I just retired after 40 years in engine design and manufacturing, specializing in fastening and sealing and can agree wholeheartedly with Pete’s words of wisdom! My advice is to avoid using internal drive fasteners when possible and stick with external hex bolts. In high volume manufacturing we prefer radius hex heads to aid in socket engagement but for hand builds this is not necessary; in fact, for high clamp load tight packaging space applications forgoing the radius can be beneficial because it will maximize the wrench height reducing the likelihood of the socket disengaging during tightening! Keep up the good work Pete, love your passion for doing things right!
On the subject of torque wrenches, if its a clicker wrench, set them to 0flbs 0nm whatever its scaled in for storage. If you don't you can stretch the springs and mechanisms inside the wrench.
Every single thing you said is spot on, Pete! In addition to building and working on "fast stuff", I wad a millwright/outside machinist in the Navy, and the things you just said were the exact same things we always had to beat into the new guys 😂
I do HVAC and this is good advice on anything mechanical!!!! MORE PLEASE, especially wiring, too many people taking shortcuts causing issues. Sent to my employees
My Grandfather taught me. "If your going to do something, do it right and do it right the first time". Has always been a good rule for me to live by. I always took it to translate as "Always go full send".
This a great Video! I spent 30 years as a machinist, and the hardest thing to teach the noobs was to slow down. We always asked "why is there always time to do it over, but never time to do it right?" The only thing I would add to your list is Penetrating oil---PB Blaster has made my life easier more times than I can count.
I'm into electrical, and I'm amazed at the guys that have worked on LS engines for 25 years but still don't know how to release the various GM connectors for sensors, and harnesses. I've got a new Corvette and a '63 Z06 from the money I've made from the ham-fisted, and thick as a brick!
I have 4 grinders, one with wire wheels coarse and fine 8" . one with fine and coarse grinding wheels, a 6" with soft wire wheel, a 10" for polishing metal. I once had to relieve under the bottom of some rockers, ground them out with the die grinder then 'polished and stress relieved with the wire brush. Plus I have a belt sander as well.
Just an FYI, the new MAPP gas in the yellow bottles is not the same stuff from 2000s and before, its not only a few hundred degrees hotter than propane at 3x the cost. If propane torch isnt making it come off the MAPP gas isnt gonna do it either, gonna have to grab the oxygen bottle too at that point.
When I first got into rebuilding engines, I found I had invested more into "proper" tools than the engines cost me in parts, machine work, etc.!! The great thing is, I still have 98% of those tools today, some tools just need to be replaced from time to time.
The feel is understated, you can really feel what’s going on with a thread doing it by hand, I think power tools have limited use to be honest, but that’s just my opinion, great content Pete as always
I see so many you tube videos where guys START a bolt with an impact gun. Just throw it in the hole & hit it with the gun. SMFH. I still have & still use my speed wrenches from back in the day. Great info, Pete.
When an Allen socket strips out your stuff… a living nightmare. Scarier to me than threads. Great advice. The husky and kobalt Allen socket kits are both real nice for being so cheap. Better to replace frequently I’ve found, than try to get a real nice set and keep it perfect. Won’t feel bad tossing it out as soon as it’s a little loose
Just a heads up that yellow bottle isn’t real MAPP gas anymore that stuff got discontinued in 2008. The newer stuff is MAP pro gas and it only burns a couple hundred degrees hotter than the propane bottles while the old MAP gas burned a couple thousand degrees hotter.
FYI unless it’s really old, the yellow bottles are map pro, not map gas. Map pro is barely any hotter than propane. The sole supplier of map gas stopped making it in 2008. Mapp: 5300f Map pro: 3730f Propane: 3600f
lot of good info here pete. company that calibrates my torque wrenchs told me every 6500 clicks or once a year whatever comes first. And storing at zero is a myth leave around 20% of its torque value , beam style doesent matter where they left at doesent hurt the spring in there also bad for beam style to bounce down the road in a service bed or race trailer just thought id share
Glad to see I'm not the only proponent of speed wrenches instead of power tools...I've got a clear guard I made for my bench wire brush because you haven't lived till you've had to pull one of those wires out of your face...high pressure lube is nice...but lubriplate water pump grease works just as well and you can't wash it off with a fire hose...it's also good for holding gaskets in place when you'd like the parts to come apart easy and maybe reuse the gasket...
