we have a lot of different style videos on our cj channel but a lot of the content we
produce here is geared towards showing you how to work on your mustang whether it's a
classic mustang or a modern mustang restoration worker performance work
you know we're really proud of our library of do-it-yourself videos
one thing we don't really talk about though is a lot of mistakes that first-time do-it-yourself
mechanics might make now if you're just getting started and doing this you're just learning your
way through your car there are some mistakes you're gonna make there's mistakes i make every
day still in the studio my videographers do a great job of editing all those out
but mistakes are going to be made so we're going to do today is talk about 10 common mistakes that
a do-it-yourself mechanic might make at home so maybe you can recognize them and not make them
yourself now these are no particular order but number one on my list is going to be misuse or
abuse of hardware now that can happen in a lot of different ways but if you do it bad enough you're
going to need one of these to fix the threads or fix the bolt itself now what happens with a lot of
people is they don't maybe have the right size socket or it doesn't feel quite right and they
strip the bolt they round that head off it's going to make it really really difficult to get it off
another thing is phillips head screws you have the wrong screw head and you end up damaging it
because the screwdriver is the wrong size and if you strip out a phillips head screw it's
gonna be very very difficult to get it out another thing is gonna be cross threading bolts if you're
installing something and the bolt just doesn't feel right it probably isn't right and you have to
do this a bunch of times and you'll get a feel for it eventually i've still done it myself but if you
start to feel the bolts not going in right it's probably cross threading which means you're going
to damage those threads you could damage the bolt you got to break out the kit to fix it so that's
something to be very very careful of if the wrench feels like it's not quite fitting that nut or bolt
it's probably the wrong size that phillips head screwdriver is not fitting the screw just properly
find the right size phillips head screwdriver so you don't damage the screw not damaging bolts not
cross-running bolts being far more careful with the hardware will lead for a much much easier
installation and a lot less headaches when doing the job number two on my list is going to be over
buying tools buying more expensive tools than you really really need if you only mention on your
car a couple weekends a year or whatever you don't need to run down to the local snap-on matco mac or
whatever it's like this stuff's great and if you use it all the time it's worthwhile to make this
investment you know they say buy ones cry once but if you're doing this stuff at home you don't
need the best tools buy yourself some decent tools get stuff at your local hardware store or whatever
and use those tools and if you start breaking something regularly like your ratchet keeps
snapping okay then invest the money in a better higher quality ratchet but again you don't throw
it out and buy the most expensive tools you're better off buying a larger set of tools than
buying a lot of smaller higher end tools that way you've got more tools for the job and far better
chance of having the right tool which will make the job a lot easier number three on my list and
this actually kind of ties into number one and number two is stay away from gimmicky tools and
something like an adjustable wrench isn't really a gimmicky tool but again this has a certain use
but you're not going to use this very often you don't want to turn a lot of nuts and a lot of
bolts with an adjustable wrench you don't want one of those one size fits all wrenches with a little
spacer adapter in there stuff like that is going to lead to damaging bolts or worst cases is going
to actually snap and break when you're trying to use it you know there's those one size fit all
sockets and those screwdrivers with all the tips built into the frame and it's like a rapid fire
stay away from gimmicky tools stick to the basics good set of screwdrivers good set of ratchets good
set of wrenches get a good set of basic tools and stay away from those gimmicky tools because
they're either going to damage what you're working on or you're going to break the tool
and even possibly hurt yourself now number four on my list is going to be ignoring the torque
specs when we do our videos here we try to provide torque specs we don't always get it right we do
try to make sure we're doing more and more of that especially if they're supplied by the manufacturer
but read the torque specs and use them now get yourself a good torque wrench we've all heard that
you know how many uggaduct is to tighten something yeah for certain things you're getting okay with
that but today's mustangs today's vehicles with a lot of the torque to yield bolts and stuff
it's very important that you use the torque specs you don't need the most expensive torque wrench
but get yourself a decent one and make sure if the torque spec is provided by the manufacturer
that means it's probably pretty important and you should definitely use it number five on my list is
