I have an ongoing quest to find the
ultimate set of tools - I am sure if I could just get this right, all car
maintenance would be a dream. You can see I have already had ago with the rover, and it is the same old story, the information below is totally
copyright Haynes and I lay no claim to it: If Haynes want me to take this
down I will do so as soon as they email
me.
For anyone who is interested, I did a bit
of cross referencing and I can hereby affirm that most of these tools will
be handy on both the rover and the 924, and I imagine most other cars - so
you can use that as an excuse for stocking up, if anyone asks ;)
Oh yeah, and another thing, I scanned
this in and used adobe acrobats text recognition tool to get it into html
format - so there may be a few funny characters that look good at a distance
but don't actually make real words - don't blame me! I think its done a
pretty good job, actually!
Introduction
A selection of good tools is a fundamental requirement for anyone contemplating the maintenance and repair of a motor vehicle. For the owner who does not
possess any, their purchase will prove a considerable expense, offsetting some of the savings made by doing-it-yourself. However, provided that the tools purchased meet the relevant national
safety standards and are of good quality, they will last for many years and prove an extremely worthwhile investment.
To help the average owner to
decide which tools are needed to carry out the various tasks detailed in this manual, we have compiled three lists of tools under the following headings: Maintenance and minor repair, Repair
and overhaul and Special. The newcomer to practical mechanics may wish to start off with the Maintenance and minor repair tool kit and confine himself to the simpler jobs around
the vehicle. As his confidence and experience grow, he can undertake more difficult tasks, buying extra tools as, and when, they are needed. In this way, a Maintenance and minor repair tool
kit can be built-up into a Repair and overhaul tool kit over a considerable period of time without many major cash outlays. The experienced do-it-yourselfer will probably have a tool kit
good enough for most repairs and overhaul procedures and will add tools from the Special category when he feels the expense is justified.
Maintenance and minor repair tool kit
The tools given in this list should be considered as a minimum requirement if routine maintenance, servicing and minor repair operations are to be undertaken.
We recommend the purchase of combination wrenches (boxed one end, open-ended the other); although more expensive than open-ended ones, they do give the advantages of both types of wrench.
- Combination wrenches - 5 through 24 mm
- Adjustable wrench - 9 inch
- Gearbox/rear axle drain plug key
- Spark plug wrench (with rubber insert)
- Spark plug gap adjustment too/
- Set of feeler gauges
- Screwdriver - 4 in long x 1/4 in dia (flat blade)
- Screwdriver - 4 in long x 1/4 in dia (Phillips head)
- Combination pliers - 6 inch
- Hacksaw
- Tire pump
- Tire pressure gauge
- Oil can.
- Fine emery cloth (1 sheet)
- Wire brush (small)
- Funnel (medium size)
Repair and overhaul tool kit
These tools are virtually essential for anyone undertaking any major repairs to a motor vehicle, and are additional to those given in the Maintenance and
minor repair list. Included in this list is a comprehensive set of sockets. Although these are expensive they will be found invaluable as they are so versatile - particularly if various drives
are included in the set. We recommend the 3/8 in square-drive type, as this can be used with most proprietary torque wrenches with an appropriate adapter. If you cannot afford a socket set, then
inexpensive tubular box wrenches are a useful alternative. The tools in this list will occasionally need to be Supplemented by tools from the Special list.
- Sockets to cover range in previous list
- Reversible ratchet drive (for use with sockets)
- Extension piece, 10 inch (for use with sockets).
