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On 5/3/2020 at 7:48 PM, Dammerung said:

Anyone have any recommendations for ratcheting wrenches? I’m getting real tired of having to maneuver around the engine bay and dash with a wrench because a regular ratchet just won’t fit.


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I use the gear wrench ones. Have had them for about 20 years. You can get them on sale at Sears about Black Friday time. Both standard and stubby for about $70.00 set. Use them more than anything else in the toolbox. 

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I use the gear wrench ones. Have had them for about 20 years. You can get them on sale at Sears about Black Friday time. Both standard and stubby for about $70.00 set. Use them more than anything else in the toolbox. 
I have 2 sets of gear wrenches that I purchased many years ago when they first came out. Only trouble I have had with them is wearing out (not breaking) the ratchet mechanism in a couple of the common wrenches. Ive never managed to break one and I havent been gentle. I really don't underatand how I ever accomplished anything before owning them. Probably some of my favorite tools.

My build: https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?url=https://comancheclub.com/topic/8033-finally-found-onenow-it-has-a-new-floor/&share_tid=8033&share_fid=53169&share_type=t

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I have an ACE hardware brand set, which according to the box are rebadged Gearwrenches, and a few other sets of Gearwrench, one with a flex head on it.   I like those the best, can really go at it from any angle and they get a good hold on the bolt/nut.     Only issue I've had with them is the mechanism gets dirty and they no longer ratchet, usually a good blast of brake cleaner fixes that problem.  I found a set of stubby Gearwrench ones on clearance at Advanced Auto a few years back for $8 a set, had to buy a few sets.

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Sometimes my non-reversible Gearwrenches get locked up and won't turn in either direction. A smack to something solid gets them working every time. Otherwise, no problems and I've used them a bunch. An indispensable tool for sure.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Something I figured I should share with the group.956809AC-8048-4AB3-A3FA-7D08AF3E65EC.jpeg.3bf2686f3cd9555071cd7db07ec3a354.jpeg
I’ve struggled with finding good non-messy ways of filling things like diffs and manual transmissions inside the vehicle, where a gear oil bottle doesn’t quite have clearance to get inverted and squirted into the diff.

This “lower unit pump” is a boat thing. Something to do with outboards I think, but I’m not a boat guy. But basically it turns an oil bottle into a pump dispenser. You choose the combination of straws to fit the oil bottle, screw the pump onto it, push the hose to wherever you need it, and pump until it’s up to the correct level. There’s a couple adapters in the pack for getting the hose onto something on the boat motor but they’re not needed for filling diffs. 
There’s other tools to do the same job, but this is ~$10, you don’t need to worry about transferring oil between containers, and when I’m done it sits in an old oil jug with a hole in it for the hose, so it drains down without making a mess. 

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  • 1 month later...
On 5/27/2020 at 11:09 AM, gogmorgo said:

Something I figured I should share with the group.956809AC-8048-4AB3-A3FA-7D08AF3E65EC.jpeg.3bf2686f3cd9555071cd7db07ec3a354.jpeg
I’ve struggled with finding good non-messy ways of filling things like diffs and manual transmissions inside the vehicle, where a gear oil bottle doesn’t quite have clearance to get inverted and squirted into the diff.

This “lower unit pump” is a boat thing. Something to do with outboards I think, but I’m not a boat guy. But basically it turns an oil bottle into a pump dispenser. You choose the combination of straws to fit the oil bottle, screw the pump onto it, push the hose to wherever you need it, and pump until it’s up to the correct level. There’s a couple adapters in the pack for getting the hose onto something on the boat motor but they’re not needed for filling diffs. 
There’s other tools to do the same job, but this is ~$10, you don’t need to worry about transferring oil between containers, and when I’m done it sits in an old oil jug with a hole in it for the hose, so it drains down without making a mess. 

 

I didn't know they were selling those, likely because they're in the marine section that I rarely browse.

 

I'll have to pick up a couple. :L:

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I actually think I saw it on an end display in the automotive section. But the Hinton store is one of those smaller ones where everything is organized more for fitting lots of stuff in not much room than it is for easy finding. Not quite on the level of Dauphin, but getting there. So maybe in other places it’s in the marine section? The SKU is 28-3050-8. $12.99. The reviews suggest it’s garbage for doing what it’s actually supposed to, but so far it’s been great for filling diffs.
 

01190D37-BED2-41D6-AA45-28ABD11AF759.png

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On 7/11/2020 at 7:58 PM, gogmorgo said:

I actually think I saw it on an end display in the automotive section. But the Hinton store is one of those smaller ones where everything is organized more for fitting lots of stuff in not much room than it is for easy finding. Not quite on the level of Dauphin, but getting there. So maybe in other places it’s in the marine section? The SKU is 28-3050-8. $12.99. The reviews suggest it’s garbage for doing what it’s actually supposed to, but so far it’s been great for filling diffs.
 

01190D37-BED2-41D6-AA45-28ABD11AF759.png

 

Oddly enough Fort St John has 27 in stock.  Prince George has 0.

 

:roflmao:

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  • 2 weeks later...

In my family it is an unwritten rule that nobody buys me tools….since they usually pick out “Gimmick” tools sold on late night TV…..My daughters boyfriend did not know and purchased me one of these…

I do not know the name for them I call them “Dog Bone” wrenches. It road around in my tool bag for a couple of years before I finally used it. Now it has become one of my go-to tools (so much I grabbed another)

It gives you 8 deep sockets on a swivel wrench platform…..If you had to grab one tool it would be one to go for (for scale it is about 12" long)

KIMG0355.jpg

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^^^^I've got one of those, but in vintage Craftsman.  My wife's grandfather passed several years ago, and we were cleaning out his basement.  He wasn't much of a tool person/handyman and didn't have much, but he had one of those.  There's no date stamp on it, but I'm guessing it was from the 60's-ish.  I took that plus a vintage Craftsman 1/2" ratchet.  I was using the ratchet a couple months ago and snapped the pawl inside the head (I need to take it apart and fix it someday).  I don't use the dogbone wrench at all.  It just sits on the workbench as a remembrance of him.:beerchug:

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On 7/14/2020 at 7:11 AM, Pete M said:

BTW, I had a chance to use the pliers on some wheel well liners on the XJ this last weekend.  It made getting those christmas trees out so much easier.

 

I highly recommend the kit.

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  • 3 months later...
On 7/27/2020 at 11:56 PM, Pete M said:

made myself a little scrub brush to do the inside of the backup light lens.  :L:  improved version on the left. 

20200727_154629.jpg

 That might win a prize for most creative use of old tooth brushes.

 

Any new tools of interest or new uses for old tools?

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made myself a door removal tool. :D  it's a cheap 1/4" ratchet/bit combo tool and then I cut down a torx bit so that the tool easily fits in the door jamb.  I also carry a 1/4" breaker bar to start them. 

 

 

 

 

20201111_095028.jpg

20201111_095118.jpg

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I wish I had this last night... Although I usually just put a ratcheting wrench on the socket and it works okay... Just bought a long T40 on Amazon last night to make sure I can get the door re-aligned after I finish replacing BOTH hinges and install the brace.

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  • 4 weeks later...

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