I have that same thread chaser kit, I bought when I first started wrenching 20 years ago. The amount of fasteners and threads saved by that one kit has paid for itself many times over. And it always seems that this kit comes in handy when you are reassembling something important like a water pump in an aluminum block at midnight and one of the studs feels like it might be cross threaded...
Another great tip is to always think about where you are applying force. I worked in hot-rod shop and race shops for nearly two decades and I worked with people who looked like they were in a bare knuckle boxing match with brick wall because they wouldn't think about where your hands/body/tools are going when that fastener you have to put 9 million ft/lbs of torque on finally breaks loose.
"slow down a little bit" amen, when I work on my own car I usually take twice as long as a guy doing it daily would. Too easy to make mistakes, especially when it's been a while since you got back to the garage due to life getting in the way of the project
From someone who has worked in the fastener industry all my life I'd say that's all pretty good advice. Doesn't hurt to keep a torque chart around either whether it be a pocket size or a poster on the wall.
I was just thinking, slow down, take your time, think things through, and you went and said it. Good vid, good advice. Something else I do, look at the job, think the whole thing through, then ask if you can just send it to the mechanics. Don't be too proud to do that. They've done it all hundreds of times, know what to avoid, and know ways of fixing things when they do go wrong, and they've usually got everything they need in the shop. I'm an ex fitter, so I know a bit about this kind of thing, and I can do repairs on my cars. Having said that I have no problem with just sending things to the mechanics, because they are the experts in this particular field, and have a bunch of experience to boot.
I completely agree with Ball Allen wrenches. One of my coworkers snapped the ball end off in a screw and we had a hard time getting it out. Then we still had to get the screw out. Pain in the ass. I do use them them still but only on a L-key, and only if access is limited.
Great advice👍. I just used the bolt thread chaser trick last month when replacing the exhaust manifold studs on a 3.5l ecoboost. That was one of many great pieces of advice my dad shared with me many moons ago. Great video👍
These "old timer/dad/journeyman" videos are so important. The subtle/little bits of info/life experience need to be passed along. We used to be the internet, kids used to come to us. Thanks for putting it out there for someone to find in the future.
On the end of those worn Allen wrenches, bring them over to your grinder and grind the worn part off till it looks new again. It will make the wrench shorter but works great. I've been in situations where I needed a short one anyways. Love your content.
Good share, Pete. We use "slow down to speed up" in my industry these days. "Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast" is a similar mantra, from a previous life.
Great advise Pete. I have ground down (shortened) many worn allen sockets over the decades. And JFYI, I've seen "brand new wrenches that were useless". A friend thought he was getting a great deal when he bought a set of Craftsman SAE/Metric wrenches (at 1/2 price) and the first thing I noticed was they all had a "ridiculous amount of bevel/rounding on the back side". So I grabbed a small (8mm) and yup, it (easily) slipped off of a perfectly good bolt. So (knowing him very well) I knew he wouldn't return them so I walked over to his bench grinder and proceeded to "fix them" by grinding 90% of the rounded/bevel off 😁
Very good list. I was taught to dis-assemble with an impact, but re-assemble with hand tools. This was waaay before all the new battery operated stuff. And yes, "haste makes waste."
Usually an allen wrench wears out only right at the tip. You can use a cut off wheel to trim the end off and extend the life. Try not to overheat it when you make the cut.
Back in the 80's I worked with an old drag racer from the 50s and 60's. He always stressed Cheap tools are good at breaking stuff Take your time now so your time won't be taken later. Been following that advice for awhile now. Definitely sharing wisdom is paramount for success. Hell yeah Pete Keep rockin bro
I have my bench grinder set up that way with a wire wheel on one side. Just gotta be careful when they start to shoot metal bristles at you when they wear out 😂
"Haste makes waste" as they say. 👍 We're all under a lot of pressure to get things done faster faster faster, because some jackwagon says it should take 45 minutes (they aren't the one elbow deep in it trying to get on a bolt that the factory put in before the engine went in tho!) and they're breathin down your neck because you're at an hour and a quarter already, but trying to thrash even harder on it just slows things way the hell down when stuff breaks, or strips, or doesn't seal and you gotta take it back out... it ain't worth it.
