Junkyarding Tomorrow. First Time. Any Tips?

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1972Swinger

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So me and my dad are going junkyard hunting tomorrow. A place downtown has a '88 5th Avenue (M-Body) that I am going to grab the disc brake parts off of for my Dart.

This is the first time I have ever gone to a pull-it-yourself yard, and I am sorta excited. Any tips as to things to do or not do? (My brother does it all the time, but won't tell me anything.)

I plan on grabbing this:
L&R Disc Brake Spindles
L&R Rotors
L&R Calipers & Adapters
L&R Hoses (To get correct length on new ones.)
Master Cylinder
Distribution Block
MC to Block Hard Lines
Firm Feel Steering Box (If it has one.)
And anything else I see I might want8)

What all tools should I take? Anything special?

Thanks guys!
 
take more tools than you think you will need, and take some good penetrating oil, a lot of times cars in a wrecking yard have been sitting out and can be rusted pretty good.

Make sure to show them everything you took and be honest! I a lot of times will get some extra bulbs/fuses, little stuff like that... a lot of times, they won't charge you for that if you are buying the bigger stuff and it saves you some $$ at the parts store!
 
Bring some baggies or something to put all the hardware in so you don't lose it in the rusty wheel barrows they give you. Keep the hardware seperated too, you'll think you'll remember where it goes but time flies...

Coveralls are a good idea but not mandatory, it all depends on how nice the interior of the car you drove their is.

Look in gloveboxes and under seats. You'll find all kinds of cool stuff. Tools, drugs, guns, money, lol.
 
It wouldn't hurt to bring a propane torch for stuck/rusted bolts. Heat em' up and bust them free. Remember to bring a breaker bar and a pipe to add leverage to bust those stubborn bolts. Have fun!!!!!!
 
I'd bring some gloves just in case there's spiders....LOL

Have fun and maybe take a camera too.
 
1972Swinger said:
So me and my dad are going junkyard hunting tomorrow. A place downtown has a '88 5th Avenue (M-Body) that I am going to grab the disc brake parts off of for my Dart.

This is the first time I have ever gone to a pull-it-yourself yard, and I am sorta excited. Any tips as to things to do or not do? (My brother does it all the time, but won't tell me anything.)

I plan on grabbing this:
L&R Disc Brake Spindles
L&R Rotors
L&R Calipers & Adapters
L&R Hoses (To get correct length on new ones.)
Master Cylinder
Distribution Block
MC to Block Hard Lines
Firm Feel Steering Box (If it has one.)
And anything else I see I might want8)

What all tools should I take? Anything special?

Thanks guys!
Click to expand...

SAFETY GLASSES
Full set of tools including breaker bar, wd40 or Kroil, cordless impact if ya got one, but I'd definately take your favorite braker bar. Small botlle of something to drink. Flashlight and reading glasses if ya need them!
I had thought of my little propane torch but alot of the yards will ban you if they catch you lit up!
 
Dont forget to pickup your tools...because there is always someone right behind you who will. Been on both ends
I always carry a pad/pencil, write down what you forgot to bring next time, if its a big yard write down location to come back to
 
Take your own 4 wheel cart.

Old exhaust pipe makes for a great breaker bar..6ft piece will break just about anything loose if you don't twist your extension to pieces.

Brake fluid makes great penetrating oil..they sometimes don't suck it all out--crack a bleeder on a disk brake.

Vacuum hoses make a great way to apply brake/tranny fluid to hard to access frozen bolts. If you dunk the hose in the fluid and then plug the end of the hose with your fingers, you can put alot of fluid on a hard to reach parts. I used this method to loosen 4 K-frame bolts in a super rusty Dart. I drained the brake fluid out of the calibers of 3 cars into a 2 liter bottle that was in 1 car. I then filled the hose as noted above. I guided the hose thru a hole in front of the bolts and let it soak for a couple of minutes. A 1 inch breaker bar and a 5 ft. piece of exhaust pipe from a Honda is what it took to break them loose.
And as a good reason to go to any junk yard....

No work
kids
women


Have fun!!
 
yellowdartdave said:
Take your own 4 wheel car.

Old exhaust pipe makes for a great breaker bar..6ft piece will break just about anything loose if you don't twist your extension to pieces.

Brake fluid makes great penetrating oil..they sometimes don't suck it all out--crack a bleeder on a disk brake.

Vacuum hoses make a great way to apply brake/tranny fluid to hard to access frozen bolts. If you dunk the hose in the fluid and then plug the end of the hose with your fingers, you can put alot of fluid on a hard to reach parts. I used this method to loosen 4 K-frame bolts in a super rusty Dart. I drained the brake fluid out of the calibers of 3 cars into a 2 liter bottle that was in 1 car. I then filled the hose as noted above. I guided the hose thru a hole in front of the bolts and let it soak for a couple of minutes. A 1 inch breaker bar and a 5 ft. piece of exhaust pipe from a Honda is what it took to break them loose.
And as a good reason to go to any junk yard....

No work
kids
women


Have fun!!
Click to expand...

Well I think considering this guy was born in 1994 the "bring no kids" advice kind of goes out the door.
 
Haha. :-D Thanks for the tips guys. My dad got called into work, so it will have to wait until around Wednesday. Oh well.
 
I try to bring just as many tools as I need to get the job done, but it is better to have more then you need then to be out there and need something. One thing to keep in mind is that you're going to have to carry both the tools and the parts when you leave. It sounds like you're going to have quite a haul with all the break parts. If you have a kids wagon or something like that because some yards don't have wheel barrels for you to use.

Three things that are a must (that I seem to forget more then I take) are
plastic baggies
a sharpie to write on the bags
paper to write down part numbers or VIN#'s

I always like to have some HAND CLEANER and RAGS at the car so I can clean up a little bit before the ride home. One last item I like to have is a five gallon bucket to carry smaller parts. Rags to clean parts are nice to have as well.

Have a good time and happy hunting!! I love junk yards!!
 
Brake cleaner also makes an excellent hornet/wasp/yellowjacket/etc. killer, by the way. A little early in the season probably, but there's nothing more invigorating than sticking your head under a car and hearing an angry buzzing noise.

Your yard may not be as primitive as mine, but I always try to remember a tarp or something so I don't end up lying in oily mud. (can protect some against snow, too)
 
You can also wear a pair of mechanics coveralls to get dirty while tearing into the junkers. Just change out of em to some clean threads and save your interior. (and clothes)
 
One thing I always remember to bring is my digital camera. Not only can you take pictures of the assemblies before you remove them, but you can also walk around and see what else they have, take pictures and post them for us to see...er, I mean, so you remember what they have in case you need anything else. Make sure you have some metric tools and especially sockets. If you run into a stubborn lugnut or stripped nut, a lot of times a metric socket hammered on will get the nut off where the regular size will just spin. A floor jack is a very handy to have tool also. Ever try to jack up a junkyard car that's buried in the dirt with a scizzor or bumper jack, not gonna happen. But a floor jack, stuff it under wherever it'll go and crank that baby up. Good luck junkyardin', it's jolly good fun!!! Geof
 
Take as many people as you can find.
Take a tarp.
Take bug killer.
Take some boxes to carry the parts out.

Then take some extra soft drinks and snacks.
( Making a friend out of the yard owner and employees will pay off
in major ways. Hay,,, we have a new Dart, lets call______.)

Whip
 
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