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Boneitis posted:Those sound like really made up names for tools. I'm watching you, Tommychu They're legit. my last 2 tools were under $50 too, a blinker fluid hydrometer and a muffler bearing puller.
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Dec 11, 2014 01:56
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Geoj posted:I refuse to believe that Matco sells anything for under $50 my last matco tool cost 18$ it was a GM 3.4 thermostat wrench.....because gently caress doing that poo poo any other way.
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Dec 11, 2014 02:21
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Are these brake fluid testers any good? Usually I assume that any car I work on probably needs the fluid flushed, but they're cheap enough that I was thinking of buying one for the hell of it. http://www.amazon.com/Brake-Fluid-Tester-calibrated-fluids/dp/B005HVG4GQ/
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Dec 11, 2014 02:34
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SouthsideSaint posted:my last matco tool cost 18$ it was a GM 3.4 thermostat wrench.....because gently caress doing that poo poo any other way. I just looked it up... and that's a thing of genius. http://www.matcotools.com/catalog/product/GTW51/GM-THERMOSTAT-WRENCH/
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Dec 11, 2014 02:35
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PitViper posted:I just looked it up... and that's a thing of genius. It is but I just hope that all 3.4 and 3.1's will be dead and off the road before too long.....but I know they'll be the herpes of automotive repair
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Dec 11, 2014 02:49
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SouthsideSaint posted:but I know they'll be the herpes of automotive repair That word. It's been ruined for me. 
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Dec 11, 2014 02:56
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If there's one thing I'm certain of, it's that the 3.1/3.4 shall live forever. I miss the days that I could make bank fixing LIM gaskets all day long, but I still get them in every once in a while.
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Dec 11, 2014 03:31
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PitViper posted:I miss the days that I could make bank fixing LIM gaskets all day long, but I still get them in every once in a while. I am so loving broken.. I still read that as Lotus/Intel/Microsoft.  gently caress YOUR 64K PAGE FRAMES, BITCH!
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Dec 11, 2014 03:33
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PitViper posted:If there's one thing I'm certain of, it's that the 3.1/3.4 shall live forever. I miss the days that I could make bank fixing LIM gaskets all day long, but I still get them in every once in a while. Luckily the shop I work at has a bunch of old people with buicks and oldsmobiles. they all are under 90k and most have never had any Intake work done....I love doing a 3800. I think my fastest time was like three hours start to finish...only because I left a gasket in the old intake and didn't notice till the car had a wonky idle.
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Dec 11, 2014 03:54
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I'm looking for a 26" in wide and a 10-12" deep toolbox to get my dear ol' dad for christmas. He's wants to replace his 26x10" for something a bit bigger, this one sits on top of his wider/bigger toolchest. has to have at least 3 drawers plus a top you can open. The one he has seems pretty nice, so I don't want to go out and get him something crappy to replace it. I'd be willing to go up to $250, from what looking I've done the more expensive ones seem to be in the $150 range though I dunno about their quality (craftsman and some china brands I saw) Anybody got any suggestions? My googling isn't giving me much apart from SEARS spam and Amazon china imports
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Dec 11, 2014 22:41
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http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=153445
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Dec 12, 2014 15:02
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Good thing I resisted the impulse to get the $99 Craftsman cabinet I saw at Ace Hardware.
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Dec 12, 2014 15:11
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MomJeans420 posted:Are these brake fluid testers any good? Usually I assume that any car I work on probably needs the fluid flushed, but they're cheap enough that I was thinking of buying one for the hell of it. This is intriguing, especially for me as I live / drive almost exclusively in very low humidity. Looks like it only works on DOT4 though, and it looks like most of the fluid out there on the market is still DOT3.
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Dec 12, 2014 16:42
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After recent talk of multu-tools, the Leatherman Sidekick (model # 832139) is on sale for $18 at Home Depot.
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Dec 12, 2014 19:33
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http://desmoines.craigslist.org/tls/4792459549.html I'm thinking about picking this up (not for 500) and fixing it. I have read a bunch and it sounds like it could be one of three issues. The Weld/power switch, the capacitors or the brushes. Is there any way to test caps or just replace them if they look lovely? I can buy brushes from miller still and the power switch is the only challenging part to find.
