Other General tools and tips

Thought I would do a thread for tips , tricks , tools etc whilst working on our discoveries , hopefully it will slowly build up over time and be useful to everyone

many thks

so I’ve found these crimpers very useful for the large battery leads etc

Also a hydraulic puller

plus just got these UJ crows feet

These pin terminal extractors and some terminal pin files, have heard u need to be gentle when cleaning terminals as there’s supposed to be a coating on them, how true that is I’m unsure

@Stanleysteamer

hi mate , is this the kind of tape u mean regarding stretchy insulating tape plse

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/250675354999?hash=item3a5d6a5d77:g:Y1QAAOxy7nNTSpth

plus many thks for the heads up as just ordered one of those fibreglass pens, along with brass inserts

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251948349158?hash=item3aa94ab6e6:g:570AAMXQNOZRDSi5

gstuart said:

@Stanleysteamer

hi mate , is this the kind of tape u mean regarding stretchy insulating tape plse

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/250675354999?hash=item3a5d6a5d77:g:Y1QAAOxy7nNTSpth

plus many thks for the heads up as just ordered one of those fibreglass pens, along with brass inserts

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251948349158?hash=item3aa94ab6e6:g:570AAMXQNOZRDSi5

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That tape is better than the stuff I use, and being self-amalgamating will need cutting off rather than simply unrolling if you ever need to get back in.
But deffo better than what I use!!
The fibreglass brush you have ordered is exactly the same as the one I have.
Lickle tip, watch where the dust goes, if it gets in your skin it's a right pain! You just don't notice it as you do it!! The fibre glass dust i mean.

Stanleysteamer said:

That tape is better than the stuff I use, and being self-amalgamating will need cutting off rather than simply unrolling if you ever need to get back in.
But deffo better than what I use!!
The fibreglass brush you have ordered is exactly the same as the one I have.
Lickle tip, watch where the dust goes, if it gets in your skin it's a right pain! You just don't notice it as you do it!! The fibre glass dust i mean.

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many thks and good to know regarding the tape

awesome, have a few other connectors I need to clean so couldn’t have done at a better time as thought there were just the files I previously bought

hopefully this thread will be ideal for anyone to add tips, tricks , tools etc that they’ve found to be very useful to them

gstuart said:

many thks and good to know regarding the tape

awesome, have a few other connectors I need to clean so couldn’t have done at a better time as thought there were just the files I previously bought

hopefully this thread will be ideal for anyone to add tips, tricks , tools etc that they’ve found to be very useful to them

Click to expand...

I'm sure it will be.
i recently got a set of solid as opposed to flexible headed ratchet spanners. Other end open. I use them all the time. not as good as Halfords professional but they were much cheaper. Reach for them now rather than getting my big boxes of sockets out!

Stanleysteamer said:

I'm sure it will be.
i recently got a set of solid as opposed to flexible headed ratchet spanners. Other end open. I use them all the time. not as good as Halfords professional but they were much cheaper. Reach for them now rather than getting my big boxes of sockets out!

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Indeed fingers crossed this thread will be useful to others

Talking of fixed spanner still have my britool ones, they must be 25+ years old , do really like the 6 x sided sockets, that was something I learnt here as many of mine were 12 x point and really noticed the difference when trying to undo wishbones nuts and bolts

plus it would be awesome if I was able to wheel my tool cabinet out next to the disco when working on it to save having to go back and forth indoors, lol

@Stanleysteamer

May i pick ur brains please , where my air intake is under the bonnet it can suffer with water ingress, many simply putting a cut milk carton over to stop the ingress onto the cabin filter

have a few small sheets of 4mm aluminium and would prefer to use that as a more permanent solution, however I’m trying to think the best way to bend it plse

Wondering if I used a vice and then hammered the bend where it creases if the aluminium will split or if I will need to heat it , will make a cardboard template as the aluminium piece I have is rectangular

can see in the picture of the air inlet but where it protrudes past the scuttle

hope u didn’t mind me asking and many thks

gstuart said:

Indeed fingers crossed this thread will be useful to others

Talking of fixed spanner still have my britool ones, they must be 25+ years old , do really like the 6 x sided sockets, that was something I learnt here as many of mine were 12 x point and really noticed the difference when trying to undo wishbones nuts and bolts

plus it would be awesome if I was able to wheel my tool cabinet out next to the disco when working on it to save having to go back and forth indoors, lol

Click to expand...

