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- Mar 11, 2007
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Hi,
I would like to give my list of tools that every Honda owner (or general mechanic) should have. Read my list, and then add your own ideas.
I've noticed a lot of people who work on cars, if they are new, will have a cloudy idea of what they are really going to need after they start with the regular mechanics tool set, like this 154pc. Craftsmen set-Sears.com. Not having the right tools can make the difference between a 3 hour job and a 3 day nightmare where you're borrowing a car to go to work. All good tools have lifetime replacement, so I recommend you only spend money on the "best" brands where precision or strength is paramount- IE 1/4" and 3/8" ratchets, 1/2"-3/8" socket adapter. The Snap-On pry-bars, flathead screwdrivers, and hammers work the same as the cheap ones.
My disclaimer for this thread- It doesn't cover ALL tools by all means. I'm just going to list some of my favorite time saver tools, or ones that I deem necessary after having worked on cars for while. I'm not really a big proponent of air tools because they aren't portable, and the cost can be out of reach for a beginner mechanic. And, as one mechanic told me- save money and buy your specialty tools as needed, and borrow if it's a one time job.
Safety gear and Lighting
Remember, this thread is considering you already have a starter mechanics set off the shelf.
All Honda guys know the main size bolt heads you'll come into contact with are 19mm, 17mm, 14mm, 12mm, 10mm, and 8mm, so make sure you have a deep socket, stubby socket, open ended wrench, and box end wrench in these sizes. 12 point box end and sockets are fine for the larger 19, 17, and 14mm sizes but I recommend you have both 12pt and 6pt stuff for the sizes 12mm, 10mm, and 8mm because these can be prone to head stripping with 12pt tools.
When working on brakes, you'll need some basics to get by.
I have a whole separate electrical box, but there are some things you'll need to get started. I won't get too far into it here, but your basics are listed. All of this stuff is relatively cheap. Most (all?) beginners HATE electrical stuff so just study it and learn as you need to for each job. Don't buy this stuff until you need it, the exception being the auto ranging multi-meter.
auto-ranging multi-meter, thin flux core soldering wire, 14-16-18 gauge wire, wiring flux, solder iron (and a grill lighter), wire stripper, sandpaper and brushes, 3M electrical tape, heat shrink tubing, extra fuses. The only "odd" thing above is the grill lighter (or pencil torch), sometimes there's no time to wait for a soldering iron to heat up.
Miscellaneous and Honda Specific
The things you'll find indispensable that can't really be categorized.
What powered tools should you start with, if it's in your budget?
I would like to give my list of tools that every Honda owner (or general mechanic) should have. Read my list, and then add your own ideas.
I've noticed a lot of people who work on cars, if they are new, will have a cloudy idea of what they are really going to need after they start with the regular mechanics tool set, like this 154pc. Craftsmen set-Sears.com. Not having the right tools can make the difference between a 3 hour job and a 3 day nightmare where you're borrowing a car to go to work. All good tools have lifetime replacement, so I recommend you only spend money on the "best" brands where precision or strength is paramount- IE 1/4" and 3/8" ratchets, 1/2"-3/8" socket adapter. The Snap-On pry-bars, flathead screwdrivers, and hammers work the same as the cheap ones.
My disclaimer for this thread- It doesn't cover ALL tools by all means. I'm just going to list some of my favorite time saver tools, or ones that I deem necessary after having worked on cars for while. I'm not really a big proponent of air tools because they aren't portable, and the cost can be out of reach for a beginner mechanic. And, as one mechanic told me- save money and buy your specialty tools as needed, and borrow if it's a one time job.
Safety gear and Lighting
Goggles- Keep sand and crap out of the eyes, I usually use goggles instead of glasses because goggles seal all around. I keep them protected from scratches in a sock in my toolbox.
Gloves- I have both vinyl gloves for oil changes, and Fastfit gloves from Mechanix. Gloves keep you from getting cut, and save you time washing up. They are necessary for cold weather outdoor work. I use the Mechanix Fastfit because it's easy on/off and you still have feel with the thin leather.
