Automotive

Olsa Tools Split Beam Torque Wrench

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I’d like to share with you guys a new tool that I recently acquired and I think some of you will be interested in. This is the 1/2” Split Beam Torque Wrench from Olsa Tools.

If you don’t do a lot of research on torque wrenches, you may have never seen one of this design. To be honest, I’m new to it too as this is my first split beam torque wrench. If you’re like me, you’re likely more familiar with the micrometer click type torque wrenches. Micrometer torque wrenches work by adjusting the tension of the spring in the shaft. Split beam torque wrenches, on the other hand, have a spring that’s always under the same tension and is more dependent on something similar to a lever and catch mechanism. A big advantage of the split beam design is that because the spring is always under the same tension, users don’t have to worry about it deforming and contributing to inaccurate readings as possible with micrometer torque wrenches.

With a micrometer torque wrench, the proper procedure for storage is to release the tension of the spring by lowering the torque setting to it’s minimum. That way the spring doesn’t form to its compressed size while it’s not being used and sitting in storage. With the split beam design, there is no such thing. It can be left at whatever torque setting for however long and the spring will not deform.

Another big advantage of the split beam design is the ease of adjustment. With the micrometer design, you typically twist the handle up and down working your way through the torque range. Depending on the size of the torque range, this can take a bit of twisting to get from one end to the other. With the split beam, you’re able to move through the range almost effortlessly. This Olsa Tools Split Beam Torque Wrench has a working range of 50-250 ft-lb and you can get from one end to the other in a few seconds.

To use this torque wrench, you first flip open the safety lock. From there you turn the knob up and down to get to the desired setting. When you’ve achieved the desired setting, just close the safety lock and you’re good to go. This design is very quick and easy to use.

When in use, this torque wrench will emit an audible click when the desired torque is achieved, like other click type torque wrenches.

After owning this torque wrench for a few weeks, I would say that I like it a lot but I have noticed two drawbacks. First, the torque display window only shows increments of 5. This is fine if everything that you torque down requires a torque setting that ends in 5 or 0 but that isn’t always the case. And because all the numbers and lines are so close to each other, whenever you need one of those in-between numbers, it becomes a guessing game as to where to set the torque wrench at. The second drawback is that this torque wrench only measures when used on forward, clockwise rotating fasteners. There is no reverse. This is something inherently attributed to the split beam design so it’s not a knock on Olsa Tools.

Overall, I would give this tool a thumbs up and a recommendation. It seems to be of high quality and functions really well. Not to mention that Olsa Tools offers a lifetime warranty on this thing so if it were to ever become defective, they’ll take care of it.

If you’re interested in trying this tool out for yourself, check out the links below. If you use the one that leads to Olsa Tools’ official website and use the code HT10, you’ll be able to get 10% off of your order.

If you're considering buying any of the products mentioned, please support my work by using the links below.

Olsa Tools Split Beam Torque Wrench

https://olsatools.com/a/rewards/r/dZjrVdPO

https://rebrand.ly/HaiTran

and use discount code HT10 for 10% off orders

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Toyota Supra Tinted with XPEL Prime XR Plus

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My Supra gets park outside. Now that it’s summer time, it just gets beat down with sunlight. I have a front windshield sunshade and I protect the entire interior with various products but no doubt, the interior is taking some damage. It may look fine now but down the road, there will likely be some fading and possibly other damage. Because of this, I’ve finally decided to tint all the side and rear glass.

To do this, I headed to California Tint of Everett, WA. This shop works with a bunch of super high-end cars so I was comfortable with them working on my car. Another reason why I went with California Tint is that they are authorized installers of XPEL window films. XPEL is widely known in the window film industry and is among the best. They offer 4 different types of window film, the Prime CS, Prime HP, Prime XR and Prime XR Plus. Now, this is not an informational or advertisement video for XPEL so I’ll leave some links down below to where you can find more information about the various films. For the sake of time, I’m just going to categorize the films as standard and ceramic. The standard films reject 99.9% of ultraviolet rays. The ceramic films do this too while also rejecting infrared heat. The Prime XR film rejects up to 88% of infrared heat while Prime XR Plus rejects up to 98%. With each level of quality, the price increases, and in the case of Prime XR Plus, the price jumps quite a bit. I don’t want to give you any price quotes because this differs from shop to shop so it’s best to contact your tint shop for the most accurate pricing.

