MDamen

Get six point sockets. They are less likley to round off bolt heads. Good hex bits are essential.

axl911

Of the 6 years I have wrenched on my P-car, including 2 top-end rebuilds, these are the tool I use the most.

- Hex socket kit 5mm to 10mm
- Hex socket kit 10mm to 19mm in both regular and deep sockets.
- Wrenches kit 7mm-19mm. You will need 7mm for bleeding brakes/clutch
- Oil line wrench kit (26, 30, 36mm, etc)
- 24mm long wrench for the alternator nut
- Swivel sockets for the tight confines of the engine
- Buy only 6-points socket

Get the flexible magnetic & claw pick up tools. You will eventually drop something like a nut or bolt down into the deep recess where the crank pulley is.

travanx

What are 12-point sockets used on anyways?

The ratcheting wrenches are sooooo useful. Also normal and deep sockets are extremely handy. Just realize you are going to double up a lot of the tools for one reason or another. And you can never have enough of anything.

Edward

12-pt sockets aren't any better since a 6 point with a ratched driver will accomplish the same thing: offer you more ability to position the wrench in a tight area where there is little room to swing the wrench.

OTOH, 12-point combo wrenches (closed box end on one side, open on the other side) are indispensable in tight places. This is my typical tool of choice, and prefer them over a socket/ratchet driver when breaking loose a stubborn nut. While socket sets are obviously "faster," a combo wrench gives me more precise feel and arguably better grip on a tough fastener (torque is applied in nearly the same plane as the nut whereas with a socket, the torque is a good 3/4" or so off that plane which increases the likelihood of rounding the faces of that stuck nut/bolt). And again, Craftsman has well-priced sets in this regard. BTW, don't forget to get "breaker bars" in 1/2" and 3/8" ...another "must" in hand tools, IMHO.

Edward

bluejam

[QUOTE=travanx;6187081]What are 12-point sockets used on anyways?

I am so used to 12 pt bolt heads working on aircraft, I didn't realize they aren't really used on cars till I saw this. Interesting.

Marco8

Good Lighting...headlamp used on virtually every job

james944

[QUOTE=bluejam;6188451]
They are used on cars, just not on anything you'd mess with unless you knew what you were doing.

Here's a connecting rod from the 9m site with a 12 pt ARP bolt:

Edward

Wait a minute ...I don't think we're talking apples and apples here. I meant 12-point sockets for standard 6-face nuts/bolts. I was not referring to a 12-point bolt head, of which there are none (unless you get deep into the bowels of the car, as previously mentioned). I hope I didn't confuse anyone.

Edward

993James993

Look here for Hazet: http://www.samstagsales.com/Porsche.htm#pliers

IMO Hazet is about as good as you can get.

The current metric Craftsman sockets at Sears make me cringe, but they are cheap. I should mention however that I am comparing them to a 40 year old collection of Craftsman sockets and tools that belonged to my father.

There is a used tool shop near my home that often has beautiful Snap on wrenches for about a third of new pricing. If you have a similar store in your area it might be worth visiting.

logan2z

Thanks for all of the suggestions guys. I'm going to head down to my local Sears and check out the sets of Craftsman tools. Sounds like a good place to start.

gtroth

Yeah, starting with a good set from Craftsman is not a bad idea - it's what I did to start.

Then I found that just about every tool type (ratcheting combination wrenches, stubby wrenches, even crows foots) in 10mm and 13mm and are worth having on hand.

Box wrenches in 17mm and 19 mm come in handy for suspension work (well, at least they did on the 944S - haven't touched the suspension on the Carrera - bet it's the same story).

Keep an eye on ebay for tools, too.

Barney1

After spending the last 3-4 hours on my back trying to get the clutch slave in the car... A LIFT IS A MUST...
Oh...BTW.. I never got it in. Now flat bed to a friends shop with a LIFT.......

GaryB

If you don't mind using tools with someone else's initials on them, there are some very good deals on Ebay for used SnapOn tools. Most of the high bidders seem to want brand new sets, and like Craftsman, they are good for life.

Gary