I enjoy your videos! We are same age. I wish I was Grumpys,Musis or a quality builders neighbor as a kid. Life could be different. I hope you mentor kids if they have any interest!!! Love my speed wrenches!
I couldn’t agree more with this video. As a veteran tech myself leading the new generation I find myself seeing lots of mistakes simply because people are in to big of a hurry and their uneducated with the task at hand. Do your research and slow down
Some tools can be cheap but some stuff had to be good to not strip and break stuff..I've found that with bit sockets..cheap ones break and round fasteners..I'm gonna pick up some grip edge stuff soon
I deal with stainless fasteners in clean room doors. Galling of the treads sucks balls. It’s loose but it won’t go in and it won’t come out. The homemade thread chaser is something I’ve done with smaller fasteners in light steel. Cross threaded by a guy in a hurry and the damn thing just won’t go in straight I’ll grind a flat spot on the threads of the bolt and it’ll run in cleaning the rolled threads inside the hole as it goes.
I have a guy come by the shop once a year and check and calibrate all my torque wrenches. Very cheap peace of mind. I sleep better knowing our heavy trucks and trailers have properly torqued wheels and bearing lock nuts. The old timer I learned from hardly even had any metric sockets, all of his ancient imperial tools were worn out enough to fit both, not well, but they did fit things they shouldn't.
going to show this movie to some I know! good information. I usually say that such an inpac wrench torque pulls between 5-500nm and you don't know which?
I just retired after 40 years in engine design and manufacturing, specializing in fastening and sealing and can agree wholeheartedly with Pete’s words of wisdom! My advice is to avoid using internal drive fasteners when possible and stick with external hex bolts. In high volume manufacturing we prefer radius hex heads to aid in socket engagement but for hand builds this is not necessary; in fact, for high clamp load tight packaging space applications forgoing the radius can be beneficial because it will maximize the wrench height reducing the likelihood of the socket disengaging during tightening! Keep up the good work Pete, love your passion for doing things right!
the "slow down" tip is the best gem
yup
Slow is fast
On the subject of torque wrenches, if its a clicker wrench, set them to 0flbs 0nm whatever its scaled in for storage. If you don't you can stretch the springs and mechanisms inside the wrench.
Every single thing you said is spot on, Pete! In addition to building and working on "fast stuff", I wad a millwright/outside machinist in the Navy, and the things you just said were the exact same things we always had to beat into the new guys 😂
Pete's helping us be better at doin stuff👍
I do HVAC and this is good advice on anything mechanical!!!! MORE PLEASE, especially wiring, too many people taking shortcuts causing issues. Sent to my employees
I’m an electrician and this stuff is just as needed in our field
My Grandfather taught me. "If your going to do something, do it right and do it right the first time". Has always been a good rule for me to live by. I always took it to translate as "Always go full send".
First I've heard of this theory
Why did I instantly think of Cleeter when I read the title of the video? 😂
Same 😂
Because he starts motors without oil, and owns McFarland tuning, McFarland fabrication, and McFarland science haha. That is why we love Cleeter
Me too. Cleeter is absolutely a calculated man when needs to be. When he doesn't it's turn it to 11.
@@mikewest712they definitely know what they're doing. Blown up cars get views. *very blown up* cars might not make up for it.
I clicked to make sure it wasnt cleetus he was talking about
This a great Video! I spent 30 years as a machinist, and the hardest thing to teach the noobs was to slow down. We always asked "why is there always time to do it over, but never time to do it right?" The only thing I would add to your list is Penetrating oil---PB Blaster has made my life easier more times than I can count.
I'm into electrical, and I'm amazed at the guys that have worked on LS engines for 25 years but still don't know how to release the various GM connectors for sensors, and harnesses. I've got a new Corvette and a '63 Z06 from the money I've made from the ham-fisted, and thick as a brick!
I have 4 grinders, one with wire wheels coarse and fine 8" . one with fine and coarse grinding wheels, a 6" with soft wire wheel, a 10" for polishing metal.
