Thats great! It seems like in the short time that I have been wrenching on my Fox I have found that some of the bolts are metric! I think Ford was just messing with people by mixing and matching metric and standard stuff.
Tool Review Time
- Thread starter NIKwoaC
- Start date
So here's how that works. The engine is a 1960s design, built in the same factories ever since. Ford never re tooled the engine factories to cut the engines with metric bolt sizes after they decided to use metric bolts on everything else. Generally speaking, if the bolt goes into the engine, it's standard, if it goes elsewhere on the car, it is metric.
Kurt
So, We burn down all existing manufacturing plants so that there will be new ones. The amount of money spent by all of us for two sets of tools more than justifies the cost of a few Ford Plants. Juss' Sayin'
Fair is Fair
That explains why the bellhousing to block bolts are 5/8 hex while the transmission to bellhousing are 15mm hex.
The old pushrod engines are gone now, so the issue has sorted itself out. It's just Boss blocks and such from Motorsport. If you drilled those blocks in metric, it would piss off all the old hot rodders.
Kurt
Kurt
I've already reviewed some Sunex and Lang tools in this thread.
This thread got me to thinking last night, "just what brands of tools do I have in my toolbox at work?" So on my lunch break last night, I started looking through the box...
Gearwrench, Iwiss, Toolworks, Project Pro, Lisle, Actron, Great Neck, Snap-On, Mountain, Tack Life, Mac, Thorson, Crescent, Dremel, Matco, JobSmart, Noco, Williams, Bluepoint, Bostitch, OTC, DeWalt, Silver Eagle, Assenmacher Specialty Tools, Irwin, ADV, Pennzoil, Milwaukee, Expert, Vermont American, Hazet, Tekton, Performance Tool, Cal-Hawk, Sunex, Ampro, Mighty Vac, OEM, Ares, Duralast, LTI, Ryobi, Pittsburgh, Hyper Tough, AutoBodyNow, Klutch, Extech, Power Probe, Knipex, Husky, Dasco, BeTool, Kobalt, Tool-Aid, Foxwell, Titan, S&K, Stanley, Craftsman, Powerbuilt, Warrior, Gator Grip, EZ Red, Lang, Autocraft, Neiko, Saber, Streamlight, NAPA, AC Pro, Aircat, Milton, 3M, Steelman, Black Jack, Camel, Best Q, Olsa, Westling Machine, Hansen, Astro Pnuematic, U-Tool, and All-Star Performance.
Yeah, that's a lot, it surprised even me, and I'm the one that bought them! (WARNING: Weird 74stang2togo rant follows, skip ahead to the Amazon link for the tool review in this post... or read on, but don't say I didn't warn you!)
Every one of these brands has at least one tool useful enough and well-enough made that I use it in a professional setting, earning my living with it. Even the Chinese knock-off brands (Be Tool, Best Q, Iwiss, Tack Life, and U-Tool, for example) have made a tool that was worth having, and in the case of both Iwiss and Tack Life, have made an incredibly good tool regardless of where it came from or how ridiculous the name brand is (I've reviewed a tool from each in this thread).
Don't get me wrong, I prefer American tools, and if there were actual counts of how many of each tool brand I own, Snap-On, Matco, and Sunex would be in the top-3 spots (Snap-On makes most of their stuff here still, Matco is based here, and Sunex makes incredibly high-quality tools in Taiwan), but there are times I know I'm going to need a tool maybe once a year (if that often), and in those cases, I'll buy a cheap one, like the "U-Tool" 10-point brake sockets I have for Audi and Porsche (though, the other of the three sizes I have in Hazet, Porsche's actual tool supplier, because nobody else made the socket).
Other times, a cheap tool is all that's needed. I don't need to lay down big money on the tool truck for a pocket-sized razor-blade scraper when there's one for $0.99 at Northern Tool or Autozone. Other times, a cheap tool is so surprisingly good (the Hyper Tough drill bits I reviewed, for example), that replacing it with a more expensive option would be foolhardy.
