Repairs/modifications that aren't by the book, but worked anyways

[89 MJ]

I'm sure most of us at some point have done something that isn't quite the right way to do something, but it worked anyways. Let's hear some of those stories. Not so we can try them, but more for an entertainment factor. 

 

I have a few from the engine and transfer case swap in the Eagle.

 

First, when we disassembled the engine, the valves looked like the surface of the moon with pitting and carbon. The picture shows how we cleaned the carbon off. To get the mating surface of the valves smooth, we pinched a piece of sandpaper (first 180, then 320) between the seat and the valve and held it still, then turned the valve with a drill. For the seats, we stuck a piece of sandpaper (180, then 320 again) to the valve, then spun it in the seats. Valve lapping compound was used to finish it up. Filling the combustion chamber with water, then using compressed air in the intake/exhaust ports looked like a jacuzzi before this highly scientific valve job. Afterwards it was sealed almost perfectly. 

 

Next up was the transfer case swap. I needed a longer driveshaft and was supposed to go wheeling in a couple of days. We ended up cutting an original Eagle driveshaft for the compressing part and welding it to another unknown driveshaft that we had. We did do it correctly by making sure the lines were absolutely straight and used the complete end of the Eagle shaft with the sliding part and used a dial indicator to get it straighter than AMC did from the factory. We even reused whatever u joints were in the driveshafts. Somehow it has been working perfectly for a couple thousand miles. 

 

 

I guess sometimes its better to be lucky than it is to be good.

 

 

[M.T.Hands]

The story of my life

 

I make my "living" by working on machinery, you would not believe the number of times I have been told something along the lines of "that's not gonna work" and It may or may not be something I have done before, one of the best ones, we had a new, fresh out of school engineer and very cocky, he walks up and says "you know that's not gonna work right???", I never gave him the satisfaction of knowing he was behind me and proceeded to finish the job at hand, turned around and asked "won't work huh???" and he answered "well it's not supposed to" I just told him I didn't think the machine knew that we got to be good friends after that and still are to this day

 

Unorthodox ??? maybe, But my Dad always told me "if you want to find the easiest way to do a difficult job give it to the laziest guy in the crew and they'll figure it out"

 

some things I have learned through the years;

 

A dishwasher will do a fabulous job as a parts cleaner

Your Mom/wife will kill you if you do this twice

 

Bearings in the oven and axels in the freezer works pretty good

but you Mom/wife will freak out when she finds car parts in the oven

 

Fooling with vehicles you'd better be "industrious" like making specialty tools for specific and maybe even a one-time job

[pizzaman09]

Back when I used to own a 2002 BMW M5, a near pristine example at that, I definitely got lazy one day installing a new mesh guard in front for the AC condenser fan.  3 of the 4 attachment screws were easily accessible, that last one required the entire front end of the car to be removed to reach.  I decided to drill a hole covertly in the front of that extremely nice M5 to access said screw and call it a day.

[TurboedMJ]

40 minutes ago, pizzaman09 said:

Back when I used to own a 2002 BMW M5, a near pristine example at that, I definitely got lazy one day installing a new mesh guard in front for the AC condenser fan.  3 of the 4 attachment screws were easily accessible, that last one required the entire front end of the car to be removed to reach.  I decided to drill a hole covertly in the front of that extremely nice M5 to access said screw and call it a day.

Whoever works on that next will probably think "how nice of the engineers to include a little access hole for that screw right there!" 

[Ωhm]

Vacuum line (rubber) about 2’ long. Put your spark plug in one end, find the hole with one hand, insert plug and use other end for twisting hose. Never cross threaded a cylinder or plug. Harder the hole, the easier to do. Once plug is set, pop off hose and tighten to spec.

[watchamakalit]

38 minutes ago, Ωhm said:

Vacuum line (rubber) about 2’ long. Put your spark plug in one end, find the hole with one hand, insert plug and use other end for twisting hose. Never cross threaded a cylinder or plug. Harder the hole, the easier to do. Once plug is set, pop off hose and tighten to spec.

I keep an old spark plug boot in the tool box. Works the same as your vacuum hose. Old tech showed me that years ago.

[jeff351]

Despite having my 4.0 being hot-tanked after machine work, I pressure washed the bare block inside and out (sticking the nozzle in every crevice) with a piece of cardboard underneath to watch for debris flushed out. Took several times to get no crud flushing out before I felt confident it was ready for assembly. 

After the initial 50 mile oil change, I cut open the oil filter and there was zero debris inside. 

[fiatslug87]

Toilet paper to remove pilot bearing. 

[mbred0609]

not on the mj but instead on the 99 xj. ordered the wrong wheel cylinder off amazon (10 inch instead on 9 inch) and didnt notice until i already got back from the parts store with new drum hardware (didnt wanna go back and look like a fool if i didnt have to) grabbed a wheel cylinder off a mustang 8.8 from the back yard, and it now resides on the jeep. not the same part, but definitely a bolt in.