Mechanical interest to some of you ??


Kingman

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Aug 11, 2006
4,072
Surf City, USA
I had about 5 or 6K on a set and went for the dyno session. The car seem to run fine on the road, but on the dyno it didn't pull well past 5.5K, only getting about 650 HP.

Bad plugs????

http://www.carscoops.com/2010/12/video-800-hp-shelby-gt500-blows-up.html

http://screen.yahoo.com/shelby-gt500-destroys-dyno-192116431.html

:biggrin
 

BlackICE

GT Owner
Nov 2, 2005
1,416
SF Bay Area in California
Just got the Taiwan version of the socket today from Amazon. Looks nice with polished chrome finish and a firm rubber insert. It holds the plugs better than the Craftsman socket I was using with the foam insert.

I don't understand how Snap On can justify a price more than 3x higher.
 

Button

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2009
202
Iowa
American labor and manufacturing costs have got to be higher than Taiwan's. Lifetime warranty costs are probably built into the cost of their product as well. Snap-on makes fantastic top-of-the-line tools, but they aren't giving them away.
 

Sinovac

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 18, 2006
5,862
Largo, Florida
American labor and manufacturing costs have got to be higher than Taiwan's. Lifetime warranty costs are probably built into the cost of their product as well. Snap-on makes fantastic top-of-the-line tools, but they aren't giving them away.

Call me outmoded, but I will always buy an American made product whenever possible. It still matters to me. I stopped buying many of the Craftsman hand tools when Sears moved production to China. I'll gladly pay more for something made in the U.S.A. Don't even ask what a quality, American made bench vise costs now.
 
Last edited:

BlackICE

GT Owner
Nov 2, 2005
1,416
SF Bay Area in California
Call me outmoded, but I will always buy an American made product whenever possible. It still matters to me. I stopped buying many of the Craftsmen hand tools when Sears moved production to China. I'll gladly pay more for something made in the U.S.A. Don't even ask what a quality, American made bench vice costs now.
Can you even find them today?

I know milling some vises are still made in USA like Kurt and they are better than anything from else from the east.

But IMO for a plug socket both will work equally well and last a lifetime.
 
Last edited:

Sinovac

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 18, 2006
5,862
Largo, Florida
Yost, Columbian and Wilton make vises domestically. You will pay nearly $1,000 for a large bench vise, but you will never break it.
 

Button

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2009
202
Iowa
Call me outmoded, but I will always buy an American made product whenever possible. It still matters to me. I stopped buying many of the Craftsman hand tools when Sears moved production to China. I'll gladly pay more for something made in the U.S.A. Don't even ask what a quality, American made bench vise costs now.

I agree wholeheartedly! My father always said, "Only the rich can afford to buy junk." I bite the bullet for something American-made once instead of buying (and breaking) junk three times.
 

Sinovac

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 18, 2006
5,862
Largo, Florida
I agree wholeheartedly! My father always said, "Only the rich can afford to buy junk." I bite the bullet for something American-made once instead of buying (and breaking) junk three times.

Amen brother.
 

B.M.F.

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jan 29, 2009
1,810
Minnesota
I have used this snap on socket for over a year and it works very good for these motors.
 

Sinovac

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 18, 2006
5,862
Largo, Florida
I have used this snap on socket for over a year and it works very good for these motors.

Nice to have you back. I hope all is well with you.
 

B.M.F.

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jan 29, 2009
1,810
Minnesota
Nice to have you back. I hope all is well with you.

Thanks.. All is well and my car will be back together by mid of July and I'm finishing 3 more cars too. I'll have some updates soon...
 
Aug 25, 2006
4,436
WOW !! I'm blown away at some of the response to a simple heads up to what I thought might be of some interest to anyone doing their own basic preventative maintenance.
It's a well known fact that spark plugs that are left in an aluminum head for extended period's of time run the risk of damaging the threads upon removal.
Perhaps that's why there is also a special tool, purpose built to repair damaged sparkplug threads.
Most mechanic's will warn you of the possibility before they remove sparkplugs on high mileage engine's regardless of brand if the heads are Aluminum.
I was contemplating giving Snap-On a call first thing in the Am to ask them what the heck they were thinking coming up with such a silly worthless tool but then I meet up with my local Snap-On dealer to show him this thread. He was equally amused, then he pulled up his records and showed me proof that he had sold 36 of these in the first week they were available. So I decided against calling .After all, they are the world leader in tools, the company with a brand loyalty like no other, why would they listen to me.
I change mine every spring along with the engine oil, transaxel oil, Oil pump belt, and air cleaner elements. Is that too often? Well that's a matter of opinion. Do my plugs go bad after just one season of driving ? Heck no they don't but I change them regardless and im very careful doing so. Silly me for thinking I might bring this to everyone's attention.
There is a highly respected member of this Forum that lost the top of a piston as a direct result of a poorly installed sparkplug. I know for a fact that his plugs are now being replaced annually.

O well I should have known better, Don't worry though. It wont happen again.

I for one "thank you"

Takes care

Shadowman