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Dec 12, 2014 21:17
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I sold a 19hp electric start Briggs Industrial Lincoln WeldanPower 225 for that same price a few years ago, and the only thing that was wrong was the battery charging didn't work. That isn't a great deal honestly.
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Dec 12, 2014 22:01
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That's why I was thinking $100. If its bad, the motor can be recycled for other projects.
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Dec 12, 2014 22:09
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BrokenKnucklez posted:http://desmoines.craigslist.org/tls/4792459549.html
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Dec 13, 2014 00:00
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This is perhaps the dumbest question ever asked in this thread, but here goes. The only car tool I own is a generic 8" crescent wrench. Due to current circumstances I'm having to regularly swap the battery in and out of my car (Honda Fit) , and using that wrench to undo/do the clamps on the terminals is a massive pain in the rear end. It's too chunky for the tight space and only turns about 1/16ths of a rotation before running out of room. It's also steadily wearing the corners off the nuts. I want the best possible tool for this specific task, but ideally whatever I buy will be useful for other jobs as well. I don't mind spending a bit of money to get something high quality. Do I want: 1: 6" Channellock adjustable wrench 2: 8" Channellock adjustable wrench 3: Knipex 6" pliers wrench 4: Knipex 7" pliers wrench 5: Something else?
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Dec 14, 2014 23:15
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If there's room around the battery terminals get a small socket set and socket wrench. The terminal nuts are probably metric 13mm, but it can't hurt to get a small set with both metric and SAE sockets. Just be careful that the bolt doesn't extend so far you can't get a socket on, or there isn't enough clearance around it to get the socket on. Also go for 6 point instead of 12 point sockets, they'll grip better and have less chance of rounding off nuts. And you probably know it already but just be sure you always take off the ground terminal first and put the ground terminal on last when removing and replacing the terminals. The last thing you want to do is accidentally short positive to (grounded) parts of the frame and weld the tool and your hand in place.
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Dec 14, 2014 23:22
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NIGARS posted:This is perhaps the dumbest question ever asked in this thread, but here goes. The only car tool I own is a generic 8" crescent wrench. Due to current circumstances I'm having to regularly swap the battery in and out of my car (Honda Fit) , and using that wrench to undo/do the clamps on the terminals is a massive pain in the rear end. It's too chunky for the tight space and only turns about 1/16ths of a rotation before running out of room. It's also steadily wearing the corners off the nuts. I want the best possible tool for this specific task, but ideally whatever I buy will be useful for other jobs as well. I don't mind spending a bit of money to get something high quality. No adjustable wrenches or pliers! Those are the worst tools for this job. They may get it done in a pinch, but will be clunky and awkward, plus they will completely chew up the nut with repeated use. Ratcheting wrenches are awesome and useful for tons of poo poo, and will probably be the best tool for that. I assume the Fit will have some kind of metric bolt, so something like this http://www.harborfreight.com/7-piece-metric-ratcheting-combo-wrench-set-95552.html
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Dec 14, 2014 23:33
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Perfect, thanks guys. This is why I ask. Looks like I need a 10mm socket/ratcheting wrench, so will find a small set that includes one. Thanks also for the tip about removing the ground terminal first. I hopefully have that part drilled into me by now, but reminders are appreciated.
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Dec 15, 2014 00:30
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Although you say you don't mind spending money on something good quality, the issue you'll have right now is that you don't necessarily know what you need/want (it comes across that you're not an experienced DIYer). I'd suggest buying a small, cheap toolset like this: http://www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/hand-tool-sets/130-piece-tool-kit-with-case-68998.html Yes, it'll be quite low-quality stuff, but it'll give you a basic set that does the job, and if you find yourself using certain tools a lot, that's when you can buy something decent to do that job.
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Dec 15, 2014 01:12
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I think it was said earlier in the thread, but all the same; buy cheap, lovely tools. when/if you break a given tool (or if it's inadequate for the job such as with crappy sockets) replace it with good quality tool. That way you don't waste money on quality tools you don't actually use!