For this project, I personally knew that I wanted to go with a ceramic film for the heat rejection properties. I just didn’t know if I wanted to pay for Prime XR Plus. But I figured that because the Supra is likely a forever car or at least one that I’ll own for a very long time, I might as well pay for the best upfront and not have to deal with possible headaches in the future. It definitely helps that with XPEL Prime films, you are getting a lifetime warranty that covers defects such as discoloration, fading, bubbling, peeling, cracking, and delamination. Realistically, anything short of abuse will be covered for the life of the vehicle.

If you’re unaware, the Supra comes with some sort of tinted privacy glass from the factory. We tested it at California Tint and it’s rated at 77%. This means that whatever tint that you decide to go with, it will be slightly darker. XPEL offers Prime XR Plus in a few different degrees of tint. With all my cars, I have them tinted at 15% and that’s what I wanted for the Supra. But remember the factory tinted glass makes any tint darker so you have to go with a slightly lighter shade. In this case, I went with 20% tint and after installation, it sits exactly at 15% with the stock privacy glass.

To me, 15% is a good compromise. It’s pretty dark during the day and unless the interior is fully lit up by the sun, you still have to focus and really look in the car to make things out. At night, it is pretty much non-seethrough and looks black from the outside but still very visible from the inside. I thought about going down to 5% for this car because the murdered out windows look really good but it also looks super illegal. Not to mention that 5% tint is really dark and hard to see through from the inside at night.

So here is the final result. In my opinion, the Supra looks so much better with the tint. This is something that I should’ve got done from the beginning but better late than never. The interior will be better protected moving forward, for years to come.

Now if you’re going to get your Supra’s windows tinted there are a few things that I would suggest. The first is to get the installer to apply the tint all the way up to the window’s edges. Some installers like to leave a small gap of untinted space and it always looks really tacky. Second, remove the third brake light and tint the entire rear windshield. Luckily, Ryan the owner of California Tint also owns a Supra and reminded me of this. If you don’t tint under the third brake light, you’ll have a small section of clear glass that will really stand out.

If you’re interested in getting something similar for your vehicle and you’re in the western Washington area, definitely give California Tint a try. They did an amazing job and have really competitive prices even compared to some other shops that I talked to that uses inferior window film.

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Affordable Car Dryer Blower

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Water spotting is the bain of my auto detailing process. This happens when you use hard water to wash the car and let it dry on the surface. This can be avoided by using filtered water to rinse or properly drying the car. The filtered water approach seems to be the most effective but it is also the most expensive. I’m currently looking for some cheaper alternatives before biting the bullet so I need to find a good way to dry the car. This is typically done by either using a towel or somehow blowing the water off. I personally hate to towel dry cars. To me, it’s tedious and somewhat counterproductive as there is an increased chance of introducing scratches. So, I’m realistically left will blowing the water off of the car. In the past, I would use a leaf blower that I have for the house but it’s too weak and it ends up taking too long to dry an entire car. I thought about buying a more powerful leaf blower but what I really wanted was something dedicated and this led me to research for specific car blow dryers. I felt that these were a better option because the appeal is that they blow warm filtered air. There are a lot of different options and most of them are pretty expensive unless you buy the smaller underpowered units. After going down the rabbit hole, I discovered that there is such a thing as pet dryers used by pet groomers. These are essentially the same thing as a car dryer as they too blow warm filtered air. Most pet dryers will come with some drawbacks if you’re using them for auto detailing but for the price, I was willing to give it a shot.

The unit that I decided to buy is one made by Homend. I chose this one because it is one of the few that offers dual motors which in theory, should offer more blowing power. I personally always use both motors to get the best performance so all the examples that you see in the video above will be with both motors on. This unit is advertised as having 4.2 horsepower with both motors on and it comes with a hose, 3 hose nozzles, two additional filters, and a manual.

I’ve been using this dryer for the past few weeks and I have to say, it does such a good job. It completely changes the game and makes me regret all the time that I spent towel drying. I personally feel that the process goes by much quicker and I’m doing a much more thorough job than I ever did with a towel.

