Essential tools for the economical DIYer: please help!
 

I am newbie DIYer looking forward to perform some needed work (basically, all maintenance tasks in the book) on my '79 240D. Over the last few days I've done engine oil, transmission and differential fluid change... they were a breeze, really, requiring just a couple of tools: a ratchet, a 13mm socket, a 14mm hex tip socket, a pair of home-made wooden ramps.

I am looking to do routine maintenance things such as brakes, fuel filters, valve and the other required adjustments, and so forth. What are the indispensable tools I should get for these tasks? For instance, brake work is next in line: I was consulting my Haynes manual and in that section alone it mentions needle nose pliers, torque wrench, high-melting point brake grease, small punch, allen socket of unspecified size for removing hub, etc. ... I confess, I feel a bit lost just like a fish out of water... I would like to understand what is essential and what is not, one of the main reasons being that my budget is not a very large one.

I'll be going to the nearest Sears and Walmart stores this weekend (trying to get good deals on tools) and I would very much appreciate a good soul here telling me what tools I should be getting there. So far I have a ratchet, a set of metric sockets 9 to 19mm, one of metric wrenches 6 to 18mm, one hex tip socket 14mm, two 4"-high wooden ramps, various screwdrivers, a pair of regular pliers, a hammer and the jack that came with the car. Basically, very close to nothing...

I plan to get a pair of jackstands there (what type should I be getting for my 240D?) and whatever else you'll be suggesting here... These stores are about 10-15 miles away from where I live, so it would be great if I could get all the essential in just one trip. Your advice here will be very much appreciated. For those tools that are specific to just a single task, it would be great if you mentioned what task they are for... clarifications are never unappreciated at my present level of experience.

Thanks,

Rino

I remember getting a socket/wrench set from WalMart (by Stanley Tools), for around $50. Included a small assortment of wrenches, 3/8 and 1/2 socket wrenches, and about 80 different sockets. Been my best friend.

deep and shallow sockets, sizes 10mm to 19mm, extensions (short and long), swivel extensions (for glow plugs and a manifolds), open end wrenches sized 7mm to 22mm and an assortment of screwdrivers.

also a pair of needle nose vise grips are the monkey wrench of the auto mechanics toolbox.

Standard set of mechanics hand tools should do the job.

For some guides on how to do different DIY look here http://dieselgiant.com/mercedes_diesel_maintenance_tips.htm

Ask if you need help on anything. We all like to help each other out.

I have two suggestions:

1. First buy tools as you find a need for them

2. Buy tools of adequate quality.

For a DIYer you don't need Snap On or Mac tools, but I would consider Craftsman as the minimum quality level.

Start with a set of COMBINATION wrenches. This means box end on one end and open end on the other of the same size. Then a 3/8" drive and 1/2" drive socket set with ratchet, several different length extensions and a universal joint. All of this in Metric, of course with sizes from 8MM to 17MM for the wrenches and the same for your 3/8 stuff. The 1/2 drive stuff should be from about 13 to 32 or so. Add a set of 3/8 drive hex bits from about 5MM up to 10MM.

Add to that Phillips and flatblade screwdrivers, a few various pairs of pliers and maybe an adjustable wrench or two.

After that buy good quality tools as you need them and DON'T get them at Wal Mart or some such.

You will need a 3/16"punch a 7mm wrench and a 5.5mm allen for the brakes job.

As well as 17mm and 19mm sockets.

The maintenance set of tools is actually quite limited:

6, 7, 8, 10, 13, 17, 19, 22, 24 and 46mm sockets and wrenches
5.5, 10 and 14mm allen sockets

Upgrade to steel ramps unless these wooden ramps are milled from a solid chunk of wood ;)

Don't forget a metric pair of channel locks ..jk But channel locks are good to carry with at all times.

I bought a 150 piece craftsman tool set at sears and its all I have ever needed. I also buy as I go along for tools

I appreciate it...

Is a torque wrench essential? What about a power bleeder for the brakes, is it important or is this along the lines of the "traditional oil drain vs. oil extractor" argument? What of lubricants, greases and the like? Are there a couple of these that are basic and can be used for a multitude of tasks, or should one buy each time a different and highly specific product for a given tasks as, for instance, a whole container of "high melting point brake grease" of which one is going to end up applying just a tiny bit "to the contact surfaces of the back and edges of the new brake pad" (quoted from chapter 9 of the Haynes manual) at two-year intervals and is going to last 128 years... :(

You know what I mean?
I am trying to simplify... get down to the essentials and minimize waste of both money and storage space (of which I have very little) in the process...

