Car servicing tools

Your toolbox cannot be complete if it does not have a hammer, and also must have any automobile workshop tools list. A hammer enables you to do anything that needs mending and hitting. You can use it to knock out nail heads or work with any stuck component. There are several types of hammers, and you need to be careful during purchase. It is advisable to get a hammer with a rubber handlebar since it ensures a good grip.

Some of the types of hammers used are ball peen hammers, claw hammers, club hammers, dead blow hammers, framing hammers, and sledgehammer. The most common type of hammer used by mechanics is the ball-peen hammer. Club hammer is, however, necessary when dealing with big industrial vehicles.

Most vehicle repair jobs will require one to have pliers. Pliers are used by mechanics when changing hoses, repairing brakes, and even when working with other connectors. They are also useful in handling hot objects and compressing and bending materials. When fixing coolant hoses and clamps, you need to use pliers that come with vice-grips. Pliers came in different sizes and shapes.

However, ensure that you have a cutter, long-nosed, and normal pliers in your toolbox. The tool will save you big time when dealing with tough bolts and nuts. Vice-grips are also known as locking pliers. They are handheld clamps with a shape similar to that of pliers.

This tool is useful when you need to hold something which is in an awkward position, grip something in place for a long time, or grab something without gripping features. Vice-grips are mainly sold in a set of 4, but you can also buy one classic one if you are not in a position to get the full set. Ratchets are also known as socket wrenches.

They have a socket on one side which allows a one-way turning. They are used for several automotive uses and are easy to use on cramped, awkward angles, and small spaces. You can use them to loosen or tighten bolts easily and quickly. Socket wrenches set should at least contain the three different sizes. They allow you to work with accuracy, speed, and freedom.

Funnels are helpful to mechanics when they need to pour any type of liquid or oil to avoid spillage. Funnels have no alternative. If you change the oil of your vehicle without using a funnel, the spilled oil may cause gasses and odors, which may end up affecting the engine. You are advised to use different funnels for different purposes.

Avoid using the same funnel you use to pour oil for pouring water or coolant. If you do not want to buy a set of funnels, ensure that you have a long and a short funnel in your toolbox. When working on car repairs, visibility is not always obvious. Imagine you are driving at night and get stuck in the middle of the road.

It is impossible to repair a car in the dark. An LED work light acts as a backup to provide you with light whenever you need it. This will enable you to look in every corner of the vehicle to know where exactly the problem is. Having proper lighting will make a big difference during a repair.

At times, you will also need the flashlight during the day to pull and fins specific bolts from the vehicle. A headlamp is a great option when working beneath the car since you will be able to use both of your hands. Scissors are an important tool for a mechanic since they can save them in an emergency.

It is part of a tire puncture repair kit. It can help in cutting wires, electric tapes, and zip ties among other tasks. It may not be a specific tool for mechanics, but it is basic for a well-equipped toolbox due to its versatility. Test lights are used during the inspection of blown fuses, starters diagnosing, light bulbs not working, and other simple electric problems. The best type of test light you should buy is a dual polarity test light. It is of great help to any beginner mechanic for it will help them to make a correct electric diagnosis.

This is one of the most important tools for both beginner and experienced mechanics. Jumper cables function as a bridge in the supply of 12v from working to a dead car battery. A mechanic should have their own set of jumper cables, especially if you are in your repair shop.

One common task a mechanic does is maintenance and tire jobs. You will need to check the air pressure of the car as you adjust them quite a number of times in a day. This job will only become easier if you have the best tire pressure and inflator gauge. A Tire pressure gauge is the most simple air-compressed tool. As soon as you buy a compressor , then you need to purchase this tool. The tire inflator gauge will enable you to always have your tire pressure spot on.

Ensure you get one with a gauge reading of at least PSI or 8 bars. A grinder is quite useful, especially when working on metal cutting works or exhaust lines.

If possible, buy a straight and degree angle grinder. You can use the straight grinder for exhaust works, brake system maintenance as well as cutting disks for different purposes. The degree grinder, on the other hand, is ideal to use on wheel hubs, valve covers, wheels, and rims. Grinders are very versatile tools.

