1. CH 6.3
Common Workshop Tools

2. Introduction (1 of 2)
Tools and equipment are very important to an efficient and effective shop operation.
Provide means for work to be undertaken on vehicles
Purchase, use, and maintenance is very important to overall performance of any shop.

3. Introduction (2 of 2)
Always use tools and equipment the way they are designed to be used.
Identify the most effective tools to do the task.
Inspect the tool before using it.
Use it correctly.
Clean and inspect it after you use it.
Store it in the correct location.

4. Wrenches (1 of 7)
Used to tighten and loosen nuts and bolts

5. Wrenches (2 of 7) Box-end wrench Fits fully around head of bolt or nut
Grips each six points at the corners like a socket
Ends of box-end wrenches are bent or offset
It can be awkward to use once the nut or bolt has been loosened.

6. Wrenches (3 of 7) Open-end wrench Open on the end
The two parallel flats only grip two points of fastener.
Usually have different-sized heads on each end of wrench
The head is at an angle to the handle.
Should not be used if fastener is extremely tight

7. Wrenches (4 of 7) Combination wrench
Open-end head on one end and box-end head on other end
Both ends are usually the same size.

8. Wrenches (5 of 7) Flare nut wrench A variation on the open-end wrench
Also called a flare tubing wrench
Gives better grip than the open-end wrench because it grabs all six points, not two
The partially open sixth side lets the wrench be placed over tubing or pipes so it can be used to turn the tube fittings.
Shouldn’t be used on extremely tight fasteners

9. Wrenches (6 of 7) Open-end adjustable wrench
Also called a crescent wrench
Moveable jaw that can be adjusted by turning an adjusting screw to fit fasteners in its range
Should only be used if other wrenches are not available

10. Wrenches (7 of 7) Ratcheting box-end wrench
Does not require removal to reposition it
Inner piece fits over and grabs fastener points and is able to rotate within the outer housing.
Do not overstress this tool by using it to tighten or loosen very tight fasteners.
There is also a ratcheting open-end wrench, but it uses no moving parts.

11. Specialized Wrenches (1 of 2)
Pipe wrench
Grips pipes and exerts a lot of force to turn them
The handle pivots slightly; the more pressure put on the handle to turn the wrench, the more the grip tightens.

12. Specialized Wrenches (2 of 2)
Pipe wrench
Jaws are hardened and serrated.
Come in different lengths
Oil filter wrench
Grabs filter and gives you extra leverage to remove when it is tight
Some are adjustable to fit many sizes.
Should only be used to remove an oil filter, never to install it

13. Using Wrenches Correctly
Choosing correct wrench depends on:
How tight the fastener is
How much room there is to get the wrench onto the fastener and turn it
It is always possible that a wrench will slip.
It is better to pull a wrench toward you than to push it away.

14. Sockets (1 of 7)
Fit onto the fastener snugly and grip on all six corners
Come in a variety of configurations
Technicians usually have a lot of sockets.
Individual sockets fit a particular size nut or bolt and are usually purchased in sets.

15. Sockets (2 of 7) Classified by the following characteristics:
Standard or metric
Size of drive used to turn them
Number of points
Depth of socket
Thickness of wall

16. Sockets (3 of 7) Built with a recessed square drive
Fits over square drive of ratchet or other driver
Size of the drive determines how much twisting force can be applied to the socket.
For fasteners that are really tight:
Impact wrench exerts a lot more torque on a socket than turning it by hand.
Impact sockets are usually thicker walled than standard wall sockets.

17. Sockets (4 of 7)
Six- and 12-point sockets fit the heads of hexagonal-shaped fasteners.
Four- and 8-point sockets fit the heads of square-shaped fasteners.
Depth of a socket

18. Sockets (5 of 7)
Socket handles
The ratchet
Sliding T-handle

19. Sockets (6 of 7)
The connection between socket and accessory is made by a square drive.
The larger the drive, the heavier and bulkier the socket will be.
There are many different lengths of extensions.

20. Sockets (7 of 7) Speed brace Lug wrench
Fastest way to spin a fastener on or off a thread by hand
Cannot apply much torque to the fastener
Lug wrench
Has special-sized lug nut sockets permanently attached to it
A common model has four different-sized sockets, one on each arm.
Never hit or jump on a lug wrench.

