Hi all. I am tapping your collective brain power till my shop manual comes in. (Amazon says Oct 15 - I went for the free shipping )

Tonight I was thinking on going to sears and getting some good wrenches. I have lots of fractional wrenches, but just about nothing in metrics. It has been my experience that some wrenches are used all the time, and buying a "wrench set" blind could either net you lots of unused wrenches, or worse, not having the size that you need in the set.

So, what are the common sizes that I am going to need?
My car is a 1976 2.0L

I searched, but "Common wrench size" turned up nothing, and "Wrench size" turned up too much to sift through, at least while sitting at in my office.

Thanks all,

Zach

7or 8 mm for brake bleeder valve

10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19 mm for various bolts and nuts

14mm for valve adjust screw jam nut

so...... not 9 or 12 mm

i think 12 and 14mm are very common on japanese autos but not euro autos.

yep... but you really need at least 2 13mm wrenches... in fact, you almost need 2 complete sets... there are a lot of times you can't get a socket on one side...

I bought 1 good set of wrenches, and then a cheap set at harbor freight...

there is exactly *one* place an 18mm is required, and on /6's only :-)

get a nice set of metric allen keys too - with a ball-driver on the long end preferably. there are 3-4 places Allens are used and when you find one, nothing else will quite do.

i started buying automotive tools more than 30 years ago and just recently reached the point where pretty much all i buy now are real specialty items.
you will *NEVER* regret the money you spend on good tools, but the same cannot be said for cheap stuff. cheap tools will get you hurt, and damage your car - sooner, or later.

once upon a time you didn't have to do quite the level of "incoming inspection" with a Sears tool that you do now. i think the good ones are still pretty good, but more bad ones are slipping through. after many years, Snap-On has seen the light and will sell direct through their website. i just got done paying about $150 for 4 sockets, but i know what my time is worth and how long it takes to do the job i bought them for with lesser tools...

HF sells an excellent set of ball end allen wrenches. The set is in a red plastic holder. Go for the wrench set at Sears, you'll need most of them. Socket set, too. Sure, 7, 9, 16, and 18 mm are gonna mostly sit there, but the set price is probably a lot better than buying the pieces individually. Might as well pick up a 6mm allen socket and an 8mm triple square while you're there.
The Cap'n

QUOTE (Cap'n Krusty @ Oct 3 2005, 09:28 AM)

HF sells an excellent set of ball end allen wrenches. The set is in a red plastic holder. Go for the wrench set at Sears, you'll need most of them. Socket set, too. Sure, 7, 9, 16, and 18 mm are gonna mostly sit there, but the set price is probably a lot better than buying the pieces individually. Might as well pick up a 6mm allen socket and an 8mm triple square while you're there. The Cap'n

can't TELL you how much I've been glad of having good allen wrenches and a 6mm allen socket! esp after I replaced most of my triple-square head screws with allen head...

I believe that I have metric allen wrenches.
I don't have (and have never heard of) triple head allen wrenches. Will I be able to find them at Sears, or do I need to look else where for them?

Thanks a ton, guys.
Zach

QUOTE (Vacca Rabite @ Oct 3 2005, 10:05 AM)

I believe that I have metric allen wrenches. I don't have (and have never heard of) triple head allen wrenches. Will I be able to find them at Sears, or do I need to look else where for them? Thanks a ton, guys. Zach

you can even get them @ pep boys...

I think they call them 12 point @ pep

though

QUOTE (Vacca Rabite @ Oct 3 2005, 07:05 AM)

I believe that I have metric allen wrenches. I don't have (and have never heard of) triple head allen wrenches. Will I be able to find them at Sears, or do I need to look else where for them? Thanks a ton, guys. Zach

"Triple square", NOT "triple head". AKA "12 point". Most definitely NOT "torx". The Cap'n

QUOTE (Cap'n Krusty @ Oct 3 2005, 06:28 AM)

HF sells an excellent set of ball end allen wrenches.

Kap'n Krusty actually recommending anything from Harbor Freight??? Waitaminnit, I gotta write this down!!

Hey, wait--are you sure you're the real Kap'n Krusty?????



...The triple-square "keys" are also available at your local VW Bug shop--they use the same CV bolts that we do, so they just know them as the CV joint socket. The triple-square ones look like three squares overlaid on top of each other; they have 12 points (4x3), but the outer corners are 90 degrees. Using a Torx or regular Allen-head tool in a triple-square head bolt will make it very easy to strip the bolt-head.

Get a 17mm Allen key or socket as well. That's how you drain and fill your transmission. The Bug guys know these as the "transmission wrench", because they have the same drain and fill plugs.

Sears carries both of the above, though the triple-square can be tough to find sometimes. Pelican does sell the triple-square as well, but if you're going to Sears anyway....

--DD

This is the end of the triple square

I found this set of triple squares at Kragen for $18. Their base is 13mm so you can get either a wrench or socket on them depending on clearances. I have also heard that they are called RIBE bolts, tho I have no idea what that stands for.

I have found them in a couple of different places. Some brake calipers heve them, some CV joints, the squirrel cage fan bolts, and we were pulling a bus motor apart not to long ago and the flywheel bolts had the 12mm size. Weird.

