Tool Talk

[Manche757]

Hmmm. Explain what you accomplish with it.

[gogmorgo]

I repaired a socket at work the other day. 

[Pete M]

1 hour ago, Manche757 said:

Hmmm. Explain what you accomplish with it.

the front and rear are attached by a spring.  put the skinny end on the bottom of the door hinge pin, pull back and let go and it hammers the pin up.  

[coolwind57]

15 hours ago, Pete M said:

bought a door hinge popper.   where has this been my whole life!!!

 

 

These are excellent tools, especially for aircraft mechanics.  I have one with a chisel tip (great for rivet removal) and a pin point.  Mine are fine-quality, American made.

[Pete M]

I didn't even think about rivets!  I'll toss it in my junkyard bag and see if it's helpful pulling KJ stuff.   

[Minuit]

Ooh, if they work on rivets I need to get me one of them right there.

[MancheKid86]

1 hour ago, coolwind57 said:

These are excellent tools, especially for aircraft mechanics.  I have one with a chisel tip (great for rivet removal) and a pin point.  Mine are fine-quality, American made.

rebuilt a few bell 214's with these fine spring punches

 

  

26 minutes ago, Minuit said:

Ooh, if they work on rivets I need to get me one of them right there.

you can get -3 -4 -5 and up for all your rivet needs

[Pete M]

bought one of these little guys to try out.  haven't dropped the driver yet so I can't comment on the durability, but I never want to live without it.    just having both a stubby #2 phillips and a #25 torx on hand at all times is totally worth it when you live in a world with random deck screws holding your 2x4 contraptions together. 

it's even got a little magnet inside!   

 

 

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/175275963715

[Minuit]

I swear I saw a post in here asking about new tools... here's one of mine.

 

 

Runs from any 12-24DC power source, or a USB-C power bank. Configurable temperature (and options for everything else you'd want), and open source firmware. Heats up in 15 seconds using a 19V laptop power brick, which is not as fast as my expensive Pace station but certainly quick enough. And the best part? It cost $40 with one tip included.

[mjeff87]

OK guys....need tool help here.  I'm trying to remove an airbag from the cover assembly on the steering wheel on the Focus.  It's held in by four "triangle" nuts.  I found a set of specialty sockets on Amazon for VW/Audi's that will work, but they're $78 (hah!) and several days away.  Can I pick up something like these somewhere locally?  I do have a set of e-torx sockets I'm going to try to see if one of them bites enough, and also a pair of needle nose vice grips.  Problem is that they are a bit recessed in a molded plastic bracket and a bit difficult to get onto.

 

https://www.amazon.ca/CTA-Tools-1088-Triangle-Socket/dp/B06XTZDWX1

 

Here's a shot of one of them.  A gator grip socket would do it, but won't fit into the recess:

 

 

 

 

[scguy]

Maybe a fluted bolt extractor socket?

[mjeff87]

Huh...never thought of those, and I do have them.  I'll give them a shot tonight.  Neither the e-torx nor the needle nose v-grips worked.

[Pete M]

that wouldn't happen to be on autozone's rental list would it?  I'm guessing no.   

 

 

[gogmorgo]

Can you get a punch or chisel onto one of the flats, and tease it loose that way?

[mjeff87]

Pete....doubtful.  I should have put a coin in the pic to show a size reference....those nuts are only about 10mm (if they were regular nuts).

 

Gogmorgo, 2 of the 4 nuts I could probably get a punch on.  The other two are recessed.  I couldn't even get the tips of a pair of needle nose pliers on them.

 

edit:  found this on walmart.com.....last time I bought something off that site it was junk and my CC got hacked.  But this is exactly what I need (assuming the nuts are M8, they could be M10 though)

 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Wiha-34478-M8-SoftFinish-Triangle-Nut-Driver/174012214

 

 

[jdog]

On 10/26/2022 at 7:57 AM, mjeff87 said:

OK guys....need tool help here.  I'm trying to remove an airbag from the cover assembly on the steering wheel on the Focus.  It's held in by four "triangle" nuts.  I found a set of specialty sockets on Amazon for VW/Audi's that will work, but they're $78 (hah!) and several days away.  Can I pick up something like these somewhere locally?  I do have a set of e-torx sockets I'm going to try to see if one of them bites enough, and also a pair of needle nose vice grips.  Problem is that they are a bit recessed in a molded plastic bracket and a bit difficult to get onto.

 

https://www.amazon.ca/CTA-Tools-1088-Triangle-Socket/dp/B06XTZDWX1

 

Here's a shot of one of them.  A gator grip socket would do it, but won't fit into the recess:

 

 

 

 

http://www.metalnerd.com/catalog/product/080c1c5a193f408dbbee9863f92db45a

something like this?

[mjeff87]

Yeah, that would work.  However, I was successful with the needle nose vise grips last night....got them all off.  Mangled a couple of them but that doesn't matter because they're getting replaced with regular nylock nuts.

[Pete M]

looks like I'm about to invest in a pass-thru ratchet set.  I can't figure out another way to undo the lowest bolt in the bench seat (the stud just spins and I'm not ready to sacrifice the bracket or damage the carpet) and figure it's worth a shot to slice a groove in the top of the stud, then use the a pass thru to move the nut while a flathead holds the stud still. 

[watchamakalit]

7 hours ago, Pete M said:

looks like I'm about to invest in a pass-thru ratchet set.  I can't figure out another way to undo the lowest bolt in the bench seat (the stud just spins and I'm not ready to sacrifice the bracket or damage the carpet) and figure it's worth a shot to slice a groove in the top of the stud, then use the a pass thru to move the nut while a flathead holds the stud still. 

Can you get ahold of the stud "head" under the trucks?  Ive had luck with vice grips and a wrench that way.

[Pete M]

not sure.  I guess I assumed it was inside the frame, but I should probably confirm that first.  

[gogmorgo]

If the stud itself spins, can you not just unscrew it the rest of the way? Or is it a captive nut underneath hat broke free?

[watchamakalit]

I'm not at my truck to confirm, but I think some are in the frame and some are accessible under the trucks.

[Pete M]

so this is a combination of growing up in the salt belt and my general tiredness lately, but I most definitely assumed the worst without actually verifying anything.   the nut under the floor is both accessible and in perfect shape.   the stud is simply unscrewing from it. 

 

 

but I might still get myself a new tool for christmas.  

[strictlyxjs]

Well the mj is parked for winter so finally got around to swapping in the guage oil pressure sender for the dummy light sender and went to remove the old dummy light sending unit and broke the fitting off in the block. I didnt feel like driving an hour to work to pick up my mac extracor set (made by irwin) so i stoped at harbor frieght and picked up the $35 el cheapo icon set on sale for $27. It worked perfectly to remove the broken elbow fitting def worth the $30 to have in home box.

[gogmorgo]

How do the MAC ones work for you? I’ve had a couple sets of Irwin branded extractors due to generally being the best available at whatever place I’m in, and I can’t say I’ve been super impressed. The flutes don’t seem hard enough to bite particularly well or emerge without damage. That said I’ve only used the internal style, never the ones with the flutes on the outside.