Triumphrat

sbpark

so as some of you may have read in another post, i went down on some gravel this past weekend and scratched my clutch cover. initially i was going to spend the $$$ to replace the cover, but have decided to polish the covers instead, after receiving encouragment from other people here.

i am a total novice when it comes to repairing/working on my own bike, and one of the things i have noticed is that a good torque wrench is absolutely essential.

so what torque wrench do you use/recommend? i know that a few differnet types of torque wrenches exist; split beam, beam, dial, and micrometer/click type. also, what type of tool would you use to adjust to torque the bolts for the alternator and clutch covers sonce they look like nut drivers?

also, what other basic/essential tools would you recommend? a good metric socket set, an oil filter wrench, a set of hex drivers? any suggestions on a good basic tool setup to get started would be greatly appreciated!

(oh, and i have already ordered the most important and obvious piece of equipment - the reapir manual!)

thanks in advance!

SHILOH

Sears (craftsman) is a good place for your needs. What I find I use the most is the metric Hex (allen) wrenches. My set is what is called a ball end set from Sears. [The ball end allow use at a small angle from the axis of the bolt.]

Anyway, here is what I think is a good start.

Craftsman 3/8 drive wrench, range 10 to 75 ft/lb [Sears item# 00944594000 Mfr. model# 44594]

Craftsman 1/4 drive beam wrench, range 0 to 60 in/lb [Sears item# 00999788000 Mfr. model# KDS2955]. [May not be needed, but its great for racing bicycles.]

Craftsman 13-pc Ball End Hex Key set, 1.5mm to 10 mm [Sears item# 00999479000 Mfr. model# 19613]

Hex Key 3/8 drive sockets 4mm to 8mm

A set of metric open/box wrenches in the range 8 mm to 19 mm.

A metric 3/8 drive sockets set with ratchet, 8mm to 19 mm, plus a 24 mm

A small metric 1/4 drive socket set with ratchet.

A Haynes/Triumph manual for your bike.

These tools would allow you to do a lot of tasks and I think would be a good start for a mechanics tool set.

__________________
Tusitala - Mt Vaea

MoxNix

Shiloh has a good list, but I would add Gear Wrenches- an open end on one end and the box end ratchets. It is one of those tools that after I bought it I asked *** did I wait so long?
I grew up in a Sears household, Kenmore, Toughskins, Craftsman etc., and I will never buy another rachet (to include tourque or ratcheting wrenches) from Sears.
All other tools Craftsman are the only ones I'll buy.
For ratchets and torque wrenches I use Snap-On.
For GearWrenches use the originals. They sell these at Sears as well as the Craftsman brand- just compare the racheting movements side by side and you'll see.
Good luck!

sweatmachine

I don't think that for this job you need to rush out and buy anything special. You don't really need a torque wrench for this job, just an 8mm (I think) socket to remove those case bolts and a wrench for the clutch cable.

While it's good to have all those tools, there's no point to go blow a bunch of money on tools you don't need and might not really use. I buy tools as I need them, that way they always get used (not just collected) and money isn't wasted.

Taking the covers off is a simple job, the alternator cover is a little tricky due to the powerful magnet (you have to really yank it off), the clutch cover is a little tricky due to the clutch cable but it's really not that bad.

Make sure to order the gaskets before hand. I recommend Baxter Cycle:

http://www.baxtercycle.com/

712-781-2351

__________________
"If you will it Dude, it is no dream"

904cc Custom Bonnie Cafe Fighter!

blackstar1965

Tools are expensive and sometimes it's easy to go overboard on them.
I have purchased countless tools in the past just because I thought I would need them, and still haven't used them!

If you want to get tools just because you plan on working on your bike more and you have none, I would suggest buying them in as complete of sets as possible. That will save you loads of money.
Craftsman makes great hand tools, you really can't go wrong, but before you commit to anything, stop by your local Sears and pick up their tool catalog and research their tools online. They have LOTS of sets in the catalog that they don't offer in the store and tons of clearance stuff online too.
An extra tip, Orchard Supply Hardware sells OSH branded stuff that's "manufactured by Craftsman" for less than the Craftsman branded counterpart, and they sell Craftsman tools for slightly less on occasion (mostly power tools).
Lastly NEVER buy tools when they're not on sale.

And to answer your question about torque wrenches, unless you MUST HAVE precise torque, a Craftsman torque wrench will serve you just fine, get one in in.-lbs. and another in ft.-lbs., they're usually on display side-by-side at Sears. Just remember to back off the torque adjuster when not in use to preserve it's calibration. (If you really want precision, Snap-On, Matco, or Mac have a wide array or torque wrenches that will torque anything to anything)
When I worked at a tire shop, I tightened literally THOUSANDS of wheels with a Craftsman torque wrench without any trouble and only needed it calibrated twice. Ultimately I replaced it with a Snap-On dial type because it was stolen by a shady coworker.

Good luck!

__________________
"So many people take the gift of communication for granted. Just shut up for once." - Me (as far as I'm concerned)

SHILOH

Ditto on the Gear Wrenches. They can make some of those bolts that take 15 minutes to get off a 15 - 30 second job. Really a great idea. I picked up a set of two wrenches at Sears for 25 .00(?) that are box on both ends and cover eight different sizes. Love em.

__________________
Tusitala - Mt Vaea

drlapo

"While it's good to have all those tools, there's no point to go blow a bunch of money on tools you don't need and might not really use. "

blasphemy!
you can never spend too much on tools or have too many tools
tools are to men what jewelry is to women: just gotta have more!

MoxNix

Great gift advice I gave to my wife- "If it is a Craftsman tool and I don't have it, I need it."

I always, always, always will buy a tool I need for a specific job and add it to the collection.

My major problem now is the German tools are higher quality than Sears and just sooo tempting.

Chris

NewOldSkool

I recently went over to Harbor Freight and my jaw dropped on the prices of most of their tools. It is a great place for people who want to work on their things as a hobby and not as a living, IMO. I bought a torque wrench for 24 bucks and it is just as good as a craftsmen one. Most of their stuff is lifetime warrenty as well. I would just them a try.
http://www.harborfreight.com/

dirtyworm

Just remember that there is a difference between Newton Meters of torque and pounds of torque. If you're not careful you could ring a bolt off and tap and die sets aren't too cheap. For conversion: 1nm = 0.7375 foot pound. 40 nm is 29# roughly. It doesn't sound like much but I would suspect you put 40pounds on a 40nm and kershnapp, bad day. The manual is a great help.