Hand Tools
The most basic element of the repair shop, the simple hand tool, is also the most vital and without wrenches, hammers, and screwdrivers the vast majority of repairs could not be carried out. While bigger equipment is more visible and expensive diagnostic scan tools are fancier, the basic hand tool, however less exciting, still used on almost every single repair making it a critical part of the repair process.
Wrenches
Used on everything from the engine, transmission, suspension, brakes, exhaust, body, interior, and more the wrench is a vital part of taking systems apart and putting them back together. Wrenches range from the standard combination wrench to a whole host of specialty wrenches including ones just for hydraulic lines, ones just for certain engine parts and ones for fitting into tight spaces. In the last decade wrench technology has improved greatly and innovations that include slim design ratcheting wrenches have greatly improved the technician’s ability to work quickly in difficult to reach areas.
Sockets, Ratchets and Their Accessories
Just like wrenches, sockets and ratchets are invaluable tool for car repair. Ratchets allow technician’s to quickly apply greater force to the nuts and bolts that hold a car together and through the use of extensions the sockets that attach to ratchets can go deep into channels and recesses of the engine bay. Additionally, by using universal joints the angle of reach is greatly increased. Breaker bars, like ratchets, are used to turn hardware with sockets, but breakers bars are used when greater force in needed for larger hardware or seized hardware. Because ratchets are actually compound machines with moving parts, these little parts inside the ratchet can break when used in high force situations. Sockets range in size from the very small (4mm) to the very large (greater than 50mm) and different size ratchets are used to accommodate the wide range of sockets. Additionally ratchet handle come in a variety of lengths and also with swivel heads to allow access to hard to reach areas.
Hammers, Chisels, and Other Striking Tools
Many times concentrated force is need to knock, chip, or otherwise whack something into place or to get it loose. To accomplish this a huge range of striking tools are used during the course of auto repair. The most commonly through of striking tool is the hammer and the most used hammer in auto repair is the ball peen hammer and it’s unique double head design with one flat and one rounded head. Other hammers used in car repair range from the very small to the very large and sledge hammers are sometimes used for seized wheels and other larger needs. A range of specialty hammers for body work are needed to straighten bent sheet metal after accidents. The hammers are often used in conjunction with dollies which are devices used to manipulate hammer blows on the sheet metal. Chisels, punches, and a wide range of specialty tools are struck directly by hammers to slice metal, push dowels and otherwise moved stuck or wedged objects. Slide hammers are a specialty type of hammer that has a movable head on a sliding shaft and these are invaluable for both mechanical and body work. These uniquely shaped hammers are used to pull shafts from mechanic assemblies and to pull dents out of damaged sheet metal.
Saws, Files, and Other Shaping Tools
While power versions of saws are often used during the course of auto repair it is often necessary to cut materials with slow precision and for these tasks using hand tools is critical. The hack saw, a basic staple in the technician’s tool box, can cut metal, plastics, and other materials found on modern cars. Additionally, files, sandpaper, rasps, and scrapers are used for every system found in the automobile. Whether it is the need for precision filing of brake yokes during rebuilt or the use of specialty sandpaper called emery cloth for surface cleaning metal surfaces for gaskets or chemical sealants these shaping tools are critical in making repairs.
Power Tools
In order to make the work of repair easier power tools are a vital component of everyday auto repair. Just as with hand tools, power tool are used on almost every system on a car under the hood, inside the cabin, and on the chassis. Power tools not only ease the work of repair, but in most instances they also allow for a quicker repair. Personal safety is always a factor in repair work, and increased vigilance is needed when using power tools since saws cut quicker, drills bore faster, and the fragments often associated with power tools, for example, metal shavings, will fly from the work with greater force.
Pneumatic tools
Of all the ways to bring assisting power to a tool, the most common is with air. By using air that has been compressed and stored in a large tank, air tools are hooked to flexible hoses capable of handling 150psi. The means of hooking and unhooking these tools to the air hoses is accomplished with air-tight links that are easily and quickly operated by hand. Pneumatic tools are typically lighter than electric since there is no motor and they are also usually smaller compared to their electric counterparts. This lighter and small design allows for greater control of the tool and more exacting work can be carried out. Drills, saws, files, sanders, and ratchets are among the more commonly used air tools around the shop, but compressed air can also be used for orbital buffers, spray guns, and to assist hydraulic equipment like large floor jacks.
