Repair And Fix it

Snap-on Tools has long been an understood mainstay supplier of professional mechanic garages, given the companys wide array of tool choices. From hundreds of hand tools to pneumatic and automated ones, the company consistently produces a quality product. This is important since much of the work mechanics perform regularly would break home tools quickly. Manufactured for significant harder work pressure than normally expected with consumer grade tools, Snap-on instruments for automotive work have been available for 90 years, with ratchets, sockets, wrenches and screwdrivers making up the basic bread-and-butter of the choices.

History

Snap-on automotive tools, along with its general product line, first came on the market in the early 1920s. The initial product line focused on basic wrenches with interchangeable sockets. Prior to this time, tools did not have such flexibility, and what you bought only worked in terms of one function and one size. As a result, a mechanic typically needed a lot of molded tools for different work sizes. Using the door-to-door salesman approach, Snap-on was an early innovater visiting mechanic shops and showing their tool product value on the floor. This immediatey created a growing boom driven by eager customers.

Todays Automotive Tools

Snap-on tools today still delivers via a stocked dealer van just the way they were beginning in the 1950s. Again, the emphasis is on instant proof of the tools value on the shop floor. Tools today include hand versions, diagnostic measurement units, and power or automated tools (electric and pneumatic). Snap-on has also branched out its tool line into software and vehicle repair database management.

Hand Tools

The hand tools still resemble the basic categories of the 1920s: screwdrivers, wrenches and sockets. In addition, Snap-on also provides a wide line of automotive-specific tools such as specialty tools, punch and chisels, specialized hammers, big and small crowbars, and plenty of versions of pliers for a wide range of jobs. For engine work, Snap-on provides a wide line of bearing and oil seal installation and removal sets, piston work tools, bushing and suspension-specific tools, and specialty lathes and cutting tools for fabrication.

Power Tools

Snap-on power tools come in two categories: electric and pneumatic. These units tend to be for heavy duty work and high-powered applications. The selection includes impact wrenches, air drills, pneumatic ratchets, hammer tools and many types of fabrication tools (grinders, cutters, polishing, and hammering).

Automotive Tool Storage

With the wide array of tools to choose from, mechanics will quickly find a need for storage to make sure tools are secure and dont get lost. Snap-ons selections provide for storage units ranging from rolling drawers to full-size closet storage, all being lockable as needed. More importantly, the storage units are stronger than retail grade, so they dont buckle under the tool weight.

A Truecraft torque wrench allows you to tighten a bolt to a specific torque value. Most automotive repair jobs require that you secure bolts to a certain torque value, measured in foot-pounds or inch-pounds. Too little torque could cause the bolt to work its way loose, and too much could cause uneven pressure and it could even cause the head of the bolt to snap off.

Instructions

1

Grip the metal portion of the Truecraft torque wrench with one hand and grip the handle of the torque wrench with the other.

2

Turn the black handle on the torque wrench until it matches up with the specified torque you need to obtain. For example, if your bolt requires 20 foot-pounds of torque, turn the handle until the end of the handle lines up with the line next to 20.

3

Push the socket onto the head of the Truecraft torque wrench and then place the socket onto the head of the bolt.

4

Tighten the bolt down with the torque wrench with slow smooth strokes. Continue this until the torque wrench clicks one time. You have reached the desired torque on the bolt.

5

If you tighten past the first click you will over-torque the bolt. This could cause the bolt to break.

Torque is the force exerted on an object that causes he object to turn or twist. It becomes very important in industrial applications to measure this force as a means of evaluating the maximum tolerances of various components such as drive shafts and wheel lug nuts. One simple way of measuring torque involves a pipe wrench fastened to a shaft in conjunction with a spring scale.

Instructions

1

Tighten the jaws of a 12-inch pipe wrench around the shaft or pipe on which you wish to measure torque.

2

Attach the weight-end hook of a spring scale to the hole in the end of the pipe wrench.

3

Pull on the other end of the scale at a right angle to the wrench and the shaft.

4

Note the reading on the scale in pounds.

5

Multiply this weight value by the length of the wrench (one foot, or 12 inches).

6

Express your answer in foot-pounds. If the scale reads 50 pounds, multiply 50 pounds by one foot. Your torque is 50 foot-pounds.

7

Express your answer in inch-pounds. If the scale reads 50 pounds, multiply 50 pounds by 12 inches. Your torque is 600 inch-pounds.

Over time, many things happen that cause old tools to work not quite as well as they once did. In the case of socket wrenches, this can easily happen. Frequently, something will happen to a wrench or socket that makes the handle and the socket stick together. This can be caused by bent or dented tools, temperature expansion or by grease, dirt or other substances getting into the tool. To keep your tools useful even as they age, you may need to know how to get a stuck socket and handle apart.

Instructions

1

Apply some WD-40 or other lubricant to the joint where the socket connects to the wrench.

2

Wrap a rag around the head and the shaft of the wrench so that you can get a good grip on both parts of the tool without your hand slipping. Pull the two pieces apart if you can.

3

Clamp the handle of the socket wrench carefully in a vise. Wrap the tool with several wraps with a rag if youre worried about scoring the tool in the jaws of the vise.

4

Tighten a crescent wrench or monkey wrench around the socket or use a pair of pliers to get a strong grip on it. Again, wrap it in fabric if youre worried about biting into the tool. Pull as hard as you can until you separate the tools.

5

Insert a thin-bladed flat head screwdriver in between the socket and the wrench and try to pry it off if nothing else has worked.

Torque wrenches can be used for all sorts of precise tightness settings, but fine settings require using the right type of wrench. Not every torque wrench will work at very small tightness levels. As a result, the mechanic or repairer needs to obtain the right tool with the correct precision.

Instructions

1

Reference your engine or application manual for the assembly being worked on for the correct tightness setting value required. Examine your torque wrench to determine if it is an electronic or ratchet-type torque wrench. Purchase one if you do not have one of either type.

2

Position the torque wrench so you can see the measurement settings. Compare the setting to the value needed. Set the ratchet-type wrench to the correct setting and lock it in place with the twist lock at the bottom of the wrench. Use the electronic torque wrench if the value is less than the first setting on a ratchet-type wrench (i.e., you need a finer value than the standard measurements provided).

3

Preset the electronic wrench to the value needed. Insert the correct socket at the top of the wrench. Apply the wrench to the nut or bolt needing tightening. Slowly tighten until you hear and feel a click with the ratchet-type wrench or a beep from the electronic wrench. Take the torque wrench off the nut or bolt and move on to the next assembly step.