Mechanics’ Medical Tape

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Dan

One of the unavoidable parts of being a mechanic is getting banged up. A wrench slips, you bash a knuckle, cut your finger, or get scraped up or burned reaching into a tight space.

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Chapter 2: Honda

Posted on March 31, 2016 by Dan

Yesterday I began a new job at a Honda dealership. Now more of my posts will probably feature Hondas, though there are still stories I have from working at the Toyota dealer.

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Excessive Tool Packaging

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Dan

Before I got my job at the Toyota dealership, I ordered tools and had them shipped to me, because I couldn’t just get them from the salesman that comes the shop by every week. Now I understand that you can only stock so many box sizes, but…

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Evolution of My Toolbox

Posted on March 24, 2016 by Dan

It’s interesting to look back at older pictures of my toolbox. Over the two and a half years I’ve been buying tools, I’ve gotten a lot.

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Worn-out Floor Mats

Posted on March 21, 2016 by Dan

I have no idea how you can wear through the floor mats of you car, but some people manage to.

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6 Tools I Didn’t Know I’d Need

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Dan

When I first started automotive school, I really didn’t know anything about tools. The school provided a list of tools I’d need, and I just had the Snap-On guy order it all for me. If I had known more about tools there are a few things I would’ve gotten differently, but that’s the past now. There have been several tools, however, that were not on the list that I didn’t know I would need, that are very vital to being a mechanic.

1. Torque Wrenches

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A Friday Morning Nightmare

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Dan

Usually Fridays are the day you look forward to, if you don’t work on Saturdays. But when working as a mechanic, you never really know what you’re going to get, or what mistake you’re going to make that’ll make you wish you didn’t even come to work that day.

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Supercharged Toyota Tundra

Posted on March 10, 2016 by Dan

It was one of those things that everybody in the shop has to go take a look at at some point. One of the shop’s master technicians was installing a Toyota Racing Development supercharger kit on a brand new Tundra pickup.

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Tool Review: Gardner Bender Automatic Wire Stripper

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Dan

Whenever I’ve tried using regular wire strippers, I always get frustrated. I don’t understand how people use them easily. Then I found these.

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I first found out about these in college, when one of my teachers was trying them out and showed them to us. Gardner Bender is a company specializing in electrical tools. I’ve seen the electricians doing work on the shop using their tools, so they must be good.

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Rusted-out Exhaust

Posted on March 3, 2016 by Dan

Ah, the joys of living in the rust belt. Our cold and snowy winters mean spreading lots of salt on the roads during the course of the winter, and salt plus metal equals rust. Lots of rust. One of the parts of cars that gets rustiest fastest is the exhaust system, because it’s not painted or coated with rust inhibitor.

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