21. Pliers (1 of 7)
A hand tool designed to hold, cut, or compress materials
Usually made out of two pieces of strong steel
Joined at fulcrum point with jaws, cutting surfaces, and handles

22. Pliers (2 of 7) Combination pliers Most commonly used in a shop
Made from two pieces of high carbon or alloy steel
They pivot together so that any force applied to the handles is multiplied in the strong jaws.
Designed to provide a powerful grip and cut
Offer two surfaces
Two pairs of cutters

23. Pliers (3 of 7) Arc joint pliers Have a moveable pivot
Often called Channellocks
Have parallel jaws
Allow you to increase or decrease size of the jaws by selecting a different set of channels
Useful for a wider grip and a tighter squeeze on parts too big for unconventional pliers

24. Pliers (4 of 7) Needle-nosed pliers Flat-nosed pliers
Have long pointed jaws
Can reach tight spots or hold small items
Flat-nosed pliers
Have an end or nose that is flat and square
Bend wire or even a thin piece of sheet steel accurately along a straight edge.

25. Pliers (5 of 7) Diagonal cutting pliers End cutting pliers or nippers
Used for cutting wire or cotter pins
Most common cutters in the toolbox
Should not be used on hard or heavy-gauge materials
End cutting pliers or nippers
Cutting edge at right angles to their length
Designed to cut through soft metal objects sticking out from a surface

26. Pliers (6 of 7) Snap ring pliers
Have metal pins that fit in holes of a snap ring
Internal
Internal snap ring pliers compress the snap ring so it can be removed from and installed in its internal groove.
External
External snap ring pliers are used to remove and install the snap ring in its external groove.

27. Pliers (7 of 7) Locking pliers or vice grips
Clamp and hold one or more objects
Frees hands
Can clamp and lock in place
Adjustment screw

28. Cutting Tools (1 of 2) Bolt cutters
Cut heavy wire, non-hardened rods, and bolts
Compound joints and long handles give leverage and cutting pressure needed for heavy-gauge materials.

29. Cutting Tools (2 of 2) Tin snips Aviation snips
The closest thing to scissors in a toolbox
Can cut thin sheet metal
Most come with straight blades.
Aviation snips
Designed to cut soft metals
Easy to use because handles are spring loaded open and double pivoted for extra leverage

30. Allen Wrenches (1 of 3) Tighten and loosen fasteners with Allen heads
There is a correct wrench size for every Allen head.

31. Allen Wrenches (2 of 3) The best grip on screw or bolt of all drivers
Good at getting into tight spots
If the correct size of Allen key isn’t used, the key and/or socket head will be rounded off.

32. Allen Wrenches (3 of 3) Traditional Allen wrench
Hexagonal bar with right angle bend at one end
Made in both metric and standard
Many variations since their popularity has increased

33. Screwdrivers (1 of 6) Flat blade screwdriver
The most common screwdriver
Has a flat tip or blade
Blade should be almost as wide and thick as slot in the fastener.
Blade should be a snug fit in slot of screw head.
Come in a variety of sizes and lengths

34. Screwdrivers (2 of 6) Flat blade screwdriver (cont’d)
Blade should taper slightly until very end where tip fits into slot when viewed from the side.
Support shaft with your free hand as you turn it.

35. Screwdrivers (3 of 6) Phillips head screwdriver Pozidriv screwdriver
Used on a screw bolt with cross-shaped recess
The Phillips tip fits a tapered recess.
The Pozidriv fits into slots with parallel sides in the head of the screw.
Four sizes are enough to fit almost all fasteners with this sort of screw head.

36. Screwdrivers (4 of 6) Offset screwdriver
Fits into spaces where a straight screwdriver cannot
Useful where there is not much room to turn it
The two tips look identical but one is set at 90 degrees to the other.

37. Screwdrivers (5 of 6) Ratcheting screwdriver
Usually comes with selection of flat and Phillips tips
Ratchet inside the handle that turns the blade

38. Screwdrivers (6 of 6) Impact driver
Used when a screw or bolt is rusted/corroded in place or overtightened
Force of hammer pushing bit into the screw and at the same time turning it makes it more likely the screw will break loose.
Impact driver accepts a variety of special, impact tips.

