Let's talk about special tools.

[Hawk321]

I watch and read gj for years. We are alltime discusing about wrencvhes,sockets and standard stuff...but what about special tools? Most automotive work needs hydraulic pullers,locking tools or other freaky stuff.


Show me ur pro graded tools.

 

[twofifty]

I work at a dealership for dodge jeep and chrysler, we have an entire room and about 3 walls and a large shelfing unit full of special tools, pullers, seal installers, supports, brackets, you name it, it is probably there lol.

I will have to try and get some pictures for you, it's pretty crazy to see the amount of special tools just one dealer needs for specific jobs. Trying to find them is a pain sometimes.

There is a lot of times we get away with not using them but it sure does make the job easier sometimes.

 

[greasemonkey44]

ive got drawers of them; sockets, pullers, cam locks, wrenches, 5.4 3v tools, cam and crank holding tools; flywheel holders and turners; brake spring pliers, brake spoons
you can usually get by without them, but its better with them

 

[ChvyC10]

I work at a dealership for dodge jeep and chrysler, we have an entire room and about 3 walls and a large shelfing unit full of special tools, pullers, seal installers, supports, brackets, you name it, it is probably there lol.

I will have to try and get some pictures for you, it's pretty crazy to see the amount of special tools just one dealer needs for specific jobs. Trying to find them is a pain sometimes.

There is a lot of times we get away with not using them but it sure does make the job easier sometimes.

You're lucky.. My dealership doesn't have any.

 

[Alchymist]

You haven't seen special until you have worked with jet engines!

 

[bad_idea]

I work in ship repair and routinely make my own tools for specific tasks. I recently had an actuator stuck on a 10" butterfly valve. I made a bracket that clamped around the actuator with two nuts welded to it. Threaded bolts through the nuts to jack the actuator off of the valve. Damn sea water.

 

[Altec]

A few automotive tools pictured here in this picture.

The torture device on the right is a caliper compressing tool. Mainly for dual pistons.

The very long bit socket is made for Ford intakes that have a Torx in the middle. It is a Mac T40.

If you count them, those are oil filter pliers on the bottom...

This is made to hold hold pinion flanges. For torquing/breaking loose.

No body uses these anymore, but a band adjusting tool for MOPAR, and GM transmissions.

 

[Squints]

Picked these up today. They're for those pain in the a$$ horseshoe
(jiffy) clips on GM transmission lines.

I could usually get the lines off with a pick, but when they are rusty or in a tight spot I think these will definitely be worth their weight in gold!!

 

[marcusicp]

Good thread idea Hawk!

Squints, can you post the item number for those disconnect tools? I didn't know they made tools for those lines! I had a really tough time getting a pick on one the other day.

 

[twofifty]

Picked these up today. They're for those pain in the a$$ horseshoe
(jiffy) clips on GM transmission lines.

I could usually get the lines off with a pick, but when they are rusty or in a tight spot I think these will definitely be worth their weight in gold!!

These things are great, we have a set at work and they work very well. It also helps you not lose that annoying little clips when your trying to pick out that little clip and suddenly it goes ping in the engine bay, you know that your going to be spending the next 30 mintures searching for it haha

You're lucky.. My dealership doesn't have any.

That's crazy, i mean we get by not using a fair amount of them but there is some jobs that if we didn't have the special tool, we would be screwed. Especially as we sometimes get vehicles sent to us from smaller shop because they dont have the special tools required to do the job, so we are kind of required to have them.

 

[A_Pmech]

You haven't seen special until you have worked with jet engines!

That's after the four pallets of special tools required to get it off the wing.

Great vid:

 

[plinker]

No pic's but here's a list of what I got. I probably have a few other things, but cant think of them off hand. Most of these are kit's that have several piece's with them too.


Factory Ford Dana 28/35 front axle tool kit

K-D engine & trans oil pressure test kit

OTC ball joint/U-joint press (basic set)

K-D/Napa front end service set

K-D/Napa slide hammer set

K-D/Napa Bushing driver set, 3/8 to 1-7/8

K-D/Napa Bearing race & seal driver set

K-D/Napa axle bearing puller set (use w/ slide hammer)

Astro penumatic Line disconnect set

K-D/Napa Sensor socket set

Napa Double & bubble flare tool sets

Evercraft serpentine belt tool (basic type)

Lisle steering wheel puller

K-D/Napa bolt grip puller set

C-Man & K-D 5" & 7" 2-3 jaw pullers

Astro penumatic brake tool kit

K-D compression tester

K-D 2pc. fan clutch wrench set (somewhat specfic though)

K-D CV joint band tool kit

K-D CV joint puller (for slide hammer)

I also have a bunch of smaller items like spark tester's, wheel stud installer, air hammer bit for loosening the "flange style 1pc hubs", ford ignition module socket, ete....
I also have some trim & plastic fastener removal tools as well

 

[Squints]

Good thread idea Hawk!

Squints, can you post the item number for those disconnect tools? I didn't know they made tools for those lines! I had a really tough time getting a pick on one the other day.

