Instead of posting a comment on the article page, I will here. Sorry it is so long,
Good article Bob but..... maybe it is me.... I find that just having the tools mean nothing. I strongly feel that if you drive the truck, you should know how to work on it. This means you know how to change the filters and even the fan belt. It has nothing to do with saving money but being professional.
I have helped a lot of ‘professionals’ in the last few years, one didn’t know how to check his oil and another was prying the cap of his separator off with a screw driver to change the OIL filter.
The tools mean nothing without someone to show you how to use them on your truck properly. Nothing is worst than seeing someone who has been using the wrong tool for the wrong job or walking around trying to figure out what the widget is that came in the bag with the filter (My primary requires something to be added to the filter).
I recommend saving for the right tools and quality matters a lot, I tell people to buy professional tools when ever possible (SK, Mac, even Craftsman *cough*) because there is nothing worst than having a cheap tool fail you in the middle of your work. What one thinks as a good quality tool is another mans junk. You still can come around the estimated $150 that Bob talks about if you shop around and look for sales and close outs.
One thing I have to warn people has to do with the Fuel Filter example, I have two filter assemblies and one takes a special tool which I have to order for $25 plus shipping. I also have to have a bucket to drain my separator while I need it to drop the primary filter. I have broken a few filter wrenches and spilled a lot of diesel fuel, and I have been changing filters for a long time.
I would suggest this; learn about what right tools you need by practicing with them, take things apart (not the engine of course) but a bracket here or there. Buy an extra set of filters (if you haven’t already) and make sure you can figure out where they go, even take pictures of the filters on your engine. Start matching sizes of nuts and bolts to see if it is a metric or an English size. Take the air cleaner out and put it back – things like that. I am better at teaching this than writing about it.
I would add to Bob's tool list with the following;
An assortment of screwdrivers, which should include the correct torx screw driver set (NOTE a lot of trucks only use two sizes, one for the interior and some brackets and one for the headlights so you can find what size and keep only those you need in your box). It is impossible to use a 6 inch screwdriver where you need a stubby or when you use the wrong size tip on the screwdriver and you strip the screw.
At least;
Two sets of pliers, one being channel lock type of pliers and one straight style.
Two or three vicegrips, I used two of them when I was stuck in Florida.
Now here is where quality matters, sockets and drives.
Get two 1/2 inch ratchets; one a normal size and one at least 16 inch.
Trucks have nuts and bolts that use a lot of torque to tighten them and trying to break a bolt loose with a 3/8 ratchet, even with an extensions is a bad idea. A 1/2 size gives you the sockets you will need for any nut or bolt on the truck that you will need to turn.
Also one other thing, when you change a fan belt (another thing you need to carry with you and learn how to change), you will need a 1/2 ratchet that is long. I changed a fan belt in Florida a while back with a 3/8 drive ratchet because I left my 1/2 drive ratchet at home. Normally it would seem impossible to do but I did it.
Now the problem has to do with metric or English or like my truck and trucks built like mine, I have to have both sockets. So you have to figure what you need.
An assortment of 1/2 drive extensions.
A good set of pry bars.
Get what is called a “cutter/crimper/stripper” set of electrical pliers. Good ones are not cheap but cheap ones work.
As bob said an assortment of wire terminals but make sure that you don’t get those little kits with three or four of each terminal – get one with a lot of terminals.
Get wire a small roll of 18 gage and 16 gage wire.
Get one of those cheap multimeter. I have five around the house because they cost seven bucks at Northern Tool or harbor freight. I keep two in my truck, mainly because I smashed on last year and had to borrow one to fix a light.
I have used my claw hammer more than I have had my ball peen hammer. For some reason it worked better.
I have to work on my own truck; it is not a choice for me. My truck is older and I have seen too much crap work from ‘professional’ mechanics not to trust them. The mistrust is not the biggest reason, money and pride is the other. I can’t afford to have everything fixed by a mechanic, and I am capable (even being fat like I am) to fix anything on that truck.
My last oil change, I have had to provide the right fuel filter, and even after I warned the guy to oil the gasket and tighten the filter with the wrench, he didn’t (I found out later he was not a mechanic but an oil change flunky). Somewhere outside of New York City on 95 my engine bucked hard and stopped. The fuel filter was spinning itself off, so I had to take it completely off, clean up the mess and put it back on at 3 am. The bucking ripped the exhaust flange completely off of the header pipe and when I went to buy one it was no longer available from Freightliner. I did fix it but….
For those who can afford to have someone else to work on the truck, you need to step out of the cab and watch these people carefully to learn. Ask questions and write things down, even ask stupid questions. Learn, you are paying these guys and they should without hesitation to help you learn – it is good business.
Hope this helps some of you. Good work Bob.
Oh somewhere i have a list of tools with specifics. I will post it when I can find it.
) and another driver stopped by and told me that 'It looks too much like work'. Do you think this driver would attempt to change a belt?