There are fantastic tools being made all over the world these days. I'm quite fond of Knipex out of Germany, Neiko from Japan, Sunex, Gearwrench, and Aircat from Taiwan, in particular.
Then there's Tekton. They started out making cheap crap elsewhere under another name, and have really turned a corner, engineering their tools here, and while producing the majority of their stuff overseas, also making a surprising amount of their products here as well.
Amazon product ASIN B014US26RCView: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014US26RC?pf_rd_p=183f5289-9dc0-416f-942e-e8f213ef368b&pf_rd_r=JAAS8N7853R6CP78AZDC
Ten years ago, I had a NAPA Auto Parts sales rep named Ed that came by and visited the dealership I worked at every week. One day he showed up with a gorgeous set of yellow and black screwdrivers from a company I'd never heard of, called "Tekton". It was a complete set, including the little precision screwdrivers, and a magnetizer and demagnetizer, and they looked great. For all of $20, I was willing to give them a try, they looked worlds better than the Pittsburgh screwdrivers I was slowly losing and breaking from Harbor Freight.
I had no idea they'd still be in my box ten years later. I recently bought a six-piece Snap-On set for the shop because I'd always wanted them, and some pliers were bundled with them in a sale, but only part of the Tekton set got sent home that day, as the sizes not covered by the Snap-On set stayed at work. Part of how I justified the new Snap-On screwdrivers for work was that I'd finally have a good set at home too
Tekton's screwdrivers just... work. They're well-made in every way, they handle quite a bit of abuse, they look nice, I mean, honestly, if the Snap-On set was yellow and black instead of green and black, the Tektons still at the shop would look right at home with them. Then there's Tekton's warranty... you email them a picture of your broken tool with your shipping info, and they mail your replacement to you. THAT'S IT. I've never had to test it, but a co-worker who also likes Tekton broke one of their thin-wall lug nut sockets (I've broken every brand I've tried except Gearwrench so far, so that's not really a knock against them), and sure enough, he sent the picture from his phone and had the new socket three days later. I'm a little disappointed that they don't make the yellow and black set I bought ten years ago anymore, but blown away by how well engineered what has replaced them is (I linked it above, a co-worker has them, and loves them). They just... keep improving their products, among your budget tool brands, that's nice to see.
Lately, they've been the talk of multiple tool review channels on Youtube, Red Beard even did a video of their history, philosophy, and with a look at their tools:
View: https://youtu.be/BBjhKvjfAx0
I still love my Tekton screwdriver set, I used the stubby Phillips and flat-blade both last night at the shop, and will more than likely be using some of the rest of the set at the house this weekend. I'm glad Ed dropped by with them all those years ago.
Klutch Full Polish Combination Wrench Metric, 24mm | Northern Tool
The Klutch® Full Polish Combination Wrench is constructed with chrome vanadium steel for strength and durability. Full polish finish for u...
www.northerntool.com
If you haven't been to Northern Tool, and there's one nearby, you should definitely go take a look.
Northern is like a Harbor Freight that actually has name-brand tools in addition to their own house brands. You'll find DeWalt, Ingersoll-Rand, Milwaukee, and Honda right next to their house brands "Klutch" and "Ironton".
In today's installment of what did @74stang2togo blow the money he should've spent on a college education on, we'll talk about Klutch's wrenches.
The 24mm wrench I linked above is one of two Klutch wrenches I own. I also own a Klutch hammer and about a dozen Klutch sockets in various sizes. This wrench paid for itself on day one of ownership, which at it's whopping $11.99 purchase price wouldn't seem to mean much, but when it had this: https://www.matcotools.com/catalog/product/WE745/wrench-extender/ and this: https://shop.snapon.com/product/SN24C on the end of it, while using the open end of it on a suspension component, that $12 store-brand wrench earns a lot of respect. Northern has had several reviews posted comparing these wrenches to Snap-On and others when it comes to durability, and I can tell you first hand, they're 100% legitimate. I'm used to cheap wrenches spreading the moment you put the hurt on them, but these wrenches are every bit as strong as the Mac and Snap-On wrenches in the box next to them, and are all of 1/10th the price of the Snap-On wrenches in the larger sizes in particular.
