The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Tool kit suggestions

First, a story.

After successfully and uneventfully driving my 58 Panel in and out of the carport for two months, I thought I would get a one day permit for a reliability ride and a refresh of why I bought the thing in the first place. It must have known something was happening, so it started running like a bag of hammers. It felt like spark plug wires (hesitation under load but OK idle.) Replace wires, then no start. Turned out it was now out of gas. Filled, but still ran the same.
No accelerator pump squirt so pulled off the carb top and found sludge. Sucked it out with pump but still no squirt. Then, started to run great. Drove out to a friend's place to show off. Column shift linkage fell off and shifter fork went out of alignment. Manually put in third and drove home. Fixed shifter, then ran like crap again. Pulled carb and got rid of more sludge (yes I do have a filter but just small glass. Installing a big one with drain and water trap tonight.) Put it back on and idle no more. Ordered carb kit for Carter YF. So, altogether a disappointing day.

So, now my topic! I know lots of you guys have been doing this for years. Can you help me to build a little tool kit to carry with me? No cherry pickers or 3 ton floor jacks - just something for minor issues. I don't have one of those fancy show trucks that has been worked on in detail for the past 15 years, more of a resurrection from junk status. Here is what I am thinking so far:

Some nitrile gloves
1/2 wrench
9/16 wrench
3/8 drive ratchet with a few sockets
small adjustable wrench
Slot and Phillips screw drivers
Needle nose pliers
Vise grips
electrical test light
small collection of washers
small collection of cotter pins
short length of mechanics wire

Thanks all!

Hi Ted,

We've all been there...

Your kit list is a good start assuming you've included the minimums for a tire change (jack, tire iron, etc.). Some additional items to consider:
Flashlight (w/ magnet or a snake light)
Fuses
Electrical tape
Tire pressure gage
Some spare bulbs
Jumper cables (if you're running 12V)

If you have extra room you could include a small hammer, a file, a socket to fit the spark plugs, and a small wire brush.

Good luck and have fun.

Bill

Good list!
In addition, I carry a small floor jack and short lengths of 2x4
Extra oil
Extra antifreeze
Small set of socket wrenches
Road flares
Water
Jumper cables
Extra light bulbs
Spare tuneup parts-- cap, rotor, condensor
Spare fuel filter
Pliers
Shop towels
Small funnel
Lug wrench

Seems like a lot, but most everything has been needed by me or someone else on a cruise, at least once.

Ted
I think you have a good list of basic tools.
After working for the school district for 25 years and running a wrecker for a number of years I have learned that no matter how good a road service kit you have you will almost always have everything but you need. Electrical tape and wire will often get you home though.
Jim

Thanks for the suggestion Bill, Jim and Sparky. I am thinking I should mount a truck box in the panel somewhere for emergency supplies.

i carry a small 3/8 socket set. i have a mechanics choice tool bag like the old time doctors would carry when making house calls. i have a set of wrenches from 1/4" -3/4", a 12" cresent wrench all some of the things that were mentioned to fill it up plus a set of points and a fuel filter along with a timing light. i have it so if i cant deal with it out there on the road with what i got im needing a hook anyway so no need to clutter up the truck. most of all carry a cell phone.

You are going to need a set of clutch head drivers.

along with much of the items listed above
I keep a walker rebuild kit in the truck for my carter carb.
also a ...jack...

No tool kit is complete without a roll of quality duct tape. My airframe mechanic cousin calls it 500mph tape (some crazy stories).

Hey wait a second Dave, shouldn't every roll of duct tape be accompanied by a can of WD40?

Dad50 - after your cross country trip I guess you are qualified!

The item I use most often from my tool box is a small tube of hand cleaner. My tool box is a little different, it's an old tractor tool box bolted to the running board.

I have several of those husky sets in a hard plastic case. They have 1/2 and 3/8 and 1/4 drive in metric and inches. Plus, wrenches, allens and screwdrivers and pliers. About $35-50 bucks everyplace.

I haven't seen mention of
-sheet of gasket paper
-Permatex #2 for the gastets and pipe threads
-spare fan belt
-feeler gauges if you'll be on a real long trip and need to adjust valves
-Gasket scraper, I made one out of an old broken flat file now about 4" long, ground flat on one side with a bevel on the end for the scraper, and on the top side it is still a file, so can remove nicks and used for the final cleanup of the surface before putting back together.

At one point on a multi-thousand mile road trip I broke a fan blade on the 52, the solution was to cut off the opposite one (for balance) and reinstall the now 2 bladed fan. Sure was glad I packed the hacksaw on that trip!!

Grigg

I carry a roll of duct tape to keep my spit cup upright! I went on a cruise with a bunch of like-minded folks when my truck stalled and would not fire. As I discovered several days later, I had an intermittently malfunctioning ballast resistor - no juice to the coil until I hit the right bump in the road. Fortunately one of the guys had a piece of wire with alligator clips on each end so I could jump juice directly from the the hot wire on the starter to the coil and stop obstructing traffic on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel on a busy Saturday. Without that prefabricated jumper wire, I would have backed up traffic for miles before I could have rerouted some wires to get Sweet Pea down the road.

