Repair And Fix it

Craftsman ratchets are known as some of the most dependable tools you can purchase. They see use every day in professional shops and at home. With time, however, any tool can wear out. Rather than purchasing an all-new ratchet, you can rebuild yours at home provided that you have the right tools and the necessary replacement parts. Rebuilding your craftsman ratchet means that you will retain the handle of the ratchet, but will replace the inner workings of the tool.

Instructions

1

Turn the ratchet so that the square drive mechanism faces you. A hog ring secures the inner workings of the ratchet into the ratchet housing. Use the hog ring pliers to squeeze this ring together, then remove it from the ratchet.

2

Turn the ratchet over into the palm of your hand and the inner workings of the ratchet will fall out into it. The inner workings of the ratchet consist of a single cog wheel which is also doubles as the square drive mechanism. The ratcheting mechanism is housed slightly below the cog wheel and you wont need to replace it.

3

Place the ratchet rebuild kits replacement cog wheel into the head of the socket wrench. Its a good idea at this step to drop a little household oil into the head of the ratchet. Use the hog ring pliers to compress the hog ring and press it back into place on the ratchet to secure the new cog in the housing of the ratchet.

The exhaust manifold on a Dodge Caravan is responsible for getting the exhaust gasses created by the engine out of the cylinder head and into the exhaust tubing. The manifold is made of cast iron, which can crack under certain atmospheric conditions, or when cold water is applied to a hot manifold. When that happens, the exhaust will come out of the manifold and not out of the exhaust pipe itself, which will make an annoying noise and potentially cause a loss in horsepower.

Instructions

1

Raise the front end of the Caravan with the jack and place a pair of jack stands underneath the front of the chassis. Unbolt the exhaust from the exhaust manifold using the 3/8-inch ratchet, extension and sockets.

2

Unbolt the EGR tube and crossover pipe from the exhaust using an open-end wrench. Unplug the oxygen sensor connection by hand, then remove the oxygen sensor with the oxygen sensor wrench.

3

Unbolt the heat shield from the exhaust manifold using the 3/8-inch ratchet and socket, then unbolt the manifold from the engine with the ratchet. Pull the manifold off of the engine and out of the engine compartment. Remove the exhaust manifold gasket as well.

4

Scrape the mounting surface on the cylinder head using the gasket scraper. Slide the replacement gasket and manifold onto the engine and bolt it in place from the center of the manifold outward using the 3/8-inch ratchet, extension and sockets. Apply a thin coat of the anti-seize compound to the threads of the oxygen sensor, then install the sensor into the manifold.

5

Reconnect the crossover pipe, EGR tube and exhaust to the manifold with a 3/8-inch ratchet and socket. Then reinstall the heat shield with the ratchet. Lower the van off of the jack and jack stands.

Wheel nuts, or lug nuts, come in a variety of sizes and styles. The wheel nuts hold the tire in place, so the differences are mainly aesthetic. Lug nuts are not all the same size or style. Foreign vehicles tend to use ball-seat lug nuts, while domestic models use tapered-seat nuts. Some vehicles use a mag lug nut to properly center a rim.

Tapered

The most common lug nut is the tapered lug nut, also known as the acorn or or bulge lug nut due to the appearance of a bulge near the rim. The tapered nut is available in multiple thread patterns and diameters to fit almost any vehicle. The majority of trucks and domestic-made cars use tapered lug nuts. Hub-centric rims, or rims that are centered on the axle through the center hole on the rim, will use this style for a more secure fit. Factory-installed tapered lug nuts are commonly capped with chrome overlays that require care when removing or installing. Replacements that are chromed without capping are available at any auto parts retailer.

Ball Seat

Most imports use a ball-seat lug nut. The operation of the lug nut is the same as the tapered variety. The unit is characterized by a rounded connection to the rim. These are available in open-ended or closed-ended variations for use on rims with or without hubcaps. After-market auto parts offer the ball-seat lug nuts in a variety of colors and finishes to complement the vehicle and rims. The ball-seat is a contemporary style but not as common as the tapered lug nut.

Mag and Screw-in Varieties

Mag nuts resemble the screw-in variety of lug nuts found on some German-made cars, such as the Volkswagen and Mercedes. The screw-in variety uses a bolt that goes through the rim to fit into female connections on the rotor or hub. The bolt is capped with a conical or tapered head similar to the other variations. The mag lug nut penetrates the rim rather than pressing against the rim. The nut is characterized by a long-sleeve that fits into the holes on the rim. The mag nut is used on lugs that are too small for the standard rim.

