Good toolset for beginners

[AlfaNeely@domain.elided]

       I like Sears Craftsman tools as they are guaranteed.  Snap On has 
great tools, but chasing down a dealer is problematical.
       Sears sells a 144 set of all six point sockets and ratchets in 1/4, 
3/8, and 1/2 inch sizes.  The set includes American sizes as well, plus a few 
end wrenches.  It is sometimes on sale for around $100.  I like six point 
sockets as I believe the grip the nuts and bolts more firmly.
       Sears also has a set of end wrenches from about 5 mm through 22 or 25 
mm.  It costs about $50 on sale.
       For an Alfa, you do not need an 18mm and will rarely need a 16mm size. 
 The only 16 mm I have found on an Alfa is the head of two of the three bolts 
that attaches the starter.  I do not think I have ever used a 20 mm on an 
Alfa.
       You will need a second 10, 11, 13, 15, 17 and 19 mm end wrenches for 
such things as removing the oil pan bolts, drive shaft u joints, giubos, etc.
       The oil pan drain bolt is 27 mm or 1 1/16, so buy a socket in that 
size.  For the crankshaft pulley, the late spiders are 36 mm, the early 
spiders are 38 mm and the V-6 is 41 mm.  The spider transmission rear yoke is 
32 mm.  A cheap plastic vernier caliper in metric will help figure out what 
size wrench / bolt you need.  A good dial caliper is helpful for accurate 
measurement, plus a feeler gauge and a one inch micrometer for measuring 
valve shims.
       Get an Allen wrench set.  Plus buy a 12 mm Allen for the spider 
transmission and rear end.  The Motronic oil pan drain plug is also 12 mm 
Allen.
       Pliers, vice grips, screw drivers, snap ring pliers (both expanding 
and contracting), a creeper, a big floor jack, 4 jack stands or 2 ramps and 2 
stands are all pretty much requirements.  And a digital multi meter for 
measuring battery voltage and chasing other electrical gremlins.  And a 
torque wrench - I have 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 inch torque wrenches.  Electric drill 
and drill bits, tap and die set and / or thread chasers.
       You need a work bench with a vice and maybe a drill press.  Storage 
cabinets and tool boxes make finding all the above easier.
       As a luxury, I have a set of stubby Gear Wrenches I bought at Sears.  
Sears now offers a ratchet end wrench with a lever, but I figure that is more 
bulky.  I like the stubby Gear Wrenches as I mostly use them for running 
bolts in or out after cracking them loose with a normal end wrench.
       I also have duplicates or triplicates of all the above.  I try to keep 
a full set of tools in my motorhome plus the common spare parts to rebuild my 
race car at the track.  I carry a full gasket set to the track, but if the 
engine or transmission goes south, I will come home to fix those.
       I also have a five horse twin stage 80 gallon air compressor, impact 
wrenches and sockets and other air tools, a glass bead cabinet, Oxy Acetylene 
torch (blue wrench), wire feed MIG welder, an old stick welder, a parts 
washer, a cherry picker engine hoist, an engine stand, brake and engine 
cylinder hones, ring compressors, micrometers, a chop saw, a SawZAll,  ad 
infinitum.  I have a good friend with a hydraulic press, lathes in several 
sizes, a Bridgeport mill, a surface grinder, a tubing bender, a TIG welder 
for aluminum and special applications in steel.
       I really need access to a paint booth and maybe a powder coater.  
Other than that, I am fairly well set up.  Stuff.  I need more stuff.  And I 
am sure I have forgotten many things like an oil filter wrench.

Ciao,
Russ Neely
Oklahoma City





In a message dated 01/30/2002 1:09:33 PM Central Standard Time, 
owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:


> 
> Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2002 11:03:05 -0600
> From: Daniel Pham <dpham@domain.elided>
> Subject: Good toolset for beginners
> 
> As my New Year's resolution, I'm aiming to do everything right the first
> time regardless of how long things take to do them. In my experiences over
> the years, my Alfa has run into a lot of problems due to half-as%#@ jobs. I
> was at Sears yesterday and got the bug. I'm discovering a lot of tools that
> would have made my life a lot easier if I actually went there instead of
> Autozone. My question to you all is this....what tools do have that you
> could not live without when working on your Alfas? An example is deep socket
> wrenches. Are Craftsmen wrenches too thick around the ends? Do you all use
> deep socket wrenches? I'm planning to do my T-belt in a few weeks. What
> tools do you all like for a job like that? If this is too basic of a
> question, what's a good book? Oh....I don't like Snap-On. I could buy a nice
> set of wheels for the price of a Snap On wrench. ;op
> 
> Danny
> Dallas, Texas
> 91 164L
> 91 164L (s-transmission, nice new blue paint, and for sale)
> 83 3.0 gtv6

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