A good set of four jackstands-Look for ones with wide area feet; ones with pointy legs can sink into the ground if your car is on asphalt.
On a budget and need a quick dust mask? Tie a t-shirt around your face and be done with it.
Wheel chocks- Use something after tightening up your e-brake to really wedge behind the wheel.
Floor jack- My favorite time saver is a large, aluminum based racing jack with a high lift. The $20 steel floor jacks work, and more jacks always come in handy, but if you can, invest about $120 and get a big aluminum jack. It's still light enough to carry and travel. Nothing worse than spending your first half hour on a job going back and forth with a small jack and using wood to boost it's height. Bonus tip- the long removable handle can be used for extreme leverage situations. Please don't use the Honda trunk jacks for long-term lifting of your car- they will tip over. You can use trunk jacks for supporting suspension/engine parts if you need to. (IE engine mount change)
Piece of carpet-I don't use creepers because I don't need them and they give you that much less space under the car. Keep it simple with a piece of carpet or mat to keep you off the ground, and keep grease from spilling all over the garage/driveway.
Drop lights, extension cords- A weather sealed fluorescent drop light with a hook and extra power outlet really comes in handy. Don't use incandescent bulbs when working on cars as they will break too fast. Have some good extension cords in some different lengths. Longer ones should be thicker to keep the voltage over distance. My favorite extension cord is very thick with 2 plugs at the end, as you'll often be using on light and one powered tool.
Remember, this thread is considering you already have a starter mechanics set off the shelf.
All Honda guys know the main size bolt heads you'll come into contact with are 19mm, 17mm, 14mm, 12mm, 10mm, and 8mm, so make sure you have a deep socket, stubby socket, open ended wrench, and box end wrench in these sizes. 12 point box end and sockets are fine for the larger 19, 17, and 14mm sizes but I recommend you have both 12pt and 6pt stuff for the sizes 12mm, 10mm, and 8mm because these can be prone to head stripping with 12pt tools.
- Full sets of ratcheting box end wrenches are expensive, start by buying a 12 pt 10mm one if you're on a budget. This saved me some serious time in hard to reach places!
- Extensions- Have multiple extensions in 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" sizes. You'll want to have enough 3/8 extensions to reach anything, as you're using that size the most. Have a swivel extension in each size, if it gets too "loose" to use, wrap tape around the outside.
I consider a 1/2"-3/8" adapter a useful tool especially if you're on a budget and don't want to buy a bunch of 1/2" size sockets. Be prepared to break and exchange these adapters if you use them often. I hardly use the adapter after buying dedicated 6pt, 1/2" sockets in 19mm, 17mm, and 14mm. - Breaker bars- You need to have at least one strong 1/2" drive breaker bar. The longer the better. Try not to get a "flex handle" one. Don't waste money on 1/4" and 3/8" breaker bars. If it's really stuck, use your 1/2" drive tools. If there's no clearance for that, then it's not a big sized bolt you're working on; the bolt will break before the mechanisms in your small ratchet will. If I need leverage on a small bolt, I slip a "cheater bar over the end of my ratchet. This is any sort of copper, aluminum, or steel pipe used for leverage. Get a small diameter one for your 1/4" ratchet or small wrench, and a big one for 3/8" and up sizes. Remember, the cheater bar is great for your wrenches as well.
- Adjustable wrenches- You won't use these often, but it's good to have one small 6" adjustable wrench, and one large at least 12" adjustable wrench for your big stuff. Just don't let water get inside these.
Torque wrenches- It's best to have one small torque wrench for small tolerances, and one larger torque wrench for bigger torque. The click style ones are great. To be honest, I usually just go by feel and use torque wrenches for engine work. When starting out, make sure to not over-tighten your smaller nuts and bolts. You'll break/strip a few things before developing the right feel.
- Vice grips- Vice grips come in handy all too often, especially if you're working on rusted nuts, bolts, and lines. Have at least a big one and a small one, and make sure they don't get wet.
