ANY - Nut at the end of my tether | Technical matters | Back Room Forum

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Wed 15 Mar 2023 04:38

ANY - Nut at the end of my tether - edlithgow

I posted fairly recently a trick of putting small likely-to-be dropped nuts inside a thin polythene bag and engaging the thread through the plastic, in an effort to reduce the chance of dropping and loosing the nut, (the post was in someone else's thread so difficult to find.)

This can work, but in obstructed locations the bag is a nuisance, and if the thread is difficult to engage, a hole gets worn in the bag, giving the nut an escape opportunity.

A tether loop, passed through the hole in the nut, and attached to the finger with a rubber band, seems to work better.

I started with strips cut/torn from plastic bags, but PTFE thread tape is more convenient, offers minimal obstruction to thread engagement, and, while it isn't free, is cheap, and widely available even in Taiwan.

On my difficult to reach carb stud nuts, which may not be staying on for long, I left the tethers in place, since they MIGHT help in removal (though they might be cut). Failing that, a magnet (perhaps inside a glove finger) is useful

Havn't tried it yet but sewing thread might also work in this application.

EDIT: Oops. This should be in "technical", sorry (what's to discuss?). Annoys me a bit when other people do that.

Edited by edlithgow on 15/03/2023 at 04:42

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Wed 15 Mar 2023 11:43

ANY - Nut at the end of my tether - Crickleymal

I was shown a tip when on a radiotherapy engineering training course.

If you're using nut spinners or sockets, cut the finger off a surgical glove and put that over the nut before putting the nut into the socket. It is thin enough to allow the nut into the socket but thick enough to allow the socket to grip the nut but doesn't cause problems when removing the socket.

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Wed 15 Mar 2023 12:12

ANY - Nut at the end of my tether - Andrew-T

If you're using nut spinners or sockets, cut the finger off a surgical glove and put that over the nut before putting the nut into the socket.

Nice idea, but I guess it is only suitable for a narrow range of nut sizes ?

I found a use for a modified glove last year - my 1994 306 had developed a large hole in the plastic bellows between the air intake and the front grille. I don't suppose the hole affected the running of the engine much, but I found it an impossible part to replace - any car from a scrappy would likely have the same fault. However a glove with several fingers removed fitted like a .... glove. Plenty were available during the covid aftermath.

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Wed 15 Mar 2023 12:47

ANY - Nut at the end of my tether - edlithgow

If you're using nut spinners or sockets, cut the finger off a surgical glove and put that over the nut before putting the nut into the socket.

Nice idea, but I guess it is only suitable for a narrow range of nut sizes ?

P I’ve done a similar thing with clingfilm and a rubber band. Probably more fiddly, but should handle a fairly wide range of nut sizes Clingfilm is also useful for general rubber first aid. I had a clingfilm dressing on a CV boot for quite a long time until I could get a split boot kit from the UK, and it seemed to keep the insides in and the outsides out.
Edited by edlithgow on 15/03/2023 at 12:48

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Wed 15 Mar 2023 14:39

ANY - Nut at the end of my tether - focussed

Use a magnetic pick-up tool, the one like a radio aerial with a magnet on the end.

Put the nut on the magnet end, screw nut onto thread by turning the pick up tool, enough to engage enough thread so it won't fall off when you pull the tool away, apply socket/nut runner/ fingers to spin the nut further on etc.

Other tips include using bluetack/ thick grease inside socket to hold nut in socket etc etc/

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Thu 16 Mar 2023 04:24

ANY - Nut at the end of my tether - edlithgow

Use a magnetic pick-up tool, the one like a radio aerial with a magnet on the end.

Put the nut on the magnet end, screw nut onto thread by turning the pick up tool, enough to engage enough thread so it won't fall off when you pull the tool away, apply socket/nut runner/ fingers to spin the nut further on etc.

Other tips include using bluetack/ thick grease inside socket to hold nut in socket etc etc/

I have done that, but I find some locations, like the current carb hold down nuts, are too obstructed by magnet grabbing steel bits for it to work reliably on its own. If the nut was tethered, OTOH, if it didn't work you wouldn't have lost the nut.

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Thu 16 Mar 2023 10:56

ANY - Nut at the end of my tether - John F

I remember being taught as a schoolboy by an old 'proper' engineer that the best way to locate a tricky nut onto a bolt (assuming a right hand thread) is to rotate it anti-clockwise until it feels right, and only then try to engage it clockwise.

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Thu 16 Mar 2023 23:45

ANY - Nut at the end of my tether - focussed

"but I find some locations, like the current carb hold down nuts are too obstructed"

Stick the nut onto the round end of a 6 inch steel rule with thick grease, carefully locate it onto the stud, hold it down with the flat of the rule and fiddle it on with your fingers.

Edited by focussed on 16/03/2023 at 23:46

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Fri 17 Mar 2023 12:59

ANY - Nut at the end of my tether - edlithgow

"but I find some locations, like the current carb hold down nuts are too obstructed"

Stick the nut onto the round end of a 6 inch steel rule with thick grease, carefully locate it onto the stud, hold it down with the flat of the rule and fiddle it on with your fingers.

Doesn’t sound very practical in this location, but I don’t mind trying it with a tether as backup. I tried the magnetic pickup for removal this afternoon (temporarily relieving the pickup tool of its usual dipstick duty) and dropped the nut three times, but it was tethered so it didn’t matter. Might get around to trying neodymium fingertips, which could almost be a Marvel Comics thing

Edited by edlithgow on 17/03/2023 at 13:02

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