Tool Aquisition Path

[Mike Schmid]

I thought I'd write up something for the newbie mechanics about what tools to buy and what order to buy them.

First and foremost you need a rachet and socket set.  For DSMs that'll be metric.  You will use a 3/8" drive the most often, and shallow sockets.  but you will find many uses for 1/4" drive, 1/2" drive and deep sockets.  You'll also need some 12 point sockets but use 6 points on regular hex heads.  Get some extensions too, 3" and 6", maybe a 9" too.  

Next you'll need screwdrivers, a #2 philips (the x shaped one) will be used most often, but smaller and larger philips, along with flat head (I shaped)  hardware will be encountered.  You might run into Torx screws here and there too (* shaped).  Use the right sized screwdriver or you'll strip screw heads.  

Good ol' fashioned wrenches will be high on the list too.  Metric combination units are the ones you want.  With an open end ( C ) and a box end ( O ) on the other.  

You can usually get all the above in one kit that'll come with a carrying case, which isn't a bad idea...

Some misc. stuff would include pliers, some standard pliers (the blunt tipped ones) some needle nose (the long thin ones) and some side cutters (like scissors for cutting wire or whatever).  A locking pliers (ie Vice Grip) comes in handy too.  

If you ever want to take a wheel off or work under the car you will want a hydrolic jack and some jackstands.  Don't cheap out here, if your jackstands fail chances are you die or get seriously injured.  Don't go under a car on just a jack, use the jackstands.  

A torque wrench is a pretty neccesary item, especially for anything torque sensitive.  They're alot of money but worth it.  

For mods and such a Dremel or similar rotary tool with multiple attachments is worth it's weight in gold.  Hacksaws are good for cutting metal.  Files are real handy too, both round and flat.  

Get a "trouble light", basically an extension cord with a handle and lightbulb on it, with a cage around the lightbulb.  You need to see in order to fix.  

For electrical work you'll want a wiring multi pliers, with crimpers, strippers and cutters on it.  Or individual wiring tools if you use them alot.  A soldering iron is super handy, same with heat shrink tubing.  An assortment of crimp connectors is useful.  A multimeter is an essential tool when you have a DSM, it'll check voltages, resistances, etc etc.  

And a tool box to keep all your stuff in.  

As far as brands go, if you're just doing this once in a while forget about Snap-On and Mac tools and the like.  Go Craftsman (Sears) or MasterCraft
(Canadian Tire), they have lifetime warranties and chances are you won't break them anyways.   Have fun out there  

[Kevin Standeven]

awesome post, considering I was JUST going to make one like this, but with more focus on what I need next
the specific ratchet and screwdriver sizes are very helpful.

other things people may want, once they have the basics:
-air compressor and accessories (die grinder, air hammer)
-filter wrench
-bench grinder (comes in handy more often than you think)
-flare wrenches (only the most common sizes; 8, 10, 12, 14mm)
-mechanic coveralls
-shop vac
-steady supplies of zipties, jb weld, and duct tape

And of course we'd all love to have a tig welder and plasma torch, but those don't come in until later :wink:

[John Hartman]

awesome stuff guys

Id add a vice, several sizes of hammers, small torch(propane), several large screwdrivers(flat) for prying/twisting etc.

Also several grades of sandpaper, hand cleaner, lots of rags, tin snips, several different lights(small flashlight, bendy light, big ass flashlight, plug in lights(100w).

Oh and the most important tool ever??  a small strong magnet on a telescopic handle!!  if you drop that little wee screw down in amongst your timing belt or back behind the intake manifold, you will bless the $7 that you spent on that thing!!

Oh, also get a damn manual.  At least the CD Rom ver.

[Andrew Scott]

A TIG welder  :twisted:

[Mike Schmid]

For electrical stuff, I'm going to put together an electrical workbench soon, I just picked up supplies recently.  

I got:

-100ft rolls of wire in black, red, white, yellow, blue, green.  16gage with  a few colous of heftier 14gage wire.
-Heat shrink tubing in the same colours
-A new soldering iron, pencil style, with a base station that adjusts voltage

Add to that my existing supply of solder, speaker wire, terminal strips, assorted relays, switches, connectors (female and male spade, and eyelit) and a wiring multi tool and side cutter and wire strippers and you get a well equiped electrical setup for installing all the little electronic doodads, stereo installs and various wiring projects you might find on your DSM.  