I really started buying tools about 50 years ago. I never inherited many as my Dad didn't do diy, except decorating.
(I still have his wallpaper brush).
some tools I occasionally look at at cannot remember where on earth I got it from or when!

gstuart said:

@Stanleysteamer

May i pick ur brains please , where my air intake is under the bonnet it can suffer with water ingress, many simply putting a cut milk carton over to stop the ingress onto the cabin filter

have a few small sheets of 4mm aluminium and would prefer to use that as a more permanent solution, however I’m trying to think the best way to bend it plse

Wondering if I used a vice and then hammered the bend where it creases if the aluminium will split or if I will need to heat it , will make a cardboard template as the aluminium piece I have is rectangular

can see in the picture of the air inlet but where it protrudes past the scuttle

hope u didn’t mind me asking and many thks

View attachment 261951 View attachment 261952 View attachment 261953

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4mm?
That's very thick isn't it?
I think I would put a couple of lengths of angle iron in a vice lined up perfectly with the ally sandwiched between them, then as you say bash it with a hammer. i have done this before with both ally and thin steel, not having a proper metal bender.
There may even be a way of using the two pieces of angle spooned with the sheet ally in between and then pressing them together in the vice, but i have not tried it.
I believe the way of annealing ally is to rub it with soap then heat it with a blowtorch till it turns brown.
But I think you'd be better off asking a trained man like @My Old Landy
or @DanClarke .
I will watch this with interest.
But I can't help thinking a thin piece of ally is easier to work with.
I have had to make all sorts of stupid complex shapes with ally before, for instance a foot rest for my left foot to go in a cut out I made for my kit car, that wasn't easy and then I changed the gear box and made it even harder for myself.
and what is feckin annoying it that unlike steel, if you make a mistake you cannot just weld a new bit in as you would with steel.

Stanleysteamer said:

I really started buying tools about 50 years ago. I never inherited many as my Dad didn't do diy, except decorating.
(I still have his wallpaper brush).
some tools I occasionally look at at cannot remember where on earth I got it from or when!

Click to expand...

wow that’s some years collecting tools my friend , for me it’s 36 x years so I’ve got some catching up to do , lol

Alas the only things my pops gave me was an old tool box full of whitworth spanners , his shed is still full of tools , but as he’s now 92 hardly uses them

must admit it’s fatal when I go to boot fares etc , there always seems to be a tool stall, particularly the box with odds and sods etc, lol

Stanleysteamer said:

4mm?
That's very thick isn't it?
I think I would put a couple of lengths of angle iron in a vice lined up perfectly with the ally sandwiched between them, then as you say bash it with a hammer. i have done this before with both ally and thin steel, not having a proper metal bender.
There may even be a way of using the two pieces of angle spooned with the sheet ally in between and then pressing them together in the vice, but i have not tried it.
I believe the way of annealing ally is to rub it with soap then heat it with a blowtorch till it turns brown.
But I think you'd be better off asking a trained man like @My Old Landy
or @DanClarke .
I will watch this with interest.
But I can't help thinking a thin piece of ally is easier to work with.
I have had to make all sorts of stupid complex shapes with ally before, for instance a foot rest for my left foot to go in a cut out I made for my kit car, that wasn't easy and then I changed the gear box and made it even harder for myself.
and what is feckin annoying it that unlike steel, if you make a mistake you cannot just weld a new bit in as you would with steel.

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That’s awesome and a million thks mate as that’s very useful

looked on eBay again where I got the aluminium sheets from before and wonder if it would be worth getting one thats only 1mm thick , a sheet 300 x 200mm is only £5.00 , plus thinking it will then be a lot easier to bend

remeasured the sheet I’ve already got and apologises it’s 3mm not 4mm , nevertheless is still quite thick and think I’ll be better off getting one that’s only 1mm , what do u think please

plus they sell aluminium and stainless steel, imagine it’s not worth spending out the extra for stainless,

found another picture as well which looks neater ,

must confess do have plenty other projects on the pipeline so to speak, ie

Front A bar
Spot lights
Solar panel
Dc to Dc charger
solar monitor
Sliding boot floor
Roof rails , plus that project I’m going to fit some Z clips so the solar panel sits down low

so the above should keep me busy , lol,

apologises I’m waffling again , so here’s the pics and a link for the aluminium , nearly forgot , have some small sheets or 3mm black plastic as well

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/163903272722?var=463505167800&hash=item2629657712:g:XBsAAOSwdKddoepJ

I’m so very grateful mate , honestly can’t thk u enough

Plus looking at fixings I see they’ve used a plastic clip, wonder if I would be better off using a rivnut , seeing there not very expensive and will more than likely use one again

Found this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/193850706429?hash=item2d226709fd:g:o1gAAOSwU0Be14Gv

gstuart said:

Plus looking at fixings I see they’ve used a plastic clip, wonder if I would be better off using a rivnut , seeing there not very expensive and will more than likely use one again

Found this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/193850706429?hash=item2d226709fd:g:o1gAAOSwU0Be14Gv

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Rivnuts are OK.....until, they start going "round and round". Us kit-car-ers use them but I won't for this very reason.
I suppose it matters what you put them inot and whether you put them in properly.
I do have to say I have never fitted one, never bought any so don't even have the fitting tooling.
My bad experiences were with ones fitted by others.
I'm sure other members will come on and poo-poo what I've said, as I'm sure if they were all totally cr@p they wouldn't still be selling them.
But then other total cr@p still sells!