Many people destroy a lot of these bolts trying to remove them with torx head sockets and then replace them with standard metric allen head bolts.

QUOTE (hmeeder @ Oct 3 2005, 12:06 PM)

This is the end of the triple square

Thanks!

Oh, your avatar gives me shivers.

Flammable14 FTW.

Zach

QUOTE (hmeeder @ Oct 3 2005, 01:14 PM)

...I have also heard that they are called RIBE bolts, tho I have no idea what that stands for.

AFAIK Ribe is not exactly the same as triple-square; they're closer to Torx but they are their own proprietary pattern.

Ribe is the name of the company that manufactured the fasteners ...

QUOTE (Dave_Darling @ Oct 3 2005, 07:40 AM)

QUOTE (Cap'n Krusty @ Oct 3 2005, 06:28 AM) HF sells an excellent set of ball end allen wrenches. Kap'n Krusty actually recommending anything from Harbor Freight??? Waitaminnit, I gotta write this down!! Hey, wait--are you sure you're the real Kap'n Krusty????? ...The triple-square "keys" are also available at your local VW Bug shop--they use the same CV bolts that we do, so they just know them as the CV joint socket. The triple-square ones look like three squares overlaid on top of each other; they have 12 points (4x3), but the outer corners are 90 degrees. Using a Torx or regular Allen-head tool in a triple-square head bolt will make it very easy to strip the bolt-head. Get a 17mm Allen key or socket as well. That's how you drain and fill your transmission. The Bug guys know these as the "transmission wrench", because they have the same drain and fill plugs. Sears carries both of the above, though the triple-square can be tough to find sometimes. Pelican does sell the triple-square as well, but if you're going to Sears anyway.... --DD

Yup. It's the REAL me myownself. Those allen wrenches are the ONLY tool I would recommend from them, other than the magnifier headgear with the flip down extra lens. Being in the same building has been interesting ....... guys don't need to wait around for their cars when they can go next door .................. Actually, we've bouight some "piano dollies" and tarps. Their wheel dolly set is cr*p, but it makes for good carts to roll dead motors around on ..... The Cap'n

You'd be well served buying a complete set of tools if you do not already have one. You might not use everythig right away, but it is a lot easier (and cheaper) to buy a full set than it is to buy everything piece-by-piece. Then you have a complete set of wrenches, sockets and extensions both standard and metric. I've yet to use a single piece of my SAE tools, but they are there if I need them.

You should also have a set of vise grip pliers, channel locks, crescent wrench, needle nose pliers (big and small) and a dead blow hammer. You'll always find that there is always something else you need.

QUOTE (BMartin914 @ Oct 3 2005, 01:28 PM)

You should also have a set of vise grip pliers, channel locks, crescent wrench, needle nose pliers (big and small) and a dead blow hammer. You'll always find that there is always something else you need.

Before I was able to garage a 914, I was involved with a group that restored WWII british armored cars and bren carriers. In highschool and college I made beer money by working for a home improvement guy. So, I have a fair amount of tools, but little in the way of metric tools.

Until last night that is.

Sears turned out to be having a sale (wohoo!) and I bought 2 Craftsman metric wrench sets (7mm-16mm, and I got two 17mm wrenches as well), an angle grinder, flap disk and wire brush cup, breaker bar (I had been using a length of pipe for this... ) and a couple of drill bits. I also picked up a new tool box, and 4 new jackstands. I am really not sure why I bought the jackstands, I am sure my old ones were just fine. But, since I was spending money....

I almost bought a drill press. It was the floor model, and they were selling it heavily discounted. But I walked away from it.

When I asked about the triple square bits, they looked at me like I had a third ear. I'll call Bug World up the street from me and see what they have to say.

Zach

As a 914 owner, you can never have too many jackstands! It'll look great on them!

QUOTE (Vacca Rabite @ Oct 4 2005, 04:56 AM)

QUOTE (BMartin914 @ Oct 3 2005, 01:28 PM) You should also have a set of vise grip pliers, channel locks, crescent wrench, needle nose pliers (big and small) and a dead blow hammer. You'll always find that there is always something else you need. Before I was able to garage a 914, I was involved with a group that restored WWII british armored cars and bren carriers. In highschool and college I made beer money by working for a home improvement guy. So, I have a fair amount of tools, but little in the way of metric tools. Until last night that is. Sears turned out to be having a sale (wohoo!) and I bought 2 Craftsman metric wrench sets (7mm-16mm, and I got two 17mm wrenches as well), an angle grinder, flap disk and wire brush cup, breaker bar (I had been using a length of pipe for this... ) and a couple of drill bits. I also picked up a new tool box, and 4 new jackstands. I am really not sure why I bought the jackstands, I am sure my old ones were just fine. But, since I was spending money.... I almost bought a drill press. It was the floor model, and they were selling it heavily discounted. But I walked away from it. When I asked about the triple square bits, they looked at me like I had a third ear. I'll call Bug World up the street from me and see what they have to say. Zach

Sounds like you're well on your way! Good luck!