whats in your toolbox when you...

go to the pull your own parts salvage places. I have a little 14" plastic toolbox, and I want to equip it with some useful stuff other than 10 screwdrivers, my adjustable metric wrench, PB blaster, and universal persuader (8oz dead shot hammer).

And while I know they are compact, in this instance Miata is not the answer

usually grab a bunch of metric wrenches, usually 10 thru 21, a decision maker (mallet), phillips, flat head, dykes, gloves...

One of those cordless impact drivers comes in mighty handy.

I bring two boxes: a small one with just the tools that I typically use (sockets, wrenches, couple nut-drivers, util. knife, pliers, and -- always -- an 18V cordless impact), and, back in the car, a bigger box with a decent assortment of stuff so that, if I find something I really want but don't have the tools for in the little box, I can just go back to the car and grab what I need.

I've been to the pull-a-part too many times only to find something sweet that I didn't have the tools to remove. The two-box solution is a bit more work up front but totally worth it if I win the pull-a-part jackpot.

I swear the next trip to pull-a-part I'll empty my tools out of the hard to carry hard plastic case and into my old hiking backpack with hip straps. Should make hauling all my crap around much easier. I'll report back once I've tried it.

Just this:

Junkyard_Dog wrote: I swear the next trip to pull-a-part I'll empty my tools out of the hard to carry hard plastic case and into my old hiking backpack with hip straps. Should make hauling all my crap around much easier. I'll report back once I've tried it.

lol, JYD, Ive seen wheelbarrows utilized before, proabably for the same reason

Woody, is that all, I mean you need to bring more stuff with ya man. That looks like my grandmas lil tool kit from the craft store

In no particular order, but useful things to have would be

Torx bits

allen bits (preferably the type to use with a ratchet)

wrenches and sockets of the sizes used for whatever you are getting parts off of. That will usually include metric 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, and a few others.

Wrenches of the same sizes are good to have too.

a hammer, punch, chisel and maybe a large flat screwdriver can be useful too.

Pliers, a utility knife, and a hose cutter are good for underhood disassembly if you need to removes hoses and stuff.

A steering wheel puller isnt a bad idea, and possibly a 3 jaw puller with the arms removed of the appropriate size to remove the deeper momo steering wheel adapters to sell on ebay should you happen to see one.

Normally i just try to bring all the tools i normally use to work on the cars id want stuff off of, and if there is anything really unusual i will just go home and get stuff (of course the farther away yards i take alot more stuff than the one 10 minutes from my house).

The knee pad makes a lot of sense.

4cylndrfury wrote: lol, JYD, Ive seen wheelbarrows utilized before, proabably for the same reason

Wheelbarows are a PITA. I use one now to tote the toolbox but its much easier to navigate if you're not steeing an oil soaked wobbly flat tired POS junkyard wheelbarrow over uneven gravel.

My last trip to the pick-n-pull we decided to leave the toolboxes in the truck and cruise around to see if we can locate the stuff we needed first.

We ended up being able to pull all the parts we found out with a rusty set of tools that we found in the trunk of one of the cars we were looking at...

I've been known to take a 4' piece of tubing as a "walking stick", so what if it doubles as persuasion.

I carry a small tool bag with 3 cresent wrenches (from 6" up to an 18" one), a 1/2 inch breaker bar, a 1/2 to 3/8's adaptor, a full set of 3/8's sockets (10mm up to 19mm, plus standard equivilents), a handful of 1/2" sockets (19mm and larger), 3 different size standard and phillips head screwdrivers plus a stubby screwdriver, a 3/8" ratchet, a 3/8" stubby toothless ratchet, a medium crowbar, a wrecker bar, a brass hammer, 3 pairs of vice grips, a pair of linesman's pliers, a complete set of 1/4" sockets and a ratchet that fits in a tiny case (kobalt from lowes), a small first aid kit with bandaids and triple antibiotic etc, a small can of PB blaster, a container of rubber gloves, common wrench sizes for nissans (10, 12, 17, 19, usually), 2 cool ratcheting wrenches I found that have 4 sizes per wrench, an SAE dog bone, 2 pairs of needle nose pliers, two starter punches (2 different sizes). A retractable razor knife. Expandable pliers. Several 3/8's extensions of various lengths. I might be missing a few small things but thats about it. Its a heavy bag but it all fits in an over the shoulder tool bag thats about 18" long by a foot tall.