The great thing about using a blower is that you can control the air and point it where you want. You can use it to clear big panels like the hood, roof, and doors and it will be extremely effective at that. A towel can do this too but where the blower really shines is the nook and cranny. With a blower, you can direct the air in between the various gaps of the body panels, the window trims, grills, and everywhere else. This is just something that I could not do with a towel. My Supra has so many places that water can hide that no matter how well I towel dry, it always seemed like more water would periodically drip out from behind the panels. The air, on the other hand, is able to reach all the way back and push everything through. Remember, this unit also blows warm air. This means it is also actively drying the car as it’s blowing the water away. So if there is any straggling water that’s stuck somewhere, it’ll just be dried by the warmth. You don’t have to just focus on blowing it away.

Earlier I mentioned that there were a few drawbacks that come with a pet dryer for auto detailing. The list is small and there are workarounds but these are things to consider. First, most pet dryers are going to come with a shorter hose. This unit comes with a hose that rests at about 3 feet and expands to about 7 feet when in use. I personally found that this was usable on my various cars but if you plan to use the dryer on a taller SUV or truck, then this may be a problem. You’ll have to find a stand to lift the dryer up or just hold it in hand. Second, pet dryers typically have shorter outlet cables. Mine has a 5 1/2 foot cable and this meant that I had to use an extension cord if I was going to get around the entire car. These next two things are particular annoyances of this Homend dryer. First, it has the outlet cable pointing in the same direction as the hose. In use, this is just an annoyance as you’ll have to work around the two cables. Second, the Homend comes with rubber feet. This may work for a pet groomer, but when drying a car, you’re going to have to carry this thing around a few times especially considering the hose length. However, this is an easy fix. The rubber feet can be easily swapped for some caster wheels. Since I already had a dolly around, I decided to just throw it on that and call it a day.

Overall, I would have to say that this is a good investment. If you’re thinking about giving a car dryer a try, I can definitely give a recommendation. If you pick up an adequate unit like the one shown here, you’ll be able to dry a car like never before if you're used to using a towel.

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Homend Pet Dryer: https://amzn.to/32tTyt7

Other Car Dryers: https://amzn.to/2DXPabz

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All the Auto Detailing Equipment I Use: https://www.amazon.com/ideas/amzn1.account.AF43XRPGVOUH2E5CJXQY4FIOGVAQ/3AI3XVAQEMORX?type=explore&ref=idea_cp_vl_ov_d

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Ethos Car Care D3FY Defy

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In my original shipment of samples from Ethos Car Care was a mysterious blue bottle. It turns out that this was a bottle of D3FY or Defy. This sample bottle was sent to me prior to the final label design but it is the retail formula.

This product is advertised as an innovative 3-in-1 formula that cleans, conditions, and coats in seconds. I sort of think of it as a quick detailer on steroids because it has cleaning properties while being infused with ceramic technology to leave behind a paint protection coating.

Application of this product is fairly simple. I was advised by the manufacturer to mist the product on and spread with a damp microfiber towel. Then go back and wipe off the excess with a dry microfiber towel.

Defy features Ethos' Insta-Bond Technology which just means that the product instantly bonds with the surface. There is no cure time and the car should be ready to face the elements immediately.

This product can be used in a variety of ways. First, you can simply use it as a cleaner to clean lightly soiled surfaces. Defy is designed to provide enough lubrication to lift contaminants and help to take it off surfaces without scratching or streaking. Second, it can be used as a standalone paint protection coating. After application, Defy will leave behind a layer of protection that should last for months. Third, Defy can be used to maintain a previously applied coating. No matter what paint protection coating you apply, it will eventually wear off. When I see that my vehicle’s main coating is slowing down, I hit it with Defy. You can of course do this with a variety of other products but I choose Defy because of its ease of application and versatility. This product can be applied to any surface whether it’s paint, plastic, glass, chrome, or whatever. I’d rather just use one product and get everything done with one pass rather than going back and forth with different products to hit the various materials. This is where I see the value of Defy. It just makes my life easier when it comes time to maintain my previously applied coatings.

Overall, I think Defy is an interesting product and is worth a try for anyone who’s looking for a waterless cleaner, an easy to apply paint protection coating, or a way to maintain a previously applied coating. This product is very versatile and can be used in many ways.