My personal wiring guidlines are like this:

- All connections get solder unless they are quick release connectors and get heat shrinked and or taped
- Wiring should be neat and tidy, using colour patterns for organization
- Never hack a factory harness unless absolutely neccesary, pigtails are acceptable

For quick spade or eyelit connections I buy the crimp style ones, usually blue, then pull off the plastic insulator and fill the wire cavity with solder, then you insert the wire into the soldered cavity and heat shrink the connection.  It's clean, attractive and a much better connection than a crimp.  I've never experienced a failure with a properly done wiring... not having to worry about "maybe this crimp connector is loose.. or maybe that twisted and taped splice came apart" saves tons of time when you're troubleshooting.

[Michael Cummings]

wow..mike sounds like you really take alot of care in your wireing...sounds awesome
if you want to get into some cosmetic work..i would also suggest a buffing wheel to the tool list
and some wd-40 or some sort of lubricant to break nasty screws loose
and a breaker bar..i cant remember if anyone has listed that yet

[Mike Schmid]

A breaker bar is a good idea. I forgot to add it.  You can use a piece of pipe on a craftsman rachet and break the sucker but then you need to find a ride to sears and exchange it and go back to finish the job  

Another thing that looks really handy for fabrication and stuff is those Black and Decker Mouse sanders, technically a detail sander, the vibrating sanders with tear drop shaped pads.  You can put polishing pads on them too.  If I don't get one for Christmas I'm buying one for fiberglass projects and valve cover refinishing etc.  

Oh yeah, a gasket scraper is handy too, and a utility knife with some spare blades... Look for Richard blades, Olfa makes nice utility knives but their blades won't take any sideways pressure so they break off all the time.  

Torque wrench tips:  Never drop a torque wrench.  The flex style wrenches are the cheaper ones and more durable because they rely on the I value of the shaft of the wrench, not a mechanism.  But if you bend the pointer your reading will be off.  The nice click style wrenches need to be unwound to 0 ft lbs before being put away, in a case.  The click style units should be calibrated every year to few years depending on usage.  

The flex style wrenches are only accurate when the bolt is moving, so keep an eye on it while you tighten.  When torquing a stationary fastener you will have to overcome static friction before you get a good reading.  It's better to back off then retorque.  For accurate readings on any wrenches make sure you use a proper thread lubricant or antisieze compound (remember to change your torque specs to "wet" torque).  As a side benefit your fasteners won't rust in the holes when you want to take it apart for round two.  Loctite or similar is the accepted thread lubricant for fasteners subject to vibration.  Blue loctite is acceptable for almost anything, red and green need special tools and/or heat.

[Kevin Standeven]

lots and lots of good info!
how/where would one go about calibrating a torque wrench?

[Mike Schmid]

Another wiring tip:

To make clean runs of only a couple wires (2-3 or so) when you don't want to tape the whole length do like this.  Put the ends of the wires together and give them a twist or two then tape them to the workbench.  Grab then ends of the wires and backup until they are stretched out straight, then take those loose ends and put them in a cordless drill chuck and tighten it up just a little so they hold.  Then run the drill at a low speed.  It'll twist the wires all up into a nice helix and they'll stay like that.  Now you can tape or ziptie the wires together about 3" from the ends on each side then seperate the ends and hook them up.

One more:

For misc electrical components hit up a do it yourself junkyard like pick-a-part and fill up a shopping bag with connectors, wiring harnesses, fuse panels, relays etc from stock cars.  Nissans have nice relays.  Make sure you get the socket too, leave about 3-4" of wire on it.  This way when you wire in guages or lights or whatever you can use plug in connectors so you don't have to cut all your wiring to remove the devices.  As a bonus the wreckers make all their money on engine/tranny/and body parts.  If you walk up with a bag of assorted electrical junk you can usually get away with paying $10 or so.  

When you do any wiring mods, or any other mods, think about how you can make it more like OEM in execution and you'll never go wrong.  Plus, when you do that chances are your mods will last as long as factory stuff, 200,000 + kms.

[John Hartman]

Great stuff Mike, you are like me with connections, wiring etc.

No connection goes unsoldered, no piece of wire is cut unless absolutely necissary, no loose ends, if you will pardon the pun

to add to the tool list, a good tap/die set is real nice to have.  One with rethreaders and thread files is even better.

[Michael Cummings]

this is a really good set of tools....pretty much all you need
costs alot of money for all of these things if you dont have them already some how
thankfully the old man has a shitload of stuff so i'm all set.....just need a dremel now
santa please bring me a dremel

[John Hartman]

Sears rotary tool kit.  Reg price, $169.95, I payed $64.95  

[Michael Cummings]

howd you get that so cheap???
also like to add cordless drill to the list of parts

[John Hartman]

just happened to be on sale, right place right time...

[Dan Harshey]

I got a Mastercraft Rotary Tool 103 piece set for $49.99 it works awesome.
Dan