The most complex types of work related to the maintenance and repair of a car are given in great detail.
When performing car maintenance and repair work, it is recommended to follow some basic rules.
1. Install bolts and nuts after cleaning them and lubricating them with a thin layer of oil. Check the condition of the nuts and bolts and make sure that their threads are correct. Remove any burrs that have formed. If in doubt about the quality of the nut or bolt, replace them with new ones. Self-locking nuts must be replaced if they have been loosened. Do not apply grease to bolts and nuts.
2. Replace all dismantled oil seals, gaskets, sealing pads, lock washers, cotter pins and o-rings. Lubricate the working surface of the stuffing box with oil. When installing the stuffing box, the working surface of the stuffing box must face the direction from which oil or grease can flow.
Considerable attention should be paid to safety measures, especially when working under a raised vehicle. The jacked up vehicle must be securely fastened to prevent it from moving during any operation.
3. Install jack stands under the car raised by the garage lift. They will ensure its stability (see illustration). Do not use bricks as coasters. In this case, it is better to lay building blocks by placing wooden beams on them.
1.3 three-legged stand goats installed under a raised vehicle. the locking bolt, with which the height of the gantry is adjusted, cannot be replaced by an arbitrarily chosen pin of the corresponding diameter. in this case, the pin may break under the weight of the car
Various greases, oils, underbody anti-corrosion compounds and other petroleum-based substances are aggressive to rubber parts, as well as parts of the brake system. Therefore, do not allow such substances, including fuel, to come into contact with hydraulic parts. Use brake fluid or alcohol to clean the brake system. However, in this case, it must be remembered that the brake fluid is poisonous and also aggressive towards the paintwork.
A prerequisite for successful repair work is the installation of original parts. To avoid problems during the subsequent operation of the car, it is not recommended to use parts produced by «side». Exceptions are parts of the electrical system if the manufacturer guarantees compatibility.
All work on the vehicle, especially on the brake system, steering and suspension, must be carried out with the utmost care and caution. Performed repairs and maintenance must ensure the safety of the vehicle. We do not recommend doing on your own those works that are not familiar to you or require certain experience.
The workplace should be equipped with a workbench and vice and have good lighting. The workplace must be kept clean at all times. It goes without saying that the workplace should be equipped with a sufficient number of quality tools, including a set of wrenches or a set of combination wrenches, one end of which is a regular wrench and the other end is a ring wrench (see illustration 1.0). Such wrenches are very convenient when working in hard-to-reach places, as well as when unscrewing tightly tightened nuts.
1.0 wrench and spanner
Curly (cross) screwdrivers or nozzles for screws and bolts with a cross-head slot, pliers, pliers, needle nose pliers, pliers, hammers. The automotive industry is increasingly using bolts and screws with Torx heads, the slot of which is an asterisk (see illustration 1.0a). For such bolts, a set of special nozzles is required.
1.0a goniometer used to tighten bolts to a certain angle, and a Torx head bolt
In addition to the specified basic equipment, you can purchase special devices and tools necessary for performing work of a specific nature. These include, for example, an impact screwdriver, which is required for loosening factory-tightened cross-head bolts. Without such a screwdriver, these bolts are usually damaged during dismantling. The screwdriver is also used for tightening bolts, especially where tightness is required.
During repair work, needle nose pliers are needed to remove the thrust rings, also called Seger rings. There are two types of needle nose pliers that allow you to remove and install the outer and inner thrust rings (see illustration 1.0b).
1.0b Pliers for removing thrust rings
In addition to the mentioned needle nose pliers, you can not do without different types of pliers (see illustration 1.0c).
1.0v You can't do without such pliers when repairing a car.
1 - side cutters
2 - pliers
3 - adjustable wrench
by the most «useful» the tool is a torque wrench, used like a regular wrench, but with the only difference that it is adjusted to a certain bolt or nut tightening value, upon reaching which it starts to slip, thus «refusing» from further tightening (see illustration 1.0g).
1.0g Torque wrench
The more «bells and whistles» on a car, the more different tools you need for self-repair and maintenance. In some cases, repairs are impossible without special equipment, and in addition, some types of work are still better to entrust to a specialist. Multifunctional devices for checking the electrical system of a car are very useful, but without proper experience and knowledge, you can only harm yourself with their help.
To remove and install many parts, punches of different diameters are needed (3 and 6 mm) (see illustration 1.0e).
1.0d To remove many parts, punches are needed.
1 - punch with a diameter of 3 mm
2 - punch with a diameter of 6 mm
3 - core for drilling
4 - flat chisel
In general, for car care performed on your own, it is enough to have a certain set of tools and devices that are acquired gradually (see illustration 1.0g).
1.0g Recommended set of tools needed for car care
1 - jack
2 - oiler
3 - goats
4 - electric lamp
5- stroboscope (12 V)
6 - torque wrench
7 - hacksaw
8 - metal brush
9 - measuring templates
10 tire pressure gauge
11 - pin for measuring the height of the tire profile
12- mounting sleeve for piston installation
Attention! Make sure the onboard tool kit is in place before starting your trip. Even the best equipment available in the garage will not help if you need the tools from the on-board kit on the road. The car must always be equipped with a jack, cross-shaped (balloon) a wheel wrench, screwdrivers, pliers, spare bulbs and fuses, a cable, wires to start the engine from an auxiliary battery and an electric torch. Remember that repairs are dirty hands. Rags and towels should also be in the trunk.