Slip joint pliers- You'll want both the smaller 2-way slip joint pliers, and the larger tongue-in-groove offset pliers, sometimes called "channel locks". Make sure yours have the rounded recessed jaws for grabbing round items.
Needle Nose Pliers- Have at least a very small pair of these, and preferably one very long pair.
Dikes/Snips- Have a dedicated pair of dikes. I have one small and one larger pair. These can be used to cut old cotter pins, wires, or zip ties. I don't really like the "linesman" pliers that have the cutting jaws at the base because you can't use the very tip to cut. You might consider getting some tin-snips however as the scissor action is very effective.
Oil filter wrench- The best oil filter wrenches are actually just large jawed slip-joint pliers with heavy teeth on them. These are more versatile than slip-on wrenches, and actually work unlike strap style oil filter wrenches.
Screwdrivers- You should have a large, medium, and very small screwdriver in both phillips and flathead. They should all be magnetized. If they aren't, rub the end of the screwdriver in one direction over and over on a strong magnet to magnetize it. You'll find your large flathead screwdriver is a great pry-bar for some situations, and your small one can be used to pry plastic interior parts. I find the bit-style and ratcheting screwdrivers just add complication to a simple tool, and can have clearance issues because of the bulk. Buy them if you want, but have some dedicated old fashioned screwdrivers as you'll use them the most often. Exchangeable bit sets can be a money saver for torx and specialty uses however.
Stubby or offset "allen" shaped screwdriver- Have one of these for low clearance areas. Can't hurt because screwdrivers are very cheap.
When working on brakes, you'll need some basics to get by.
3/8" Drive Brake Cube- For screwing in your rear disc brake piston.
10mm/12mm Combo Flare Nut Wrench- You'll want this tool for brass brake line connections so you don't strip them with your regular open end wrench. Don't work on lines without it!
Vinyl Tubing- You want a clear piece of 1/4" inner diameter, 3/8" outer diameter, 2 feet+ long vinyl tubing so you can collect your brake fluid and see bubbles. Wrap electrical tape tightly around the end that goes over the bleeder so it doesn't get loose over time.
6" C-Clamp- Among other things, use this clamp for pressing your front brake calipers back in. Use an old brake pad as your base so the piston goes back in evenly.
Drum brake kit- If you are unfortunate enough to have to work on drum brakes, get a kit like this 3 Piece Brake Spring Pliers Kit. Use safety glasses for sure when working on drums and springs.
Reversible Impact Screwdriver- This is a cheap tool that I have to use almost every time I need to get the screws out of old discs that go into the hub. Not necessary but very good to have in your tool box. Not just brake specific of course.
I have a whole separate electrical box, but there are some things you'll need to get started. I won't get too far into it here, but your basics are listed. All of this stuff is relatively cheap. Most (all?) beginners HATE electrical stuff so just study it and learn as you need to for each job. Don't buy this stuff until you need it, the exception being the auto ranging multi-meter.
auto-ranging multi-meter, thin flux core soldering wire, 14-16-18 gauge wire, wiring flux, solder iron (and a grill lighter), wire stripper, sandpaper and brushes, 3M electrical tape, heat shrink tubing, extra fuses. The only "odd" thing above is the grill lighter (or pencil torch), sometimes there's no time to wait for a soldering iron to heat up.
Miscellaneous and Honda Specific
The things you'll find indispensable that can't really be categorized.
Pry Bars- Get a cheap set of 3 different length pry bars. A lot of mechanic work depends on wiggling and prying stuff into and out of place.
Bailing wire/Spool of twist-tie wire- Use wire to hold things in place, like detached brake calipers.
3lb Hand Sledge Hammer- Don't use a claw hammer for automotive work, it's too light. Use a 3lb sledge for your ball joints and rusted rotors. If you don't want to mar a surface, put something in between like wood or a bundled up rag in place of a soft-touch or dead blow hammer.
Utility Knife and Disposable Razor Blades- You need to cut things sometimes, or scrape things off of flat surfaces.