You can read your Saturns service light using an OBDII reader right from your own garage, saving yourself time and money. The Saturn has an On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) computer that notifies the driver of problems with the vehicle. It also alerts you to when you need to perform regular routine maintenance and service on your car. To find out exactly what type of servicing your Saturn needs, you can read the computer codes using an OBDII reader. These readers come with a booklet that translates the numerical codes, although some readers display the codes description on the devices screen.

Instructions

1

Put the key into the ignition and turn it to the "On" position. Do not start the engine.

2

Locate an open port under the steering column near the fuse panel. Make sure its the same size and shape as the connective end on your OBDII reader. Plug the OBDII reader into this port. The Saturns electrical system will automatically power most OBDII readers.

3

Wait for the device to read the codes. Look up the service codes in the booklet, if the description isnt displayed automatically on the readers display. Write down the code and description on a piece of paper.

4

Unplug the reader and turn off the vehicle. Take your vehicle, and the code and description to your mechanic to have the vehicle serviced.

A fastener that needs to be tightened will require a specific amount of torque. To determine how much torque is needed for a fastener, you will need to perform a calculation based on certain values. This will include the size of the wrench to be used on the fastener and the base newton-meter value. Once all of the values are known, you will use simple math to calculate the amount of torque needed.

Instructions

1

Measure the length of the wrench in inches with the tape measure. Make a note of the measurement on a piece of paper.

2

Multiply the result by 0.0254, with the calculator, to convert the measurement to meters. Call this number "m."

3

Multiply the result (m) by the force that will be applied to the wrench, such as 120 newtons. The equation will look like (M x 120). The result (r) is the amount of newton-meters of force.

4

Multiply the result (r) by 0.737562 to convert the newton-meters of torque to pound-feet of force. This is the pound-feet of torque that is required to turn the fastener.

5

Repeat this process whenever a different size wrench needs to be used with a particular fastener.

Carriage bolt assemblies are threaded fasteners with a bolt that has a rounded, dome-shaped head. The bolt has a square neck that extends from the head towards the threads. A regular hex nut or wing nut allows the assembly to hold the components together. This assembly can be tightened with just one wrench.

Function

When used in metalworking applications, carriage bolts are often called plow bolts. These bolts must go through a square opening to accommodate the neck, which will keep the bolt from turning when the assemblys nut is tightened.

Considerations

Carriage bolt assemblies are commonly used in carpentry and construction; they are well-suited for fastening two structural wood pieces together, especially when extra strength is required. The square neck sinks into the wood as the fastener is tightened, preventing the bolt from turning and countersinking the bolt head at the same time.

Types

Carriage bolt assemblies are available in varying degrees of hardness, or grades. Grades three, five and eight are common strengths. Zinc is the most common coating for a carriage bolt. They are also available in silicon bronze.

Changing the exhaust on a scooter with a 50 cubic centimeter (cc) engine is a bolt-on affair. Scooters are small versions of motorcycles with upright seating, made with ease of assembly and ease of repair in mind. A 50 cc version is among the smaller scooters offered. As such, that means its associated parts, including the exhaust, are correspondingly lighter.

Instructions

1

Turn off the scooter engine. Place the scooter up on a motorcycle (or scooter) stand, with the bottom frame resting atop the stand. The wheels should rotate freely. The stand provides a work platform and help you avoid backache. Put on latex gloves and a face mask to absorb carbon dust given off during installation.

2

Locate all metal straps securing the exhaust pipe to the structure of the 50 cc scooter. The location and number of straps will differ depending upon the make and model of scooter. There will be a minimum of three. Remove all bolts with a wrench or power driver.

3

Tug gently to remove the muffler. Support the exhaust pipe with your hand so it comes off evenly with the muffler. The header pipe, which rests on top of the engine itself, may get snagged on a structural member or a radiator vane. Gently work the pipe back and forth to free it.

4

Slip the new exhaust on the bike by first threading the header port on to the top of the engine. Place the straps over the pipes and thread the bolts by hand. Insert the bolts in just enough so that the straps can support the weight of the exhaust, but do not tighten them. Bolt the strap nearest the engine first to ensure the header sits properly on the engine. Then tighten the strap nearest the muffler. lastly, tighten down the rest of the straps in the middle.

5

Give the exhaust a gentle push: it should not wiggle or move. If it does. tighten all bolts until it stays put. Wipe down any carbon dust that has deposited on the scooter so it does not pit the paint.