East Tennessee Region SCCA

Since I've recently had the opportunity to do some serious wrenching again, I thought I'd post on a few new tools I used that I thought were pretty cool and that everyone else might find interesting:

UView 550000 Airlift Cooling System Leak Checker/Filler I wish I had one of these years ago, especially for the Subarus and Rx7s, which are bad about forming air pockets during a coolant refill. It makes refilling the coolant system a 5 minute job. You turn the ignition on and set the heater to max to open up the heater core, then pull a vacuum with this tool from the fill tank or radiator neck. Then attach the filler line and drop the end in a bucket of water or coolant. Open the valve and your system is completely full with no air pockets in a minute or two. No sitting there baby sitting the fill tank/radiator, waiting on coolant to drain into the system. I used it several times as I filled with water, ran it until it warmed up, and then drained before filling with antifreeze. Worked awesomely. It is a little pricey, but man it works really, really well and saved a ton of time.

A related item, which I didn't use this time around but has been really handy in the past, is the Lisle 24680 Spill-Free Funnel. You can fill it up and let the coolant drain/bubble until its full and then you stick the plunger in from the top of the funnel, which seals the bottom of the funnel and you can can remove a partially full funnel with no mess. Works well and is pretty cheap.

The last thing was this: ACDelco ARM602-4 1/2" Digital Torque Adapter. I didn't actually try to use it directly and I have heard it can be a little cumbersome in tight areas. You can set it to beep when a specified torque is reached and you can set it for several different scales: ft/lbs, in/lbs, Nm, etc. I used it to check the calibration on my existing wrenches. A new one I just bought was spot on, and as I checked older wrenches they were off more and more. It is very repeatable and should remain accurate as it has no moving parts. You can use adapters to check 3/8" and 1/4" tools. At $50 it isn't too bad.

Anyone else have any favorite tools that save time, mess, or busted knuckles?

I finally bought a real caliper spreader. This thing is the bomb dang diggity. For $40, it's a no brainer.



Also, not exactly a "tool" but if you are tired of EPA fuel jugs, the VP Racing jugs are well worth the money. I used one on the Miata the other day and spilled way less than I would with the "green" jugs.

+1 on the airlift. It's a must if your world is flat and all for less than the cost of one shop hour. I would've never bought one if I had known you had one, though.

Brian wrote:+1 on the airlift. It's a must if your world is flat and all for less than the cost of one shop hour. I would've never bought one if I had known you had one, though.

You probably had yours first. I just got mine a month or so ago.


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I didn't know that cooling system filler even existed! Well worth the money if you're doing something coolant related right before a track session. Air bubbles + Road Atlanta + summer time = bad time for engine.

I tried that caliper separator Harp has, it's pretty damn handy. Much better than some channel locks that can mess up a finish on some Brembos.

Those fuel jugs do make a difference on quickly filling up a car and with less spillage. +1 for square jugs, makes storing them in the truck/trailer much more efficient.

I made my own cobbled up version of that Lisle funnel. Think I will go buy that and throw mine away.

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Those coolant bleeders work really, really well. The one at work will suck the radiator hoses in on themselves. Or, maybe I should say the volume of shop air will do that.

http://www.tooltopia.com/private-brand- ... oCV_7w_wcB
I don't have one of these yet, but it's on the list. Perfect for transmissions and diffs, especially if you're doing it laying on the ground. I think everyone hates those "soap pump" style ones you can buy at the parts store.


A good set of picks, large and small, really comes in handy for lots of things. Hoses, clips, connectors, cleaning/scraping....it surprised me how much I ended up using them.


A flex head ratchet with a curved handle--a lot more ergonomic that I would've expected, and good for getting into awkward places. I like Gearwrench 120XP ratchets for the cost/benefit vs tool truck brands. If I break one, another one is $20-$50 and can be here in 1-2 days from Tooltopia, versus paying $100-$300 and waiting until the tool truck arrives next week.


Never underestimate the indispenable magnet-on-a-stick. Or an inspection mirror, for that matter.

I am on the search for a reliable, affordable endoscope, for inspecting bores, intakes, etc. Preferably USB, but I'd be open to one with a decent built-in screen. My $15 ebay one crapped out after just a couple uses. I'll probably try an Autel next.

I've owned one of those airlift systems for a while. Never really seemed to mesh with the radiator openings in any car I've owned. I'd be willing to sell it to someone who can use it if there's interest- it's basically new.

About the best tool I've picked up is the "Thread Detective" which allows you to identify the thread for just about any bolt in existence. Plus its also fun to wander around Ace Hardware with what looks like the most uncomfortable sex toy ever made.

I'd say Rivnuts are one of the best things I have purchased/used in the past year or so. The hard part is getting the Rivnuts themselves. I can never find them locally and if I do find them they are always in standard.

I like this one. Next day delivery of bolts, rivnuts, helicoil, standard and metric. aluminum, steel shapes, all kinds of tools and fabrication goodies.https://www.mcmaster.com

I'm in need of a tool that I'm not sure exists.

I need something that can clamp onto the brake pedal support and somehow allow me to push the pin out circled in the photo. I have to get this pin out to change the bushings in the pedal, which changes pedal feel. I can't get to it with a c-clamp or any kind of punch. I can kind of hammer it out using a combination of a hammer and a hex socket, but it takes forever, and banging around on these pedals is not good for them.

I almost need like a miniature press that i can hook onto the pedal somehow.

Harp, would a small trigger clamp get in there?

If it doesn't exist, make one! Look at handgun sight pushers for inspiration.

Edit!!

yes i bet that's workable. thanks!

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