39. Magnetic Pickup Tools and Mechanical Fingers (1 of 2)
Grab items in tight spaces
Magnetic pickup tool
Telescoping stick with magnet attached by a swivel joint
Magnet picks up screws, bolts, and sockets.

40. Magnetic Pickup Tools and Mechanical Fingers (2 of 2)
Extract or insert objects in tight spaces
They actually grab the object.
Flexible body and come in different lengths
Expanding grappling fingers on one end
The other end has a push mechanism to expand the fingers and a retracting spring to contract the fingers.

41. Hammers (1 of 5) Ball-peen (engineer’s) hammer The most common hammer
Head is hardened steel.
Punch or a chisel can be driven with flat face.
Name comes from the ball peen or rounded face.
Usually used for flattening or peening a rivet

42. Hammers (2 of 5) Steel hammer vs. soft-faced hammer
Steel hammers are fine for hitting chisels.
Soft-faced hammers range

43. Hammers (3 of 5) Sledge hammer
Used when large chisel needs a really strong blow
Like a small mallet
The heaviest type of hammer that can be used one-handed
Used in conjunction with a chisel to cut off a bolt where corrosion makes it impossible to remove the nut

44. Hammers (4 of 5) Hard rubber mallet The most common mallet in the shop
Has a head made of rubber
A special-purpose tool

45. Hammers (5 of 5) Dead blow hammer
Doesn’t bounce back when it hits something
Made with a lead head or a hollow polyurethane head filled with lead shot or sand
Used when working on the vehicle chassis or when dislodging stuck parts

46. Chisels (1 of 2) Cold chisel
Name is derived from its use to cut cold metals.
Has a flat blade made of high-quality steel
Cutting angle of approximately 70 degrees
The cutting end is tempered and hardened.
The head of the chisel needs to be softer.

47. Chisels (2 of 2) Cross-cut chisel
Named because of the sharpened edge is across the blade width
The chisel narrows down along the stock.
Used for cleaning out or even making key ways

48. Punches (1 of 7)
Used when head of hammer is too large to strike object without causing damage
Transmits striking power from soft upper end down the tip

49. Punches (2 of 7) Tip is made of hardened high carbon steel.
Prick punch
Used when marks need to be drawn on an object to help locate a hole to be drilled
Can also be used to scribe intersecting lines between given points
The prick punch’s point is very sharp.

50. Punches (3 of 7) Center punch Not as sharp as a prick punch
Makes a bigger indentation that centers a drill bit at the point where a hole is required

51. Punches (4 of 7) Drift punch A starter punch Has a tapered shank
The tip is slightly hollow.
Once the starter drift has gotten the pin moving, a suitable pin punch will drive the pin out or in.
Works well for aligning holes on two mating objects
Forcing the punch in the hole will align both components for easier installation of remaining bolts.

52. Punches (5 of 7) Pin punch Available in various diameters
Has a long slender shaft that has straight sides
Used to drive out rivets or pins
A lot of components are either held together or accurately located by pins.
Pins can be pretty tight and a group of pin punches is specially designed to deal with them.

53. Punches (6 of 7) Wad punch or hollow punch
Most efficient to make a hole in soft sheet material
There should always be a soft surface under the work.
If it loses its sharpness or has nicks around its edge, it will make a mess instead of a hole.

54. Punches (7 of 7) Number or letter punch set
The punch must be square with the surface being worked on, not at an angle.
Hammer must hit the top squarely.

55. Pry Bars (1 of 2)
Tools composed of a strong metal and used as a lever to move, adjust, or pry
Many have tapered end that is slightly bent.
A plastic handle is on the other end.

56. Pry Bars (2 of 2) This design works well for: Roll bar
Applying force to tension belts
Moving parts into alignment
Roll bar
One end is sharply curved and tapered.
The other end is tapered to a dull point.
Care should be taken when using them on softer materials to avoid damage.

57. Gasket Scrapers (1 of 2) Have a hardened, sharpened blade
Designed to remove a gasket without damaging the sealing face
One end has a comfortable handle to grip.
On the other end, a blade is fitted with a sharp edge.

58. Gasket Scrapers (2 of 2) Should be kept sharp
Makes it easy to remove all traces of the old gasket and sealing compound
Blades come in different sizes.

