OFFICIAL RANT: Why do we need specialized tools?

[Shoeboy]

I think if Ford wants to change from standard tools, or put new special bolts and screws in. When it comes time for you to work on your truck, they should ship you the specialized tools for free. I get tired of car companies making working on your own car more difficult. What is the point of them forcing us to have to take our vehicles to the shop just to replace a head gasket?

I work in a shop, and I need to buy a lot of specialty tools, for ever make and model. I don't disagree with them needing specialty tools. The reason for some of the specialty tools is so they can use the same parts on multiple vehicles and in one or two applications they don't fit 100% perfectly, thus needing a specialty tool. Manufactures now are trying to make vehicles as customer unfriendly as possible, and to make many lockout bolts, specialty fasteners, and tools just to keep the average person out. I'm sure many of you who work in a garage get sick of people trying to do a job, screwing it up, and then having to fix their mistake, and then finding out what the initial problem was, or having to put it back together when you hadn't taken it apart. Believe it or not, as simple as changing a light bulb, I've seen people screw up. Also, with the specialty tools, in 10 years time, or even less, they're going to be as common as sockets or screwdrivers. I can think of more then a few tools that were at one time was a specialty tools, but now are common to the average tool box. Tools will always be developed and people will always screw with things they shouldn't be screwing with. The engineers behind the designs are trying to take the possible failure out of things, and making things tamper proof/resistant so the average person can't damage something that they have no reason for doing. Let my flaming begin...

 

[krugford]

I have not heard of any quick and easy ways to access Ford engine codes without a reader. When I had my 87 Merc Grand Marquis, I read somewhere about attaching a test light to a wire under the hood to get the codes, but it looked like a pain in the ass.

AJ

um..... http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/OBD_I.html

works like a charm.

 

[Hahnsb2]

I agree about the electrical connectors and the tamper proof torx screws. It's rediculous you need to lift 2 separate plastic tabs at the same time to remove a connector, a large reason why all my connectors have one of the tabs ripped off, ford built the fuckers to survive a nuclear blast. The tamper proof torx on the MAF sensor and steering column are a pain in the ass, I chiseled them out of my steering column and replaced them with normal screws. Other than that and the fact they changed every little part from year to year, RVBs are pretty simple to work on. Forgot the clutch "quick" release as well, I hate those damn things.

 

[dude772]

you want to gripe about special tools... how about a "special tool" that ford hasn't even made yet. I dont know how many guys here have worked on the new edge and mkx but we had alot of them come in needing a rear wheel bearing. Now the book says to simply unbolt the bearing from behind and slam in a new one. pays .8 to do it. well if you dont happen to have a long shank T60 torx bit that the shank is narrower than the head, then you wont be able to get around the tone ring for the ABS and you will end up pulling apart the entire rear suspension cause you mashed one tooth.

Or you can tear apart the entire rear suspension because you dont have that special tool that doesn't exist. You have to call up snap-on tell them you need a long shank T-60 bit pay $30 then proptly void your warrenty and start grinding the hell out of it untill its about the size of a tooth pick.

Sorry, bout the rant. but i didn't like spending 2+ hours on a car knowing i would only get paid for .8 .

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Umm, they did. It's called a "check engine light."

This is amazing. Emissions is VERY much a science.

Most of these "rants" REALLY translate as "I don't understand electronics or control systems, so that's Ford's fault." The solution to that is rather obvious.

I am well aware of the CEL, but that doesn't tell you a darn thing about what is wrong until you take it somewhere or get a scanner for yourself.

The information is already right there, wouldn't be too much more trouble to go ahead and put a small screen in somewhere that would tell you what is wrong as well as let you know you have a problem.

 

[Accord4tehloss!]

I am well aware of the CEL, but that doesn't tell you a darn thing about what is wrong until you take it somewhere or get a scanner for yourself.

The information is already right there, wouldn't be too much more trouble to go ahead and put a small screen in somewhere that would tell you what is wrong as well as let you know you have a problem.

Some audi's can do that with the radio hold the buttons a certain way and diag mode come up tells you if anything is wrong. It also tells you sensor data and engine info.

 

[odie1969]

well sometimes you need special tools when you try to pack a v8 in place of a 4banger. and if you don't want the special tool have a good time pulling the motor everytime you want to change apart. hell working on my sho I have 6.5inch spark plug socket with two wobbles and ext. to pull the rear plugs. or you can pull the whole upper intake. (here is a hint last time I pulled the intake on the sho it took me 5mins. I got really good at it, but even with the intake off you still need the special socket to get down in the wells)

 

[swamprat]

Lucky for me I work for a company that provides screw and nut driving systems for the auto industry. I have plenty of bits and sockets used. We do a lot of work for Ford and Honda. Got a few 2010 F150 tailgates laying in the shop right now. Also have 2010 Accord and Civic ac units and blower motors. Most of this will end up in the dumpster (anybody need some spare parts)

 

[rangerbum]

honestly, we dont have it that bad. I dont know how many of you have ever tried to touch a Northstar V8 in a newer caddy, but there isnt anything you can do with typical tools. It's so the big companies can juice even more money out of you by making you take it to the dealer for repairs. If you do touch one, you just voided your warranty.

 

[AllanD]

Yeah, that is the question.

I have always considered it a Engineering flaw to build something that is difficult to work on. Keep things as simple as possible.

Automobiles should not be difficult to work on, you should NOT need a distributor hold down bolt wrench,
That is to avoid removing obstructions, like the upper intake manifold which was NOT on the engine when it was assembled.

nor should you need a code reader,

Not an "engineering failure, can you say: "Government mandate"? sure you can.

tamper resistant torx bolts?

