roadsubiedog Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 a couple nights ago I had a pinhole leak in the 7 inch water hose under the alternator in my 84 gl. I noticed it starting to overheat right when I got to work and it was spraying everywhere. fortunately I just got to work so it was cool in the morning when I got off. I put several applications of super glue in the hole, put a patch of duck tape over it and a couple ties and off I went for the 42 mile commute home. made it home without losing a drop. just replaced the hose today. but it got me thinking about clever unusual fixes all of you have used to get home in an emergency . also what kind of tools have you concocted to use in place of the proper tool. I still carry baling wire, duct tape, rubber, and even band aids. people at work say I have too much junk that I carry around but I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suprjohn Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 My uncle told me once that Everclear could be substituted for break fluid in an emergency...never tried it. Use at own risk. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
987687 Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 (edited) I've done a lot of zany fixes, and I have a list of them somewhere, but I'll post em up as I think of them. One of my latest ones here, actually took pics. Some friends and I were playing around on logging roads in northern Maine, out near Canada. A good long drive from pavement, and for this guy, another 200 miles home. As you see, his strut tower sought freedom. Of course I carry a chainsaw in my car, whipped it out and cut up a tree... Eventually we had to add a second strap: The window did end up getting broken. But ehhh. The car was junk at that point anyway. So it wasn't really a big deal. Of course I've done the "normal" redneck repairs: crimping brake lines, penny nail in a flare fitting to seal up a broken brake line, soldering wires with a lighter, etc... Another good one was when a friend and I were taking a road trip and he blew an auto trans cooler line. It was a hard line, just rusted through and popped. Without anything to fix such a condition, I cut the rusted section out. Cut up some of the rubber line, and used the case of a bic pen as a tranny cooler line. It worked great for the next 100 miles to a parts store to get proper stuff to repair it. I've also had a lot of makeshift fixes on boats out in the ocean, but I think those are for another thread Edited May 19, 2014 by 987687 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the sucker king Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 Can't top that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rain_man_rich Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 and we have a winner! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jj421 Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 That is pretty impressive. Only real one I did was the night I lifted my EA82. I was 40 miles from home, it was 2 am, and it was POURING rain. Well during the lift installation, I forgot to tighten the ball joint nut, so it fell out on the road. Eventually the ball joint popped out (forgot to put the brake caliper on properly, so the wheel was locking up which caused the ball joint to pop out). With the nut gone, I had to do something to fix it. LUCKILY, EA82 lug nuts are the same size as the ball joint nuts. Since I now have Pugs with special lug nuts, I used an old lug nut to hold the ball joint. Drove like that for about 100 miles, until new ball joints came in at O'Reilly. So now I always carry extra lug nuts. Ya never know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweety Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 Often overheating is only obvious in heavy traffic in the middle of summer. So if your gauge rises in traffic open your windows and turn your heater on. It might be hot in there but you are effectively adding another small radiator to the cooling system. Also if you suspect you've blown a head gasket with the symptom of high pressure in the cooling system....carefully take off the cap, allow it to cool, turn on engine, slowly fill up coolant level with water then replace cap half way. This will allow excess pressure to be released as you drive. This is also good if you have a slow leak in the system you cant plug. These are basic of course...but I want to win that new Subaru someone here is offering for the winning post. haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l75eya Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 My brother duck taped and zip tied together his control arm and ball joint when the joint broke on his 68 mustang. Made it 150 miles home on it. Thought that was pretty good. Also he and I have both band aided CV joints with new duck tape boots that went for a good 1k miles or so. BTW love the log strut mount above. That's great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
81EA81 Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 (edited) Im almost surprised to see that deep of rust on such a new car. I believe 1982gl4 did something similar to a first gen legacy. Thankfully I cant think of any temporary fixes, Ive been lucky enough to have smooth sailing.For now. But I do have bailing wire,duct tape,spare accessory belts and timing belts and tools in tow. Edited May 20, 2014 by 81EA81 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdweninger Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 Back in the 80's, my brother and I were heading up to elk camp. I had a nice stereo, big amp in my pickup. The fuse 'capsule' came apart near the passenger rocker panel... and my brother stuffed an empty beer can under the seat... and grounded out the power cable from the battery to the amp. Next thing I knew, the throttle cable housing had melted where it passes thru the firewall and then solidified so I could not use my throttle. We simply hooked up the manual choke cable to the throttle linkage (had a Weber on the pickup). I spent the next 3 days driving while my brother ran the throttle with the choke cable. And yes, it was a manual transmission. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
