Home made tools

[1200 bandit 10]

Just been reading about removing the rid ring from the petrol tank.You can make a tool to remove it

So what is the best or any home made tool you have made

[a_riot 0]

They are cheap enough to buy, it would be difficult to make one much cheaper. Most time-saving tool I've made I use to route the door lock pin through the hole in the door card when I've taken it off and am putting it back on. It's a 4 inch piece of stiff plastic hose with an ID large enough to put over the pin, but with an OD small enough to get through the hole in the door card :)

 

Another tool I made is for bleeding brakes and clutch. It's a very large syringe with a long hose affixed to it that fits snugly over all the bleeders. Using it I can bleed my brakes and clutch by myself.

Edited May 16, 2019 by a_riot

[VR6 South 0]

Metal hair clip for removing pins from electric connectors. I have the Laser tool and found the hair clip tip to be more effective. Nice guide on YouTube.

[fendervg 32]

Unwound paper clip for adjusting dash clock!

 

Not really home made, but a hollow ratchet spanner and socket for bleeding brake nipples - very handy

 

and a little Victorinox (Swiss Army knife makers) ratchet handle with a screw driver bit for getting at those hard to reach screws in the dash vents.

[Wullie 1]

One of the most useful tools I made was a strip of 1/4 in steel with a series of holes about 3 inches apart which were big enough for the wheel brace handle to fit through and a 4 inch bit of angle iron welded on as a base. Used it to support the wheelbrace to stop it slipping off the bolts when trying to undo tight wheelnuts. Place it next to the wheel, select the nearest hole and you can apply a lot more force to undo. It unfortunately ended up in someone elses boot after we undid a really stubborn wheel. I now keep an old scissor jack in the boot to use in a similar way.

[TomB 0]

I have an old bit of brake line with a banjo connector on the end, which, when combined with a track pump, was a really good way of getting brake pistons out of motorbike calipers.

I've since bought a specific pair of pliers for the job though, so it wasn't that good!

[vw rule 19]

Best 3 tools I've semi made are:

 

1) using a 6mm combination spanner with a small Philips screwdriver bit super glued in the ring spanner end, great way to undo the small retaining screw for the Corrado ignition switch.

 

2) using an old spare oil pump gear from a 9A eng block, and welded the gear to a 1/2" X 7" long metal bar, then grinded away the gear teeth, to gain access to the oil pump shaft, basically there are female splines in the centre of the gear that slide on the male splines of the oil pump shaft on the 9A eng.

Great way to manually spin the oil pump in situ, if you've done any engine work to the bearings or the oil pump, it allows you to prime the oil pump before starting.

 

3) used a 1" X 1/2" X 18" long piece of wood, and taped a small spirit level to the centre of the 1" flat side, used this to set up my camber on my Corrado.

 

Si

[Cressa 44]

Best 3 tools I've semi made are:

 

1) using a 6mm combination spanner with a small Philips screwdriver bit super glued in the ring spanner end, great way to undo the small retaining screw for the Corrado ignition switch.

 

2) using an old spare oil pump gear from a 9A eng block, and welded the gear to a 1/2" X 7" long metal bar, then grinded away the gear teeth, to gain access to the oil pump shaft, basically there are female splines in the centre of the gear that slide on the male splines of the oil pump shaft on the 9A eng.

Great way to manually spin the oil pump in situ, if you've done any engine work to the bearings or the oil pump, it allows you to prime the oil pump before starting.

 

3) used a 1" X 1/2" X 18" long piece of wood, and taped a small spirit level to the centre of the 1" flat side, used this to set up my camber on my Corrado.

 

Si

 

Would love to see a picture of your No1. Sounds brilliant

[vw rule 19]

Would love to see a picture of your No1. Sounds brilliant

 

Cheers no worries.

Just sent you a PM

 

Si

[fendervg 32]

This is the guy I use for those hard to reach ones:

https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Ratchet-Swisstool-Spirit-Multi-Tool/dp/B00LFKZ374

[mooG60 11]

3)

 

used a 1" X 1/2" X 18" long piece of wood, and taped a small spirit level to the centre of the 1" flat side, used this to set up my camber on my Corrado.

 

Si

 

Is the Corrado camber setting exactly dead zero on horizontal? (scuse the dodgy terminology)

[vw rule 19]

Is the Corrado camber setting exactly dead zero on horizontal? (scuse the dodgy terminology)

 

Hello there,

 

yes I had it set up so the wood and spirit level were vertical against the wheel,

and adjusted the camber so the spirit level bubble was central.

Basically so the front wheels will be straight parallel, so you'll have even wear across the whole tyre, ideally it's worth having your tracking checked too, if you adjust or replace any front suspension.

 

One thing though you must be on flat level ground or you'll possibly get false readings.

 

Si

Edited September 6, 2019 by vw rule

[mooG60 11]

Hello there,

 

yes I had it set up so the wood and spirit level were vertical against the wheel,

and adjusted the camber so the spirit level bubble was central.

Basically so the front wheels will be straight parallel, so you'll have even wear across the whole tyre, ideally it's worth having your tracking checked too, if you adjust or replace any front suspension.

 

One thing though you must be on flat level ground or you'll possibly get false readings.

 

Si

 

Ok thanks Si.

 

I always thought that camber settings where set slightly off true, much like the tracking.

 

I paid 80 quid for camber and tracking recently and now need to make more repairs, so I will have a go at the camber myself next time.

 

Cheers