Tools.

[dodint]

The guy that owned the house before me was both a dick (all the neighbors have thanked up for buying them out) and a mechanic that ran a business from the garage. Considering how great we are for the neighborhood I'm not too worried about noise level, at least from a pollution aspect. Our garage is fairly large, I plan to put it in back and use a 30ft hose through a coiler. The wife will be unimpressed while watching TV since the living room is right above where the compressor will be, but hey, I'll move it if she wants to pay the mortgage.

Amazon had a bunch of off-brand (well, to me) stuff. Like a California Air Tools rig that claimed to be super quiet.

[thesameguy]

This was not all that cheap, but I thought worth calling attention to:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It has "picks" (aka "terminal release tools") specifically designed for most recent automotive electrical connectors. There is enough variation in the picks that there's a good chance it'll worth with most any multi-terminal connector ever made. The quality is not good - the handles are Harbor Freight quality and the picks themselves are not hardened steel like you'd find with "production" tools, but even at $100, it's cheap. I was looking at a $32 TE Junior Power Timer pick and a $34 TE Standard Power Timer pick plus a pair of $15ea Delphi tools. That's $100 to do four specific connectors, and this is $106 and does - near as I can tell - all of them.

I received it today and tested out three of the four tools I specifically needed (the two TE picks and one of the Delphi ones) and they worked. "Hilariously" the actual picks for one of the TE tools were installed 45 degrees off, so I needed to modify it, but after doing so it worked. I guess this is one of those moments where cheap metal is better than hardened steel... if I'd tried to straighten a genuine tool, it would have shattered. I say that authoritatively, as that's why I needed the two Delphi tools... I shattered mine. Even still, the tolerances aren't all that great - like Harbor Freight, everything is 90% right. It would be maddening if you worked on this connectors all day, but as a hobbyist with a now-and-then need, it's an obstacle worth enduring. I'd certainly not spend $600 on the "real" versions of all these tools.

If you're going to be messing around with automotive connectors for whatever reason - maybe hybridizing something or swapping a fuel injection system, this is a reasonable approach.

[dodint]

I just cut the OEM connectors off and make my own with molex connectors.

Well, not now that Radioshack is mostly dead.

[thesameguy]

You can order them from Mouser or Digikey, but Molex connectors aren't weatherproof. Okay for inside, but not so good for outside. They also have limited power handling, so you have to be careful they don't become a fire hazard.

[dodint]

I was kidding, the ones we sold at RS were huge, for server power supplies and stuff. Used a pair in a pinch to wire up an upgraded mirror on a Dodge Intrepid once, but that was the extent of it.

[thesameguy]

LOL... there is nothing wrong with Molex connectors. I still use them for a lot of stuff, but not anything outside the cabin.

But, being able to repair a single wire in a multi-connector is a huge time & cost savings.

[thesameguy]

Man.

https://www.harborfreight.com/OmniPr...put-63621.html

It's basically the equivalent of all the welders I am looking at but 50-60% the price. I wasn't planning on short-changing myself, but a one-year return policy? Could get a lot of practice with a guaranteed out.

[thesameguy]

This thread is epic:

http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php...ot-welder-line

but I read the whole thing. An intense amount of bickering, name-calling, and flat-out inane speculation but it finishes nicely with a few people who clearly know what they're doing using the machines.

I think I'm sold. Worst case I get one year to mess around with the machine and see how it (and I) do. And, not to be shady, but if I manage my two projects I could just be done and get the money back anyway.

[thesameguy]

I did it.



Now, I

a) Need to get the accessories, like a welding mask, gloves, gas, etc. But, I didn't want to miss $70 savings (it'll probably be a while before it's discounted again) and the year return policy. Especially the latter.
b) Need to learn how to use it. I'd really like to take a class at the local CC, but I'm shit with schedules and work is always chaos. I may need to read some stuff, watch some videos, and maybe pay a friend of a friend for some instruction

However, my short term need is getting a slide hammer. The front left (I think) wheel bearing on the XR started making noise and it seems to be getting worse, fast. There are old school bearings, not modern sealed ones. Removing the race requires a slide hammer puller, and I don't own one. Harbor Freight's is about $55 after discount, OTC's about $90, and other brands littered between $80 and $120. I'm leaning towards cheap... I can't imagine the next time I'll need one.

[dodint]

Nice! Looking forward to stories about stuff being stuck to other stuff.