I once had to relieve under the bottom of some rockers, ground them out with the die grinder then 'polished and stress relieved with the wire brush.
Plus I have a belt sander as well.
Deff "don't want to wear your hole out real quick". Love from New Zealand. Thanks for the videos. Great delivery and information.
Just an FYI, the new MAPP gas in the yellow bottles is not the same stuff from 2000s and before, its not only a few hundred degrees hotter than propane at 3x the cost. If propane torch isnt making it come off the MAPP gas isnt gonna do it either, gonna have to grab the oxygen bottle too at that point.
I say , I say boy, Mr. Pete gonna learn ya somethin.
When I first got into rebuilding engines, I found I had invested more into "proper" tools than the engines cost me in parts, machine work, etc.!! The great thing is, I still have 98% of those tools today, some tools just need to be replaced from time to time.
I just replaced some of my worn out stuff with some SP tools, I’m liking them a lot. Cheaper than the brands we all know but quality seems tip top.
Well said! You covered subjects that older guys take for granted.
The feel is understated, you can really feel what’s going on with a thread doing it by hand, I think power tools have limited use to be honest, but that’s just my opinion, great content Pete as always
I see so many you tube videos where guys START a bolt with an impact gun. Just throw it in the hole & hit it with the gun. SMFH. I still have & still use my speed wrenches from back in the day. Great info, Pete.
When an Allen socket strips out your stuff… a living nightmare. Scarier to me than threads. Great advice. The husky and kobalt Allen socket kits are both real nice for being so cheap. Better to replace frequently I’ve found, than try to get a real nice set and keep it perfect. Won’t feel bad tossing it out as soon as it’s a little loose
Just a heads up that yellow bottle isn’t real MAPP gas anymore that stuff got discontinued in 2008. The newer stuff is MAP pro gas and it only burns a couple hundred degrees hotter than the propane bottles while the old MAP gas burned a couple thousand degrees hotter.
FYI unless it’s really old, the yellow bottles are map pro, not map gas. Map pro is barely any hotter than propane. The sole supplier of map gas stopped making it in 2008.
Mapp: 5300f
Map pro: 3730f
Propane: 3600f
All great tips that many will overlook. I love the aluminum rod door handles by the way.
lot of good info here pete. company that calibrates my torque wrenchs told me every 6500 clicks or once a year whatever comes first. And storing at zero is a myth leave around 20% of its torque value , beam style doesent matter where they left at doesent hurt the spring in there also bad for beam style to bounce down the road in a service bed or race trailer just thought id share
an older timer once told me “you gotta slow down to speed up”. some of the best advice i’ve gotten.
Glad to see I'm not the only proponent of speed wrenches instead of power tools...I've got a clear guard I made for my bench wire brush because you haven't lived till you've had to pull one of those wires out of your face...high pressure lube is nice...but lubriplate water pump grease works just as well and you can't wash it off with a fire hose...it's also good for holding gaskets in place when you'd like the parts to come apart easy and maybe reuse the gasket...
Love it. Shop tip are good stuff. Even and old dog can learn new fun stuff.
I have that same thread chaser kit, I bought when I first started wrenching 20 years ago. The amount of fasteners and threads saved by that one kit has paid for itself many times over. And it always seems that this kit comes in handy when you are reassembling something important like a water pump in an aluminum block at midnight and one of the studs feels like it might be cross threaded...
Another great tip is to always think about where you are applying force. I worked in hot-rod shop and race shops for nearly two decades and I worked with people who looked like they were in a bare knuckle boxing match with brick wall because they wouldn't think about where your hands/body/tools are going when that fastener you have to put 9 million ft/lbs of torque on finally breaks loose.
Really good practical tips Pete. I enjoyed counting how many I knew, how many I still practiced and how many I forgot or didn’t know.
As a guy turning wrenches since 94,I also agree, be careful with those ball end Allen wrenches. I stopped using them on tight fasteners.
Woo! Gonna be a great night. Just watched stay tuned, now real good at doing stuff, and VGG later.
"slow down a little bit" amen, when I work on my own car I usually take twice as long as a guy doing it daily would.