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Ethos Car Care D3FY Defy https://amzn.to/2CgjxcL

All the Auto Detailing Equipment I Use: https://www.amazon.com/ideas/amzn1.account.AF43XRPGVOUH2E5CJXQY4FIOGVAQ/3AI3XVAQEMORX?type=explore&ref=idea_cp_vl_ov_d

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Meguiar's Detailer Citrus Blast Wash & Wax

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I previously reviewed Meguiar’s Ultimate Wash & Wax. Although this is a decent product, I wasn’t completely satisfied with it. Well, that’s okay because Meguiar’s actually manufactures another version, Citrus Blast Wash & Wax and it is in their Detailer line of products. The Detailer line is advertised towards professionals so let’s see if this product produces professional results or at least something better than the consumer-grade Ultimate Wash & Wax.

Let’s first start with the two bucket method. The directions on the back of the bottle recommends one ounce of product per gallon of water. I use about 4 gallons of water in my bucket so I’ll add 4 ounces of Citrus Blast. After using Citrus Blast for a few washes, I’ve found that this ratio produces acceptable results but I more prefer 6 ounces to 4 gallons of water. This is slightly better than what I got with Ultimate Wash & Wax as with that, I had to mix at least 6 but 8 ounces was where I like to be at with 4 gallons of water to get satisfactory lubrication.

I’ve noticed that additive infused soaps generally do not produce as much suds. With Ultimate Wash & Wax, Meguiar’s specifically advertises the great amount of suds that it produces. However, with Citrus Blast there was no such advertising. This made me think that it wouldn’t suds very well, but I was wrong. I feel that this product actually produced at bit more suds and that’s a good thing.

On the flip side, Ultimate Wash & Wax states that it should be used in between waxing, meaning that it shouldn’t be used as a stand-alone paint protection. Citrus Blast says no such thing. Maybe it’s because this product is advertised towards professionals and they know better, but if you are interested in buying this product, just know that although it leaves behind a layer of wax after washing, the wax is very minimal and will not provide very much protection. Protect your vehicle with another more dureable product prior to using Citrus Blast.

Like Ultimate Wash & Wax, Citrus Blast is not intended to be used in a foam cannon. At least not explicitly advertised by Meguiar’s. But, I’m going to try and foam with it anyway for those who are interested in the results. As always, I’ll be mixing 4 ounces of product and will fill my foam cannon’s water reservoir to the fourth fill line. This is what I did with Ultimate Wash & Wax and every other soap previously reviewed. Doing this will allow you to make a more educated comparison. Surprisingly, the results of Citrus Blast are even worse than Ultimate Wash & Wax. The foam is extremely thin and watery. It hits the panels and just starts running right off. This is definitely not a product to be used as a foam prewash. If you want to use it in a foam cannon for a contact wash as an alterantive to the bucket, that is possible but you’ll have to work fast so that the foam doesn’t roll-off or dry up on you.

So, the big question is, is Meguiar’s Detailer Citrus Blast Wash & Wax a better buy than Meguiar’s Ultimate Wash & Wax. For me, it definitely is. In a bucket, Citrus Blast produced slightly better suds and lubrication while using less product. On top of this, Citrus Blast is generally cheaper. Ultimate Wash & Wax typically costs around $25 per gallon. Citrus Blast on the other hand, usually sits just under $23. The price difference isn’t that great but considering that I needed to use more of Ultimate Wash & Wax just to get something similar to Citrus Blast, the cost per wash becomes greater between the two. To me, there’s little reason to buy Ultimate Wash & Wax. Citrus Blast performs better while costing less. Once I finish my bottle of Ultimate Wash & Wax, I will not be buying any more and will concentrate on Citrus Blast for my wash and wax needs.

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Meguiar's Detailer Citrus Blast Wash & Wax https://amzn.to/38KkmWR

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Tool Daily Foam Cannon https://amzn.to/3ejCzwP

Measuring Cup https://amzn.to/2wzlA8S

Greenworks GPW 1702 Pressure Washer https://amzn.to/3cbhxif

All the Auto Detailing Equipment I Use: https://www.amazon.com/ideas/amzn1.account.AF43XRPGVOUH2E5CJXQY4FIOGVAQ/3AI3XVAQEMORX?type=explore&ref=idea_cp_vl_ov_d

Camera Gear Used: https://www.amazon.com/shop/haihoangtran?listId=3QJCL9HQG8JDW&ref=exp_haihoangtran_vl_vv_d

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