Universal joint (for use with sockets)
Torque wrench (for use with sockets,’
Vice grips - 8 inch
Ball pein hammer
Soft-faced hammer, plastic or rubber
Screwdriver - 6 in long x 5/16 in dia (f/at blade)
Screwdriver - 2 in long x 5/16 in dia (f/at blade)
Screwdriver - 1% in long x 1/4 in dia (cross blade)
Screwdriver - 3 in long x 1/8 in dia (electricians)
Pliers - electricians side cutters
Pliers - need/e nosed
Pliers - circlip (internal and external)
Cold chisel - 1/2 inch
Scriber (this can be made by grinding the end of a broken hacksaw blade)
Scraper (this can be made by flattening and sharpening one end of a piece of
copper pipe)
Center punch
Pin punch
Brake drum nut wrench
Brake drum puller
Valve grinding tool
Steel rule/straightedge
A//en keys
Multi-spline keys
Selection of files
Wire brush (large)
Jack stands
Floor jack (hydraulic type on wheels)
Special tools
The tools in this list are those which are not used regularly, are expensive to buy, or which need to be used in accordance with their manufacturers’
instructions, Unless relatively difficult mechanical jobs are undertaken frequently, it will not be economic to buy many of these tools. Where this is the case, you could consider clubbing
together with friends (or a motorists club) to make a joint purchase, or borrowing the tools against a deposit from a local garage or tool hire specialist.
The
following list contains only those tools and instruments freely available to the public, and not those special tools produced by the vehicle manufacturer specifically for its dealer network. You
will find occasional references to these manufacturer’s special tools in the text of this manual. Generally, an alternative method of doing the job without the vehicle manufacturer’s special
tool is given. However, sometimes, there is no alternative to using them. Where this is the case and the relevant tool cannot be bought or borrowed you will have to entrust the work to a
franchised garage or the ordering ability of a friendly parts man.
- Valve spring compressor (modified for 924 use)
- Piston ring compressor
- Balljoint separator
- Universal hub/bearing puller
- Impact screwdriver
- inclinometer
- Emission control tester
- Micrometer and/or vernier gauge
- Dial indicator
- Stroboscopic timing light
- Tach/Dwell angle meter
- Electrical multi-meter
- Cylinder compression gauge
- Lifting tack/e
- Light with extension lead.
Last, but not least, always keep a supply of old newspapers and clean, lint-free rags available, and try to keep any working area as clean as possible.
Buying tools
For practically all tools, a tool factor is the best source since he will have a very comprehensive range compared with the average garage or accessory shop.
Having said that, accessory shops often offer excellent quality tools at discount prices, so it pays to shop around. There are plenty of good tools around at reasonable prices, but always aim to
purchase items which meet the relevant national safety standards. If in doubt, ask the proprietor or manager of the shop for advice before making a purchase.
Care and maintenance of tools
Having purchased a reasonable tool kit, it is necessary to keep the tools in a clean and serviceable condition. After use, always wipe off any dirt, grease and
metal particles using a clean, dry cloth, before putting the tools away. Never leave them lying around after they have been used A simple tool rack on the garage or workshop wall, for items
such as screwdrivers and pliers, IS a good idea. Store all normal wrenches and sockets in a metal box. Any measuring instruments, gauges, meters, etc, must be carefully stored where they cannot be
damaged or become rusty.
Take a little care when the tools are used. Hammer heads inevitably become marked and screwdrivers lose the sharp edge on their
blades from time-to-time. A little timely attention with emery cloth, a file, or a sharpening stone will soon restore items like this to a good serviceable finish.
Working facilities
Not to be forgotten when discussing tools, is the workshop itself. If anything more than routine maintenance is to be carried out, some form of suitable
working area becomes essential. It is appreciated that many an owner mechanic is forced by circumstance to remove an engine or similar item, without the benefit of a garage or workshop. Having
done this, any repairs should always be done in an enclosed garage. Any dismantling should be done on a clean flat workbench or table at a suitable working height.
Any
workbench needs a vice: one with a jaw opening of 4 in (100 mm) is suitable for most jobs As mentioned previously, some clean dry storage space is also required for tools, as well as the
lubricants, cleaning fluids, touch-up paints and so on which soon become necessary.
Another item which may be required, and which has a much more general
usage, is an electric drill with a chuck capacity of at least 3/8 in. This, together with a good range of twist drills, is virtually essential for fitting accessories.
Porsche 924
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