Stanleysteamer said:

Rivnuts are OK.....until, they start going "round and round". Us kit-car-ers use them but I won't for this very reason.
I suppose it matters what you put them inot and whether you put them in properly.
I do have to say I have never fitted one, never bought any so don't even have the fitting tooling.
My bad experiences were with ones fitted by others.
I'm sure other members will come on and poo-poo what I've said, as I'm sure if they were all totally cr@p they wouldn't still be selling them.
But then other total cr@p still sells!

Click to expand...

many thks mate , must admit have used them in the past but got the ones that are grooved as know what u mean regarding them spinning

had that when I fitted spot light brackets on the front of the FL1, ended up removing them and went over to the grooved rivnuts and were a lot better

The steel I think is around 4mm and could drill new holes , not at all mate , know ur extremely knowledgeable

know I’m my own worst enemy when it comes to any jobs, I end up over thinking things and always takes twice as long , suppose like ur goodself just like things to be done just right so I don’t have to end up going back to them

thks again and very grateful to u

gstuart said:

many thks and good to know regarding the tape

awesome, have a few other connectors I need to clean so couldn’t have done at a better time as thought there were just the files I previously bought

hopefully this thread will be ideal for anyone to add tips, tricks , tools etc that they’ve found to be very useful to them

Click to expand...

Just a note on that self amalgamating tape. You need to cut off a suitable length and then pull the two ends apart as far as they will go. The stretching sets it up to bond together.

Stanleysteamer said:

Rivnuts are OK.....until, they start going "round and round". Us kit-car-ers use them but I won't for this very reason.
I suppose it matters what you put them inot and whether you put them in properly.
I do have to say I have never fitted one, never bought any so don't even have the fitting tooling.
My bad experiences were with ones fitted by others.
I'm sure other members will come on and poo-poo what I've said, as I'm sure if they were all totally cr@p they wouldn't still be selling them.
But then other total cr@p still sells!

Click to expand...

If Rivnuts start spinning, I just use a small chisel and a club hammer, smack the dodgy rivnut into the chassis, and put another one in.
I find them pretty handy, if you want to attach a fuel filter to a bulkhead, it saves a lot of dismantling inside to put a nut on the back.
I only ever use the alloy ones, I have seen stainless for sale, but they will be much harder to destroy out if there is a problem.

Turboman said:

If Rivnuts start spinning, I just use a small chisel and a club hammer, smack the dodgy rivnut into the chassis, and put another one in.
I find them pretty handy, if you want to attach a fuel filter to a bulkhead, it saves a lot of dismantling inside to put a nut on the back.
I only ever use the alloy ones, I have seen stainless for sale, but they will be much harder to destroy out if there is a problem.

Click to expand...

Thanks for that.
You'll appreciate that with kit cars you tend to be putting them into ally or fibreglass . That is those who do.
The rest of it being thick section steel it is often simpler to drill and tap the steel itself or weld a nut to it.
I prefer the sound of grooved ones, didn't even know they existed.
Agree totally about stainless. "Pretty but a pain"tends to be my reaction to it.
This all reminds me of dry wall fixings to take heavy weight, like big shelves. I have done a ton of that in France and even with the special tool to put them it you can still have the same problem. It is all technique really and I think I have finally mastered it, now that I hardly ever do it any more!
Tempted to put the special tool on here but I suppose we are sticking to just car building tools?

Stanleysteamer said:

Thanks for that.
You'll appreciate that with kit cars you tend to be putting them into ally or fibreglass . That is those who do.
The rest of it being thick section steel it is often simpler to drill and tap the steel itself or weld a nut to it.
I prefer the sound of grooved ones, didn't even know they existed.
Agree totally about stainless. "Pretty but a pain"tends to be my reaction to it.
This all reminds me of dry wall fixings to take heavy weight, like big shelves. I have done a ton of that in France and even with the special tool to put them it you can still have the same problem. It is all technique really and I think I have finally mastered it, now that I hardly ever do it any more!
Tempted to put the special tool on here but I suppose we are sticking to just car building tools?

Click to expand...

All the ones I have are grooved, although ribbed might be a better description.
I have never tried to use them in anything but steel plate, so can't comment on alloy or fibreglass.
I also forgot earlier, if the Rivnut is turning with a bolt already in it, cut the head of the bolt, and smack the cut end of the bolt with the club hammer, the whole thing will drop down inside the chassis, and you can put another one in.
The main area I have had trouble with them is when removing the steps that bolt on to the chassis on Series, which I always remove on purchase.

Blimey I didn’t realise there so many different types of rivnuts , indeed get the grooved ones that have the raised material at the top to prevent them from spinning

just been looking at this one as well , am I reading it wrong of it being capable of doing rivets and riv nuts pls

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/363334369028?hash=item54986a7f04:g:nmUAAOSwufdgXRzC

thks for the heads up @Turboman regarding aluminium rivnuts , plus looking at the intake for the pollen filter there are holes but are elongated, think I’ll be better off drilling new ones to suit

thks again