I always carry a tube of that 2 pack putty that sets quickly under water very usefull for repairing any leaks that spring up. Had a fuel pump crack open once and this stuff got me 100 miles home.
And a length of fuel hose along with the electrical wire.
Rich

I will be adding a jumper wire (I just replaced my ballast however.) But I am sure that would be good for a number of test scenarios.

Rich, what is that stuff called? JB Weld?
Grigg, I will add some of that - especially the feeler gauges.

[quote=Teds58Panel]I will be adding a jumper wire (I just replaced my ballast however.) But I am sure that would be good for a number of test scenarios.

Rich, what is that stuff called? JB Weld?
Grigg, I will add some of that - especially the feeler gauges. [/quote]
The stuff I have now is called Everbuild stick 2 but I am in England, sure you have something similar in Home Depot.
Probably your most useful tool if you break down is a cellphone, it's the one thing I feel very exposed leaving home without, in an old vehicle.
Rich

You need a normal tool kit, that includes 1/4 to 3/4 combo wrenches, same with the socket set with deep and shallow sockets.
Screwdriver set, allen drivers and or wrenches, plier set with diagonal, needle nose, combo, water pump or channel locks. Stubby screw drivers.
As far as supplys to bring, hand cleaner, paper towels, water, extra oil, antifreeze, hose clamps, wire, both electrical and saftey or black wire. Electrical tape, extra bolts, nuts and washers, various sizes. Extra ballast resister, points and condenser, rotor etc.
If its a long trip and why I want a pickup, with a canopy, extra tires, airpump, fuel pump, the gasket material is a good idea, as well as gasket sealers. Plastic garbage bags, large plastic tarp, rope and tie straps. Spare radiator, fuel pump, water pump, thermostat. Extra flex brake line, brake fluid, grease for emergency wheel bearing repair, extra wheel bearings. If you have an extra transmission toss it in too. Extra gas, hose etc. I do like to be prepaired. Since no old truck running and driving yet, I carry most of the stuff mentioned before long trip in a small car that is a daily driver. Its also handy to help out others in need on the road too.

At the rate you guys are going it will soon become apparent why we all drive trucks with nice roomy boxes for our tools . Not that I am disagreeing i have been packing tool kits around since I got my first car.

Hey Truckrolet,
Why not just get a car carrier and tow an extra truck, man? Seriously, it is impossible to carry everything you may need, but part of the joy of getting your hands dirty working on every part on these trucks is that this puts us in the position to fix whatever goes wrong. If you don't have exactly what you need to fix it, then you get to "McGiver" it back together, and you'll have a great story to tell.

some of you guys sound like you're planning on opening a mobile restoration service I've driven old trucks all my life with the most minimal of tools on board, frequently none, usually without a spare or sometimes without even a jack - at most, on many cross country trips, I've lugged along my old USAF canvas tool bag with it's normal complement of hand tools .... if the truck isn't dependable enuff to leave home, then don't - if you've done a reasonable job of "resurrecting" it but are a worrier, just take along your cell phone

Bill

I was having issues a few summers ago with flooding.
On three seperate occasions it flooded and shut down. Coasted to the side pulled the top of the carb, cleared and was able to get home.
One time I was in a pep boys parking lot with my son who was 4 at the time.


Well I learned to keep a small roll of left over jute pad behind the seat.
If I work over the hot engine I'll lay it over the rad tank or other areas.

Also if you ever have to change a tire it makes a good knee pad over hot asphalt in summer time. (desert climate)

FINALLY!! Someone said what I've been thinking since this thread started!

I agree that it doesn't hurt to take a few things along, especially on a longer trip. But gee whiz, if you're going to take the whole shop along with you, then you may as well just drive the truck around the yard, where the shop is always nearby!

On a longer trip, I'd have a brake adjustment tool.

I do have a tow rope in my '48 but the only time I've used it was to tow a '52 Ford back to its home. Boy, did that feel good. I went the long way.

...and I've always said if one can stop and start and make short trips for months on end "around town" then it should be easier to take a trip where the going is constant. As my brother use to say "go or blow"

I am another one of those guys who was opening my eyes wide open reading this thread!!!
I do not have any tool in my '57 Suburban, or in any of my cars, for that matter. My '93 Buick has not had s apare wheel for years! If my wife is with me, I can use her cell phone. And if you are really scared, get a AAA membership, for convenient free tows. Or buy a new car!
Tools are dead weight and they make rattling noises all the time, too.

I think the weight of tools people are bringing relates directly to their past experiences and the condition of their trucks. I bought mine about three months ago and almost everything I looked at has been Mickey Moused. I have been spending most of my time on bodywork, and frankly, I have not even had all four wheels off. It would not make sense for me to drive with no tools. Give me few months or so to have things sorted out and I will be carrying a lot less. Bill, You are a brave man to not carry a jack! I didn't last weekend, but that was more lack of planning!
And of course it depends on how far and where you are going.
I think my long term goal will be confidence to not bring more than a cell phone. But that means I better get off this iPad and out to work again.