FAQ for Air-Cooled VWs: Tools This is the VW FAQ Part 2/3 which deals with what tools to get. This Tool FAQ was written and compiled by James Brill. Most of the input is from the vintage vw mailing list. Please feel free to give input. If you want to give input on tools, you should first send it to James Brill so that he can make sure it isn't already addressed and add it to the list. If you want to debate some items on rec.autos .vw or the vintage mailing list, then feel free to do so. More input will help maintain the FAQ and keep it up to date. Steven Johnson/ sjohnson@pcocd2.intel.com ******************************************************************** This would be a list of tools that you should have to work on your VW. It is a compilation of suggestions I received from people. There are tools on the list you might never need but others have found useful. There are always corrections and additions to be made to the list. I have not addressed the issue of years vs model or air vs water. I will leave that much more complicated list to someone else. Ideally, there could be a list for each year and model. Please forward all suggestions and corrections to me and I will update and repost from time to time. If you ever want another list just let me know and I will mail you one. It should be noted that I don't want to start big debates about what kind of torque wrench is best, etc. If the one listed is adequate for most, and cheaper and more easily available, then we should leave it at that. Same goes for the rest. Suggestions, etc to: Jim Brill jbrill@unlinfo.unl.edu FIRST OFF, GET SOME EYE PROTECTION. AFTER YOU ARE IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM IS THE WRONG TIME TO BE WISHING YOU HAD BEEN WEARING SOME. Secondly, buy a FIRE EXTINGUISHER. Put it under or behind your front seat. Make sure your frequent passengers and mechanical assistants know where it is and how to work it. These are $10-$15 at K-Mart in the U.S. Four things will kill your love - wrecks, neglect, rust and fire. GENERAL COMMENTS When buying tools from Sears be sure to get the Craftsman brand and not the Sears brand. The former is superior in quality and carries the infamous lifetime guarantee. Snap On and Mac tools, available in the U.S., will have a nicer finish and might be more heavy duty but will probably not be worth the price difference for just about anyone short of a professional. Also, when you break a tool at three o'clock on Sunday afternoon you know where the Sears will be parked. As far as I know those other brands are only available from the person driving a truck around selling to shops. Check the sales at Sears around Father's Day and other holidays aimed at buying things for your average manly man. Also, go there and get their Power & Hand Tools catalog. It has some sets and other tools not available in the stores. You should look for one of the prepackaged semi-huge all metric sets of sockets, etc. They have all three sizes of ratchets and sockets, deep and shallow drives. There will also be various extension and adaptor lengths. If you wait for the right sale you might even get 10% off or a free toolbox or set of pliers. Notice that some gaps do exist in the sizing. For instance, you can skip a lot of 1/2" drive sockets. A good deal would be to get a set that goes up to 21 or 23mm and then buy those larger ones by themselves. A full set from 10-36mm might look nice but many of the larger ones will rust waiting to be used on your VW. Same caution should be applied to the purchase of box-end/open-end wrenches. Some of the suggestions here are obviously overdone. I am striving to get a complete set of tools listed. Most people could to a tuneup and many other repairs with about 10% of the items on this list. The suggestions made are usually done with the goal of having the right tool for the job (which also has a safety factor) and long term cost savings. Finally, tools are in that rare breed of retail item that almost always gives value for money. Stick with a good brand and buy what you can afford. A $100 tool will probably more than twice out live its $50 cousin. This could prove particularly useful in the middle of nowhere on a cold rainy night, 20 years later... RATCHETS 1/2" 3/8" 1/4" drives Torque wrench -- 1/2" drive, ratcheting type seems preferable to the dial type. Craftsman 1/2" bi-directional goes 20-150 pounds, part # (9)44543, and comes recommended. Breaker bars -- a 3/4" size for brake, bearing and other heavy duty work is recommended to almost end breaking fears. On the other hand, most have gotten by with 1/2" and 3/8" drives, which do have that lifetime guarantee at Sears. Seems to be that if you only want to own two of these get the 3/4" and 3/8". SOCKETS 3/4" -- 36mm for gland nuts and brake drums. Again, some have gotten by with 1/2" for this. Buy as needed for 21-36mm. 1/2" -- 10,12,13,14,15,17,19,21,23,30,36mm full hexagon if you can get 'em. i.e. six point as opposed to twelve. 