Wire Brush And File- Have a big steel wire brush, and a couple of little steel and brass bristled ones. Good for cleaning rust and electric grounds. Also get at least one metal file. You should have some sandpaper pieces available as well.
Mini-Hack Saw- This uses regular hack saw blades, but the end is not enclosed, allowing use in small spaces. Have some extra metal blades in your box.
MAP Gas Torch- This should be in everyone's box. Get a yellow bottle of MAP because it's much hotter than propane. I recommend a pointed flame tip. The torch is so useful for things like- heating up seized nuts and bolts, melting broken plastic back together, heating wire you're preparing to solder, and burning out old bushings from suspension parts. Get a BIC lighter rather than flint striker to light it as it has more uses.
A plastic funnel
Pin Punches- Have a couple different center punches (flat ended) for tapping out jammed suspension bolts, for "the B-series bitch pin", or for tapping out rusted and broken cotter pins. At least one center punch (pointed) can be handy but not necessary.
Large and Small Plastic Zip Ties- These are just plain useful, keep wires bundles together, hold something out of the way, or keep something fastened in a low-load, low-heat situation.
Hondabond- Hondabond is Honda's version of high temp silicone gasket. Not for exhaust work however. Mostly used in conjunction with an OEM rubber gasket.
Axle Grease, Anti-Seize, 3in1 Oil, PB Blaster, Brake-Clean- Use your tub of axle grease for heavy grease needs, your anti-seize (a light, but even coat) for almost all threads that might touch water, your 3in1 Oil for oiling up certain tools or anything that calls for light oil, and PB Blaster for stuck nuts and bolts, and for hard to reach rust protection. Use PB Blaster and then a torch for stuck bolts. I don't usually use WD-40 but it does dispel water. Always have at least 2 cans of brake cleaner around in case you run out. Use it to clean anything greasy.
32mm 1/2" Axle Nut Socket - A lot of jobs involve removing your axles. This is the necessary size for civics and integras.
02 Sensor Socket- Sometimes you need to remove your 02 Sensor. They are really stuck usually and this will keep you from rounding it off with an open ended wrench.
5/8" Spark Plug Socket- Needed to pull spark plugs, which happens often. I keep mine taped to a long extension so the socket doesn't stay down in the hole when putting plugs back in. Sometimes you have to glue the rubber bushing to the socket so it doesn't stay with the plug.
Feeler Gauges- Best to get a wire style feeler gauge with a tip-bender for spark plugs, and some offset "tab" feeler gauges for valve adjustments. Sometimes this is a 2-in-1 tool.
Bench vice- A heavy bench vice is not necessary for a lot of jobs, but it comes in handy so often.
Bucket of Honda Nuts and Bolts- I find it very useful to keep all old Honda specific nuts, bolts, pins, and clamps that you can. When you lose or break a nut/bolt/clamp this comes in handy. Quickest way to collect all this is from junk yards and car part-outs/breaking.
14mm aluminum crush washers, stainless cotter pins Keep some extra aluminum crush washers on hand for oil/trans fluid changes, and different size cotter pins for working on your suspension.
Service Manual- You will need a Haynes, Chiltons, or other shop manual for reference. Use this in conjunction with internet instructions.
What powered tools should you start with, if it's in your budget?
A heavy electric drill- Your primary drill should not be battery powered in my opinion. Again, not necessary, but it never hurts to have a drill as the possible applications are huge. Make sure to have a set of stone wheels, wire brushes, drill bits, and even router bits.
Handheld and Bench Grinder- The handheld grinder is used for sanding, cutting, wire-brushing, and grinding metal on your car at a high rate. You don't need an expensive one. Get a bench grinder and fit it with one wire-wheel, one grinding wheel. Sharpen or re-shape old tools, or brush rust off of tools, nuts, and bolts.
Rotary Tool/Dremel- Same uses as a drill, but for smaller more precise work. These, like most all of the tools listed, are cheap these days.
rep added.
