Garage & Tools Tips & Tricks...

[mxvet57]

Stuck brake rotor bolts? get an old hex wrench and the welder.

[Andrew]

Strangely amazing just what you can take apart with a welder

[Mr.Black]

Tire changer info;

 https://picasaweb.google.com/SE.HSTASE.Region/HarborFreightTireBalancer#5183130105228133106

[Drif10]

We all are familiar with how useful wd40 is in helping to degrease a bike, like getting off chain lube.

Here's another use for ya:

I use it to lube the tire beads when I'm mounting it on a rim. Makes it slide on easy as you please, really helps to keep you from pinching a tube, and the biggest advantage:

When it dries, it makes the rubber tacky, kind of like the old tire tube trick mentioned earlier. Why is this such a good thing? Well, it makes the tire seal better on the rim, which is nice, but the big one is that it really makes it bond to the rim, eliminating the need for a rim lock.

Here in the east, it works just great as a rim lock, haven't used one for years, regardless of tire or bike. If I was out west, where all the rocks are sharp edged as opposed to rounded, I might go back to using one, only after I had a failure without one.

[mxvet57]

Problem bending over those locking tabs on things like the clutch basket nut. I use a seal pulling tool.

[darkstarmoto]

Don't throw out that old baking sheet or cooking pot from the kitchen.

They make excllent trays to disassemble stuff in to catch little parts falling off and to keep fasteners from wandering off the edge of the workbench as you keep working.

And they make nice durable parts cleaning containers. I keep several shapes & sizes handy along with a huge collection of cleaning brushes. Lots less wasted solvent.

And on that note....cupcake tins are awesome for keeping small parts organized. You can label each pocket with a sharpie while your taking parts off. Then after everything goes back where it belongs you just hit it with some brake cleaner or what have you and the marker comes off and the pan is clean and ready for the next job.