What's the Worst Tech Advice You've seen in a Magazine?

[Loren]

I do like the new style of Hot Rod Magazine. It's looking like they're willing to spend a little more of that money they collect from the ad pages, on the editorial pages. My only question after the last issue (which I loved) was whether they'd be able to keep it up for the next. So far so good.

Finnegan is a real asset to the mag I believe, but he's been on my radar for small boo-boos. This month a freind's accident inspired him to put on a pair of leather gloves while using a band saw, in the quest of caution (pp. 12), and there was a comment about A833 overdrives, which were "found in early-'80s GM two-wheel-drive trucks.

That trans was also found in GM 4wd's (there's one in my back yard) and some Dodges as well, although I guess he didn't actually exclude them. And, uh, do NOT wear leather gloves while bandsawing, or using any other power tool which has any liklihood of grabbing the glove and pulling your hand into it. That is general knowledge in the mfg. trades but here's a link: http://www.forrestmfg.com/wear-glove...-a-bandsaw.php

Since we have magazine columns in Hot Rod for exposing internet lies and bad advice (pp 127, 145) maybe there should be one going the other way...

[Manifestospeed]

Finnegan's at least trying to do better than DF's legendary wear-flip-flops-while-knocking-back-Coronas shop safety plan.

On the other hand, maybe there's a missing fingers-n-toes episode of "Roadkill" in the future.

[dieselgeek]

It's not really advice, but what drives me up a wall is the "Great Manifold Tests" - all they say is "this one did better than that one" and people buy into it.

The problem is, in the real world, each manifold will perform differently on a different combo. Those tests in the magazine should never be released without individual O2 sensor data that shows if the manifold has good distribution between cylinders or not, which is 99.9% of what makes a manifold worth a crap or not. In the real world.

[Barry Donovan]

magazines do good..the net is the scary one.

if cutting something hazardous, gloves would be needed..seems like nitpicking, the glove mention.

[Gary 351C]

HOT ROD, November 1979, "50 low-buck how-to's". Even as a 14 year old kid I thought WTF!?
Of course, it was the 70's and alot of people probably didn't think there was anything wrong with doing this to their all-original
LS6 Chevelle convertible.

[DanStokes]

I'm with Loren on this. When you need protection from a bandsaw blade is when you're working on little pieces. The solution there is to fixture the piece in some way - use a pushblock, clamp it with a pair of Vice-Grips - something along that line. The article Loren attached makes a number of good points, mostly that the gloves won't protect you from the blade and will make you more clumsy.

As far as bad magazine advice, I think the worst is to use ramps to work under the car. I know of two guys who were killed in this manner, one of which was a HS friend. If you pull sideways on a bolt (like a pressure plate bolt) there's WAY too high a chance of toppling the car sideways off the ramps. Buy a jack and a decent set of jackstands.

Dan

[Bill McGuire]

HOT ROD, November 1979, "50 low-buck how-to's". Even as a 14 year old kid I thought WTF!?
Of course, it was the 70's and alot of people probably didn't think there was anything wrong with doing this to their all-original
LS6 Chevelle convertible.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]13825[/ATTACH]

Classic. Priceless. And wrong in so many ways, starting with the fact that florists' foam is specifically designed to draw and retain water.

If you were trying to design a body repair so that a big bondo cowpie falls on the ground when you slam the door, this method would be nearly ideal.

Thanks for sharing. I was amused/horrified.

[Deaf Bob]

I'm still scratching my head....

[oldsman496]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]13825[/ATTACH]

OMG. Uh. ummmmmmmmm........... wow.

no wonder i always thought spray foam in a can was a high tech solution...

[Thumpin455]

Classic. Priceless. And wrong in so many ways, starting with the fact that florists' foam is specifically designed to draw and retain water.

If you were trying to design a body repair so that a big bondo cowpie falls on the ground when you slam the door, this method would be nearly ideal.

Thanks for sharing. I was amused/horrified.

I have found stuff worse than that when ripping into old cars. My Cougar had bondo about two inches thick in some places, they didnt even bother to bump the dent, just filled it with mud and sanded it smooth. Gee I wonder why it cracked.

I tend to just ignore stuff I see that is somewhat more work or just plain wrong in magazines. If they want to do it the bad way, I dont mind as long as they dont bring it to me to get it fixed the right way. The bandsaw thing should have been obvious, but apparently Finnegan didnt take shop classes.

[Dan Barlow]

Worked in a shop for thirty - two years, Have all of every finger and thumb. I really don't think there is a one size fits all rule on glove. If they are all leather they should be fine with a band saw ( same thing my fingers are made from ) if they have cloth in the fingers probably not. With Dan on the ramps. There is probably some good ones but you probably couldn't pick them up.

[Scott Liggett]

I do like the new style of Hot Rod Magazine. It's looking like they're willing to spend a little more of that money they collect from the ad pages, on the editorial pages. My only question after the last issue (which I loved) was whether they'd be able to keep it up for the next. So far so good.

Finnegan is a real asset to the mag I believe, but he's been on my radar for small boo-boos. This month a freind's accident inspired him to put on a pair of leather gloves while using a band saw, in the quest of caution (pp. 12), and there was a comment about A833 overdrives, which were "found in early-'80s GM two-wheel-drive trucks.

That trans was also found in GM 4wd's (there's one in my back yard) and some Dodges as well, although I guess he didn't actually exclude them. And, uh, do NOT wear leather gloves while bandsawing, or using any other power tool which has any liklihood of grabbing the glove and pulling your hand into it. That is general knowledge in the mfg. trades but here's a link: http://www.forrestmfg.com/wear-glove...-a-bandsaw.php

Since we have magazine columns in Hot Rod for exposing internet lies and bad advice (pp 127, 145) maybe there should be one going the other way...

Loren, you really shouldn't have told me where I can get another spare A833OD trans. Nope, you shouldn't have.

[Deaf Bob]

I agree on ramps... Nasty things... Buddy loves the pressed ones that are stackable.. Has several sets and take up little space.
One day we were doing a derby car for him on gravel... His son was under the car... I saw it sinking.. Grabbed the young guy by an ankle and practically fell backwards pulling him out.. The body stopped inches from his head.. Those formed ones do not have a connector or brace from the 90* to the ramp portion... I took the time and added straps to each side on all but the pair that flattened...
We take old wide rims we no longer use, jack the car up and lay them flat under the tires... Not gonna roll nowhere even on gravel..
Helps to shake the car sideways HARD before starting.. PITA for sure... Better than being squashed...

[DanStokes]

Our local Pick-A-Part welds a rim that's flat on the ground to one on edge (an upside-down "T) and puts 4 under each car after carefully jacking the car up - with a forklift. I think it's sort of standard Pick-a-Part procedure. Anyhow, they're really stable and I'm OK with crawling under there. They give the elevated car a preliminary shake by gently caressing it with the forklift. Just to be sure, I shake any car I'm thinking of going under. In fact, I shake a car on the hoist once I get the wheels just off the ground.

A couple tons of airborne car is nothin' to mess with.

Dan

[squirrel]

I've never seen the welded wheels trick in a magazine...but that's what we used at the junkyard 30 years ago. Still gotta be carful. One rusty northern 63 biscayne we got had the frame drop down from the body after putting the body on the wheel stands. X fame so you have to support the car by the rockers.

I try to forget all the bad advice I've read in magazines