How do YOU keep things organized on tear down?

[amf201091]

Being relatively new to automotive DIY, I'm just curious on what all YOU guys do to be more organized when reinstalling bolts/nuts/screws/parts... For me, it has proven difficult to just tear into something and then when it comes time to put it back together, I'm scratching my head... Wish I would have paid more attention to my dad in the garage but all I really seemed to learn was how to hold a flash light lol... HELP! What do you guys do?!

 

[ttocs]

take the nuts/bolts out of a part and put them in a bad and write down on the bag what it came from. You can also take a pic or two if you need help remembering.

 

[PinkieT]

Organization? What's that???

 

[lwarrior1016]

If it’s something that will be apart for a while, I’ll take the bolts and put them back where the cane from. Like a bracket or something from an engine, stick the bolts back through it. The bad and label method Scott said is also good as long as you label the bags well enough to know exactly where it goes. Typically though, I just rip the bolts out and throw them in a bucket, normally I remember where they go upon reassembly.

 

[white95]

With reckless abandon and magnetic trays.

 

[MyLittlePony]

As mentioned, bags and labels. Get a box of ziplock sandwich bags, and a sharpie and have those two be dedicated garage tools. Whatever bolts you can’t leave screwed in to the object, place them in the bag and label. Then box all that stuff up, and move. Have at least one kid soon after. Have that kid play hide and seek with those bags. Make sure they hide at least one screw in random engine orifices. When you find all your ziplock bags again, move once more. Then, when you’ve finally started getting around to working on your project, you decide that you would prefer all nice new shiny bits anyway, and those label bags now forever take up space, as you fear the second you get rid of it, you’ll need it.