New tool thread

GM/Saginaw column rebuilding used to almost be a business of it's own. The average mechanic would tear them up or put them together wrong.

When I worked a Frank Kent Cadillac in the mid 90's.....I was THE column guy. Wasn't unusual to do 8-9 column repairs a day, Not just Cadillacs, But all GM brands & quite a few AMC/Jeep products.

Theft repair where they beat the cover up with a hammer to expose the key switch rack & ignition switch actuation rod was a big money maker as it was insurance pay.
Tightening up loose Tilt columns was also quite common, Most mechanics at the time didn't have the E-Torx socket to service the 4 tilt base bolts. And the Pin/Bushing puller was never in the tool room....I have a Snap-on one & a Kent Moore one I bought through the dealer.
I preferred OTC lock plate & steering wheel puller tools over the Kent Moar ore stuff.

Your post just brought up those memories.....I rarely repair a GM/Saginaw column anymore.
I had to replace the turn signal switch out of my '68 Vette. Didn't know what I was doing. Still ain't back together.
Also had issues with the rear harness for the brake lights. I replaced most of the factory harnesses. Car ran a lot better!
 
GM/Saginaw column rebuilding used to almost be a business of it's own. The average mechanic would tear them up or put them together wrong.

When I worked a Frank Kent Cadillac in the mid 90's.....I was THE column guy. Wasn't unusual to do 8-9 column repairs a day, Not just Cadillacs, But all GM brands & quite a few AMC/Jeep products.

Theft repair where they beat the cover up with a hammer to expose the key switch rack & ignition switch actuation rod was a big money maker as it was insurance pay.
Tightening up loose Tilt columns was also quite common, Most mechanics at the time didn't have the E-Torx socket to service the 4 tilt base bolts. And the Pin/Bushing puller was never in the tool room....I have a Snap-on one & a Kent Moore one I bought through the dealer.
I preferred OTC lock plate & steering wheel puller tools over the Kent Moore stuff.

Your post just brought up those memories.....I rarely repair a GM/Saginaw column anymore.
I still keep turn signal cancel springs and cancel cams around for them. My dad can do a saginaw with his eyes closed, im not quite that good. Its a beautiful column
 
Yep....I still have a large box of cancel springs, cancel cams, horn whip leads, key buzzer contacts, etc etc. Also have @ 16 complete columns stored in the attic of my garage.....Mostly G-body & GM Truck.
 
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Snap-on Thursday. Picked up some new stuff. Got some mini screwdrivers in orange. I know I can use those especially for clips and dash work and electrical connectors and stuff like that. They are stronger than pocket screwdrivers and thinner than pocket prybars so I feel ok about using them. Most of my coworkers said that’s what they use them for too. I’m thinking of picking up the mini torx set too but not sure yet. Snagged another pocket screwdriver too. I had a coworker who has never bought anything from the Snap-on guy before go on there and say I want 4 of them the Snap-on guy handed him one and said don’t be greedy man. I thought that was hilarious because he got two last time. And got a valve core remover too because everyone runs off with the shop ones. Hopefully don’t have to use it much as I hate doing tires lol. I also had a number 2 Phillips tip replaced. Someone had ground it down flat on the top so it would not go fully in the screw head. Technically he didn’t have to replace it since it was modified and I’m not an original owner but I handed it to him asking if he would said yeah and about 30 seconds later had a new one lol. He warranties anything with Snap-on or their brands on it no matter where someone got it. I paid $.50 for that at the pawn shop like two years ago it has just sat in my box at home.
 
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Snap-on Thursday. Picked up some new stuff. Got some mini screwdrivers in orange. I know I can use those especially for clips and dash work and electrical connectors and stuff like that. They are stronger than pocket screwdrivers and thinner than pocket prybars so I feel ok about using them. Most of my coworkers said that’s what they use them for too. I’m thinking of picking up the mini torx set too but not sure yet. Snagged another pocket screwdriver too. I had a coworker who has never bought anything from the Snap-on guy before go on there and say I want 4 of them the Snap-on guy handed him one and said don’t be greedy man. I thought that was hilarious because he got two last time. And got a valve core remover too because everyone runs off with the shop ones. Hopefully don’t have to use it much as I hate doing tires lol. I also had a number 2 Phillips tip replaced. Someone had ground it down flat on the top so it would not go fully in the screw head. Technically he didn’t have to replace it since it was modified and I’m not an original owner but I handed it to him asking if he would said yeah and about 30 seconds later had a new one lol. He warranties anything with Snap-on or their brands on it no matter where someone got it. I paid $.50 for that at the pawn shop like two years ago it has just sat in my box at home.
Those mini screwdrivers are the ones I was talking about before being better than those cheap pocket ones. I only have the flat head ones and only carried the small one. I never wore it out but broke it once. I went through a lot of klein ones before I had them.
 