Too easy to make mistakes, especially when it's been a while since you got back to the garage due to life getting in the way of the project
From someone who has worked in the fastener industry all my life I'd say that's all pretty good advice. Doesn't hurt to keep a torque chart around either whether it be a pocket size or a poster on the wall.
every high school shop class should start with this video!
I was just thinking, slow down, take your time, think things through, and you went and said it. Good vid, good advice. Something else I do, look at the job, think the whole thing through, then ask if you can just send it to the mechanics. Don't be too proud to do that. They've done it all hundreds of times, know what to avoid, and know ways of fixing things when they do go wrong, and they've usually got everything they need in the shop. I'm an ex fitter, so I know a bit about this kind of thing, and I can do repairs on my cars. Having said that I have no problem with just sending things to the mechanics, because they are the experts in this particular field, and have a bunch of experience to boot.
Pete,
thank you for sharing these bits of wisdom!
I completely agree with Ball Allen wrenches. One of my coworkers snapped the ball end off in a screw and we had a hard time getting it out. Then we still had to get the screw out. Pain in the ass. I do use them them still but only on a L-key, and only if access is limited.
Great advice👍. I just used the bolt thread chaser trick last month when replacing the exhaust manifold studs on a 3.5l ecoboost. That was one of many great pieces of advice my dad shared with me many moons ago. Great video👍
How about a video on “impact vs breaker bar” for loosening fasteners.
When to use each
These "old timer/dad/journeyman" videos are so important. The subtle/little bits of info/life experience need to be passed along. We used to be the internet, kids used to come to us. Thanks for putting it out there for someone to find in the future.
Great tips, especially "Slow down"!!!
On the end of those worn Allen wrenches, bring them over to your grinder and grind the worn part off till it looks new again. It will make the wrench shorter but works great. I've been in situations where I needed a short one anyways. Love your content.
Good share, Pete.
We use "slow down to speed up" in my industry these days.
"Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast" is a similar mantra, from a previous life.
Great advise Pete. I have ground down (shortened) many worn allen sockets over the decades. And JFYI, I've seen "brand new wrenches that were useless".
A friend thought he was getting a great deal when he bought a set of Craftsman SAE/Metric wrenches (at 1/2 price) and the first thing I noticed was they all
had a "ridiculous amount of bevel/rounding on the back side". So I grabbed a small (8mm) and yup, it (easily) slipped off of a perfectly good bolt.
So (knowing him very well) I knew he wouldn't return them so I walked over to his bench grinder and proceeded to "fix them" by grinding 90% of the rounded/bevel off 😁
10 years in the auto industry. This is a great video. Most this stuff is common sense. Right tool for the job is a big deal.
I appreciate you taking the time to share your knowledge, so much knowledge is lost when someone is gone . Thank you
Very good list. I was taught to dis-assemble with an impact, but re-assemble with hand tools. This was waaay before all the new battery operated stuff. And yes, "haste makes waste."
Usually an allen wrench wears out only right at the tip. You can use a cut off wheel to trim the end off and extend the life. Try not to overheat it when you make the cut.
Keep your tools clean and organized !!!
Back in the 80's I worked with an old drag racer from the 50s and 60's.
He always stressed
Cheap tools are good at breaking stuff
Take your time now so your time won't be taken later.
Been following that advice for awhile now. Definitely sharing wisdom is paramount for success.
Hell yeah Pete
Keep rockin bro
Pete, we gotta get you a set of induction heaters, man... you'd fall in LOOOOOOVE the first time you used one on a stuck bolt 😂
Great info Pete, also spend a lot of time on the wire wheel. So much nicer when assembling things with bolts.
I have my bench grinder set up that way with a wire wheel on one side. Just gotta be careful when they start to shoot metal bristles at you when they wear out 😂
I learned a lot of these things in my younger years as a locksmith. When them cordless impacts came out, it was hell on fixing peoples mistakes.
"Haste makes waste" as they say. 👍
We're all under a lot of pressure to get things done faster faster faster, because some jackwagon says it should take 45 minutes (they aren't the one elbow deep in it trying to get on a bolt that the factory put in before the engine went in tho!) and they're breathin down your neck because you're at an hour and a quarter already, but trying to thrash even harder on it just slows things way the hell down when stuff breaks, or strips, or doesn't seal and you gotta take it back out... it ain't worth it.
lol. Pete you’re scaring the younglings with that writing on paper shit lol.