59. Files (1 of 11)
Designed to remove small amounts of material from the surface of a workpiece
Come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and coarseness depending on the material
Have a pointed tang on one end that is fitted to a handle

60. Files (2 of 11)
Files differ from one another based on shape and how much material it removes with each stroke.
Teeth on the file determine how much material will be removed.

61. Files (3 of 11)
The teeth face one direction only, so the file cuts in one direction only.
Teeth on a coarse-grade file are longer, with greater space between them.
A smooth-grade file has shorter teeth cut more closely together.

62. Files (4 of 11) Rough files Have the coarsest teeth
Approximately 20 teeth per inch
Used when a lot of material must be removed quickly
Leave a very rough finish
Will have to be followed by the use of finer files

63. Files (5 of 11) Coarse bastard files Second cut files
Coarse file with approximately 30 teeth per inch
Used to rough out or remove material quickly
Second cut files
Approximately 40 teeth per inch
Provide smoother finish than rough or coarse bastard file
Good all-around intermediary files
Leave a reasonably smooth finish

64. Files (6 of 11) Smooth files Dead smooth files
Have approximately 60 teeth per inch
A finishing file
Dead smooth files
100 teeth per inch or more
Used where a very fine finish is required
Some flat files are available with one smooth edge (called safe edge files).
Allow filing up to an edge without damaging it

65. Files (7 of 11) Warding file
Thinner than other files and comes to a point
Used for working in narrow slots

66. Files (8 of 11) Square file Has teeth on all four sides
Can be used in a square or rectangular hole
Can make right shape for a squared metal key to fit in a slot

67. Files (9 of 11) Triangular file Has three sides
Can get into internal corners
Able to cut right into a corner without removing material from the sides

68. Files (10 of 11) Curved file Half-round
Files in a concave hollow or in an acute internal corner
Fully round
Makes holes bigger
Can also file inside a concave surface

69. Files (11 of 11) Thread file Files should be cleaned after use.
Cleans clogged or distorted threads on bolts and studs
Standard or metric configurations
Each file has eight different surfaces that match different thread dimensions.
Files should be cleaned after use.

70. Clamps (1 of 3)
Bench vice
Useful for holding anything that can fit into its jaws
Common uses
Sawing
Filing
Chiseling
The jaws are serrated to give extra grip.
Usually made of aluminum or soft metal

71. Clamps (2 of 3) Offset vice
Used when materials are too awkward to grip vertically in a plain vice
Has its jaws set to one side to allow long components to be held vertically

72. Clamps (3 of 3) Drill vice C-clamp Holds material on a drill worktable
Gets its name from its shape
Holds parts together while they are being assembled, drilled, or welded
Reaches around awkwardly shaped pieces that will not fit in a vice
Commonly used to retract disc brake caliper pistons

73. Taps and Dies (1 of 7) Taps cut threads inside holes or nuts.
Taper tap
Narrows at the tip to give it a good start in the hole where the thread is to be cut
Once the properly sized hole has been drilled, the taper tap can tap a thread through a piece of steel for a bolt to be screwed into it.

74. Taps and Dies (2 of 7) Intermediate tap (plug tap) and bottoming tap
Used to tap a thread into a hole that does not come out on the other side of the material
Blind hole
Taper tap is used to start the thread in the hole.
Intermediate tap is used followed by a bottoming tap.

75. Taps and Dies (3 of 7) Tap handle
Right-angled jaw matches squared end.
Jaws are designed to hold tap securely.
Handles provide leverage to comfortably rotate tap to cut thread.

76. Taps and Dies (4 of 7) T-shaped tap handle
Convenient to cut a thread in an awkward space
The handles are not as long.
It is harder to turn and to guide accurately.

77. Taps and Dies (5 of 7) Die stock Die nut
A die held in a die stock is used to cut a brand new thread on a blank rod or shaft.
Die may be split so it can be adjusted more tightly onto work with each pass of die as thread is cut deeper and deeper until nut fits properly.
Die nut
Hexagonal shaped to fit a wrench
Cleans up threads that are rusty or damaged

78. Taps and Dies (6 of 7) Screw extractors
Remove screws, studs, or bolts that have broken off in threaded holes
Common extractor uses a coarse left-hand tapered thread formed on its hardened body.
Normally a hole is drilled in center of broken screw and extractor is screwed into hole.
Left-hand thread grips broken part of bolt and unscrews it.

