Just a quickie - ball joint rubbers. Both of mine have been split by a 'mechanic' using balljoint splitter rather than a pry bar.He says no problem with MOT, another says advisory, yet another says fail. Who's right please?
I wouldn't really care who is correct when it comes to the MOT aspect.
If you give your car to any mechanic to do any repair then it's reasonable to expect the work is completed without damage to any other part of the car, and if it is damaged they should fix the damage they caused.
I agree totally with chuck - and they are! I was told yesterday that the ball splitterhould have been thrown away - they are never used now!
However, confusion all round eh?
If the joint does not separate with some leverage or a crack with a hammer on the taper housing, then one would need a splitter. The scissor type has a cutout to avoid gaiter damage. wedge types usually damage the seal.