Vent: Chipped my radiator trying to save $20 on a wrench set

Went to swap out the thermostat on my 2010 Civic last weekend at my buddy's garage in Austin. Figured I could get away with using my cheap Harbor Freight ratchet instead of buying a proper set of passthrough wrenches for like $25. Long story short, socket slipped, whacked the plastic tank on the radiator, and now there's a hairline crack. Coolant's leaking all over my driveway. Gonna cost me like $120 for a new radiator and another afternoon. Anyone else break something expensive trying to cut corners on a simple job?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_avery1mo ago

Oh man that's rough. I did something similar with a brake caliper bolt on my old Ford Ranger, stripped the hex head with a worn out Allen key because I didn't want to spend $8 on a new set. Ended up having to drill the bolt out and chase the threads, took me two hours and a lot of cussing. The cheap tool tax is real and it always bites you when you least expect it.

gray_smith671mo ago

Nah I gotta disagree a little bit. I've been using the same rusty 10mm socket I found in a ditch for five years now and it's never let me down once. Sometimes that cheap tool is just sitting there waiting for the right person to pick it up, you know? I get that worn out Allen keys are a problem but a stuck bolt is usually more about technique than the tool itself. Half the time when people say they needed a special tool they really just needed a can of PB Blaster and some patience.