And I ALWAYS wear steel toed shoes, heavy jeans, and a long sleeve shirt. I like to wear a hat and sunglasses or safety glasses. I keep a pair of mechanix gloves in my pocket. Its good to keep some cheap foam knee pads around too. Even if you don't use em for your knees you can use them to pad sharp edges you might need to grab, or protect your hand when breaking loose a stuck bolt.

Depending on how into it I get, I also have a second small bag with an 18 volt sawzall, bimetal blades, an 18 volt impact wrench with screw driver fittings and socket adaptors, and 2 batteries. I only grab this if I find something large thats worth carrying it.

...my JY's have a no jack rule... how do you guys get around that?... seems a bottle jack would fit into my tool box...

i have my crafstman socket set (in it's crappy case) and my tool box... roll it back on my hand truck

I just use the toolkit that I keep in the E30.

Full assortment of metric and standard sockets, short and deep, 1/4", 3/8", 1/2". Ratchets + extensions Full assortment of metric and standard wrenches, and metric ratchet wrenches. 30mm Socket- great for BMWs and VWs. All sizes of flat and phillips screwdrivers, awl. Small pry bar. Channel locks in large and small sizes. Wire cutters, needle nose pliers, right angle needle nose pliers, vice grips, regular pliers. Small versions of all the pliers as well. Hacksaw. Ball peen hammer, allen wrenches in SAE and metric. Utility knife, lighter, shrink wrap, KONI tool, flashlight, jack. All kinds of epoxy and tape, tire guage, fuses, bulbs. Universal flexi radiator hose. Crimp on wire connectors. Fuel line. Zip ties, hose clamps. Oil, Gear oil, brakeclean, powerlube.

I know I'm forgetting a ton of stuff, too.

All this fits in a cloth 16" lowes tool bag. I can carry it with one hand, and it fits in the E30 trunk fine. I try to take it anytime we go on a road trip with another classic, too. My friends don't keep as much in their cars...

Hacksaw.

Notable. When it's 4:50 and they're telling everyone to get the berkeley out, that goddamned turbo is coming out one way or another.

I imagine epoxy, bulbs, fuses, and radiator hose would just get you into trouble at most junkyards... they catch you with that stuff in your toolbox and they are going to accuse you of tryin to sneak it out.

I say stick to the tools.

For the jack, find a 300zx or RX7 and take the aluminum scissor jack. It weighs maybe a pound and folds up tiny. Myself, I don't bother. Every one of those junkyard cars has the stock jack and tool kit in there. Why carry around something nissan, honda, or mazda thoughtfully put there for you already?

poopshovel wrote:

Hacksaw.

Notable. When it's 4:50 and they're telling everyone to get the berkeley out, that goddamned turbo is coming out one way or another.

Thats why I keep the sawzall in the reserve. Anyone who has ever tried to hacksaw grade 8 bolts in an area that gives you a 3" sweep can attest to the convenience of 18 volt assistance.

Sorry, let me clarify. I keep the bulbs, fuses, radiator hose, etc. in a separate bin that lives in the bag. I take it out.

andrave wrote:

poopshovel wrote:

Hacksaw.

Notable. When it's 4:50 and they're telling everyone to get the berkeley out, that goddamned turbo is coming out one way or another.

Thats why I keep the sawzall in the reserve. Anyone who has ever tried to hacksaw grade 8 bolts in an area that gives you a 3" sweep can attest to the convenience of 18 volt assistance.

It's on the list. Along with 18v everything else. I'll have to stick with popeye style for now.

Junkyards here remove the jacks from all the cars. The cars are all set up off the ground though, so getting under is no problem. If I am pulling something like a transmission, I will just put a tire under the car and drop it on the tire, then pull it out. Otherwise (although dont get under the car if you do this) you can use the engine hoist things they provide and lift the whole car with that.

4cylndrfury wrote: Woody, is that all, I mean you need to bring more stuff with ya man.

I've never had to leave a part behind because I couldn't remove it! Plus, the backpack gives me two free hands to carry out the big stuff.

Hornet spray. They seem to like red cars, why is that?

Thats part of where the long sleeve shirt, boots, jeans, gloves, and a hat come in.

lol

I've dodged my share of bees.

914Driver wrote: Hornet spray. They seem to like red cars, why is that?

Do you have any good ones by you? There is only one down here and they don't have much of anything.