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Some eBay arrivals. Matco pocket pry bars. Not sure if actually Matco or just the name stamped on them but either way they were cheap enough. If Snap-on doesn’t get them back in stock soon I’ll be using these full time I only have a Snap-on straight one. Then some NOS Snap-on pocket screwdrivers in black. Showed my dealer he verified they are real just old stock. They changed suppliers at one point I believe for the current style. Probably 8-10 years ago to the best of dealers memory. I sure do think the black looks cool. Wish they still had that color. I got both Phillips and flat head. I’ll probably add one of each at work and then keep the rest at home as we have a express tech guy who likes to take other peoples stuff now. He tried to run off with one of my green ones and I caught him. At least he is going back to the express lane on Monday we just needed him as a fill in for a few days but still. I’ll have more eBay Snap-on stuff coming in a few days. I took an earful for these purchases lol 😂. I don’t consider them a waste of money I’ll use the heck out of them.
 
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Not sure if actually Matco or just the name stamped on them but either way they were cheap enough. If Snap-on doesn’t get them back in stock soon I’ll be using these full time I only have a Snap-on straight one. Then some NOS Snap-on pocket screwdrivers in black. Showed my dealer he verified they are real just old stock. They changed suppliers at one point I believe for the current style. Probably 8-10 years ago to the best of dealers memory. I sure do think the black looks cool. Wish they still had that color. I got both Phillips and flat head. I’ll probably add one of each at work and then keep the rest at home as we have a express tech guy who likes to take other peoples stuff now. He tried to run off with one of my green ones and I caught him. At least he is going back to the express lane on Monday we just needed him as a fill in for a few days but still. I’ll have more eBay Snap-on stuff coming in a few days. I took an earful for these purchases lol 😂. I don’t consider them a waste of money I’ll use the heck out of them.

Matco doesn't manufacture anything besides Tool Boxes. In fact Matco was once the Tool Box division of Mac Tools.

Snap-on doesn't manufacture those pocket screwdrivers, Alexander used to make them for SO & just about every other company you could think of. They're more of advertising product....Least they used to be....They'd usually have the dealers phone# on them.

I have ZERO patience for a thief, Stealing tools I make a living with can result in a "physical altercation"
 
Got the Mueller-Kueps Spark plug/glow plug installer and was able to give it w go last night when I did plugs on my mom's Fusion. Its pretty rad, I like it a lot. And for people wondering, I went with the current Motorcraft number, I think SP-550. The car just passed 60K miles. She has to get it smogged tomorrow. The smog guy at my work is on vacation so she is on her own.

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This was at pawn one town over today. I don't have one, can't honestly say I've ever needed it, but Lisle tends to make useful stuff.

It had no price on the floor and usually when that's the case they just ask what I want to pay -- if it's remotely reasonable they say "sure"

So I did my research: it's presently $12 on Amazon so I was ready to offer $6 with that explanation.

I asked the guy "how much do you want for this?".....he said "One dollar." Um, ok, sold!!

I dunno if I'll ever need it but for a buck I'm willing to take that gamble.

Incidentally, anyone find these super useful? If so, what applications?? It's apparently 1 and 1-1/16".
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This was at pawn one town over today. I don't have one, can't honestly say I've ever needed it, but Lisle tends to make useful stuff.

It had no price on the floor and usually when that's the case they just ask what I want to pay -- if it's remotely reasonable they say "sure"

So I did my research: it's presently $12 on Amazon so I was ready to offer $6 with that explanation.

I asked the guy "how much do you want for this?".....he said "One dollar." Um, ok, sold!!

I dunno if I'll ever need it but for a buck I'm willing to take that gamble.

Incidentally, anyone find these super useful? If so, what applications?? It's apparently 1 and 1-1/16".View attachment 93960
Yeah, an 1 1/16 oil pressure sensor socket is really handy for changing 1 1/16 oil pressure sensors
 
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Some more eBay stuff. 10 Snap-on pocket screwdrivers in orange. My favorite tool color if blue isn’t available. And a older hard handle Snap-on SSD6 screwdriver. Tip is done for but I’ll have that replaced on either Tuesday or Thursday whenever I see him. It was cheap so even if I do have to pay for a tip which I don’t think I will then it would still be worth it. I have a few of these particular ones in the newer hard handle screwdrivers but I’m a nerd for screwdrivers I collect screwdrivers and hammers for tools lol.
 
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Some more eBay stuff. 10 Snap-on pocket screwdrivers in orange. My favorite tool color if blue isn’t available. And a older hard handle Snap-on SSD6 screwdriver. Tip is done for but I’ll have that replaced on either Tuesday or Thursday whenever I see him. It was cheap so even if I do have to pay for a tip which I don’t think I will then it would still be worth it. I have a few of these particular ones in the newer hard handle screwdrivers but I’m a nerd for screwdrivers I collect screwdrivers and hammers for tools lol.
Would you be willing to part with one of the orange ones? Name your price!
 
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