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The easiest way to remove a cotter pin (VIDEO)

Description ​For the longest time I used to remove cotter pins with either a hooked mechanic’s pick or a pair of needle-nose pliers. And when I say a long time, I mean, probably 15 years. Then my friend Zito showed me a better way. I’ve since seen others use this...

How to fix a Ford cupholder for almost free

The in-dash cup holder on certain late '90s to early 2000s F-150s, Expeditions and Navigators - which also holds an ash tray in some vehicles - has a tendency to break in service, leading to a cupholder that has to be pried into the open position in order to use it....

The other “Phillips” head screwdriver you might not know about

Not every Phillips head fastener is a Phillips head fastener. I believed this was common knowledge until today, when I was speaking with another tech who had no idea what I was talking about, and I relived a lesson from my salad days of wrenching. Many moons ago, when...

In defense of the beam-style torque wrench

Way back when, torque specs didn’t exist. Oh, mechanics were familiar with busted fasteners. Prior to torque wrenches, factory tools often had handles of specific lengths, with the understanding that “cheater pipes” were not to be used and that an average man of...

A simple tip for burping a radiator

Ever drain and fill a coolant system and watch the temp gauge spike afterwards? Air trapped in there can cause a car to act like it has a cooling problem. It's annoying to let the car cool so you can work on it, then re-bleed and possibly still have the same...

7 low-tech tips to help bleed difficult brakes

Bleeding brakes is one of those jobs most of us know how to do, but when a hard-to-bleed system pops up, experienced techs have a few additional tricks up their sleeves to help get the job done. You can certainly vacuum bleed or power bleed if you have the equipment,...

Tool review: Klein 3255 bull pin

You can’t beat it. Well, actually, you can.

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Shop Press is the news and idea hub for everything related to working on cars and trucks, focusing on repair, technology, and wrenching lifestyle. With interesting stories from around the world, features on creative people and solutions, and all kinds of other stuff that’ll make you use your mind and your hands.

SHOP STUFF

Auto care news and advice you can use.

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