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auto mechanic tools ?


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carcarcar
Novice

Aug 4, 2013, 9:41 PM

Post #1 of 12 (1679 views)
auto mechanic tools ? Sign In

I am wondering what the professionals think of what tools are essential for fixing any part of a car.
For example if you could have only certain amount of tools which tools would you have.

1) For only autobody work.

2) For non autobody mechanical work

This are the tools that are going thru my head

Code
torque rachet/wrenchs, hex rachet/wrenchs  an assortment or hex bolts/sockets , screw drivers , electric continuity tester , 
multimeter , compression guage (for compression testing) ,
spark plug test tool , wire strippers/cutters , pressure gages (to measure pressures in the fuel,air, and other systems) ,
temperature gage , sander/grinder (sand paper included) , scrappers and pry tools, oil filter wrench ,
pliers (vise grips , needle nose , linesman...etc ) , vise/clamps , hammers/malots , chisels , files , wire brushes ,
jack stands/jack scissors or hydrolic type , funnels , drain pans


measuring instrument ( like calipers/feeler...etc), piston compression tool , piston ring installation tool ,
piston ring groove cleaning tool , valve compresson tool ,
cylinder hone/boreing tool , special pullers ,stroboscopic timeing light ,ridge reamer , bore gauage .
hydraulic lifter removal tool, ball joint seperator , brake spring removal , dwell meter ,vacuum/pressure pump,
clutch plate alignment tool, brake honeing tool ,
engine/transmission support chains (or equipment to move or hold engine/transmission where you want it) ,
spray paint gun , air compressor


I believe with all these you could pretty much do anything you wanted on a car provided it wasn't a specific manufacturing tool that you couldn't get a hold of on a really specialized car/vehicle or something.


My other second question tool all this is how often do you uses your tools is it like 90% torque rachet/wrench ,hex rachet/wrench , sockets , screw drivers , electrical tester , wire cutter/strippers/crimpers and the rest is the other 10 percent or do you get a lot of uses out of the other tools I listed. (that was more for the non-autobody ... if we where talking about the autobody then I guess we would have to throw in compressor , spray gun , bondo...etc)


(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Aug 5, 2013, 3:03 AM)


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Aug 4, 2013, 10:06 PM

Post #2 of 12 (1670 views)
Re: auto mechanic tools ? Sign In

I've never seen a post show so wide!

If you have to ask if you need pliers and all those tools to work on cars it's not for you,

T



Hammer Time
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Aug 5, 2013, 3:06 AM

Post #3 of 12 (1659 views)
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He copied and pasted from a text file without word wrap turned on. I edited it.


Gee, why do we spend hundred of thousands on tools if that's all we need?



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
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Aug 5, 2013, 4:02 AM

Post #4 of 12 (1656 views)
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I tried and it shrunk a bit - broke a finger scrolling the first time. No matter it takes tons of plain hand tools and equipment and always need more. Then you need to place to even put it all,

T



carcarcar
Novice

Aug 5, 2013, 9:26 AM

Post #5 of 12 (1646 views)
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Well I was mostly only concerned about the percentage of time you uses what tools. And if one could only take a handful which ones would he chose to do the most amount of car repair.

Please list the tools you would chose and the percentage of total car repair out of all types of repairs you could do.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Aug 5, 2013, 10:07 AM

Post #6 of 12 (1639 views)
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Do your own homework.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
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Aug 5, 2013, 10:15 AM

Post #7 of 12 (1638 views)
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I beat on this because I'm tired of spraying weeds in my yard. How serious are you how much do you THINK
you want to do? OMG - it never ends what you can need.

If you want depending on your budget IMO a decent starter set and large roll around (my term for tool box) comes in assorted levels with lots of common tools at like Sears - the Craftsman line.

Wrenches, sockets, cutting tools, yes pliers, clamps - check out their assortment ready to go. That's just the hand tools so far which is fine just slower for now. Both metric and SAE sizes generally up to 1 inch as a start.

Then when you need to do your first job you'll see what's missing and forever be getting two of many things and six and 12 point, ratcheting wrenches of all sorts, obstruction tools, and you'll find you will need both deep and short of most.

When ready then buy tons more for air tools and the assorted tools to run then many special more sockets so they don't explode in use. Of course by then you'll need a compressor. If you don't mind slow a small one with fair gallon tank will work you just wait till it fills up again.

Scrapers, punches of all sorts. Screwdrivers. Long and short of all of them including Torx and Allen.

More wrenches: Don't forget the open end flare nut wrenches. You'll need assorted ones for same size.

I haven't even left just 3/8th drive quite yet so add all those again in 1/2 drive.

Get the idea? That isn't even equipment, jacks and stands or any specialty tools.

Like HT said it's quickly $100,000 bucks and you'll never be done as some dang thing will need a special tool.

****************************
Now if you want to do electrical and diagnosis a decent volt ohm meter, test lights. Keep going and now entering some big bucks. A good scan tool! Yikes - assorted prices depending on how much you need it to do.

____________________________________________

I have another idea. Find a tech or shop going out of biz and buy them out. Another trick and mandatory is to organize everything in every size so you can find it or spend all day looking for something you know you have - I should speak!

If you want you could just go get a job at even a quick oil change only place and see what tools they need. Ooops here come a stripped drain plug and filters you need a crate full of filter wrenches to get all of them.

It NEVER ENDS! You even need to pay for software for info and specs.

If you are starting with nothing and want to do stuff you'll be shocked. I dare say most regulars here started with the simplest of jobs and found out fast you needed either trade school or a job working with the pros as you experience base at least. You'll see what tools get used as I couldn't list out if I tried all of them and just made a feeble attempt at just stuff for starters,

T



Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Aug 5, 2013, 1:22 PM

Post #8 of 12 (1634 views)
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He's not buying this stuff. He's doing some kind of report.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
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Aug 5, 2013, 2:41 PM

Post #9 of 12 (1629 views)
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Either way the point is it never ends. The more you take on the more you'll need,

T



Discretesignals
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Aug 5, 2013, 4:43 PM

Post #10 of 12 (1623 views)
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I use my hammer a lot. Bet you didn't know you could change spark plugs with a hammer.Crazy





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.

(This post was edited by Discretesignals on Aug 5, 2013, 4:44 PM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Aug 5, 2013, 5:12 PM

Post #11 of 12 (1620 views)
Re: auto mechanic tools ? Sign In

Don't forget the dynamite...........



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Discretesignals profile image

Aug 5, 2013, 5:33 PM

Post #12 of 12 (1618 views)
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Absolutely! Dynamite is great for removing cylinder heads, so you can replace head gaskets. C-4 is easier to work with and you can make any shape you want with it.





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.

(This post was edited by Discretesignals on Aug 5, 2013, 5:36 PM)






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