Great tips! Took me a solid 20 years to learn what you shared here.
Been working on cars for a long time. Lots of great info and everyone can learn from this. Thanks for info.
I enjoy your videos!
We are same age. I wish I was Grumpys,Musis or a quality builders neighbor as a kid.
Life could be different. I hope you mentor kids if they have any interest!!!
Love my speed wrenches!
I couldn’t agree more with this video. As a veteran tech myself leading the new generation I find myself seeing lots of mistakes simply because people are in to big of a hurry and their uneducated with the task at hand. Do your research and slow down
Those camshaft shirts look great!
The mapp gas you get now a days is about the same as propane the tourch makes all the difference so save you money and not spend like 3 times the cost
Some tools can be cheap but some stuff had to be good to not strip and break stuff..I've found that with bit sockets..cheap ones break and round fasteners..I'm gonna pick up some grip edge stuff soon
I deal with stainless fasteners in clean room doors. Galling of the treads sucks balls. It’s loose but it won’t go in and it won’t come out.
The homemade thread chaser is something I’ve done with smaller fasteners in light steel. Cross threaded by a guy in a hurry and the damn thing just won’t go in straight I’ll grind a flat spot on the threads of the bolt and it’ll run in cleaning the rolled threads inside the hole as it goes.
This is just proper hand tool advise and its so good 👍🏽 can be applied to anything
I have a guy come by the shop once a year and check and calibrate all my torque wrenches. Very cheap peace of mind. I sleep better knowing our heavy trucks and trailers have properly torqued wheels and bearing lock nuts.
The old timer I learned from hardly even had any metric sockets, all of his ancient imperial tools were worn out enough to fit both, not well, but they did fit things they shouldn't.
Mining in Canada we say never time to do it right but always time to do it twice!
Great video Pete, I did not know about the yellow bottle, I will be picking one of those up! Thanks !
Great video new mechanics definitely need to know this type of information
100% correct. Slow is fast when it comes to perfection.
Good stuff! Excellent experience to share! Thank you.
I like the allen keys that are turned so they grip the bolt
Need to show this to every greenhorn... Hell some seasoned techs could benefit 😂
Buy a brass wire wheel for the bench grinder, its softer so less aggressive than a steel wire wheel.
Pete, you rock literally! You're so right. Peace
I got up arrow tunning schooling. No more screwed up stuff
Great tips. Pete would have made a fantastic high school shop teach......
Joe Gibbs assembly lube grease works great for threads.
I’m guilty of the turbo v band impact disaster… great tips too bad you post this after I’ve done learned all of these the hard way.
Good advice
these are all great tips most of these i learned on my own after tearing stuff up lol
Thanks for letting me learn something today.
Pete you could do a whole video about broken bolt extraction. Especially about how brittle ez- outs are. Lol
In high school shop teacher in the 60’s spent enough time on tools and safety. RIP Mr Sloulin.
All great advice. Thanks for putting this out there.
Thanks for the video Pete. I have my digital and mechanical torque wrenches checked often.
have i mentioned how your intro is too long? yeah scratch that. the more i watch the more it becomes my jam.
Ya we have always had a bench grinder with a wire wheel and use it to clean up threads
Thread chasers are a game changer.
Good Stuff! I have that same box but in black
Man I love the intro bro, some good stuff
Another thing I think could be beneficial, is teaching correct storage of tools, especially something like a torque wrench.
going to show this movie to some I know! good information. I usually say that such an inpac wrench torque pulls between 5-500nm and you don't know which?
Thanks, Pete!!!
Ive cut the end of old torqx and allens to get back down to a new spot lol
Good stuff here Pete! Thanks!
I always use a wire wheel to clean bolts and parts. Take the extra 2 minutes..
Thanks Pete, I appreciate it. Great tips!!.
The most important message I got from this video is “use the right tool or you will wear your hole out real quick”!
Do you plan to add 3xl in black back to the website for the big nasty cam shirt? Its awesome!