Quick Technical Tips and Advice to help you along the way with your project or everyday Maintenance!

Have some Tech tips or advice that you think should be in this section? Email me and you just mightt see them here in the next edition.

Tip Of The Month:
Have you done an oil change lately? Good. I'm sure you made sure to drain your oil and have the right size pan to catch it...I'm also sure that you replaced the oil filter and the right number of quarts as well. All good things. But one last question is: Did you check your oil drain plug and gasket? Ahhhhhh, I bet you didn't. A rule of thumb for me is to check my oil drain plug and gasket (If you have one) at EVERY oil change because if your plug is stripped, it won't hold the oil as well as it should. Better yet, if your gasket is old and worn, you can leak oil...and leaking oil is NEVER a good thing. So guess what? The next time you get under your ride and change the oil, don't just pull the plug...check it too!

Winter Update:
With this Winter Tech update, I decided that GSRTech would focus on our Garages. If you're into cars, even just a little, it is necessary to have some if not all of these things in your garage. You can't even do the simplest things to your ride without any tools and if you can then you're probably a robot. Anyways, here are 10 things EVERY gyrl, I mean everyone should have in their garage.

1. Basic Toolkit:
This is a necessity! It should include the basics like screwdrivers: phillips and flathead, pliers: standard and needlenose, ratchet and sockets, torque wrench, tweezers (not for your eyebrows), scissors, etc. You can get a good basic toolkit for around $60. A torque wrench is not part of a pasic toolkit but you can get one for $20 and up.

2. Shoplight:
You definitely need a decent shoplight when you're working at night. Yes you will have other lighting but sometimes you need a shoplight to get up close and personal under that hood. Shouldn't run you more than $20 bucks...$10 if you catch it on sale.

3. Protective Gear:
I want you to be safe and yes you will break a nail or two but that's not all we want to worry about. You should have some protective gloves that are thick enough to protect your hands but not too thick where you cna't grip tools like you need to, I suggest Mechanics Snap On or even baseball gloves. They should cost between $10-$35 a pair. Make sure to get some latex style gloves too when you're working with liquids like oil, coolant, trans fluid, etc. Also grab some protective eyewear. I suggest the old school lab lech look or some of the newer styles that are more sleek and protect just as well...$5 to $25. Last but not least, grab a mask (not for your whole face)...one that will cover your mouth and nose area. You can grab a pack of 3 for about $2 to $5 a pack. These are for basic use. If you are doing more detailed work such as sanding in painting, you may want to get a semi respirator style, which is a standard face style but thicker and has a filter. These are to be used a few times and then thrown away. They are about $5 to $8 each. A full respirator style with replaceable filters can start at about $25 and up.

4. Oil Filter Wrench:
Since you will be doing all your own oil changes, you will need an oil filter wrench. These are fairly cheap and although sometimes you can even use your hand to screw oil filters off, you still need one. There are two basic types of oil wrenches, one looks like a band with a handle on it that slips around the oil filter. The other looks like a cap and it fits on the top of the filter. Now, I will say that these filters don't always catch onto every filter but it's better to have one then not. If you use K&N oil filters like I do, you don't have to worry about either of these because they have a 1inch nut on the top that allows you to remove the filter with ease. Anyway, you'll spend about $5 bucks...oh wait, you do know what an oil filter is...right?

5. Haynes Manual:
This is a necessity!...if your vehicle does not have a manual available, it may be a good thing. Personally, certain vehicles should not be poked around underneath the hood by the home mechanic. Moving on...this is an absolute must for the beginner. If you don't get one, you cannot read on any further! (Well, you can, I just wanted to say that.) The Haynes manual will help you, in pretty good detail to do the basic and not so basic maintenance to your ride. First of all, it will teach you what's what and what it does. With this manual, you will learn the basics to do oil changes, brake jobs and other maintenance jobs you give to your local shops. It will also show you how to do your own teardowns and rebuilds to a certain extent(don't get scared but it's there if you want to try it). I'm suggesting the Haynes manual and not the Chilton manual because Chiltons gets extremely detailed. I think you should get a Chiltons later on once you are familiar with your vehicles' layout and system. The Haynes manual will cost between $15 and $22.