987687 Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 Back in the 80's, my brother and I were heading up to elk camp. I had a nice stereo, big amp in my pickup. The fuse 'capsule' came apart near the passenger rocker panel... and my brother stuffed an empty beer can under the seat... and grounded out the power cable from the battery to the amp. Next thing I knew, the throttle cable housing had melted where it passes thru the firewall and then solidified so I could not use my throttle. We simply hooked up the manual choke cable to the throttle linkage (had a Weber on the pickup). I spent the next 3 days driving while my brother ran the throttle with the choke cable. And yes, it was a manual transmission. HAHA, that reminds me, I used the hood release cable as a throttle cable once. That was an awkward drive... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subruise Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 ....tried to turn left after leaving work one day and she went straight (lifted loyale wag in my avatar pic). outer tierod end had stripped under the castle nut. burned myself pretty bad on the y pipe putting a pair of vicegrips (for the hatch, duh) and bungie cording them to the tierod. scary drive home, even though it was perfectly solid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djellum Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 you can put any liquid in place of brake fluid, water, pee, whatever. most fluids wont handle the heat well or will ruin the lines over time, but it may get you home. you can weld with jumper cables on a battery and a stick electrode. its hard to do since theres no machinery stabilizing the arc but it can be done. they even make a sweet little kit with a small arc stabilizer and real welding leads that is designed to be hooked to a car battery (or multiple if you want more power). I drove home about 15 miles with no tire. well the first 5 miles or so was with a flat, then it finally gave out and rolled off into the ditch. It was the right rear too so it was the power tire (power is relative since I was driving a Chevette). the next day we checked it out and there were dual gouges in the road all the way from the edge of town to my parking spot. even had them put a used tire on that same rim and continued to drive on it. A few years later I actually drove the same Chevette home about 10 miles with only 3.5 pistons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventureSubaru Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 used JB weld and a piece of an aluminum can to patch a crack on the top of a radiator on the Impreza. Got some water down the intake of my old toyota truck. Would stall if below 1500 RPM. Rigged some wire/duct tape to limit the throttle from going below. Hardwired the starter on a 93 Impreza to an interior lightswitch to bypass a bad sensor. Turn the lightswitch on until the car starts, then flip it off and drive! Rigged a suicide shifter on a friends volvo. The car was stuck in park and he didn't have the $$$ for a tow. Disconnected the shifter linkage and bolted a piece of aluminum. (An angled piece cut from a lawn chair) to the shift linkage. Hung it from the fuel line with zip ties. You had to open the door to put the car in drive, reverse, nuetral and park, lean down, grab the piece of aluminum and push or pull it. Got him home. Hardwired cooling fans to the battery on an overheating F150 to get it home after the fans stopped blowing on their own. Did the same to an Oldsmobile Cutlass which my friend ended up using the prior mentioned light switch technique to drive the car for a year or so afterwards after I sold it to her. I have heard of, but never had to do the following- Bad fuel pump - empty out your windshield washer fluid and fill with gasoline. Stick the squirter tube down your carburetor and use the squirter switch as a manual fuel pump to get you home. Dead battery on an automatic - disconnect the alternator belt from the engine. remove the blade etc from your chainsaw (or anything gas/battery powered that you happen to carry. the chuck of a cordless drill would work) Pull the belt tight around the motor shaft (Make sure it spins the right direction.) and rev up the motor for a while to let the alternator charge your battery back up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadsubiedog Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 boy, there are some great fixes.im putting some of them in my notebook for future reference. years ago on a cross-country trip from CA to FL on my bike, my generator light went on only 200 miles from my parents house. at 2 oclock in the morning I took the gen apart and found a weak spring that made the opposite brush almost completely wear out. I expanded the spring and switched the brushes and was good to go the last 200 miles. I also use a light switch to put my fan on when caught in stop and go traffic since it doesn't come on by itself on the 84gl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subruise Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 you can put any liquid in place of brake fluid, water, pee, whatever. most fluids wont handle the heat well or will ruin the lines over time, but it may get you home. you can weld with jumper cables on a battery and a stick electrode. its hard to do since theres no machinery stabilizing the arc but it can be done. they even make a sweet little kit with a small arc stabilizer and real welding leads that is designed to be hooked to a car battery (or multiple if you want more power). I drove home about 15 miles with no tire. well the first 5 miles or so was with a flat, then it finally gave out and rolled off into the ditch. It was the right rear too so it was the power tire (power is relative since I was driving a Chevette). the next day we checked it out and there were dual gouges in the road all the way from the edge of town to my parking spot. even had them put a used tire on that same rim and continued to drive on it. A few years later I actually drove the same Chevette home about 10 miles with only 3.5 pistons. you need 2 batteries and sets of cable....this is how we weld at my house lol...no duty cycle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
