Date: Mon, 1 Dec 2003 11:36:51 -0800
Reply-To: Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
Subject: Re: building tool kit-vendor recomendations?
In-Reply-To: <BBF0DB97.317C%msutts@earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
I have all kinds of metric tools, but my "short set" for Vanagon use is
(not in any particular order of importance unless otherwise noted:
Sockets: 10mm, 13mm, (15mm and 16mm if you own a diesel) 17mm, 19mm and
22mm will do most everything.
Combination wrenches: 7-19 at least, there are several 22mm items on
the car.
10mm flare wrench for brake lines, 19mm and 22mm flares for PS rack
fittings.
Regular old combination screwdriver set.
Wonderbar to pry with.
Ball Peen hammer
Bosch Grease
Big box of latex gloves
Deep sockets 10mm and 13mm
Set of punches and drifts are a must!
Jack stands
Long-nose pliers, nippers, and one set of big-assed pliers about 14
inches long with adjustable jaws, get a good one of these if you can.
Soft hammer
Set of cold chisels
Vise grips (great for holding up read door struts the first time it
falls in cold weather).
With this setup, unless I've omitted anything important, you can do
anything under the dash, alternator, tuneup, window motor replacement,
brake shoes, drums, etc. Of course there are other minor things that
need special tools like exhaust, removing steering wheel, etc. but
you'll have to decide what your threshold of pain is on getting into
that and the tools needed.
I've never seen much tool selection in NYC except maybe you can get a
lot of cheap tools at World Liquidators or whatever they call it on
broadway near bleecker, or the Kmart at Astor Place whose auto
department gets smaller ever time I go in it. Probably on LI you could
get anything automotive.
Try online at at harborfreight.com for cheap tools, especially stuff
you hardly ever use like flare wrenches and deep sockets. I've listed
the sizes the vanagon actually uses often, of course you would get the
whole set cheaper.
Your 10 and 13 mm tools should be snapon or craftsman, the rest can be
cheap. You'll need more extensive tools if you remove or repair major
stuff, so I didn't list that. But you will be able to do just about
everything to the engine and body with what I've listed here.
Of course you'll need long and short extensions, maybe a U-joint drive
here and there.
Good luck, no doubt you'll receive many other opinions. Listen to them
all and decide what work you're going to be doing, and browse
harborfreight.com
Jim
On Monday, December 1, 2003, at 08:52 AM, Matt Sutton wrote:
> Hi folks,
> I'm getting ready to build a decent tool-kit to use with my
> Vanagon. Any
> recommendations for tool vendors, on-line or otherwise(I live in NYC)?
> I'm
> looking at a set of wrenches, sockets, torque driver, hex keys.
> thanks
>
> Matt Sutton
> 88 GL
>
