The Unofficial "Ask a Stupid Question" Thread

New le stupid question, what is a decent, Harbor Freight quality multimeter for me to buy. Both to diagnose typical car shit but also to use with potential home electronics crap I might be thinking of building or modifying? Basically the must-have settings, the resolution or how sensitive the readings can/should be, special features that really help for occasional stupid scenarios.
 
Kidd-7 said:
I wouldn't trust a multimeter from HF. This one is pretty reasonable and Fluke has always been one of the best: https://a.co/d/aUbxHsh

There's also this one from Klein, they have a good reputation although I've never used their meters. https://a.co/d/98w52ka
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I have both, one from Harbor Frightened and Craftsman and both are about the same in quality. Check out some other brands, you would be surprised how cheap they are. I think Lowe's, Autozone, etc etc all carry them. Guess its what you are looking for.

For Harbor Freakshow, you might want to wait until they go on sale. I got mine when it was on sale and cost about $5 at the time. It has been reliable and well suited for what I check stuff for.
 
3_97_Sports said:
Does anyone have a picture of the door hinges with the fender removed? Is it actually possible to remove the hinge pins this way? I want to see how much working room there actually is accessing it this way.
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I can assure you it’s doable, it’s certainly tight and I recommend putting some thick duct tape on the door edge and pay attention but there is enough room for a cutoff wheel to make quick work of the pins.

I put off the job for years on my car because I was intimidated by it, so I certainly wouldn’t recommend this route if I had a hard time with it.
 
XR7-4.6 said:
I can assure you it’s doable, it’s certainly tight and I recommend putting some thick duct tape on the door edge and pay attention but there is enough room for a cutoff wheel to make quick work of the pins.

I put off the job for years on my car because I was intimidated by it, so I certainly wouldn’t recommend this route if I had a hard time with it.
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I have had the pins and drill bit for a couple of years, I know where you are coming from.
 
White Lincoln said:
For Harbor Freakshow, you might want to wait until they go on sale. I got mine when it was on sale and cost about $5 at the time. It has been reliable and well suited for what I check stuff for.
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If you spend more than $5 on anything at HF that doesn't have an engine, you spent too much.
 
XR7-4.6 said:
I can assure you it’s doable, it’s certainly tight and I recommend putting some thick duct tape on the door edge and pay attention but there is enough room for a cutoff wheel to make quick work of the pins.

I put off the job for years on my car because I was intimidated by it, so I certainly wouldn’t recommend this route if I had a hard time with it.
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I am in my car right now, and I guess I am not grasping how you can pull the inner hinge out to drill it for the new bushing, with both the door and the outer hinge sandwich ing it in place.
 
3_97_Sports said:
I am in my car right now, and I guess I am not grasping how you can pull the inner hinge out to drill it for the new bushing, with both the door and the outer hinge sandwich ing it in place.
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On yeah you can’t do the drilling part of it with it on the car, what you do is take a cutoff wheel to the pins while the fender is off and then remove only the door half of the hinge entirety where you can drill it for the new bushings on a bench. The hinge that attaches to the body doesn’t get drilled out
 
XR7-4.6 said:
On yeah you can’t do the drilling part of it with it on the car, what you do is take a cutoff wheel to the pins while the fender is off and then remove only the door half of the hinge entirety where you can drill it for the new bushings on a bench. The hinge that attaches to the body doesn’t get drilled out
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So you open the door again once you have removed the pin, and just let the weight be on the one hinge while you remove the other hinge part ?
That fucker is definitely sandwiched between the other hinge and the door when door is closed, there is even a cutout it tucks into in the frame side hinge.
 

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3_97_Sports said:
So you open the door again once you have removed the pin, and just let the weight be on the one hinge while you remove the other hinge part ?
That fucker is definitely sandwiched between the other hinge and the door when door is closed, there is even a cutout it tucks into in the frame side hinge.
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I would put a jack under the door to take the weight off, or if you can get something under the door to hold it up. Unless I am completely misunderstanding what you are doing.
 
After looking, I am just going to take the four door to hinge bolts off and remove the door.
If you leave it closed and go in from the front, you will never get the inner hinge out of there to drill it for the new bushings.
Which is what I was trying to see if it was possible, to do it through the fender with the door closed, like it has been mentioned people have done.
It seems impossible to me, and less work to just remove the four hinge to door bolts and sit the door off to the side.
It is literally sandwiched in there if you go through the front with the door closed, and a whole lot more work.
 
Bear with me as I now realize I’m jumbling memory’s of different cars but it’s coming back now; you grind the head of the pin off with a dremel and punch it out and that allows you to remove the door end of the hinge to drill. Mind you, yes you should support the door under a jack for this, but it will support itself on the striker for the job. I’ve done it both ways, and I much prefer the fender off method myself in effort/time
 
If you're willing to spend some jack on a meter, fluke or b&k are excellent choices. I have a few meters, but the one I use the most I bought from a surplus site extremely cheap.
www.mpja.com

Zotek ZT111 Palm Size Digital Multimeter

4 Digit/6000 count Pen style, True RMS digital multimeter with Auto/Manual Ranging, Flashlight & Auto Off 8 function, Backlit, .7 height LCD display. Includes: 5ft. Ground test lead, safety aligator clip, instructions & Protective pouch. Fuse Overload protection. CE listed; IEC 1010 Cat-III-600V...
www.mpja.com
According to my fluke meter, it's as accurate. Also does temperature, which the fluke doesn't do.
 
