Crazy old dude in a shed changed my control arms.

[eDJ_]

Yeah Popeye,  I was taken under the wing of a few crusty old mechanics when I was just a kid too.  They let me sit and look through the old Motors Manuals etc they had at their shops and then they would turn me lose on projects they thought I could tackle.   Great teachers they were. 

TMG51,

If you want to do the ol'man proud,  ya may consider buying him an inexpensive gift that would improve his life.

Large and small "Nut Cutters", and throw in a can of PB Blaster.   Just as a "thank ya". (or tip)


I once worked with a Truck Mechanic (seeing that photo of him with the "fire hatchet" reminds me of this)  who would take that cutting torch and blow one side of the Nut off and use a wire brush to wipe as he cut so he could see that he had cut the nut down to the threads of the bolt.  Then he heated the opposing side nearly red hot and took a hammer and chisel  to cut into the Nut.  This expands the Nut's threads out and away from the threads of the bolt so it can be removed much easier when it cools.

The melted metal of the Nut will puddle over on the other side of the Nut from where the cutting torch is blowing.  

 

[TMG51]

I don't think this old gent would use those nut cutters. He did cut one of the ball joint studs off, and he used his torch to do it.

Right before, he put his tools down and said "I gotta get a glass of water." That seemed perfectly reasonable to me; he was an old guy working in the sun. He came back and didn't take a sip off the glass. It was for pouring upon whatever caught fire while he was cutting with the torch.