Rino

I've seen those steel ramps (and plastic ones, like the Rhino's) and they scare the living hell out of me... they are too high and should they crash while I am underneath the beast... I am gone! With mine, I have peace of mind. They are made of two 2" layers of solid wood, stacked and nailed together, and believe me, they ain't gonna crash... I think they could comfortably hold 15K lbs. each.

I'll check out the 150-piece set at Sears in a couple of days, if I can find it. Do you have the exact name for it?

Rino

One thing I've learned about buying tools is to always go to Sears. Sometimes it costs more, but the tools are better quality, and they always have what I'm looking for.

Is the same true concerning jackstands? What capacity jackstands should I get, adequate for my car but at the same time small enough to be hidden somewhere? (I have a huge space problem, and not a private garage...)

Are a pair of jackstands actually essential for routine maintenance tasks?

Rino

Jack stands are a safety issue. Your call. Capacity, you're supporting one side, or corner, so one ton is fine. There are some stamped, they look it, pull out a key, slide up, reinsert, I would not trust them, the better ones have "teeth" that you can adjust the heighth with. They are heavy for a reason. Cheap tools are just that. High temp grease is necessary on some parts, the only problem I can think of, is if you were to use said grease on something like your sunroof, I use grease on throttle linkage, and door hinges, in cold weather will not work. I use Liquid Wrench, and PB Blaster. No need for a power bleeder, or oil extractor for that matter, as you're tight for storage. Routine maintence sockets, wrenches, rarely go over 17mm. 13mm and 10mm are used most sften. Sounds like your ramps will be just fine. Hope this helps.

There is a couple of things about the jack stand business that are not at all clear to me and that I need to have clarified... If I need to get under the car in order to do fluid changes, obviously I do not need them, as my wooden ramps are extra safe and do the job wonderfully.
I'd feel less confortable under a car without wheels and supported by jack stands than under one with wheels standing on my 4" ramps...

However, I am under the impression that I cannot do without those jack stands in order to perform, for instance, work on the brakes, where I need to take the wheels off (and in such a case I wouldn't trust working on the car sustained by just the lifting jack. What is not clear to me is: how many stands do I need? In the case of brake work, for instance, am I supposed to work on just one corner with just one wheel off at a time, two, three or all four???
If I am bleeding the brake line, for example, how many tires do I need to have off at one time? I was under the impression that placing the car on jack stands meant taking all wheels off and having the car on four of those things... And believe me, I wouldn't feel at all comfortable getting under a car sustained that way!
So can someone please explain?

I checked the Sears website... are these the type of jack stands I should be looking at? (two 2-1/4 ton/4500 lb. capacity:
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?cat=Mechanics+Tools&pid=00950182000&vertical=TOOL&subcat=Lift+Equipment&BV_UseBVCookie=Ye s

I've never used a pair... Where are those U-shaped tips supposed to connect under my car? I am concerned such a small contact area could very well damage its frame... or even worse cause it to slide off!

Rino

other tools
 

as you "grow" a good set of crowsfeet are great for things like transmission cooler lines, brake lines etc - I like SK's version because the grab more corners of the nut

breaker bar for 1/2" sockets (handy for the obvious and breaking loose lug nuts)

eventually you will find out that you will need a couple of torque wrenches - you'll need a narrow / low range (transmission pan/gasket for example is only 8nm) somewhere between 8-30 and a regular range (30 - 120 nm) - I think lug nuts are 80lb or 100NM, and rarely do you need anything godzilla - but it happens (lower control arm eccentric bolt I think is 180nm, pit arm rebuild is real high as well as idle arm)

what else
varying rang of rubber mallets to kindle break things loose (rotor stuck to hub for example)

prybars - assortment - definately come in handy

set of punches - as someone mentioned - for breaks, and helping line stuff up (like the upper control arms ;) for that dang top bolt

floor jacks, zip ties, cable cutter pliers

very advanced (not cheap), but saved my rear a couple of times to clean up bolts and bolt holes - metric tap and die set

the basic metric set of 3/8" 1/2" deep and shallow sockets with ratchets and varies extensions will take you a loooong way!

I thought you were talking economy and now you are talking about luxury items such as power brake bleeders and oil evacuation gadgets.

A combaination wrench and a drain pan serve as your oil evacuator and a Metric wrench that fits the brake screw along with an assistant that is at least 10 years old substitutes for the brake bleeder.

Buy what you need and get the gadgets later.

My $0.02,