Must have Mechanic tools
Good Creeper
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Flare nut wrench |
Compression tester
A compression test is a quick way to determine the general condition of the pistons rings and can help determine what repairs might be needed before starting to work on the engine. There are two basic types. Both have a gauge that measures the pressure in the cylinder as the piston moves upwards. |
Wrenches
A wrench set is an invaluable addition to any mechanical tool box. We like this ratcheting wrench set here-> WRENCHES , which features an open-ended side and a ratcheting box end so there's no need to remove the wrench on each turn. |
Light Up Your Project
Although the Bayco Nightstick is called an under-hood light, it’s an even better under-vehicle light. Just unsnap it from the bracket to use it down under. The strong magnets hold it in place, and the tube rotates 200 degrees, so you can aim the light exactly where you need it. Click the switch to choose either 650 or 1,200 lumens. The 120-LED light is rechargeable and comes with an under-hood bracket and a charging transformer. The internal battery runs the Nightstick for 4.5 hours at 1,200 lumens, and 8.5 hours at 650 lumens. As a bonus, it’s a perfect emergency light for the house during power failures. |
Split a Nut
A nut splitter will crack any no-go nut without damaging the threads of the bolt or stem that it's screwed onto. Just slip the ring over the nut and turn the tooth into the nut until it breaks. |
Reach into Tight Places with a Ratchet Extender
When you’re working in areas like engine compartments, sometimes you just can’t get your socket into the tight places. That’s where this Tite-Reach tool setcomes in handy. Slap your socket onto one end of the extension tool and attach your ratchet to the other end. Then loosen or tighten the “unreachable” bolt. The extension tools are available for 1/4-in. and 3/8-in.-drive sockets/ratchets. Get the one piece here |
Needle Scaler Blasts Off Rust
This air tool may look like a sea monster with tentacles. But the tentacles are actually nineteen 1/8-in. needles that hammer off rust, scale and dirt at 4,600 blows per minute. Move the adjustment collar forward or backward to vary the needle force and coverage area. Use it to knock rust and old paint off your car, wheelbarrow or other metal object. You’ll still have to deal with the pits from the corrosion, but at least the flakes will be gone. Wear hearing and eye protection and leather gloves, because this baby kicks up a lot of dust and debris, and it’s loud. The scaler comes with a set of needles and a chisel attachment. Find the Chicago Pneumatic CP7120 Needle Scaler online.
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Locking Extension Bars Hold onto Sockets
It’s a drag when you pull your ratchet and extension bar out of a tight spot only to discover that the socket is still stuck on the bolt head. That’ll never happen if you use locking extension bars. Pull back the locking ring, snap on a socket and let go. The socket is locked on and will always come out with the extension bar. |
Out-of-Sight Pliers
OK, so you already own needle-nose pliers. But have you ever noticed how your hand is always in your line of sight when you’re trying to grab small things with them? Well, so did the guys who came up with these Kiwi pliers. Grab these pliers and go after clamps, clips and retainers and still see what you’re doing. Get the E-Z Red No. KWP2 2-Piece Kiwi Pliers Set. With engine compartments more crowded than ever, we find ourselves reaching for our flex sockets quite often. They have a much shorter profile than an ordinary socket and universal joint combo. Yeah, they’re a bit pricey. But they let you remove and install bolts in really inaccessible places. What’s that worth to you? Get the, 3/8-in. drive online. |
Disconnect Stubborn Electrical Connectors
Many electrical connectors in late-model vehicles are locked together with plastic pins and slides. Going after them with needle-nose pliers can wreck those “locks.” But you can easily finesse them out with one of these picks. They’re also good for snatching O-rings and hors d’oeuvres. Get the Precision Hook and Pick Set.
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Spark Plug Pliers Prevent Boot and Wire Damage
Grab hold of plug wires with pliers and you’ll for sure damage the boot. But the padded jaws on this spark plug boot pliers let you get a firm grip on the spark plug boot without tearing it. Slide it onto the top portion of the boot near the wire and clamp down. That’ll apply force to the metal clip inside the boot. Then twist and pull. No more torn boots or wires. Get the Spark Plug Pliers. |
A Floor Jack That Can Lift in Two Places If you do your own repair work on a newer vehicle, you know you usually need two floor jacks. Ixnay on that! Just remove the saddle from your Pittsburgh 3-ton floor jack and replace it with this Pittsburgh cross-beam lifting accessory. Extend the arms and rotate the lift pads to meet a cross member. Then pump the handle and your vehicle is up in the air. The Pittsburgh 68052 3-ton aluminum floor jack with RapidPump and the Pittsburgh cross-beam twin arm adapter are both available online. |
Torque with Digital Accuracy
Tighten a bolt without a torque wrench and you can do major damage to your car, truck or tractor. But doing it the right way can mean buying several sizes of torque wrenches. Now you can safely torque without spending a lot of dough. Buy a digital torque adapter and use it with a 1/2-in.-drive ratchet or breaker bar. Just set the specified torque and crank away. The digital display shows the rising torque, and the LED readout and audible signal let you know when you’re done. The digital adapter fits 1/2-in.-drive sockets and comes with 3/8-in.- and 1/4-in.-drive adapters. |
Organize with Magnets Most socket organizers lock you into a standard configuration. Buy Triton MagClip socket storage trays use magnets to give you maximum flexibility. Leave the centering pins in place to store sockets, or remove them and just let the magnets hold your socket extensions and ratchets. The trays are available individually and in sets. The Triton socket storage value pack is available online. or you can get the Magclip Small version. |
Keep Fasteners Handy
How many hours have you spent looking for nuts, bolts, washers and other small parts spread willy-nilly around the garage? Quit wasting time! Just slap them onto a magnetized clip and they’ll be there when it’s time for reassembly. |
Mark Before Disassembly
Seasoned mechanics can disassemble and reassemble just about anything. Know how they do it? They mark each piece as they disassemble. That’s where this inexpensive carbide-tipped scriber comes in ( Carbide Tip Scriber) . Just scratch alignment marks or numbers or whatever you need on the parts as you remove them so you won’t have to remember where they go when it’s time for reassembly. |
Socket Set in a Handle
Keeping a small emergency socket set in the glove box of your car or boat is very prudent! This compact socket/ratchet combo does the job (Kobalt Xtreme Access Ratchet, item No. 568267). Slide off the handle to find four splined sockets that cover the most common fractional and metric nuts and bolts. Then slide the handle back on and you’re in business. |