They perform multiple tasks from sharpening, polishing, sanding, routing out mortars, cutting pavers, stucco and tiles, and grinding metals. A multimeter is a crucial tool for electrical troubleshooting and diagnosis.

It enables you to measure amperage, resistance, and voltage. Ensure that the multimeter can read amps. This is useful in checking fuses and batteries, just to mention a few. It also helps mechanics to check if they have a hot wire and the amount of juice flowing through it.

A fleer gauge is a gauge that consists of several thin blades that measure clearances or small gaps. This tool gives measurements in inches and millimeters. It gives the mechanic an idea of the wideness of a gap by filling the gap with blades of known thickness value. They are ideal for use in places where other measuring tools such as calipers and measuring tapes cannot fit.

A torque wrench looks similar to a simple ratchet, but it is not the same. It enables one to tighten bolts at the exact torque specified by the vehicle manufacturer. This is very important when dealing with operations inside the transmission gear or car engine. A toque wrench is an ideal tool to use when tightening spark plugs. Consider a toque wrench that reads in both Nm.

A mechanic needs a combination of both automotive tools and equipment for efficient and excellent work. The equipment below makes work easier for the mechanic during their daily working routine. Having an air-compressed system enables you to perform heavy-duty jobs with minimal effort. An air compressor enables mechanics to run pneumatic tools and some auto lifts.

Get an air compressor that is easy to use and portable for convenience purposes. The best air compressors range between 60 and gallons.

Other things to look at when buying an air compressor are horsepower, requires pistons, PSI, and cubic feet per minute. You will mostly be needed to raise a vehicle, especially when repairing the wheels. There are also other car maintenance tasks that need the vehicle to be lifted. A jack stand or a floor jack assists you in the lifting of the car.

Never opt for a cheap jack or jack stand at the expense of quality since poor quality jacks can cause injuries. Pole jacks are useful in supporting axles and other parts of raised vehicles. Transmission of fluid and changing oil is a common task for auto mechanics.

An oil drain enables mechanics to catch and store fluids and oil from lifted vehicles. This keeps the floor free from oil. They also help in the storage of old oil, which can later be recycled to be used for asphalt, heating oil, and many other ways.

Most tasks in an auto repair shop will involve charging or dead batteries. You can only handle these tasks if you have a good jumper and battery charger. The battery charger will come with an operation manual that you should go through and understand before use.

An engine crane is a must-have piece of equipment if you want to do any works on the car engine. It enables one to remove the car engine without using too much effort. Consider buying an engine hoist that can support the maximum weight of the vehicles you will be servicing. A hydraulic lift is a machine that uses hydraulic apparatus to move or lift objects using a farce created after exerting pressure in a liquid piston.

You can either buy a two-post or a four-post hydraulic lift. A two-post hydraulic lift will raise a car vehicle higher in a low ceiling garage while a four-post lift takes more room than the former.

Four post hydraulic lifts make it easier to position and load the vehicle. A grease gun is a common piece of equipment in a garage or an auto repair shop used for lubrication. Its purpose is to apply lubricant via an aperture to a given point mainly on a nipple or grease fitting.

There are different types of grease guns. There are electric grease guns, air-powered grease guns, and hand-powered grease guns. The air-powered and electric grease guns are easier to use compared to the hand-powered ones.

One of the complex components of a vehicle is the automatic transmission. It has several moving parts under hydraulic and electronic control, and thus fluid is vital to its operation. Most automobiles depend on the Automatic Transmission Fluid for lubrication of the transmission and activating different clutches which assist in the changing of gears.

This fluid needs to be changed from one time to another, and an ATF changer will help you in this. A strut compressor is useful when dealing with suspension systems or replacing the strut. This equipment will make your auto repair shop more profitable by adding your service capabilities. Strut compressors are however dangerous to operate. Ensure that you are well conversant with it and handle it with care during the operation. Workbench vice, also known as bench vices attach directly to the workbench to hold a workpiece firmly during operations such as drilling, planning, and sawing.

It has two jaws where one jaw is fixed while the other is movable using a cam, lever, or screw. For general household tasks consider a bench vice of 4 to 5 inches.