Now, they do lack the little teeth that make a Snap-On wrench bite a little harder into the nut or bolt, and they're about an inch shorter, and they're not as pretty to look at, but honestly, when I'm working on anything above 19mm or 3/4", those little teeth aren't making the difference, an inch in length is overcome by my wrench extender or a cheater pipe, and who gives a damn how pretty it is?
Whoever makes Klutch brand tools for Northern does a damned fine job, especially on the big wrenches.
Anyone got a dial-indicator recommendation?
I need to be able to bolt to my block to check piston quench.
I need to be able to bolt to my block to check piston quench.
Do [not] pay $150+ at Lowes, Home Depot, or TSC for anything even remotely like this (I've seen them for these prices, not a joke):
Amazon product ASIN B00RV83UUGView: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RV83UUG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I mounted this on one on my Ford Tractor (the one I use as a pony... for everything).
Light Off
Light On
For those that are keeping up; An image of the RC Course/House Foundation at night with the same single light:
Amazon product ASIN B00RV83UUGView: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RV83UUG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I mounted this on one on my Ford Tractor (the one I use as a pony... for everything).
Light Off
Light On
For those that are keeping up; An image of the RC Course/House Foundation at night with the same single light:
Nice! What'd you do for switching and wiring? And how does this work, exactly? 780W is it's rating, but does it actually DRAW 780/12 = 65 amps, or is that rating more like the equivalent in an incandescent bulb?
Oh... and I did save myself some headache by using a pre-made harness for these kinds of lights. The switch sucked but I already had the switch I wanted to use.
Amazon product ASIN B071ZPX32NView: https://www.amazon.com/Nilight-Wiring-Harness-Switch-Warranty/dp/B071ZPX32N/ref=pd_bxgy_263_img_2/140-9536374-2302630?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B071ZPX32N&pd_rd_r=66763e11-430f-4ad8-a37e-4ed5561ed88b&pd_rd_w=zFgRj&pd_rd_wg=bgf6G&pf_rd_p=479b6a22-70ae-47a0-9700-731033f96ce8&pf_rd_r=TKR977HEYWKWGNZQ8VV0&psc=1&refRID=TKR977HEYWKWGNZQ8VV0
That one is similar to the one I used. Mine did not come with any fuses though
Switch aside, the harness is at least as nice as the light assembly.
Amazon product ASIN B071ZPX32NView: https://www.amazon.com/Nilight-Wiring-Harness-Switch-Warranty/dp/B071ZPX32N/ref=pd_bxgy_263_img_2/140-9536374-2302630?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B071ZPX32N&pd_rd_r=66763e11-430f-4ad8-a37e-4ed5561ed88b&pd_rd_w=zFgRj&pd_rd_wg=bgf6G&pf_rd_p=479b6a22-70ae-47a0-9700-731033f96ce8&pf_rd_r=TKR977HEYWKWGNZQ8VV0&psc=1&refRID=TKR977HEYWKWGNZQ8VV0
That one is similar to the one I used. Mine did not come with any fuses though
Switch aside, the harness is at least as nice as the light assembly.
I have not measured current draw however... I mentioned above that my kit did not have the fuses; The staple I used to test the whole thing got hot very quickly. LoL
On the Amazon link I posted, you see that it says 420W but in the description it says 160W. I think the 420W is their Lumens equivalent (speculation Chinese double talk) and the 160W is closer to the actual draw.
Excellent. thank you! I'll go with the 14AWG one. It's good for 55 amps. Is there any way a light bar is really pulling that kind of amperage?
Oh hell, 160 is nothing. Well, the 37" bar says, 780. If the ratio is the same, that's only 24 amps. Shouldn't be an issue for a 14AWG harness. Thanks again, man.
I don't think you will run into trouble with a single light bar. When you look through the instructions though, it shows how to hook multiple light bars to a single harness. This is the portion where I'd get my calculator out and leave 20% headroom (not that LEDs surge a whole lot).
