Wrenching and Racing Tips and Tricks (Page 1 of 3)

Store your partial used tubes of Permatex (and other RTVs, Silicone, Glues, etc) in double plastic zip lock bags. Squeeze the air out. The stuff under the cap will never again harden up and you won't have to use a screw driver to get if flowing again.

Go out of your way to help other teams.  No skills or tools?  Give gas, food, whatever.   It creates good Karma that will save your ass later.

The best place to keep your to-do list is on your car. Literally on the car where it can't be lost -- use a Sharpie to make a list right on the bodywork.
If your hooptie is too dark for it to show up on, hit the inside of a body panel (door panel works great, or hood or trunk) with white spray paint to give you a place to write.

Screw head rounding out? Use a cordless electric drill, with the clutch on the lowest setting. Press the bit firmly into the screw and hold the trigger down.  The cluch will slip. Using your other hand, slowly dial up the clutch torque one click at a time, until the screw starts turning. 

If that doesn't work, a dab of valve-lapping compound on the tip of a screwdriver bit and a speed handle are also useful.

We like to put a tarp down in the paddock, using tent stakes, to park the car on. Makes it a little easier to get under the car, and a little easier to find the damned nut you just dropped.

bolt head in a bad spot??

sockets universal joint keeps flopping over?

Wrap u-joint in electrical tape and it will hold its position.

bacon solves nearly every problem. always.

When bacon does not, beer will.

Carpet scraps/remnants.

A 4' wide roll makes a much more comfortable surface to lie on than asphalt or gravel.

Use it under the engine compartment when pressure washing.   It catches lots of the
greasy globs and keeps your driveway clean.  Deep pile or shag works best here.

Small pieces catch the drips from engine, transmission, rear end, etc.

Use it instead of a metal catch pan when refueling at the track.   Easier to use and
there is less spillage.   Just roll up and put in trash can on Sunday.

A 30" wide roll will protect the top of your folding tables and keep parts & tools from
rolling off.   Use short-pile carpet here.

A carpet installation company will be happy to give you pieces they took out of
a house that just got new carpet.   I found a carpet supplier that sells new remnants
at really cheap prices ($4 for a 4' x 6' roll).

No more so than a pan of liquid gasoline.   It will also evaporate faster, due to the
vastly larger surface area.   Also much less chance of spilling on the asphalt, which
the track management hates.   Of course, the best solution is to not be so
sloppy when refueling.

We write the to-do list on the windshield with a sharpie, and tape a sheet of paper behind it so we can read it. Gets washed off before racing.

The standard pre-race & pit checks get written on the hood to stay so all eyes can see/contribute.

Any numbers I need to remember (head torque, valve clearance/sequence, fan belt # etc) get written under the hood for quick reference. Even stuff I know by heart, so Mr-know-it-all yappy guy does not throw me off while in a rush.

Tire pressures are written next to each wheel, so anyone can have at it. I do mine in cold pressures so it can be a morning check (to give that yappy guy something to keep busy with).

Kerosene makes an utterly fantastic parts cleaner.

A small convex mirror placed inside so the driver can see/check/reassure himself or his gear is one of the smartest things I've done. The driver can find his camelback mouthpiece or whatever else that would be out of sight with the helmet on.

Ziplock baggie all the hardware from each piece you take off the car in separate bags together. Helps you to remember which bits went where and how many/sizes of bolts were associated even if you don't write it down. Cuts down on the mysterious wrong size bolt syndrome.

I add the cardboard egg containers to #1, #2, etc in order when doing a motor rebuild.  Saved my bacon once when the rebuild project for next weekend ending up 3 months later,

New processes you have never done before.,..have yappy guy, a hanger on or someone take digital photo of each major step with a focus on what goes back where.  You would think it is obvious but you really can put a brake line on backwards on a on Saturn.

When stripping both Super Snipe engines to get enough good parts to make one engine, I made little (1" square) tags of stainless steel shim stock (about .010") with a small hole punched in them.   I then stamped identifying information on each one and attached it to the part with fine steel wire.   Then I could dump the whole lot in a bucket of  degreaser or solvent without getting them mixed up.

If you pre-make a bunch of tags with "L" & "R", numbers from 1 to n (as appropriate for your engine), "Front" & "Rear", etc., it makes things go much faster.