3/8" -- 10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19mm -- 10,11,12,13,14,15,17,19mm deep drive 1/4" -- 4,5,6,7,8,9,10mm hex-head -- should be available in a set for about $20, or you might just need one for your CV joints and could buy just the size for your vehicle. torx-head -- if this is a 12 sided thing then a 6mm on has been suggested for cv work. [Can someone else verify?] star-head -- appropriate size if you have replaced your CV bolts with Porsche bolts, highly recommended by some. extensions 1/2" -- 3",6",9",12"+ 3/8" -- 3",6" adaptors -- 1/2" to 3/8" and/or 3/4" to 1/2" universal joint adaptor, get a 3/8" if you are only buying one 1/2" T-bar, probably not needed if the have the same size ratchet SCREWDRIVERS Rechargeable electric w/interchangeable bits for tight spots and general ease on the wrist. Ridiculously large flat blade screwdriver with a lifetime guarantee. (TM) At least one with interchangeable bits and allen heads. A good rechargeable one might have all these bits. Stubby type sizes and everything up to the large one above. Impact screwdriver WRENCHES Open-end/Box-end 6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,15,17,19,21 "C" shaped brake wrenches in 8,10,12mm and whatever size needed to bleed your brakes. PLIERS Needle nose, circlip, wire crimping, channel lock, regular, side cutters, sheet metal sheers, if you can find 'em cheap medical hemostats are nice for clipping off vacuum hoses and fuel lines. VISE GRIPS Needle nose, small, large. Good advice here it to get the Vise Grip brand. Made in De Witt, Nebraska. PULLERS/CLAMPS Wheel bearing seal puller, "G" type clamps (I assume this is a lot like a "C" clamp), two armed gear puller 3" and 6" bar, harmonic balancer puller (not needed on air-cooleds), brake drum puller (for serious mechanics) ALLEN/HEX HEAD WRENCHES 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,17mm Ball type drive ones are nice, too, if you can find them. The big mutha is for the transaxle fluid. The others should be available as a set in a little bag. CRESCENT WRENCHES 6,12,18" CHISELS/PUNCHES Center punch, flat-end punch for door hinge pins. Chisels have been seen sold in sets with a 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" blade. If you only have the bread for one, get the big one. HAMMERS Both small and large in hard and rubber, ball peen, too. 2 pound sledge. DRILL 3/8" variable speed with reverse. Heavy-duty type if you can spring for it. Cordless ones are nice if you aren't fond of extension cords. Metal cutting bits. Easy outs, for removing bolts with broken heads. MISC Little mechanics mirror on extendable handle for looking into places smaller than your head. Fluorescent trouble light, no burns, more shockproof. Pickle fork for front-end work. One magnetic-type and one claw-type grabber for picking up things through holes smaller than your hand. Reamer, for making small holes larger. Timing light Tach-dwell-volt meter Multi-tester Grease gun with flexible hose. Compression guage, get the type with the screw-in head and pressure release button, so you can do it yourself. 5' fence post makes a nice cheater bar You can never have too many 10 or 13mm wrenches or sockets Feeler guage, consensus has it that you should spend a little extra on the nice one. Think about what a 0.001" distance is and how much you like your valves. The step type is easier to use. Spark plug gapper Plasti-guage Micrometer Steel ruler Broom handle, maybe two if you are working on the front end like Muir. Pocket knife, razor blade type cutter. Hacksaw Hand cleaner, gloves, ear plugs, latex gloves WD-40 Liquid wrench Propane torch Oxyacetylene torch, for when the above doesn't work Clutch alignment tool, a.k.a.: wooden dowel Ring compressor Spring compressor, to assist when installing new brake shoes. Valve spring compressor Battery charger Old tooth brushes Wire brush 3-ton floor jack, spend the money and get the good one with the twist-control handle. Experience has it that a $150 jack will more than pay for itself in fewer trips to the store to replace the $40 ones. 6-ton jack stands Tape: electrical, duct Wire: electrical, bailing Test light Brake adjusting tool, better than a screwdriver for this purpose. Also good for all around prying. Tap and die set, metric File, sandpaper Funnel Axe and/or hatchet Lug wrench SPARE PARTS I will not go into this. My own philosophy on this one has been to buy two if I can afford it, so I have one for the next time. At a minimum I should guess clutch, throttle cable and some fuel hose. Muir would be a good place to fill this in some. It has been discussed before. Basically don't throw away a working electrical part when you are replacing them, coil, spark plugs, points. A spare oil filter, drain plug......I could triple this file, but I won't. ------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Disclaimer: All views expressed are my own opinions, and not necessarily those of Intel Corporation. Steven email: sjohnson@pcocd2.intel.com Tool FAQ