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Dec 15, 2014 01:26
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InitialDave posted:(it comes across that you're not an experienced DIYer). What gave me away?! You guys are absolutely right. I can see that I can get a basic tool kit for not far off the price of a couple of decent combination wrenches, so that seems like a no brainer. I'm not in the US so Harborfreight is out but I can easily get an equivalent here. Thank you!
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Dec 15, 2014 01:45
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Just picked up a new tool cart from Harbor Fakes today. The 26" four drawer cart they've been selling for $159, but I had a mailer coupon for that model for $99. The smaller toolbox on top is what I used to have most of my hand tools crammed into (it was too small to hold my torque wrenches and breaker bars and pry bars), now I have lots of room to organize my hand tools, and the bottom shelf even has room for some of my power tools and spray cans and various lubricants and adhesives.
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Dec 15, 2014 08:21
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I'm looking for a recommendation for a good floor jack. I've got a Craftsman 2-1/4-ton jack, but it's pretty short and doesn't lift as high as I'd like. I've been using a 2x4 between the jack and frame to get the extra inch of clearance when needed (my jackstands can go quite a bit higher), but the other day the wood split while lifting and dropped the car on the jackstand; it only fell like an inch, but it's enough I'd rather have the right tool from here on out. Plus I recently found my screw jack got rusted out from pooled rainwater due to a bad trunk seal, so I need to toss the little one in the car for roadside use. I can't see myself needing super heavy capacity; my current car weighs under 3000 pounds, and even a heavier car could be lifted one corner at a time. Mostly what I need is higher lift height and good value.
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Dec 15, 2014 12:54
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Fucknag posted:I'm looking for a recommendation for a good floor jack. I've got a Craftsman 2-1/4-ton jack, but it's pretty short and doesn't lift as high as I'd like. I've been using a 2x4 between the jack and frame to get the extra inch of clearance when needed (my jackstands can go quite a bit higher), but the other day the wood split while lifting and dropped the car on the jackstand; it only fell like an inch, but it's enough I'd rather have the right tool from here on out. Plus I recently found my screw jack got rusted out from pooled rainwater due to a bad trunk seal, so I need to toss the little one in the car for roadside use. If Costco still has these near you, I have one and it's great. Heavy as poo poo, though. $90, I consider that a good value.  I believe the HF 3-ton all-steel jack is very similar, and it's on sale right now for $90 also. http://www.harborfreight.com/3-ton-low-profile-steel-heavy-duty-floor-jack-with-rapid-pump-61282.html
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Dec 15, 2014 13:02
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That reminds me, Costco UK has some good looking cast steel ratchet jackstands for £16 pair 3t, the ratchet is so you can one handed slide the stand under the car and raise it, it cannot drop with weight on it. Bought a couple as gifts.
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Dec 15, 2014 14:38
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Raluek posted:If Costco still has these near you, I have one and it's great. Heavy as poo poo, though. $90, I consider that a good value. I've beat the hell out of mine for three years and it's still working great.
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Dec 15, 2014 20:45
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HotCanadianChick posted:Just picked up a new tool cart from Harbor Fakes today. The 26" four drawer cart they've been selling for $159, but I had a mailer coupon for that model for $99. I have had a few other tool boxes from different manufacturers and nothing compares to that little 100$ box. I accidently set a truck down on the one corner and it lifted the truck up and didn't bend under the weight. I still keep it in my garage and beat it on the weekends. Great box.
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Dec 16, 2014 00:28
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HotCanadianChick posted:Just picked up a new tool cart from Harbor Fakes today. The 26" four drawer cart they've been selling for $159, but I had a mailer coupon for that model for $99. I made a similar move this year, from a $30 Husky 3 drawer to the $170 red HF cart. After the bad memories of building it (loving poo poo instructions), I've actually grown fond of the cart.
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Dec 16, 2014 00:48
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FYI, the Fit terminals are a pretty loving tight area. I did one recently and wished for a flare wrench or a half-thickness box wrench. I had sockets and ratchet wrenches but they were all too big, and the open side of the ratchet wrench was too fat. I got a thin ratcheting battery terminal wrench and that barely did it. Very awkward. The battery is really tiny, the size of two VHS tapes strapped together; the OEM one (in the US anyway) is actually a Yuasa motorcycle battery. 