79. Taps and Dies (7 of 7) Screw extractors (cont’d)
Extractor is marked with sizes of screw it is designed to remove and hole that needs to be drilled.
Drill the hole in the center of the bolt or stud.

80. Pullers (1 of 3)
Universal tool used for removing bearing, bushings, pulleys, and gears
Specialized pullers available for specific tasks
Common pullers
Two or three legs that grip the part to be removed
A center bolt is screwed in.
Extracts the part

81. Pullers (2 of 3) Gear pullers Designed for particular applications
Consist of three major parts
Jaws
A forcing screw
A cross-arm

82. Pullers (3 of 3) Using gear pullers
Main purpose is to remove a component from a shaft or to remove a shaft from inside a hole.
Normally these components will have been pressed onto that shaft or into the hole.
Removing them will require considerable force.

83. Flaring Tools (1 of 8) Tube flaring tool
Used to flare end of a tube so it can be connected to another tube or component
Flared end is compressed between two threaded parts.

84. Flaring Tools (2 of 8) Single flare Double flare
Low pressures
Double flare
Higher pressures
The ISO flare (bubble flare)
The metric version used in brake systems

85. Flaring Tools (3 of 8) Flaring tools have two parts:
A set of bars with holes that match the diameter of the tube end that is being shaped
A yoke that drives a cone into mouth of the tube

86. Flaring Tools (4 of 8) To make a single flare:
The end of tube is placed level with surface of top of flaring bars.
With the clamp firmly tightened, the feed screw flares the end of the tube.

87. Flaring Tools (5 of 8) To make a double flare:
Same as single flare steps
Double flaring button is placed into end of tube.
When it is removed after tightening, the pipe looks like a bubble.
Placing the cone and yoke over the bubble allows you to turn the feed screw and force the bubble to fold in on itself.
This forms the double flare.

88. Flaring Tools (6 of 8) To make an ISO flare:
Use a flaring tool made specifically for this type of flare.
Similar to double-flare process but stops with the use of the button
Doesn’t get doubled back on itself
It should resemble a bubble shape when you are finished.

89. Flaring Tools (7 of 8) Tubing cutter
More convenient and neater than a saw
The sharpened wheel does the cutting
As tool turns around pipe, the screw increases pressure.
The wheel drives deeper and deeper through the pipe until it finally cuts through.

90. Flaring Tools (8 of 8) Making a successful flare
Important to have correct amount of tube protruding through the tool before clamping
If you are making a double flare or ISO flare:
Use correctly sized button for tubing size.
Prevent tool from slipping on tube and ruining the flare.

91. Riveting Tools (1 of 5) Pop rivet guns
For occasional riveting of light materials
Typical pop or blind rivet has a body and a mandrel.

92. Riveting Tools (2 of 5) Pop rivet guns (cont’d)
Rivet is inserted into riveting tool; when it is squeezed it pulls end of mandrel back through body of rivet.
The mandrel head is bigger than the hole through the body. It swells out as it comes through the body.
Mandrel head will snap off under the pressure and fall out.

93. Riveting Tools (3 of 5) Using riveting tools
To perform a riveting operation, you will need:
A rivet gun
Rivets
A drill
The properly sized drill bit
Material to be riveted
Come in various diameters and lengths for different size jobs
Made of various metals to suit job at hand

94. Riveting Tools (4 of 5) When selecting rivets
Wider diameter rivets are used for jobs that require more strength.
Rivet length should protrude past the thickness of materials by about 1.6 times the diameter.
Always select rivets made from same material being riveted.

95. Riveting Tools (5 of 5)
Pilot holes will need to be drilled through the metal to be riveted.
Capable of riveting various sizes of rivets and has number of nosepiece sizes

96. Soldering Tools (1 of 6) Solder
A mixture of metals with low melting points
Used to join metals together
Tin/lead solder is used for soldering wire and other metals.
Tin/lead solder consists of approximately 60% tin, 40% lead.
Lead-free solder has been introduced.
Not for joints where high stress is involved

97. Soldering Tools (2 of 6) In automotive applications
Generally comes in the form of wire
Can be solid
Can also be hollow
With rosin or acid in the core
Use rosin with electrical connections and acid with all other connections.