That's to make things more difficult for the ingenius fools

Twelve sided bolt heads in a odd size(when a six sided bolt would work),

Where? Give an Example? Driveshaft bolts you say? Those are the BEST thing ford ever did, but they are not idiot proof. the rear driveshaft bolts are 12mm 12-point, the front driveshaft bolts are 8mm (5/16") 12-pointIf there are more 12-point bolts on a Ford I'd like to know where)

complicated electrical connectors(in twenty years will snap off the tabs because of brittle plastic), so on and so forth.

In seven to ten years the vehicle is supposed to
be SCRAPPED, expecting a manufacturer or their engineers to worry about the same device being used after THREE TIMES it's expected service life is foolish on your part.

Then there is the dual measurement, standard and metric, so you got to buy even more tools. Then there is finer torque specs on bolts, no longer is a Ft-lb. wrench any good, you need a inch pound one too!

I have several Ft/lb torque wrenches from my 3/8" drive quick adjust snap-on to my bigger craftsman, but wait... I have TWO 3/4drive torque wrenches as well as two 3/8drive inch/lb, two 1/4" drive inch/lb
(including one with a minimum scale of 3in/lb) And a pair of torque "screwdrivers" (they use hex screwdriver bits with a collet
instead of a magnet and one of those does in/lb the other does in/oz.
In all I have more than a dozen torque measuring tightening tools.

Quit whining, you are starting to annoy me.


Don't even think about reusing the head bolts!

..now us backyard mechanics, I would just get out the vise grips, snap her on and turn that fastner, but there is NO ROOM! Many times I needed a 11mm deep six sided socket with thin walls to get off a ignition control module! I couldn't use a short socket with ext. because the walls were too thick, not enough clearance around the bolt!


Now I'm not saying there should not be specialized tools, I think there should be to help the repairman to do the job quickly, but often those that work on their vehicles have to modify a tool, or drive to town to buy one, and this hurts when you need to get the vehicle up and running.

There are some things the average schmo shouldn't
mess with, but that isn't the only reason for some of the special fasteners.

there was a time not too long ago when you could find not only Phillips screws on a vehicle, but also slotted head screws and a few screws with "Posidrive" heads. compared to that Torx was an improvement.

About your not having the right tool?

If I were an automotive engineer I would tell you "lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part".

I get a vehicle and I spend a weekend figuiring out what new tools are needed.

There is an easy way to identify a pro (or experienced amateur)...
Ask what combination of tools is needed to remove... say... The engine
mount nuts (the upper ones) on a 4.0OHV Ranger the guy who immediatly snaps back with: "18in 1/2-drive extension with an 18mm Semi-deep swivel socket and an impact gun to turn it with" then after taking a breath tells you
to "pop the spark wire off of Cyl #1 and insert the extension between the head and the exhaust manifold and repeat the same technique on the opposite side..." knows their shit.

You complain about tools, while I hunt for excuses to buy
more tools. generally I don't have to hunt, the need falls
out of the sky like manna from heaven.

 

[pacodiablo]

I don't think my truck is so bad to work on. I live in an apartment, so the truck gets maintenance done in a parking lot. Most of the maintenance stuff is very easy even without an ideal work area. All of the fluids are easy to change. The worst maintenance item is the PCV valve with its stupid clip thing. I had to do a lot of basic things on my Explorer in parking lot/driveway conditions too...blower resistor, heater valve, MAF cleaning, DPFE, etc... and never needed special tools. I replaced a couple fuel filters on my old Ranger and only needed an adjustable wrench and a flat screwdriver. These trucks are easy to work on.

I have a $100 OBDII code reader. It's fairly nice, but I have only used it maybe three times and always with other people's vehicles. My Rangers have never thrown a CEL. My Explorer did...but it was OBDI, which didn't even require a $100 code reader.

 

[exbass94]

My trucks never break down...no tools required.

 

[krugford]

You complain about tools, while I hunt for excuses to buy
more tools. generally I don't have to hunt, the need falls
out of the sky like manna from heaven.

Well, I read the entire post, and that's the thing right there!

Eventually, you'll collect tools that you won't have to go out and buy something for a random job, you'll have it in your box.

I take pride in being "that guy" for all my friends. I always have the right tools for the job they need to do. If I don't, I go buy them. It's how I make friends, and trade favors....

Need something swapped? Changed? Welded? Ground? Milled? Drilled? That's me. I do it because I enjoy it. And working on somebody else's stuff costs less than working on your own, and it's just as fun.

 

[JohnnyU]

I agree with the imperial/metric jumble...how can they build something with a bit of each in every vehicle?

Because believe it or not, different bolts have different torque ratings, and can provide the needed clamp load for a bolted joint. There are some instances where the Metric equivalent fastener is just NOT available. Tell me, how many 33mm bolts have you seen? Compare that and their cost to a 1 1/4" bolt. See what I'm saying? I encounter it everyday as we push for metrification of entire product lines. Sometimes it's just not feasible.

 

[Shoeboy]

Also, not all engines are made in the States. GM gets a lot of their engine and platforms from Australia. Australia uses metric so its more cost effective to use metric bolts in the states then it is to switch everything over to imperial. Also, Japanese vehicles are usually Metric and same with many Canadian made vehicles. Not all vehicles that are US made vehicles are designed in the US. Also, since the US is one of the few countries that still uses imperial fasteners, the switch over to making everything standardized as metric, makes seance in some ways.