This equipment will help you to offer services such as measuring wheel orientation by inspecting caster, camber, and toe and checking tire trends for signs of poor alignment. Most car manufacturers recommend checking the wheel alignment after every 10, miles. A wheel balancer is used to balance the weight of a wheel and tire assembly so that a vehicle travels evenly at high speeds.

Every time you mount a wheel for the first time in a vehicle, you have to balance it. As an auto mechanic, you need to ensure the weight of a vehicle is evenly distributed on each tire and wheel, and this is why you need a wheel balancer.

Wheel balancing also ensures that the vehicle has a vibration-free and smooth ride. At times as an auto mechanic, you will deal with metals and a portable welding machine will make your work easier. This machine helps you to maintain high quality and safe weld.

A portable welding machine is easy to control and has high performance. It is portable, so it has to be lightweight and easy to move around with. It reduces gas and wire wastage since only the determined amounts are used to the weld bead. Some of the problems you will face as an auto mechanic are issues with fuel injectors. Most of the time, the issues are brought about by dirt, and they need to be cleaned with injector cleaners.

Injector cleaners work very well to address initial problems with fuel injectors at their early stages. Some issues, such as clogging can be solves by using injector cleaners regularly. Using these cleaners leads to a more powerful engine, better throttle response, shorter cranking time, and a smoother feel on how the car runs. An engine analyzer is a multi-function and complex instrument which assists auto mechanics to diagnose any engine or engine-related problems. It also assists you in tuning in case of an overhaul.

An engine analyzer is either used with diesel and gasoline-powered vehicles. A vacuum cleaner is a necessary piece of equipment when dealing with vehicles. Working into the night is common during the winter, and you need a good work light to prevent losing parts and to spotlight your project. Latex gloves are better than regular work gloves, as they're disposable and you're working with clean gloves every time you start a project. Reusable work gloves get greasy and very quickly, and there's no easy way to clean them.

Zip ties are great for bundling cables and wires together and away from hot and moving parts. They also keep everything nice and tidy, which makes it easier to work on a vehicle, as opposed to staring into a rat's nest. A multimeter is necessary to check whether you've got a hot wire, as well as how much juice is running through it.

It removes the guessing game and is vital for tracking down those gremlins that seem to infiltrate the electronic systems of many cars. This Klein digital multimeter is easy to use and has a nice large display.

An impact wrench can make quick work of removing lug nuts as can drive nuts in an instant. Just be cautious above overdriving nuts. These are competitively priced and will save you a ton of time. Mechanical moving parts need to be cleaned and lubricated regularly, so you'll need to acquire a few liquid sprays to help with this process. A rust penetrant can unstick stubborn bolts and prevent rust from accumulating; brake cleaner dries quickly and can be used to clean any metal parts including brakes; silicone lubricant eliminates squeaking and friction and won't attract dirt; and citrus degreaser is sprayed on and then washed off to remove oil-based products from skid plates, axles, and steering components.

Use a drip pan , or at the very least a piece of cardboard to catch oil and fluids falling from your car.

This will prevent stains on your garage floor and make it less likely you'll step in something that gets tracked into your home. If you really want avoid stains, you can also put large piece of plastic tarp down on you garage floor and drive your car over it. Keep a bag of desiccant or other absorptive compound handy even kitty litter works to absorb any oil or fluids that may have missed your drip pan and spilled onto your floor. The faster you react, the less likely you'll have an unsightly oil stain on your nice cement floors.

Duct tape has a million uses, so you should always keep a roll with you at all times. Electrical tape is also useful when connecting wires and covering up any bare and exposed wiring.

The most valuable car tool of all can be a factory service manual. All of the exact specifications for your make and model vehicle are included in this manual, and many times, there are tutorials for common jobs like changing brake pads and adjusting a carburetor.

These manuals are far superior to the Chilton and Haynes manuals that you'll find at your local auto shop, and sometimes Google and forums don't always have the right answer. If you can't immediately find one locally, check eBay or hunt around the internet—a surprising number of factory service manuals have been scanned in as PDFs.

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