman portable compressor?
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Feb 7, 2011 19:00
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Brigdh posted:How much air does it use? Could I get away with using a 10 gal Craftsman portable compressor? I've been racking my brain and I honestly can't remember exactly how much vacuum it draws down to. I do remember that on most trucks with larger cooling systems it took a little while to fully vacuum out the system. I would say that you might be able to get away with it, but i would expect that it would take a hell of a long time to accomplish. If you can get ahold of your local Matco dealer, he/she should be able to tell you.
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Feb 7, 2011 20:37
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Harbor Freight coupon for 20% off ENTIRE ORDER (over$100): http://widgets.harborfreight.com/ws...=0000&hftref=cj Only good until Monday, might be a good thing if you're looking for a lot of cheap stuff cheap. meatpimp fucked around with this message at 02:06 on Feb 11, 2011 |
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Feb 11, 2011 01:57
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EVERYWHERE 
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FYI air compressor recall: http://toolmonger.com/2011/02/10/air-compressors-recalled-due-to-fire-hazard/quote:If you own a Craftsman, Delta Shopmaster, DeVilbiss, Husky, or Porter-Cable air compressor, heads up: DeVilbiss (the actual manufacturer of these particular models) announced the recall of about 460,000 compressors due to an overheating problem that can pose a fire hazard.
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Feb 11, 2011 03:31
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I have a stubborn lug nut. Should I get this?
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Feb 22, 2011 11:06
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bolind posted:I have a stubborn lug nut. Should I get this? Sounds like you're out of options. That may be your only choice. Good luck.
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Feb 22, 2011 12:16
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meatpimp posted:Sounds like you're out of options. That may be your only choice. Good luck. That's what I feared. Anyone have a cheap source of 3½" drive 17mm sockets?
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Feb 22, 2011 13:52
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bolind posted:That's what I feared. Anyone have a cheap source of 3½" drive 17mm sockets? For that price you might consider just buying a new v8 mustang convertible and using it to tow the other car around.
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Feb 22, 2011 18:21
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Can I get a recommendation on some good ramps that won't slide on a concrete garage floor? Heaviest car that will be on them is a Saturn Vue.
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Feb 22, 2011 18:35
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Bigass Moth posted:Can I get a recommendation on some good ramps that won't slide on a concrete garage floor? Heaviest car that will be on them is a Saturn Vue. Rhino ramps rhino ramps rhino ramps. I'm never buying a metal set again.
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Feb 22, 2011 18:46
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eddiewalker posted:Rhino ramps rhino ramps rhino ramps. I'm never buying a metal set again. I was actually looking at those and saw some very negative reviews, especially for use on concrete floors.
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Feb 22, 2011 18:53
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Those angle iron things are poo poo and slide all over, even when using the drive wheels. I ended up selling mine for a song to some poor schmuck. I can rent a lift for $20/hr or use my friends for free, gently caress violently sliding around, risking life, limb and body panel damage.
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Feb 22, 2011 19:01
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Bigass Moth posted:I was actually looking at those and saw some very negative reviews, especially for use on concrete floors. I had problems until I fixed them by (1) gluing the rubber feet into them with RTV, and (2) jamming them under the front wheels first, then driving up on them. I've got concrete floors, and they don't slip now.
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Feb 22, 2011 19:19
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I made some huge ramps out of pressure-treated 2x10s of decreasing length screwed together. They don't slip (so heavy) and they can get under a really low car but they don't raise the car up that high (could be overcome with design) and they are really heavy and bulky. Very similar to these: http://mustangworld.com/ourpics/News/mwramps/index.htm
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Feb 22, 2011 20:13
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Is it really that hard to jack up a car? Moving those giant things around would give me a hernia.
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Feb 22, 2011 20:49
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Elephanthead posted:Is it really that hard to jack up a car? Moving those giant things around would give me a hernia. Well its definitely faster than fiddling around with jack and stands on some cars, and actually requires less moving about.
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Feb 22, 2011 20:59
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sharkytm posted:I had problems until I fixed them by (1) gluing the rubber feet into them with RTV, and (2) jamming them under the front wheels first, then driving up on them. I've got concrete floors, and they don't slip now. I ordered some (Advance Autoparts is having a pretty good sale, check slickdeals). I'll try these fixes you mentioned if I have problems.
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Feb 22, 2011 21:07
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Elephanthead posted:Is it really that hard to jack up a car? Moving those giant things around would give me a hernia. My car (Fit) only has a single good central front jacking point, and its too far under the car to reach with my jack. So I drive up on one ramp, then jack the central point with the jack. When its level, I stick a stand under the other side. Takes about 1/2 the time that it does to jack it up on both sides separately.
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Feb 22, 2011 22:40
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bolind posted:I have a stubborn lug nut. Should I get this? Holy gently caress. When I first saw that I thought it said 1/2" drive. Then I looked at the torque rating for it 108000+ NM!!! "Holy gently caress" I thought. "All that through a half inch drive? Goddam! I've broken half in drive breaker bars". Then I realized it was 3 1/2" drive.
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Feb 23, 2011 04:48
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So has anyone here tried the plastidip method of painting anything? I saw the link posted a few pages back and it seems like a pretty cool product. I have chrome wheels but hate chrome wheels, I was thinking of trying it out on them. I can't imagine it will cause any problems if it's safe enough for auto paint. My car also came with an aftermarket front fascia that was poorly prepped before it was painted, and is now peeling in some areas / severely rock chipped. I had been trying to work up the nerve to strip all the paint then buy the appropriate color spray can online, but I've been worried I'd turn out even worse (and I don't want to buy a compressor and paint gun). Now I'm thinking I could plastidip the front bumper, then try the spray can method over the plastidip. If I do a horrible job or it looks worse, I'll just peel it off.
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Feb 23, 2011 21:54
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Dip it flourescent orange. Goes with pretty much any color your car could be. I too am dying to try this, actually; please post a trip report if you take the plunge.
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Feb 23, 2011 22:34
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Let my friend use my tools to fix his car a bit, of course he lost some sockets. I've been happy with my 6 year old Husky 3/8" set, seeing as they don't sell individual 6 point sockets anymore I'm looking for something as/if not more stout to replace them with. Are Stanley Blackhawks about the same? Should I be buying them from Grainger?
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Feb 23, 2011 23:43
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Mcqueen posted:Let my friend use my tools to fix his car a bit, of course he lost some sockets. Blackhawk is a great brand. The sockets are U.S. made. Grainger is almost always overpriced unless you have a company discount. I'd recommend picking up a whole set off Craigslist or get a used set on ebay, or go cheap and get a set at Harbor Freight. Or order a Snap-On set on eBay. Really it all depends on what kinda quality you care about, if you care about Country of Origin, and how often you will be using them. If you Husky set lasted you 6 yrs. with no problems, then Harbor Freight sockets will be just fine for you application for a good price. And of course you can buy individual sockets at Sears or online or tons of other places if you just want to replace the lost ones. Also, whoop his bitch rear end for losing your poo poo.
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Feb 24, 2011 01:23
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Anyone seen a coupon for a Harbor Frieght motorcycle lift anywhere? Or maybe a general % off coupon? I saw one last year and waited too long, and now with so spring coming, I'd like to get one.
Doctor Zero fucked around with this message at 02:33 on Feb 24, 2011 |
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Feb 24, 2011 02:30
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