Besides a few worthless screwdrivers here and there, I have absolutely no tools to call my own. What is a good set to purchase that will have the majority of what I need to do most general purpose DIY tasks on my 5th gen? For instance, I want a kit that will have the tools necessary for a brake job, engine maintenance and tune ups, maybe even a clutch swap, etc.

 

A good, strong socket set would be the best place to start. Emphasis on the strong part. I've broken so many shitty tools. Get craftsman sockets for the lifetime warranty.

If you have a bunch of money lying around, get an air compressor and some nice air tools. Impact guns are a huge help for bolts that don't want to come off. Get some impact sockets to go with the air tools.

Get gloves.

 

Do I need to work on my car near a power outlet to use air tools? I "work" on my car primarily in the multilevel garage where I park.

 

Basic stuff: Metric tool set, extensions, breaker bar, needle nose pliers, Robogrip, torque wrench, open-end wrenches, etc. Just the simple stuff.

There are many jobs that each require their own specific types of tools like valve adjustments (feeler guages), brake line work (flare nut wrenches), 12-pt sockets for clutch/flywheel, crank pulley holder, flywheel holder, some things need large uncommon sockets like 30mm+, etc. It just depends on the job....

 

my essential tools:

craftsman metric sockets, sizes 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 19, 21, 24, 36
craftsman angling head rachet
craftsman racheting wrench set sizes 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 19
combination wrenches in the same above sizes
flare nut wrenches in the same sizes
harbor freight electric impact 19.2 V cordless
metric impact sockets, deep style
impact adapter to accept screw bits
grab bag of extensions w/ wobbles for 3/8" and 1/2"
1/2" breaker bar
BFH
BFS
BFP
needlenose pliers
crescent wrench
utility knife
magnetic probe
punch/prybar
dremel w/ standard attachments
wire stripper
soldering iron
2.5 ton low profile jack
metric tap and die set

and that should be pretty much it when it comes to working on the car. i think the most important thing to have are the sockets and rachet. you can get a set from sears for a good price on like 163 pc sets or 104 pc sets--though you don't need any SAE sockets for the car. For some of the assorted stuff like the prybar, wire stripper, combo wrenches, you can pick up some stuff at harbor freight for cheap. they're not the best tools but they're so cheap that you don't feel so bad about breaking them.

the tools i value the most are my HF electric impact, my jack, and my racheting wrench set. the rach. wrenches are so great.


Modified by bad-monkey at 7:06 PM 9/13/2005