Ixion FAQ

What sort of tools should I go for?

tools you're likely to need for bike maintenance:

• screwdrivers: large + small flat, phillips 1 and 2, maybe pozi 1 and 2 (depends on the bike - most jap stuff has phillips, others (eg euro) may have pozi.) note: phillips and pozi are NOT the same. although at a push a no.1 pozi will fit a no.2 phillips screw. it's apt to break the driver if its tight. similarly, a no.2 phillips is a loose fit in a no.2 pozi screw, asnd may slip causing the cross-shape to become a cone-shape...NOT good!
• spanners: for japs, metric a/f, 6,7,8,10,12,14,17,19,22 should do most of 'em, in ring and open end. rings are better for the nuts/bolts but cant get in everywhere.
• allen keys (hexagon socket wrenches): again, for japs, metric set from 2-10 covers most of it. make sure they're good quality, 'cos allen screws are usually tight.
• other stuff: a good adjustable, 8-10 inch long, is very handy. normal engineers and long-nosed pliers, small mole grips, circlip pliers (combi type are best, with interchangeable heads - not quite as strong but saves having 2 sets)

any comment from anyone about the new british machinery? is that metric or imperial?

the haynes manuals have a list in the front too...

oh yeah, rubber/nylon mallet...a definite must!

if you're doing more serious work, a good 1/4 drive socket set is very handy, expect to pay about 30-40 quid for combined a/f and metric set.

also for more serious work, you're bound to come across summat that needs a weird tool available at excruciating cost from the manufacturer (although some of these can be made up from other things...)

If you're working on Japanese bikes which haven't been apart before then an impact driver is a very good idea. And when you put the screws back in put some anti-seize compound (such as copperslip) on the threads, that way next time you come to unscrew them they won't be seized up. Don't the designers know any electrochemistry? - steel screw + aluminium casing + water = instant seize.

Triumph's and BSA's also need special pullers to get the clutch hub off and a special screwdriver to undo the clutch spring but these are easily and cheaply available.

> oh yeah, rubber/nylon mallet...a definite must!

There was a comment about not buying the 250 piece tool boxes mail order etc, however if you've only got a limited budget or a limited amount of tools then these are an excellent way to get most of what you need cheaply and conveniently. As the tools wear out, replace them individually with good quality parts from a reputable manufacturer. It gets expensive buying tools on an individual basis, I've just paid 35 quid for an impact driver, good quality screwdrivers can cost up to 20 quid each, torx bits are 10 quid for 5 it's expensive.

Cheap tools do wear out, especially pliers, screwdrivers and mallets. The good thing is that most tools are adequate for the job unless you do a LOT of maintenance and will last for ever. My only complaint about the spanners supplied with my 150 piece kit 12 years ago is that they're a bit chubby - I replaced them with a set of Kamasa spanners that cost about 12 quid 19 '82 with a huge discount. None of the original spanners have worn out yet - and I do more maintenance than average.

My main problem with tools is that I tend to lose them, in confined spaces etc it's easy to drop a screwdriver and not be able to retrieve it, or leave a spanner on a nut for convenience and forget to remove it before driving off.

The tools that do wear out will be either the poorer quality ones or the most used ones so you know you have to buy good quality stuff.

Makes to look out for for quality

• Kamasa Excellent quality & pretty reasonably priced.
• Facom French, high quality, expensive and lifetime guaranteed.
• SnapOn American, high quality - VERY expensive, lifetime guaranteed.
• Sykes-Pickavant English, good quality and reasonably priced. SP also make a lot of professional diagnostic equipment.
• TecSel Reasonably priced good quality.

Other makes - not quite so desirable

• Draper Japanese, cheap but useable but not much good for hard work.
• Richmond Chinese made from high tensile putty by slave prison labourers, total crap - don't touch (even with very long boat propelling devices).

The Facom & Snap-On are franchised dealers who supply to garages etc and are a mobile tool shop, if you phone them they'll deliver to your door and let you browse. I think also that you can pay by installments. One day I may try out Facom's Lifetime guarantee because my mole-grip jaws are getting a bit on the smooth side.

TTFN < TTWT

Dave Restall.

Dave Restall writes:

> Other makes - not quite so desirable
> Draper  Japanese, cheap but useable but not much good for hard work.

Draper are also the UK importers for the German firm Elora, who make tools of very high quality.

Also missing from Daves list of good stuff is Britool. Made in UK and very expensive, totally worth it particularly their socket sets. I have a 30-year-old 1/2" drive ratchet which is still going strong despite being treated unmercifully.

> .....Facom are franchised dealers who supply to garages etc

Incidentally the pronunciation in English is often very close to "Fuck-em". Sample conversation from when I used to ring the Facom distributors (buying tools used to be one of my jobs)

"Good morning, Facom"

"Yeah, that's what I always say too"

*click*

Another hot tip for tools are Swan Bearing Factors. As well as selling bearings very cheaply they stock Sykes Pickavant and other good stuff, rocol cutting compounds , that kind of thing.

Regards

Pete

|
| Other makes - not quite so desirable
|  
| Draper  Japanese, cheap but useable but not much good for hard work.

Another sign of Draper's (possibly "new") image, is that my local industrial tool supplier stocks the ENTIRE Draper range.

The best spanners I have ever had the pleasure of using are "Gedora" from Germany. My Mum bought me 3 to start me off. I'm currently saving up for a 11/16W one.

>  
> Draper are also the UK importers for the German firm Elora, who make
> tools of very high quality.

> Also missing from Daves list of good stuff is Britool. Made in UK
> and very expensive, totally worth it particularly their socket sets.
> I have a 30-year-old 1/2" drive ratchet which is still going strong
> despite being treated unmercifully.

small (1/4 drive) socket sets: taskmaster chrome-van sets are good. (i've had 2, the first got nicked :-(). Kamasa rachetless socket handles are fantastic little (or big) things ,come in 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 drive and use a roller/ramp one-way drive instead of a toothed ratchet beautifully smooth and no annoying "not quite 2 clicks" syndrome.

for heavy socket work, single-hex impact/power sockets are good, also the single hex doesn't tend to chew nuts/boltheads so much.

Austin.

> when you could get elora 205 spanners before, they were excellent. i gathered
> that draper had taken over elora (maybe not?) but anyway, the elora spanners
> seem to have lost the edge of quality they used to have...they don't seem to
> have quite the same quality finish they used to...

> yeah thats what i thought...missing i mean...my father had a britool socket
> set, the old 3/16 whitworth hexagon drive ones...exceptional quality.

> small (1/4 drive) socket sets: taskmaster chrome-van sets are good. (i've had
> 2, the first got nicked :-(). Kamasa rachetless socket handles are fantastic
> little (or big) things ,come in 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 drive and use a roller/ramp
> one-way drive instead of a toothed ratchet beautifully smooth and no annoying
> "not quite 2 clicks" syndrome.

> for heavy socket work, single-hex impact/power sockets are good, also the
> single hex doesn't tend to chew nuts/boltheads so much.

Carl

• Williams - Superslim range of spanners
• Dormer - drills, taps and dies.