987687 Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 you can put any liquid in place of brake fluid, water, pee, whatever. most fluids wont handle the heat well or will ruin the lines over time, but it may get you home. Careful with that one, some types of oils will actually destroy the rubber seals in the brake system almost immediately. I had one towed into the shop with zero brakes because someone dumped castor oil or something stupid into the master cylinder. Destroyed the cylinder seals completely. For safety, we had to rebuild all the calipers and flush the entire brake system. A while later it came in for ABS failure. So yea, don't go dumping spoob willy nilly into your brake system unless it's a really huge serious emergency. I just carry brake fluid with me... Saved a friend of mine on a different trip out into the woods. Blew a brake line, and it took a bit of fluid to get the repair bled and working. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djellum Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 yah, nothing goes in but brake fluid, but if you rip a line off on a trail then at least you can get to a ranger station or pavement if not home. generally most people I have seen used water, and that eventually rusted out the system even with getting blown out with air and refilled, so definitely a no no, unless leaving your rig would get it shot up or something. I must admit, this looks sweet. Id like to pick one up if I could find one cheap, just to play with. http://readywelder.com/products-page/2/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventureSubaru Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Soup can and a couple hose clamps for a broken exhaust pipe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rain_man_rich Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Soup can and a couple hose clamps for a broken exhaust pipe. Used this method for an old farm truck. Lasted for three years before the truck finally died. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirzick Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 The washer fluid fuel pump idea is awesome. Some mice had chewed through the vacuum canister on my loyal. The car was a push button rwd so i needed vacuum. Lots of tape a water bottle and a big hose clamp! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jono Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 an inline six, known as a red motor in a GM-H sedan, did common old trick of throwing a leg outta bed. I found it ran better after I removed rocker cover to remove overhead push rods & rocker arms for both valves and spark plug of affected cylinder. Fortunately #5 did not punch like they usually do so the starter motor remained useable to get it going and home again. Was only at home a mile away did I realise (by the trail) that it was actually a conrod through the block, so then had to do the run again with another car and some cement dust and sand to soak up the mess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
987687 Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 The washer fluid fuel pump idea is awesome. Some mice had chewed through the vacuum canister on my loyal. The car was a push button rwd so i needed vacuum. Lots of tape a water bottle and a big hose clamp! mice.jpg fixed.jpg I'd probably just get under the car and use bailing wire to permanently put it in 4wd. Just wire the lever that gets actuated by the vacuum canister, and be done with it forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
czny Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Once had a 67 VW Beetle. Back in the early 70s even those were required to retrofit a 'smog device' - a STP branded abortion that choked up the heat risers under the carburetor. One early morning in January driving the Angeles Crest Hwy the throttle iced up! Not fun on a mountain road. Killed the ignition & coasted to a stop. Need heat under that carb. Now! Hooked a 1157 tail light bulb to the choke wire & ground, wrapped the thing up with aluminum foil around the manifold base. Voila! Preheat! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
man on the moon Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 I've used chewing gum on a radiator split. Chew it up a bit until it's gummy, and use a toothpick or similar to work it into the crack/around. Ideally let it set, but it works wet. I've also used it on hoses on the road. Superglue in theory would work, but loses it's bondingness (real word, I swear) around 150 degrees, so you're pushing it unless there is something else (like wrappingin duct tape). I've done it with only mixed success--plus it's a bear to remove, even worse than the gum. I have my electric fan on a switch as well, and for the same reason. What else...I cut a blown gasket from cardboard once (like what a shoebox is made of) for the thermostat. Didn't last long, but it lasted long enough. I've slathered my fair share of silicon sealant on vaccum hoses where they cracked. In a borrowed truck to tow a canoe trailer for a scout trip i had to wire the wiper motor direct to the battery with uninsulated wire, we wrapped it with electrical tape and screwed it to the post via the cable clamp. The wiper switch went out in a big rain storm. That was the same trip where the dashboard light died and, on the way back home, the differential gave out in yet another rainstorm, coming down a mountain pass, in the dark, in a construction zone. That was a hell of a trip, but I only fixed the wipers. Best part is that due to all the rain, we didn't even end up using the canoes. Two weeks later my roommate (whos truck it was) replaced the differential, took it on a test drive, and got T-boned...he was fine, but the truck was totalled Love the log/strut...wow. Gonna keep notes on some of these other ideas! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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