Derphound01 said:
If you spend more than $5 on anything at HF that doesn't have an engine, you spent too much.
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I don't quite agree with that seeing most of my hand tools and air tools come from HF. They are perfectly adequate for a DIY mechanic. The Quinn line is a bit better than the Pittsburg line but either will do the job.

BUT... as far as their multimeters, I would by ANY of them. Complete garbage.
 
Questions about MK VIII...

Isn't the 4.6 in them DOHC?
Isn't the driveshaft solid aluminum?

If the engine IS DOHC, what is required ECM wise to swap one in to a Tbird?
 
All Mark VIII's received the 32 valve 4.6. I believe they are rated at 290hp. There are several on here that have done the DOHC (32 valve) 4.6 swap into their cars. It can be fairly involved. I would imagine an ECM from a Mark VIII would be the easiest route.

They had several different driveshaft versions over the model run. I do not recall all the specifics on them. The "good ones" can be hard to find and it is arguable how much better they really are considering what people usually ask for them.
 
GRWeldon said:
I don't quite agree with that seeing most of my hand tools and air tools come from HF. They are perfectly adequate for a DIY mechanic. The Quinn line is a bit better than the Pittsburg line but either will do the job.

BUT... as far as their multimeters, I would by ANY of them. Complete garbage.
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I understand the allure of HF and the price point their tools are at. I just absolutely refuse to support them and all of their Chinese made tools. Such a shame. There used to be a store that sold decent quality U.S. made tools for a reasonable price for the DIYer, but all of these cheap garbage import tools forced them out.
 
On the Mark; just to clarify .. were rated at 280 HP and 290 for the LSC with dual exhaust.

The 93 had the solid aluminum driveshaft, all others are two piece bonded.

The ECM part of the swap can be done multiple ways - but the best approach would be to go into a 96/97 V8 based vehicle and reprogram the ECM.
 
White Lincoln said:
Milwaukee? Can't read the emblem that well, they are so "used". Story of my life, cordless tools about but no battery.
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Yes, all of my cordless tools are Mikwaukee .. bandsaws, grinders, impacts .. even a vacuum cleaner. 🤭 great tools for heavy duty use. I have my own for home use also. I have probably 8 batteries on my truck .. some of them tend to go missing every time another foreman is sent out to help me on a job. 🤔
 
dDUBb said:
Yes, all of my cordless tools are Mikwaukee .. bandsaws, grinders, impacts .. even a vacuum cleaner. 🤭 great tools for heavy duty use. I have my own for home use also. I have probably 8 batteries on my truck .. some of them tend to go missing every time another foreman is sent out to help me on a job. 🤔
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"You be careful out among them English!"

Yep. Like my Snap-On tool case says "I own the best, Snap-On, don't ask to borrow". Or as my father-in-law would always say "I'd rather borrow it then cheat you out of it...".

I don't get people that can't ask to use a tool and would rather just take it. Guess they have that mentality "what's mine is mine and what's yours is mine..."
 
White Lincoln said:
I don't get people that can't ask to use a tool and would rather just take it. Guess they have that mentality "what's mine is mine and what's yours is mine..."
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The company supplies all of our tools - so technically they don't belong to any of us. We keep our own tools on our trucks and for thr most part nobody needs to borrow anything - except for batteries. 🙄
 
dDUBb said:
The company supplies all of our tools - so technically they don't belong to any of us. We keep our own tools on our trucks and for thr most part nobody needs to borrow anything - except for batteries. 🙄
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Let me just say that this is a philosophical issue and we could discuss it at length and still not end up at the same place. This thread also isn't the place. I really shouldn't have responded initially or now but I just couldn't help myself. 8-)
 
dDUBb said:
The company supplies all of our tools - so technically they don't belong to any of us. We keep our own tools on our trucks and for thr most part nobody needs to borrow anything - except for batteries. 🙄
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Now that, is a different situation. Thank you for clarifying.
 
GRWeldon said:
Let me just say that this is a philosophical issue and we could discuss it at length and still not end up at the same place. This thread also isn't the place. I really shouldn't have responded initially or now but I just couldn't help myself. 8-)
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This is the stupid question thread .. anything goes. 🤔
There is no discussion really .. I have a contract that mandates employers provide tools. It's pretty simple.
 
New stupid question which I find hard to get info on since I assume different people have different approaches to this (and what "stiff" means).

I am wondering what is the best way to get my car to be stiff in terms of handling (minimal lean) while not being really hard going over bumps (shake a tall drink out of my cup holder). I am currently still running my old Eibach springs (about 1" lower ride height) with the Tokico shocks. I'm using stock sway bars. On my older (crashed up) Thunderbird I had those bigger AADCO sway bars that were offered through the old site, but I felt like those things were almost too stiff, I would notice that if I made a hard right into a driveway that the right rear wheel would wind up in the air, a couple times I had to roll back into the street because the "traction lok" rear wasn't effectively spinning the left wheel (worn clutches I assume) and then hit the driveway faster so that both wheels would wind up on the ground again. It certainly had minimal body roll with those thick bars but they tended to snap the sway bar links (I guess from the car's weight when the fake lowrider wheel in the air move happened).

From what I've read, sway bars matter most for lean, followed by springs, yes? If I don't want to shake the car hitting bumps I should have less aggressive shocks or springs? I am fine with my car's set-up as-is, I'm just wondering if/when the time comes to have to replace any of those components what I might consider for options.
 
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