I can't tie a cherry stem with my tounge, but there are a few mechanical tricks that seemed like the best trick ever at the time:

Stubborn bolt on the crankshaft? Put a socket and breaker bar on it, rest it on the frame (minding operating rotation), bump the starter, problem solved.

Changing a belt that's behind others on the main pulley? Can't loosen up that stubbor a/c or p/s that has to come off before the alternator/waterpump/fan belt? Don't. Cut the old one, tuck a loop of the new on between the main pulley and the offending belt, bump the starter (important, you only want ONE side of the loop to go around the pulley). A couple tries and bob's yer uncle.

Can't get the fan off and the belt won't fit around the fan? That's OK! Hold one side of the belt w/ your thumb, loop the other side between 2 blades of the fan, rotate the fan through 3/4 turn and you're all set.

Any other best tricks or ura waza? Please contribute.

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CC: NSA

All things are burning, know this and be released.

82 Benz 240 D, Kuan Yin
12 Ford Escape 4wd

You're four times

It's hard to

more likely to

concentrate on

have an accident

two things

when you're on

at the same time.

a cell phone.

www.kiva.org It's not like there's anything wrong with feeling good, is there?

Good ideas and I've used them myself except the belt behind the others one before.
I'd worry about cutting the belt or throwing the others off in the process.

__________________
DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

Worked on a volvo and a geo, both w/ stubborn A/C belts.

__________________
CC: NSA

All things are burning, know this and be released.

82 Benz 240 D, Kuan Yin
12 Ford Escape 4wd

You're four times

It's hard to

more likely to

concentrate on

have an accident

two things

when you're on

at the same time.

a cell phone.

www.kiva.org It's not like there's anything wrong with feeling good, is there?

I guess I'd just have to try it sometime.

__________________
DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

thats my favorite

some say it harms the belt

__________________

You might damage the internal cords of the belt. Guess it depends on how hard it is tweeked to feed over the pully edge. That said simular concepts have been used almost forever.
I have never damaged a belt with simular methods so far to my knowledge. Usual situation was the belt was not quite long enough to install easily with the adjustments at their minumin. Yet was about the right length when on and adjusted.

Belts are pretty sturdy, I bet a new one can flex like that and be ok.

Hows this for agility? I managed to replace the 8 foot long serpentine belt on an M103 gasser without removing the fan. All I did was loosen and re-tighten the tensioner.

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

my favorite automotive trick is separating the ball joint with a simple whack of a hammer.

__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

It's usually taken me two hammers to do this. Basically one hammer held on the back side of joint while whacking the front side with the other.

__________________
DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

If the hammer blow distorting the retention bore does not seem to work. Loading the tie rod or ball joint threaded end with heavy pressure and then hitting the side again seems to almost always work.

If the hammer blow distorting the retention bore does not seem to work. Loading the tie rod or ball joint threaded end with heavy pressure and then hitting the side again seems to almost always work. Of course two hammers as mentioned is a good advantage to distort the bore easier as well.

Here's a sad story from long ago. Needed to loosen the crankshaft nut on an Austin Healey 3000. Put on socket and breaker, bumped the engine -- alas--- it started and broke my crankshaft.

__________________
John Schroader
bio burnin' 83 300D, '83 300 SD, '79 240D
"I've never met a man who was good at making excuses who was good at anything else" Ben Franklin
"You cannot permanently help a man by doing for him what he could and should do for himself" Abraham Lincoln

That is why you would take precautions for it not to start. Like pulling the coil wire in that situation.

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1983 123.133 California
- GreaseCar Veg System