Blue Point LDTSP4

They are in the snap on catalog under "radiator tools" took me awhile to find them in there
I think they were around $80.... But after the job I had last week I would of paid $1000!!

Here is a better picture....

 

[Murphy4570]

I lifted my Ford Ranger, and had to buy a special tool to install the lift keys. Spent $100 on an OTC Ford torsion bar key tool that I'll probably never use again.

 

[Alchymist]

No pic's but here's a list of what I got. I probably have a few other things, but cant think of them off hand. Most of these are kit's that have several piece's with them too.


Factory Ford Dana 28/35 front axle tool kit

K-D engine & trans oil pressure test kit

OTC ball joint/U-joint press (basic set)

K-D/Napa front end service set

K-D/Napa slide hammer set

K-D/Napa Bushing driver set, 3/8 to 1-7/8

K-D/Napa Bearing race & seal driver set

K-D/Napa axle bearing puller set (use w/ slide hammer)

Astro penumatic Line disconnect set

K-D/Napa Sensor socket set

Napa Double & bubble flare tool sets

Evercraft serpentine belt tool (basic type)

Lisle steering wheel puller

K-D/Napa bolt grip puller set

C-Man & K-D 5" & 7" 2-3 jaw pullers

Astro penumatic brake tool kit

K-D compression tester

K-D 2pc. fan clutch wrench set (somewhat specfic though)

K-D CV joint band tool kit

K-D CV joint puller (for slide hammer)

I also have a bunch of smaller items like spark tester's, wheel stud installer, air hammer bit for loosening the "flange style 1pc hubs", ford ignition module socket, ete....
I also have some trim & plastic fastener removal tools as well

Those highlighted in red I wouldn't term "special" tools, pretty much generic applications across many makes. models, and other applications.

 

[greasemonkey44]

the lilse number for those disconnects is 22710
http://www.tooltopia.com/lisle-22710.aspx
they look pretty sweet; ill have to get a set

 

[plinker]

Those highlighted in red I wouldn't term "special" tools, pretty much generic applications across many makes. models, and other applications.

True, but really except for the axle tool kit & maybe the fan clutch wrenches, it's all pretty much "universal/works on most anything" stuff.
To me, it's all pretty basic that way.

 

[Altec]

I took it this thread was for automotive tools. Not model specific.

 

[Alchymist]

This is what comes to mind for "special tool":

 

[Alchymist]

Or a really special tool:

(http://home.comcast.net/~alloy-artifacts/plomb-drive-tools.html)

 

[Stick]

Taken from another thread.

I used to have one of the $$$ wheelbearing sockets and also the brake caliper wrench for the rear brakes for the HMMWV's. Also the brake caliper socket for the SUSV's. Not sure what happened to them though.

GM torsion bar tool.

Chainsaw tachometer.

Ford 3V sparkplug extractor kit.
GM 6.2L/6.5L glowplug puller/extractor.
GM 6.5L injection pump timing stop.

GM 3.1/3.4/3.8L engine tilting tool.
Ford modular engine lifting brackets.

Assorted seal drivers.
I'm sure I've got more around here somewhere.

Seal installers/seal extractors for FWD transmissions.

Pulley holders/fan clutch wrench.

We could go nuts with diesel specialty tools...

Cat engine turning tool/holder.

Cummins engine turning tool.
Duo-cone seal installer for Cat motorgraders.
Front crank seal installer for C7 Cat engines.
6in/lb torque wrench for Cummins valve setup/jake brakes.

Cylinder liner height gauge for use during inframe rebuilds.

Most of the other diesel tools I use are shop supplied.

Of course I've also got the usual assortment of pullers that most guys acquire, as well as a bunch of electrical diag tools and other misc. stuff that you pick up over years of working in shops.

 

[bgott]

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...675585&supersede=&store=snapon-store&tool=all

http://www.tooltopia.com/lisle-22710.aspx

It looks like Snappy is going to miss out on this one.

 

[Monte]

This is what comes to mind for "special tool":

Most recent Black + Decker cordless drill for the NASA ?

 

[jeffmoss26]

I don't work on cars but have plenty of special tools for voice and data cabling, does that count?

 

[gt40mkii]

Most recent Black + Decker cordless drill for the NASA ?

heh -- a buddy of mine makes "torqueless" torque wrenches for NASA. The idea is the wrench torques a fastener without applying torque to the user. He likes to brag that he's figured out a way around Newton's 3rd Law. In reality he's got a big mass in the wrench that counteracts the torque applied to the fastener. I shudder to think what those damned things cost.

 

[Alchymist]

heh -- a buddy of mine makes "torqueless" torque wrenches for NASA. The idea is the wrench torques a fastener without applying torque to the user. He likes to brag that he's figured out a way around Newton's 3rd Law. In reality he's got a big mass in the wrench that counteracts the torque applied to the fastener. I shudder to think what those damned things cost.

The cost of one of those things would outfit my garage quite nicely.

 

[gt40mkii]

The cost of one of those things would outfit my garage quite nicely.

Probably so. His main job is designing hydraulic torque wrenches -- the ones used to torque structural fasteners on bridges and other application where the fasteners may be several inches across.

Something like this: