The secret assistants used by professional mechanics

As amateur mechanics and hobbyist enthusiasts we love getting out into the garage and working on our maaad nuggets. But, because this isn't what we do all day, every day, on a huge variety of different styles and types of cars, there are lots of little tips and tricks the professional mechanics have that we can benefit from. 

We're going to take you through some of these with Paulie, the qualified mechanic, Biltong expert and chief spanner-spinner from Super Garage. When we asked him what one of the handiest things a professional mechanic has in his workshop Paulie actually said WD-40's range of Specialist sprays.

"Mechanics need to be efficient with their time, so I like to have products on-hand that can make a simple job like cleaning up a throttle body or lubricating a door hinge, as quick as possible," he says. "Finding quicker ways to get jobs done, either by different techniques or using products that speed up that job, is really one of the biggest parts of running a workshop."

 
"You could try cleaning that throttle body by using cheaper methods, but 30 seconds with the right Specialist spray and you can move onto the next job, and that is something to think about for people working on project cars at home; especially if you need to get that car back together to drive to work later that day."

When it comes to restoration projects, the value of specialised aerosol products only gets higher. A huge part of any large-scale restoration is breaking the car down to individual parts, cleaning and reconditioning them, and then putting it all back together.

"Using products like Throttle Body & Carburettor Cleaner or Brake Clean as a quick way to cut through decades of built-up gunk is excellent," says Paulie. "You could find yourself fighting with bolts for hours at a time trying to put crusty old junk back into your restored shell, or you can clean it all up and chase the bolt holes and bolts with a cleaner like Brake and Parts Clean followed by a hit of Lithium Spray so it all goes back together nicely. The same goes for using contact cleaner on electrical plugs so you know you have the best connection possible and don't have to battle gremlins later on."

Paulie recognises these sprays can be an additional cost when you're already shelling out buckaroonies on your project, but he looks at the big picture. 

"A lot of these sprays can be used on all sorts of different automotive or household jobs; you never know what is going to need a squirt of this or that at some random point, and it is better to have the spray on hand than having some convoluted workaround patch job."