6. Touch Up Paint:
Very simple. Keep a small touch up pen, bottle or can of touch up paint along with automotive clear in your garage. You'll be surprised at all the little rock chips and scratches that pop up from everyday driving. Fix them as soon as you notice them...you'll be happy you did. From the local parts store, you can get a touch up pen or small bottle for around $7. If you want a custom can mixed up for slightly larger jobs, you'll need to contact an automotive paint place...still not expensive at about $25 to $30.

7. Tire Pressure Gauge:
Another must have...tire pressure gauge. You'd be surprised with how much your ride will go down the road if your tires have the correct air pressure. It's also to help keep your gas mileage in order as well. Not sure where to find the correct psi/air pressure amount for your tires? There is a placard or plate on your door sill that tells you the proper tire pressure. You can also look at your tires (duh). On the sidewall, your tires will list what the maximum tire pressure is...it's not exactly what your vehicle calls for BUT it tells you the maximum amount of air specific to that tire. Also, if you have a newer vehicle, you will probably have a TPMS or Tire Pressure Monitoring System. This system automatically tells you when your tire pressure is low or there's a problem going on. I STILL recommend having a tire pressure gauge just in case something is going on with one of the sensors. Sooo, grab a tire pressure gauge for $3 - $6 bucks or for your techies, a digital one for around $10.

8. Jack and Jack Stands:
Now that you're familiar with your ride, it's time to jack that baby up! No superwoman, with a floor jack. It is so easy to jack up your car since that jack is doing all the work. Check your owner's manual to see where your jack points are. Now, if it's for a quick job like changing a tire, you won't need jack stands(this is usually true when you're in an emergency situation and just putting on a spare tire. If you are changing more than one wheel, I recommend jack stands). If you are doing something such as changing your oil, you'll absolutely want to put your ride on jack stands since you will be underneath the vehicle. When jacking up the front of your ride, make sure to place a block or brick behind each of the back tires as well as put on the e-brake. This will ensure that the vehicle will not roll backwards or move while you're working on it. Also, and I have to say this: *MAKE SURE YOU ARE WORKING ON LEVEL GROUND! DO NOT do this on a sloped driveway or uneven surface! I am not responsible if you turn yourself into a pancake. You can actually get a good set of jackstands and a floorjack for about $35. The one I picked up even had a creeper...small enough for my daughter to use but I can use it if need be.

9. Bodywork Materials:
For those of you who are do-it-yourself gyrls and guys, you definitely need to have bodywork materials in your garage. Basic materials such as spot putty, bondo and fiberglass repair kits should be on your shelves. These materials can help you take care of small fixes that bodyshops can do with their eyes closed. Now don't get me wrong, there are repairs that should go to a bodyshop but things such as minor cracks/splits can be fixed by you. My suggestion is to practice on things from the junkyard BEFORE you try it yourself. Mess around with bondo and fiberglass/resin, like how to mix it properly as well as getting used to setting times. I wanted it done so I did it without having done it before...not bad advice but I've been lucky that my repairs have turned out good. Depending on what brand, type and amount of materials, cost will be $4 to $30 each.

10. Air Compressor and Accessories:
Oh yes, I went there! You need an air compressor in your garage. Not just the compressor but the air tools that go with it. If you get a good kit, you are on your way to being a pro! The kit should have everything you need to take your wheels off to painting your bodykit. Uh huh, I said paint your bodykit. Oh, you were going to take it somewhere to have it painted? I don't think so! Do it yourself. The kit that I have came with an impact wrench, tire gauge setup, spray gun and attachment, 99 piece toolkit, various spray gun nozzles, staple gun, etc. I will say that as I became more knowledgable about parts, I realized that the spray gun with the kit was not for automotive painting...nor did the toolkit have the best parts BUT it's what you need to get started and get better. In the end, it's about you being serious about doing your own work. As far as pricing, I purchased a kit some years ago that had all the stuff I listed above. I'm not sure if they still sell a kit like this, if so, it would probably be at least $200. Otherwise, you can start with getting an air compressor for at least $70, more if it has a bigger air tank.

So there you have it. 10 things EVERY gyrl...and guy should have in their garage. Did I miss something? Do you have something in your garage that I didn't list? Email me and tell me what I missed...maybe I'll update the list!

By the way, did you notice that I did not list all the places where you can get these items? That is because you can get them almost anywhere...some places are better than others and I know you know how to bargain shop. And don't have a hissy fit thinking you have to run out and get all this stuff today. Just add these pieces as much as your pocket allows. Well add them if there are no shoe sales going on...yes, I do understand!!!!

 

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