Electric tools
As versatile as air tools are, they have limitations and a wide array of other types of power tools are needed in the modern auto repair shop. Electric tools have some advantages over air tools. Electrically powered tools are often similar to air powered tools with the addition of an electric motor, although electric tools can deliver more torque and also work in places where it is not feasible to get compressed air. Electric tools commonly used around the shop are drills, reciprocating saws, and chops saws. Another example of a handy electric tool is the heat gun, which aids in the removal of paint, adhesives, and stickers.
Heavy Equipment There is quite a lot of heavy equipment in the modern auto repair shop. In order to lift, pull, push, crush, saw, cut and otherwise manipulate heavy sections of cars large equipment is needed.
The Automotive Lift
Upon first walking into the shop the most obvious piece of equipment is the automotive lift. The one in this shop is capable of lifting 9000 pounds, which is approximately the weight of three SAAB cars. Modern car repair makes the lift a mandatory piece of shop equipment because most cars made in the last decade require the drive train to be removed from the bottom of the car. Beginning with the 1986 9000 SAAB used the “cradle” design for the drive rain in which a sub frame that bolts to the unit-body was entirely removable. The sub frame in the 9000 was somewhat unique in that the transmission side was hinged to allow easier removal for the transmission by itself. Unlike the NG900, 9-3, and 9-5 the drive train of the 9000 could still be easily removed from the top. With the introduction of the 1994 NG900, however, the drive train could only be removed from the bottom of the vehicle. The automotive lift is crucial because it is used to lift the entire car away from the engine upon removal.
Additionally the lift makes virtually all car repair work easier since the technician can raise and lower the car to suit the height of the technician’s needs. Standing under the car to access tight areas is substantially easier than crawling under the car while it is on jack stands. It is also cumbersome to adjust the height of a car when it is on jack stands while it is merely the touch of a button to raise and lower the car with the lift.
The Oxygen/Acetylene Torch
This is a valuable tool in the car repair shop. With a torch and its attachments, metal can be cut, shaped, welded and heated. While this shop does not weld exhaust systems as a rule, the oxcy-acetylene torch is often ideal for welding exhaust pipe. Heating frozen bolts, bearing races, and rusted hardware is another excellent use of the torch and on cars that come from northern climates where salt if often used on roads during the winter the torch makes quick work of seized hardware. Because the torch can distinguish between two separate metals during
Specialty Tools
In order to perfectly install a ultra tight fitting seal into a precisely machined hole a press is required and when this seal needs to be installed on an engine that is still in the car a special press must be used to ensure that the seal is installed in perfect alignment. Without this specialty press, the seal cannot be installed properly and the fluid the seal needs to retain will leak. Not only is it messy to have fluid leaking from your engine, but it can also be catastrophically expensive if all the engine oil or transaxle oil is lost. This example of the specialty press used to install oil seals is just one of hundreds of unique tools required to repair cars. Most car makers, SAAB included, actually design and sell specific tools just for certain models of their cars and these one of a kind tools are used on almost every system of an automobile. While the most of these specialty tools are used on the engine and transmission to press, retain, push, pull or otherwise manipulate mechanical parts like gears, pulleys, dowel rods, and retaining devices some specialty tools are also used in the cabin of the car to remove and install radios, interior clips, and other hardware. In addition to the specialty tools used on and in the car, there is a whole host of these one of kind tools used in conjunction with other equipment. The most notable of these tools are the one used with the hydraulic press and usage for these press tools is typically limited to the drive train. Wheel bearings, for example, used several different specialty tools to remove and install. Finally, several times a year the need will arise to actually make a new specialty tool in the repair shop to accomplish a repair. I typically make these tools personally and they are most often used as this shop discovers improved repair techniques. Not ironically, other existing tools are used to make new tools and just as early man improved his environment, the technicians at James Glass Automotive make the shop a smoother place to work with creativity, imagination, and good hand tools. |