Removing old solder is a crucial part of preparing a component for a new soldered connection, and a desolder pump (often called a solder sucker) is the ideal tool for the job.
Description When it is necessary to make your own gaskets, small bolt holes are often the trickiest features to cut. That’s why you should pick up a set of hollow punches to make clean, round holes in common gasket materials. You might not use these tools all the...
The first time I saw this video, I was hooked because I’m natively a bike guy and it starts off with motorcycle stunt riding. But the guys horsing around on those ol’ Harley VLs actually are the producer’s interesting and educational way to visually demonstrate why a...
Description Which of the following is the most critical result of a rust hole in an exhaust system? A) Escaping exhaust gas B) Failed inspection C) Excessive noise D) High cost of repairMore ASE Practice Questions
Description Smartphones, laptops and computers are normally cleared of all data before selling or discarding to protect personal information. Modern vehicles store all kind of information in their infotainment systems and that means they should be treated with the...
Description How many times have you seen a hub dust cap with ugly dents from a sloppy installation? A dust cap tool is handy for installations on customer vehicles. It helps to prevent damage while securely driving the cap into place.
Description Do your customers know the benefits of magnetic oil drain plugs? Swap out their standard drain plugs to help protect against unnecessary engine damage. Magnetic drain plugs are especially helpful for vehicles with long oil change intervals, as well as many...
Description A customer states the brake pedal falls slightly when the brakes are applied while starting the engine. Technician A says that a faulty brake booster check valve may be to blame. Technician B says this can be caused by a leaking brake booster diaphragm....
In the last days of AMC, two employees brought a video camera into the Kenosha, Wisconsin plant to document the end of an era. Billy and Danny take a thorough tour of the old AMC buildings and production line, which was producing its last L-body Plymouth Horizons and...
Rebuilding ratchets, cleaning the welder tips and nozzles, and oiling air tools all fall under the umbrella of things we know we should do, but don’t until a job stops. Dressing chisels and punches, however, is a housekeeping task I’ve found not everyone knows they...
At one point in my automotive career, I ran a rollback wrecker. Those days are getting smaller in my rearview mirror and the game has changed over the years, but I learned a lot of things that I wish someone had just told me. My recovery work is limited to salvage...
As a young mechaniclet, I fought springs often. Specifically, helical tension springs gave me metaphorical headaches and literal skinned knuckles. I encountered them most often when performing brake jobs on vehicles with drum brakes. I went through a ton of tools,...
Three words no shop manager ever wants to hear are customer supplied parts. There are some really good reasons for that, and it’s understandable why many shops take a “just say no” position on the practice. But there are also plenty of perfectly reasonable arguments...
Well, this was a humdinger. Let me explain how I ended up here. I was popping ball joints free from the lower A-arms so I could swing the CV axles out and replace the hub assemblies on this car. The left side freed up with a few taps. This side? Well, this picture is...
The Serviceability Hall Of Shame was born from all the times we’ve looked at a vehicle and realized some usually simple task was going to be nightmarish. It is, ultimately, a response and explanation of the inevitable question, “Good Lord, why?!” Today’s entrant isn’t...