Unfortunately, I forgot that I'd cut my coil compressor too short to release safely ["That's what she said!" jokes will meet the same fate as Wayne's World posts. -ed]. Actually, it'd probably be more accurate to say that I didn't put two and two together to realize that the short rod wouldn't do the job for putting it back in [Seriously. Don't do it. -ed]. So tomorrow is "go to the hardware store to unfuck what you done fucked" time. And here I was thinking I'd only have to do that once this week. . .
Since a good portion of tomorrow will be more of today, I figured I'd toss up some observations that may be useful. You might have noticed (though I don't blame you if you didn't) that I detailed all the tool sizes for the transmission removal, but not the suspension. You'd be partly right to assume that this was due to equal measures laziness and shitty brains, but the bigger reason is because I realized that cataloging and listing that info was being done more as an aid to procrastinate than anything else. Granted, the info about the top three bolts would've helped me if I had it in advance, but that's not the same as doing a fastener inventory. In summary, some reference material is more time-consuming to source and review than it would be to just do the damn thing you've set out to do in the first place.
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| Don't Think. Chances are you're not smart enough to do it correctly. |
That said, there's still an alternative to the two methods most-often used to identify tool sizes, which are to memorize to 1/16 what a given size looks to be (impractical for me at either ends of the range of commonly-encountered fasteners) or to put a damn socket on it over and over again until you find the right one. The answer is to always have these two quad-box ends with you. The ratchet is just hanging out because it's been as much or more valuable as a timesaver as these guys.
Solid gold. That's 8 sizes in two wrenches that are able to get on 90% of the fasteners I've encountered. The other 10% have been close enough to figure out, or had a neighbor of the same size that could be checked. Beats the hell out of running squat thrust drills back and forth to the workbench, or digging around in the bottomless socket sack (or it's cousin, the library of blow-molded cases).
In case you suspect that I'm acting as a shill, note that I haven't written out any brand names. To be honest, I could care less what brand you get (or even if you take my advice to begin with). Far as I know, though, only one company makes the red feller. Which reminds me:
Why isn't there such a thing as a battery-powered die grinder? I don't mean a rotary tool; I want my "60V" angle grinder without a 90° gearbox, but the closest you can get is a sheetrock cutter. Not the same thing.
Alright. I'm done.
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