I never spent that much on a 7-piece wrench set. We have a great tool store in Hooksett, near where I live, that carries everything you can want from a #4 driver bit to a hydraulic floor jack or sheetmetal break. You name it, he’s got it. Everything is available at different quality and price levels and it’s all deeply discounted. The owner builds and races racecars.
TSM, you give sage advice. I gave a friend’s kid two identical sets of wrenches as a gift once when he was just starting out. Why do I need two of the same wrench?? You’ll see…
I never sell tools. There have been a few instances over the years where a tool that sat unused is suddenly the savior tool on a Sunday night or Holiday weekend. It’s at that time they seem to be worth every penny.
I’ve had the same experience myself on more occasions than I can count.
It’s funny, I’ll often take tools to a friend’s house to do a specific favor and have to think about what I’ll need. Usually when I think about it I’ll find I need a whole shopping bag full of tools to do a simple task.
Oddly, while I always try to use the correct tools I just recently had a new tensioner wrench bust on me the first time I used it and ended up using a breaker bar anyway. Live & learn.
Why ?
Because brakes are NOT supposed to be a generic d.i.y. job for just any weekend joe.
( try going to your automotive bolt bin looking for a Harley Davidson bolt )
I’ve got a a number of 32 sized wrenches and a set of Whitworth boxed ends that fit when nothing else will…
Seriously though, WTH were they thinking when the 5.5 MM thing was being batted around?
Probably some engineers having a cold one after work and laughing hysterically at the thought of throwing someone for a loop.
That’s right up there with SAAB and their 3-sided console nuts and left hand thread water pump impeller bolt.
You find that 5.5mm used a lot on GM heater motor retention and generaly in the HVAC system, with the 5.5 and a 7mm you can really have at it on a GM dash.
For my work nobody beats BMW for a large amount of odd tools needed (left hand nut on the fan clutch also) just so many Torx,inverted Torx,allens, safety Torx (with the pin in the center) and they use Torx head for transmission to engine block and they can be tight, try dealing with one of those you rounded off. I have what must be a 35.00 “S” shaped box wrench and the only place to use it is the old 4 and 6 cyl starters.
How about the two different types of #55Torx that is common on seat belts (one has wide flats) that is a just about every car thing.
Ford uses a number of 7MM hex head screws in the dash too and Torx heads for transmission to engine block? Ouch. I think that once out those things would be “lost”.
Those 3-sided SAAB nuts I mentioned? They also have concave sides and removal requires yet another special SAAB tool, although I made mine.
You should see the homemade SAAB timing chain adjustment tool I made. Length of VW transmission shifter rod and a Craftsman 13MM combination wrench with about 6 bends total.
Kind of looks like a wounded snake.
I made a slide hammer device to pull the piston pins out of a Subaru engine, used it once and since then have not even rode in a Subaru,and it has been almost 30 years.
What’s wrong, Robert, don’t you enjoy buying new tools? When I get to buy a new tool, I feel like a kid in a candy store.
Stop whining and buy yourself an 18mm socket and a 7mm Allen socket. They are sold individually at almost every hardware store and auto parts store on the planet. It isn’t like you have to buy a whole new set.
I’ve got one of those slide hammer Subaru wrist pin tools although mine is the real deal and was purchased through the Subaru parts dept with an employee discount.
That poor tool looks like scrap metal due to the abuse it’s had to take.
Removal of those wrist pins and even worse, the usually frozen in the engine block Allen headed plugs that allow access to the pins, could be one of the most aggravating jobs in the world.
Your name seems familiar. Aren’t you the guy going over 100 mph in an Expedition?
A 105 MPH if my memory serves me correctly; and in the mountains west of Denver on I-70.
And apparently with brake pads down to nothing on a heavy Expedition. Badly worn pads have been known to pop out of the yokes. This could have easily led to one of those Wile E. Coyote moments when all of a sudden there are little or no brakes.
robert im not sure why all the sockets arent in there and you have a valid question.i had to buy all those tools separetly.the good thing is they wont ware out as fast as other tools.it is still frustrating unless your pocket allowes it .a good set of tools will cost you and come with everything.the regular public never needs them and as a part time gear head i must dust off my 18 socket and allen wrench.as for pad squeelers i loved them and they gave you some time to fix the problem.now its grinding and lots of money.gm was the only one with the metal strip that made noise and i havent heard of any one else doing it.
Did I get off easy or are '97 Taurus (wagons) not known for this problem? I just replaced my front discs/rotors for the first time since I bought the car new in '98 (185,000 miles) and I didn’t have any problems. The dics practically fell off themselves. No problems.
One thing, though - I didn’t put any grease on the backsides of the new rotors. Am I going to be screwed when I go to replace these discs 10 years from now?
No, something else will definitly screw with you first and make the brakes seem like a blessing.
Yes. Home Depot and Lowes are my favorite places.
Thought my expensive kit had everything needed.
Then after I get the vehicle on jack stand and wheel off, that’s when I discover it needs 18mm socket and 7mm Allen, neither of which I have.
So I ride my bicycle and now have a socket with no space for it in the kit.
Tauruses don’t seem to ever have this problem. Expeditions and F150s are notorious for it. Frankly, you probably won’t experience any problems like this with your Taurus. The factory never puts any lube or anti-seize on the hubs, so it wasn’t there to begin with.
105+ for a short distance, coasting because the engine governor is about 103 mph.
No brake application until I coasted down to about 50 mph and then started braking to take an off-ramp.
By looking ahead and anticipating and coasting, I brake less, often never applying brakes because the signal has changed and traffic has started moving before I get to it. (Some drivers hate that, but I am in the right lane.) I try always to brake gently.
Brake shoe scrape became noticeable when I was 110 miles away from home.
oldschool, mark9207:
I doubt I’ll still have this car 10 years from now. Transmission probably won’t make it. Just bought the FELPRO head gasket kit, though - so that’s an upcoming project. If I find I have to buy any new tools I’ll be sure to start a thread complaining about it
The point is, why 18mm and not 19 or 17?
Why 7mm Allen and not 8 or 6?
Yes, before I work on a TRANSMISSION, I would check to see what special tools were needed.