Tools (was: IBM 5155 analogue display fault

[Gordon JC Pearce]

Fred Cisin wrote:
> On Mon, 30 May 2005, Tony Duell wrote:
> 
>>>"reasonably complete" is a VERY subjective quantification.
>>
>>I would agree...

>>>"obstruction" wrenches (box end in C and S shapes, and with odd offsets)
>>
>>Very useful...
> 
> It helps to have a lot of different ones

Or lots of cheap crappy spanners that can be heated up and bent


>>I've never needed the 3/8" drive sockets. Where I need more torque than
>>can be applied with a1/4" drive, there's enough room for a 1/2" socket.
>>On the other hand, a 3/8" drive (or adapter) is essential, many timing
>>belt tensioners have a 3/8" hole in the plate which you use to untension
>>or tension them.
> 
> I have often needed more torque than a 1/4 could handle, but not enough
> clearance for 1/2"
> Around here, 3/8" is the default for auto repair; when I was in the
> Washington, DC area (salted roads, etc.) 1/2" was the default.

Aha.  I come from an agricultural background.  1/2" is ok for a lot of 
things, but you really want to keep the 3/4" drive stuff closest.

>>I've never nneded anything over 3/4" drive to work on a car. The largest
>>torque wrench we have here has a 3/4" drive and goes up to 350lb.ft, so I
>>guess that's strong enough :-)
> 
> 
> That'll do nicely for assembly.
> I have encountered VW bus rear axle nuts that needed WELL over 1000 ft lbs
> to break loose.  I would never subject a torque wrench or even a ratchet
> to that kind of force.  The Craftsman 3/4" breaker bar just bends.

I bought a (relatively) cheap breaker bar from Halfords (expensive car 
bits chain in the UK).  It's actually bloody good - a lot of their tools 
they stock are made by Draper or Sykes-Pickavant, so I guess their "own 
brand" stuff might be made by someone like that.  It made short work of 
the driveshaft nuts on my Citroën CX, which had up to that point even 
resisted the air wrench at my local tyre fitting place.  The trick was 
to get the wheel off, get the cap off the nut, put the wheel back on, 
and have the car sitting on its wheels, with someone pressing the brakes 
as hard as possible.

Cracking the cooling fan nut on my GSA (aircooled flat four up the 
front) was another breaker bar job too - but because of the angle things 
were at I had to get the bar on it and lift in weightlifter style.  Once 
I managed to stop lifting the car off the axle stands, things went well...

>>Don't forget the odd sizes. Very few UK spanner sets include 11/32", but
> 
> I have a number of tools that I've rarely had need of.  But once is
> enough.
>>I wonder what's considered to be a reasonable hand toolkit (i.e. not
>>including test gear, soldering tools, etc) for classic computer repair.
>>My starting list would be :
> 
> 
> medical hemostats (called "roach clip"s in California)
> dental mirror(s)
> inspection light(s) and/or otoscope
> right-angle ratcheting 1/4" bit driver
> small "slim-jim", such as IBM punch card jam clearer

Dental mirrors are great.  My girlfriend's Mum used to be a sales rep 
for a medical company, and one of the freebies they had to ply doctors 
with was sets of very, very nice highly polished stainless minor surgery 
tools - scalpel handle, stitch cutters, stitch hooks and the like.  Of 
course, as they are, a lot of them are really only good for tieing and 
cutting stitches.  They are, however, a good start for a lot of little 
funky custom tools for poking electronics with.

> If others have been in it before, then add:
> reachers/dropped item retrievers
> 5wR vise-grips for removing destroyed fasteners
> taps
> drill
> BIG dead-blow mallet (only for use on Packard-Bell, etc.)

Angle grinder, gas axe...
Actually lock picks are often useful.

Gordon.