Tools and stuff

[American Patriot]

Hi folks...

Anyone out here a diesel mechanic?

I've been cleaning out the garage and working on organizing my tools, doing an inventory and setting up tool kits.

I have set up separate boxes to be able to pull out what I need for different jobs (so I am not carrying a lot of things I don't need). So far this is what I have put together from my existing things:

Mechanical box (wrenches, socket sets, standard and metric, but I have two types of sockets, 3/8 drive and 1/2 drive, also some long neck sockets).

Electronics box (has all my small electronics stuff, soldering and various tools you would use on radio equipment).

Power tools (Cobalt power set, drill, rotary saw and a sawzall, batteries and charger)

Wood/Metal working tools (Bag of various things I use for wood and metal working)

Rigger's kit (contains various small tools for working ropes/lines, braiding, and jobs you do on wire and other type of ropes)

So any ideas if there is anything special I need on a diesel engine?

[Ryan Ruck]

My wrenching has been limited to mostly gas engines but I've poked around a 6.5L GM diesel. So far as I can tell you should be good with most all of your regular mechanical tools. There could be some fuel system (line fittings, injectors, and pump specific) and glow plug related tools that might be needed but that's probably engine dependent.

[Malsua]

Torque wrench. A good one.

If you ever pull the heads and put them back without properly torquing all the bolts to spec, it'll blow a head gasket faster than a jihadi bomb belt goes off.

[American Patriot]

My wrenching has been limited to mostly gas engines but I've poked around a 6.5L GM diesel. So far as I can tell you should be good with most all of your regular mechanical tools. There could be some fuel system (line fittings, injectors, and pump specific) and glow plug related tools that might be needed but that's probably engine dependent.

My son seemed to think there were some special tools required for diesel engines, but he's a Harley repair guy so... he doesn't work on diesels. lol

[American Patriot]

I won't be tearing an engine down below the valve cover gasket. I have a torque wrench, but it's not an expensive one.

[Ryan Ruck]

Is it a click torque wrench? Those are very handy.

Got 2 myself. A 1/4" for in-lb adjustments and a 3/8" for the bigger stuff.

[American Patriot]

Is it a click torque wrench? Those are very handy.

Got 2 myself. A 1/4" for in-lb adjustments and a 3/8" for the bigger stuff.

Well.... I am not sure. I honestly don't know. It's a wrench with a long handle, a pointer and a scale and it's marked in foot/pounds but I don't know what you mean by "click" unless it's a ratchet type thing?

Wait I found a picture on the internet of one. Apparently it's a rather old one and looks like this:

[Ryan Ruck]

Nope, not a click type.

The click type doesn't have that big scale. Rather you adjust the lower part of the handle to the desired torque. When you get to the desired torque, the head of the wrench breaks/clicks.

Since they aren't as wide because of the scale and they have a ratchet head, they're good for getting into more confined spaces.

[Ryan Ruck]

Click type torque wrench

[American Patriot]

The main reason I posted this was not so much that I don't have a lot of tools or don't know how to use them. I have pretty much anything you can imagine to do a lot of different kinds of jobs.

Mostly I've got a lot of dupes though on things like sockets and combo wrenches. So in an effort to reduce the number of tools I will actually be packing up into the truck eventually, I was going through things to eliminate the duplicates and broken things.

Then I got to thinking...(sometimes that's a bad idea)... and I thought "Wonder what kind of tools I will REALLY need on a boat"?


Having sailed about half a dozen different boats (and types) now and rarely requiring a tool hasn't given me enough experience at doing boat maintenance.

On my own, I've used every kind of tool you can think of so far. Wrenches of different sizes, rigging equipment, bolt cutters, pliers, specialized crimping tools, fiberglass working equipment, wood working gear and metal tools.

On top of all this I have a relatively large vice I'll be taking and my intent is to actually use some of my tools to make a little cash on the side or whatever. We also intend to put together a place on the boat (if she is big enough) with a small work area where I can work on a radio, build an antenna, manufacture a metal bracket or make a knife, bend a pipe or put together plumbing. So, I figure any tools I take will find a usefulness.

I'm just not to the point where I know instinctively I need "this or that" yet.

[Malsua]

The one rick pictured is not good. It's not even ok. In fact, I'd rather just tighten the dog shit out of something to an equal spec than use one of those useless deflecting beam type torque wrenches.

The dial type that break-over at torque are the only wrenches you should use.

The other thing that I'll say is that repair on diesel engines is not complicated. It is simply that everything weighs twice what it weighs on a gas engine.

[American Patriot]

The one rick pictured is not good. It's not even ok. In fact, I'd rather just tighten the dog shit out of something to an equal spec than use one of those useless deflecting beam type torque wrenches.

The dial type that break-over at torque are the only wrenches you should use.

The other thing that I'll say is that repair on diesel engines is not complicated. It is simply that everything weighs twice what it weighs on a gas engine.

Yeah, I know it's not GOOD. I didn't buy it. I found it in some old tools someone gave me. I kept it, but never used it.

Truth is, I don't expect to have to WORK on a diesel engine much other than to replace impellers in the water pump, make sure the fuel lines are clean, no dirt gets into the engine, the air filters are clean and to be able to crank start one if the battery dies or something. I might have to change injectors, or I might have to replace hoses or something.

If I HAVE to tear down and rebuild an engine I'll either pay someone else to do it, or I will pull the engine, sell it fill the prop shaft and make it a sail-only vessel! haha

Thanks for the input.

Anyone have any other ideas of anything I might need other than standard tools?

[Ryan Ruck]

Anyone have any other ideas of anything I might need other than standard tools?

Don't forget the BFH!

[Malsua]

A set of punches to go with that BFH.
Also a butane torch.

[Phil Fiord]

Rick, you need one of these. The 1550 is my choice and I own two. http://www.jamestowndistributors.com...+Rigging+Knife

[American Patriot]

Ryan, I have two BFHs.

Mal, I have a torch (with different types of tips for it) and I know how to use it

Phil, remember my foray into knife making? There was a reason for that. I have several rigging knives and SEPARATE marlingspikes (so far, I've needed to be able to use a knife AND spike at the same time, and from experience I wouldn't use a knife that has both built in now).

So - Got all those bases covered so far haha

[American Patriot]

This was my first attempt at a rigging knife. It's made from a softer steel (low carbon) and it works fine. I've made two more nicer knives with a slightly different shape (don't think I have pictures on here) and they have hardened edges and soft backs (so you can use a mallet to cut through lines).


Mal, that torque wrench I talked about went into the "get rid of this stuff" box.

[Malsua]

Mal, that torque wrench I talked about went into the "get rid of this stuff" box.

Good. If you ever needed it, you might make a problem worse.

You didn't mention any punches. Center punches...I'd get a small one and a medium one. For big stuff, get a garden variety drift pin that you can hit with a 2lb hammer without destroying it. You'd be surprised how useful that becomes when you need it.

[Ryan Ruck]

If you need a replacement for that torque wrench, just hit Harbor Freight. They'll run sales on them and you can pick one up for under $20. No sense spending $150+ on a Snap-On or Matco that could get rusty or get dropped into the drink.

[American Patriot]

I'll look into the torque wrench.

I have some punches. I never have used more than a center punch. I have a couple of cold chisels and I have several wood working edge chisels.

So... I'll add punches to the list and I'll check out Harbor Freight.