98. Soldering Tools (3 of 6)
Soldering involves heating metals hot enough so the solder melts and fills spaces.
When solder cools, it holds the parts together and transmits electricity.
Temperature of soldering operation is critical.
Only heat components enough to melt solder and cause it to flow.

99. Soldering Tools (4 of 6) Heat is provided by a soldering iron or gun.
Generated from electricity or gas
Typically has thermally insulated handle
Soldering tip is heated up.
Heat is transferred by metal-to-metal contact from the tip into the metal to be soldered.

100. Soldering Tools (5 of 6)
Basic soldering irons are heated manually by gas flame.
More sophisticated soldering irons are electrically operated.
Irons can have fixed tip sizes, or tips can be interchanged with different sizes.

101. Soldering Tools (6 of 6) Using soldering tools
Apply flux to joint if cored solder is not used.
Always remove any excess flux when finished.
Ensure joint is held steady during and after solder is applied.
A dull solder surface indicates a cold and high-resistance joint.
Select correct tip size to heat joint and solder within a few seconds.

102. Summary (9 of 30)
Common wrenches include box end, open end, combination (most popular), flare nut (or flare tubing), open-end adjustable, and ratcheting box end.
Box-end wrenches loosen very tight fasteners, but open-end wrenches usually work better once fastener has been broken loose.
Use correct wrench for the situation, to not damage the bolt or nut.

103. Summary (10 of 30)
Sockets grip fasteners tightly on all six corners and are purchased in sets.
Sockets are classified as follows: standard or metric, size of drive used to turn them, number of points, depth of socket, and thickness of wall.
The most common socket handle is a ratchet; a breaker bar gives more leverage, or a sliding T-handle may be used.

104. Summary (11 of 30)
Fasteners can be spun off or on (but not tightened) by a speed brace or speeder handle.
Pliers hold, cut, or compress materials; types include slip-joint, combination, arc joint, needle nose, flat, diagonal cutting, snap ring, and locking.
Always use the correct type of pliers for the job.

105. Summary (12 of 30)
Cutting tools include bolt cutters, tin snips, and aviation snips.
Allen wrenches are designed to fit into fasteners with recessed hexagonal heads.
Screwdriver types include flat blade (most common), Phillips, Pozidriv, offset, ratcheting, and impact.
Tip of screwdriver must be matched exactly to slot or recess on the head of a fastener.

106. Summary (13 of 30)
Magnetic pickup tools and mechanical fingers allow for the extraction and insertion of objects in tight places.
Types of hammers include ball peen (most common), sledge, mallet, and dead blow.
Chisels are used to cut metals when hit with a hammer.

107. Summary (14 of 30)
Punches are used to mark metals when hit with a hammer. Come in different diameters and different points for different tasks; types include prick, center, drift, pin, ward, hollow.
Pry bars can be used to move, adjust, or pry parts.
Gasket scrapers are designed to remove gaskets without damaging surrounding materials.

108. Summary (15 of 30)
Files are used to remove material from the surface of an automotive part.
Flat files come in different grades to indicate how rough they are; grades are rough, coarse bastard, second cut, smooth, and dead smooth.
Types of files include flat, warding, square, triangular, curved, and thread.

109. Summary (16 of 30)
Bench vices, offset vices, drill vices, and C-clamps all hold materials in place while they are worked on.
Taps are designed to cut threads in holes or nuts; types include taper, intermediate, and bottoming.
A die is used to cut a new thread on a blank rod or shaft.

110. Summary (17 of 30)
Gear and bearing pullers are designed to remove components from a shaft when considerable force is needed.
Flaring tools create flares at the end of tubes to connect them to other components; types include single, double, and ISO.
Rivet tools join together two pieces of metal; each rivet can be used only once.

111. Summary (18 of 30)
Solder is a mixture of metals, often in the form of a wire, that is melted with a soldering gun or iron to join metals together.
Measuring tapes and steel rules are commonly used measuring tools; more precise measuring tools include micrometers, gauges, calipers, dial indicators, and straight edges.

112. Credits
Unless otherwise indicated, all photographs and illustrations are under copyright of Jones & Bartlett Learning.