Oh... One last thing. I found that the easiest way to use the [supplied] brackets without having to buy a bunch of other crap to mount it with is:
Drill and tap a hole to mount their brackets to. Done
And the extra nuts that don't make much sense are "jamb nuts".
Alright, my turn to review. The light bar is installed on the front bumper of my F250. I used the recommended wiring kit, but swapped the switch for a 3-way switch, and tied it to the high-beams on one switch. The other 2 are just standard on-off. So, when it's on the high-beam switch, the bar comes on whenever my high beams do. So, theoretically, I can cruise just use the multifunction high beam switch to activate high beams and the bar together.
I am not the biggest fan of the bracket. For the 37" bar, there's a trough with 4 nuts in it that allows the placement anywhere along the length of the bar. No big deal there. The brackets also connect to the light bar using a slotted portion that allows the bolt to swivel to achieve the right angle. However, even angles all the way back, the light is still angled slightly down. Given where I mounted it, I would have to completely removed the bar to adjust it, but fortunately, it looks pretty good on my first attempt, and I won't be tearing it down for reinstallation. The trouble is that the bolts that come with it are too long, and they want you to install a jamb nut with them. This is just a dumb design, in my opinion, because the bolt heads stick so far out of the back that when you attempt to adjust the beam as high as it'll go, the bolts are pointed downwards and they hit the mounting surface before the beams are level. So, I had to go buy shorter bolts (M8 x 1.25) to fit. Afterwards, I was able to fully swivel them back to almost level the beam.
The slightly downward angle would be best for an overhead mounted position, such as on the roof or on Noobz's tractor's overhead bar. On my bumper, however, it sends a lot of light to the ground in front of the truck. That said, the downward angle is very slight, and the lights are flood lights, so they still do a great job lighting up the road in front of me in every direction.
I am not the biggest fan of the bracket. For the 37" bar, there's a trough with 4 nuts in it that allows the placement anywhere along the length of the bar. No big deal there. The brackets also connect to the light bar using a slotted portion that allows the bolt to swivel to achieve the right angle. However, even angles all the way back, the light is still angled slightly down. Given where I mounted it, I would have to completely removed the bar to adjust it, but fortunately, it looks pretty good on my first attempt, and I won't be tearing it down for reinstallation. The trouble is that the bolts that come with it are too long, and they want you to install a jamb nut with them. This is just a dumb design, in my opinion, because the bolt heads stick so far out of the back that when you attempt to adjust the beam as high as it'll go, the bolts are pointed downwards and they hit the mounting surface before the beams are level. So, I had to go buy shorter bolts (M8 x 1.25) to fit. Afterwards, I was able to fully swivel them back to almost level the beam.
The slightly downward angle would be best for an overhead mounted position, such as on the roof or on Noobz's tractor's overhead bar. On my bumper, however, it sends a lot of light to the ground in front of the truck. That said, the downward angle is very slight, and the lights are flood lights, so they still do a great job lighting up the road in front of me in every direction.
Here’s my take on Harbor Freight Chicago Electric 9.5 volt rotary tool. I went there just looking for some bits and a collet nut. I saw their kit that was cordless, and came with a flex shaft.
I got it home....connected flex shaft, and a small wire wheel to that. I was just trying to clean up the crevices of the Explorer intake I just bought. Within a few minutes the variable speed dial became an on/off with the variable speed not working. Then, the whole unit started smoking pretty good, where I had to open up the garage to get rid of the smoke and smell. Back it went the next day. Bought the Dremel flex shaft at HD, and hooked to my old Alltrade electric rotary tool. Worked perfect!
I thought the cordless would be nice.... but not this one.
I got it home....connected flex shaft, and a small wire wheel to that. I was just trying to clean up the crevices of the Explorer intake I just bought. Within a few minutes the variable speed dial became an on/off with the variable speed not working. Then, the whole unit started smoking pretty good, where I had to open up the garage to get rid of the smoke and smell. Back it went the next day. Bought the Dremel flex shaft at HD, and hooked to my old Alltrade electric rotary tool. Worked perfect!
I thought the cordless would be nice.... but not this one.