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Dec 16, 2014 20:19
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For anyone who needs shop lights/has a costco memeber ship, check out the felt electric T8 LED 4' shop lights for $39.99 at costco. They are generally well regarded on garage journal. http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=270879
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Dec 17, 2014 05:42
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Yeah I saw those last week too and was really interested in them. They looked really nice and well built. Would love to put some in a workshop.
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Dec 17, 2014 05:45
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Some folks are trying to start a Tool Library in Denver: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-denver-tool-library I hope this takes off so I can use some random tools that I wouldn't want to own and store. I contributed, of course, to help my own interests.
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Dec 20, 2014 03:27
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Splizwarf posted:FYI, the Fit terminals are a pretty loving tight area. I did one recently and wished for a flare wrench or a half-thickness box wrench. I had sockets and ratchet wrenches but they were all too big, and the open side of the ratchet wrench was too fat. I got a thin ratcheting battery terminal wrench and that barely did it. Very awkward. It's definitely tight in there, but I'm not sure my car is quite that bad - I mean I have managed to do it a few times with a crescent wrench. I'm not sure if mine has a motorcycle battery (it's actually a Jazz, not a Fit) but the OEM battery was a wee 340 CCA. I've replaced it with a 390 CCA monster! Which hopefully won't die whenever I don't drive it for a week like the last one. In any case I now have two batteries and a charger, and, well, now you know the circumstances I hinted at in my first post. After thinking over my options for a few days I decided to go with a basic 1/4" socket set. I'd prefer 3/8" for versatility but I don't really have the room for much tool storage at this point, and the small size will be useful in that little engine bay.
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Dec 20, 2014 05:10
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NIGARS posted:It's definitely tight in there, but I'm not sure my car is quite that bad - I mean I have managed to do it a few times with a crescent wrench. I'm not sure if mine has a motorcycle battery (it's actually a Jazz, not a Fit) but the OEM battery was a wee 340 CCA. I've replaced it with a 390 CCA monster! Which hopefully won't die whenever I don't drive it for a week like the last one. In any case I now have two batteries and a charger, and, well, now you know the circumstances I hinted at in my first post. A higher CCA battery won't necessarily be any better for you, that only affects the maximum draw (ie: when starting). If the manufacturer is putting in a 340 CCA battery, then the starter is probably only drawing 2-250 amps, so a higher CCA rating isn't going to make a difference. How old was the original battery? If a new battery is dying after sitting for a week then you have some kind of electrical drain, and leaving it unfixed is going to cost you more in the long run in wasted time, and ruined batteries (basically a car battery is not meant to be drained right to zero and doing so is harmful to the battery) than getting it fixed now. Expect an average battery to last about 3-4 years, and a good one to last at least 5. Also is there a reason you can't just charge the battery while it's still in the car?
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Dec 20, 2014 09:45
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EKDS5k posted:A higher CCA battery won't necessarily be any better for you, that only affects the maximum draw (ie: when starting). If the manufacturer is putting in a 340 CCA battery, then the starter is probably only drawing 2-250 amps, so a higher CCA rating isn't going to make a difference. There's no parasitic draw - I just I don't drive often and when I do I don't drive long distances, so my battery gradually gets shittier and shittier to the point where even a long hard drive doesn't revive it, and it needs a reconditioning charge from an external charger. If I drove more I'd have no problems at all, but right now it's more practical to take the battery out of the car and give it a thorough charge every few months than it is for me to drive a lot. Can't charge the battery in the car as I park on the street. Basically I'm a perfect storm of battery-killing circumstances. I should probably sell the car but until I get around to it I'm trying not to kill another battery. Sorry, this is a total derail for the tools thread.
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Dec 20, 2014 11:55
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Have you considered something like this? http://www.amazon.com/Schumacher-SP-200-Solar-Battery-Maintainer/dp/B004ZC3TFC/ref=pd_sim_sbs_t_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=12S34YSX9R22A7A0DTMF
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Dec 20, 2014 12:31
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