This time we have some handy helpers for you do-it-yourself-ers…First is a magnetic finger. This comes from Snap-On tools…has a magnet on the end, and you can hold those really difficult bolts like up under the dash. Alright, here we have Fertan, this is a rust converter. It converts rust into a surface that can be sanded and prepped for paint. Does a good job too. Now you may think that there’s no reason to ever need a protractor around an automobile, but you would be wrong. There’re various things like some of the settings under the hood and so on that nay require the use of a protractor. This is an electronic one.  This is available from various parts vendors and so on. Does a very good job and saves quite a bit of time. It’s also magnetic, which helps.

Alright, now, if you look inside a modern automobile, one thing that you’re going to see is missing is any type of bolt, nut or screw holding anything on the interior together. It’s all concealed, and it’s all done with various types of plastic clips. But, how do you get them apart? Well you have to pry them apart, and if you try to pry them apart with a screwdriver, invariably where the screwdriver goes across the adjacent piece, you’re going to dent it. Or you’re going to scratch it. So here we have some plastic wedges and tools. They’re different thicknesses and different slopes to them and so on. You can actually wedge them in between the parts, and pry on them gently and remove these various parts inside the car. …


Now, one thing to remember: if you have something that uses clips like this, buy new ones before you take it apart. Because invariably you’ll have to replace them.

Alright, headlights. Wow, they have become a real issue, trying to get them out. They have clips, and so on, and many times you can reach behind them to put a new bulb in them. You have to take the headlight completely out of the car. Well here we have a couple of tools from Snap-On, one is to push, the other is to pull. What you do with these is you  use this plastic piece to go between eh headlamp and the body parts, and you can feel for the release tab in there. Then you put the metal part in there, and push or pull on it to release the headlamp. Saves damaging the metal around the…the paint that is around the headlamp. Makes your life a lot easier.    

And if you have a question or comment, drop me a line, right here at MotorWeek.