Air Tools, Torque Wrenches, etc..

[FRpilot]

hi.. im lookin into get some tools to make working on my car easier. everyone seems to recommend craftsman, but only sears and orchard supply carries them.. (does anyone know how much the employee discount is for either of these storeS? )

What kind of tools do you guys recommend/are needed for regular messing around with and working oncars. i have a basic screw driver and ratchet set which i used to strip my whole car but im lookin at air tools to speed up the work.

what is needed to do a swap? there's an air compressor on sale for $300 at sears this wk and come with bonus impact gun and 3/8'' air ratchet. i think thats all i need.. i might get a butterfly 3/8'' air ratchet also but i dont think i really need it.. might get a air sander, air dreamel tool to port/polish things, and a cutting tool. is there a certain amount of psi rating or hp i need on a compressor that would make it reliable for my application?

i was thinking about gettin an impact hammer to help chissel some of that tar outta the floor pan of the car but im almost done with that with a basic hammer and screw driver. i think i just need a sander to sand off the little excess pieces. im also almost ready to change a clutch. any other tools i need? i might need to get a transmission stand of some sort.

what torque wrenches would i need to pull a tranny and engine? Should i go for both a 3/8'' and a 1/2'' torque wrench or do i jus need one of them?

thanks in advance for the advice guys..

[Foxcolt]

Gear wrenches are the best tools invented BAR NONE I highly sugest you invest in a set.

In case you don't know what they are,

Imagin a ratchating wrench. The ease of being able to fit in small spaces like a wrench with the added conveince of being able to tighten or loosen like a ratched.

Pure Beauty.

[kandyflip445]

Yeah, gear wrenches are nice. As for air tools, I like Blue Point. They are sold by Snap-On. They are like the lower line of stuff but they are still really nice. I haven't gotten to use any Craftsman air tools yet though, but if it comes with the same guarentee as with their hand tools I would buy them. Just incase I bread it....

[adey]

I would have to say.... SNAP-ON! I can't afford them myself, but once I buy a house (if ever- rather) I will have a garage full of SnapOn stuff. The best tools bar (afaik) none!

[The Mole]

for air tools, CAMPBELL HAUSFELD!!!!

http://www.chpower.com/

some of the best impact guns I have ever used, i work for a trucking company and thats what our mechanic uses also, they last forever if you treat them right!!

-chris

[s14 RL]

Originally posted by tRaNCeRBoi408
hi.. im lookin into get some tools to make working on my car easier. everyone seems to recommend craftsman, but only sears and orchard supply carries them.. (does anyone know how much the employee discount is for either of these storeS? )

what torque wrenches would i need to pull a tranny and engine? Should i go for both a 3/8'' and a 1/2'' torque wrench or do i jus need one of them?

thanks in advance for the advice guys..

My friend who used to work at Sears said the employee discount is crap...like 10%.

And for _removing_ an engine/tranny why would you need torque wrenches? I hope you don't intend to use it as a breaker bar or something...

Anyways, keep in mind that most mechanical torque wrenches are not accurate below 20% of full scale. So it's better to have one torque wrench for each general range you are working on. The two torque wrenches I use the most are a 1/2" 20-150 ft/lb and a 3/8" 10-75 ft/lb.

[FRpilot]

well.. the torque wrench is to torque the flywheel bolts back to spec when i change the clutch.. doesn't the engine mounts need to be torqued back too?

is 150 psi sufficient to do most regular work in the garage and swapping engines/changing clutches?

i dont think i need godly tools.. im jus goin to get some decent stuff that works.. but not too cheap that they'll be junk.

[s14 RL]

You should definitely torque everything back in based on FSM specs...but your original statement kinda implied you were using a torque wrench to remove things rather than putting them back in.

To give you an idea of what ranges you're likely to be looking at, the flywheel bolts should be tightened to (142 - 152 Nm, 14.5 - 15.5 kgm, 105 - 112 ft-lb). But something like the clutch slave cylinder bolts are in the range of (30 - 40 Nm, 3.1 - 4.1 kgm, 22 - 30 ft-lb).

Currently I'm using Craftsman torque wrenches and they work fine. I would buy Snap-On but don't want to pay like $200 each. The retail price for the regular Craftsman torque wrenches is like 65 or 70 bux each. I think I bought mine on sale at OSH for like ~45-50.

[RedlineRacer]

I hear ya on the Campbell Hausfeld. They aren't expensive and are durable.

[TangyXTC]

I work at a gas station as a auto tech. I would have to say based on experience IR (Ingersoll-Rand) impact guns are the best you can get. They are light but on of the most powerful 1/2" impact guns you can get. I would recommend either the 2131 which is quiet and light or the 232TGSL which is heavy and loud, but damn powerful. i personally use the 232TGSL but thats because I occasionally work on big trucks that need that extra reverse torque. as for IR air ratchets, they suck. If you are looking for a place to buy tools online i'd recommend The Toolwarehouse they are fairly cheap and pretty good with shipping. linky.....

http://thetoolwarehouse.net/shop/TTW269.html

If you have any other questions gimme a holla.

(getting ready for work as I speak )

[S13Grl]

West and I just got done stripping his whole car and taking the motor, trans, and everything else off. This car was literally left with the rear brakes and a chassis, and that's all. In any case, we used a Craftsman compressor, craftsman air ratchet, and craftsman impact gun. It made things so much easier, breaking bolts loose on a 13-y-o car. Wasn't too loud. The impact gun was heavy, but that's just how most of them are. THe employee discount at Sears is 10%. I get it since I work for a Sears company (The Great Indoors). Not much. The good thing about Craftsman that it's free lifetime warranty and replacement, and I'll always buy their tools just for that. Ratcheting wrenches are a good investment too, definitely one of my favorite tools. I say go for Craftsman, you won't feel sorry.

[RedlineRacer]

Snap-On also has a free lifetime warranty on their tools don't they?

[240 2NR]

But how easy is it to get new snap on parts? Certainly it's a good brand and worth the money if you really work on cars a lot, but for us average enthusiasts, the lower cost and availabilty of sears stores makes replacement easy on a saturday afternoon, while allowing for a bigger toolset for the same money.

I'm not trying to knock snap on tools, but I find them a bit pricey for a home garage that sees mostly personal oil changes. If it ever started making money for me (or I won the lottery), then I might consider some better tools. Even my friend who rents a shop only has a few snap on tools (the big stuff like a torque wrench). The rest is all craftsman, and like I said, it's nice when you break something and you only need to drive 15 minutes to get a new one.

[drft_kng]

to answer the question on air compressors; buy something that has a drain plug and a pressure regulator on the tank. Make sure it will hit the 120-140 psi range, and then get the biggest tank your budget allows. Capacity counts when it comes to air tools; besides, an impact gun is loud enough without running the compressor.

[kandyflip445]

Oh, and if you do get Craftsman don't get the POS plastic ones...yeah they're lighter but I've seen a few break(even though they have warranty )

[MikeFD3S]

www.harborfreight.com

Harbor Freight!! Very inexpensive stuff. You can get a decent 120psi compressor for 80 bucks as well as torque wrenches for 20-30.

Quality isnt the best and may not have lifetime warranty like Craftsman...but if you're on a budget and wont be putting them through heav use (ie: you work at a shop and will need to use them every day) they'll do just fine.