going to be misuse of fluids now there's a lot of different things this can fall into whether
it comes down to using the right fluid for your transmission the right fluid for power steering
the right fluid for your coolant system make sure you have the correct fluid and we're using
special things like grease anti-seize thread lock whatever make sure you're using the right stuff
and make sure you use the right amounts i know sometimes the right amount the right stuff can be
difficult to figure out but if the manufacturer says use the blue loctite don't use the red
and again you don't have to soak the bolt lock tight now blue is designed to hold it in place
but gives you the possibility if you want to take it off later you're more than likely going to be
able to unless you absolutely soak it with loctite red is pretty permanent i mean you
can get red off more likely you can do some damage because red is not meant to come off very easily
so again if you're using that don't soak it anti-seize don't be afraid to use it you know
you're going to get this stuff all over your hands when you use it you've seen us do it here
but again if it calls for anti-seize make sure you use it and don't be afraid to use a decent
amount again it doesn't have to be soaked in it but use a reasonable amount to make sure
the job's done properly same with grease use the right kind of grease gasket maker use the right
kind of gasket maker and use a right amount but watch professionals watch the amounts they use
and learn from them and again make sure you use the fluids properly work out for a much better
installation number six on my list disconnect the battery if you're working on electrical stuff
12 volts doesn't seem like a lot it's going to give you a good shock it's not going to kill you
but you can damage other things when you have things disconnected or wires laying around
they touch something they can arc it can cause problems especially in your modern cars they
have so many computers in them that the wrong wire touching the wrong surface can short out an entire
computer system and cost you thousands of dollars so if you're working on something electrical
you're unplugging lights harnesses whatever first thing you want to do disconnect your battery
next on my list is going to be leaving open areas of your engine transmission or whatever you're
working on exposed if you have the intake manifold off your car and you're working on injectors or
fuel rails or whatever take some tape cover up that intake the last thing you want to do
is drop even a small piece of plastic down inside your engine you're gonna damage the engine you
can hurt it i've seen ten thousand dollar race engines get destroyed by a small little piece of
metal that fell in the intake manifold that nobody noticed if you have a cap off your radiator or cap
off anything the engine open in any way shape or form if there's an opening cover it up with some
tape tape is cheap and a lot easier than trying to get that stuff out of your engine or transmission
number anonymous is actually something i personally have struggled with for years and
that's if something is in the way simply move it if you're trying to work on part of the engine and
the power steering pumps in the way or there's a wiring harness in the way or whatever's in the way
instead of trying to work around it and use smaller tools and swivels and all these adapters
simply move it the more space you have to work the better of an install you're going to be and
the better you can get to the bolts and not damage stuff when you're trying to work around the parts
that's in the way you're literally just asking for problems you're a better chance of damaging a bolt
crosstalking a bolt causing something that's gonna make a lot more work in the long run so if you're
working on something and there's another piece of the car that happens to be in the way like your
exhaust runs under your fuel pump take the exhaust off give yourself better access again it'll make
for a much easier installation number 10 on my list and this is going to be a very general
statement is don't get in over your head don't aim too high when you're just getting started and have
patience and understand this is a learning process now if you've never installed a cold
air intake you probably don't want to try to do a supercharger on your own so start with the small
installations and work your way up now i know you watch youtube and guys like me make it look easy
we have editors we make mistakes we goof up stuff all the time but our finished video we know you
guys don't want to see the mistakes you want to see how to do something and we show you that but
again watch the videos and get an idea what you're capable of doing but just don't overestimate the
worst thing you can do is get into an install you're way over your head you can't do it yourself
it's just going to make you feel bad about what you're doing it's going to make you not want to do
it again it's going to make it not be any fun if you're going to do this i'm going to tie right now
there'll be plenty of installs that aren't fun but that feeling of accomplishment is definitely worth
it at the end so no matter what you're doing what you're working on you know make sure that you're
not fighting off more than you can chew so this becomes a fun hobby and doesn't stress you out
you