Since I'm about ready to move into the new shop, I figured that all the space might as well be used.

I need to know about all your special tools and such, that makes wrenching on Rx-7's alot easier.

My list includes:

Welders
Acetylene/oxygen torch
Two twin pillar lifts
Sheetmetal clipper
Sheetmetal bender
Pipebender
All the special tools for working on the engine
Engingstand
Custom 12A/13B Engine testbench
Sandblasting cabinet
Full size ghetto paintbooth
Computer with manuals
Enginehoist
And lastly I have decided to keep track of all gaskets, tracing them onto a piece of paper, copy them at work. Tadaaa allways an In-Spec gasket templates ready.

Post up what you got, pictures of shop setups are more than welcome

 

RACHETING WRENCHES lol

 

When I built my single stall shop, I set it up with a nearly 5' high basement and a 4'X12' hole cut in the floor for a pit. No need for a lift or extra ceiling height on the main floor. Installed cross I-beams, at 8' high, still need a connector beam, along with a traveling dolly and chain hoist. Much easier to deal with somedays than as engine hoist.

Built lots of cabinets for the main floor and shelves for storage in the basement. They all filled up quickly. I quickly tired of my tiny blast cabinet and built one myself large enough handle a 1st gen rearend.

 

i dont see aircompressor and impact guns on ut list

 

-Spark plug cleaner.
-Soldering equipment.
-Dremel.

That's all I can think of at the moment.

 

A set of long handled, long nosed needle nose pliars bent at various angles are the most useful tools for changing those vacuum hoses buried deep in the forest of the rats nest, and a large smooth-working vice is invaluable.
+1 for ratcheting wrenches

 

Pressure washer for cleaning motors/transmissions/engine bays,etc...
Parts washer and tank for cleaning parts and soaking carb parts.
Transmission jack
12mm dist wrench for taking off that pesky carb mounting nut.
Digital timing light for setting other than stock timing.
Good battery charger with engine boost capability.
Air hose reels to mount at the ceiling level.
Mini fridge stocked with stress reliever(alcohol) drinks.

 

The only thing you need

 

Good ones.
Just general stuff.
I also suggest those reelable lights also attached to the ceiling.
Large sized metal (or tough plasitc) sink. Wide and deep enough to fit 3 rotor housings side by side. And a plug to soak parts when you need to get rid of grime.
Ghetto stereo home theater system for entertainment purposes.
Water hose inside, for cleaning after a long week. Afterwards you blow all the air out with the air hose.
hunders of gallons of driveway cleaner (the purple kind from home depot).

I got nothing really rotary related. Just general stuff. Hope it helps

 

I have found the following indispensible:

54mm socket and large torque wrench (for 360 ft lbs e-shaft nut)
Mazda pilot bearing tool (or whatever else works for the purpose)
endoscope/borescope (extremely useful)
drill press
hydraulic press (necessary for axel bearings)
grinders: portable electric, air, benchmounted (I use all 3 types at various times)
Fluke handheld digital multimeter
rotary compression tester

 

+2 on the gearwrench set. you can also get the ones with the flex heads.

i made a little igniter tester out of a 12v alarm transmitter battery, LED and push button alarm valet switch (per the factory workshop manual). whenever i get off my lazy ***, ill got buy a cigarette sized project box and mount it all in there with the leads for the igniter extending from it.

oooh and sears has a 2pc 19.2 volt drill and impact gun kit on sale this week for like $109.99. ive got a little 12v hitachi from lowes and a bigger snap-on one. those things are handy when building or tearing down motors and stuff.

 

somethings not mentioned yet...

a 5ft iron tube (for those pesky nuts you just want to break off)
orbital sander
dremel tool with tons of attachments
1 gallon each of bondo and bondo fiberglass
hammer
pic axe.. (don't ask what I used it for)
2 bottles of pb blaster

... and all my lawn scapeing crap.

 

Air in a can, good for blowing crap out of other crap.

 

3lb sledge. for when things dont want to cooperate.

 

Years ago when I was very young and worked on a friends Show Hotrod I was impressed that he had fluorescent lights all across the ceiling and down each wall of the shop to illuminate every side of the car. Made everything easier to see and reduced need for corded lights. I haven't done that, but I have a generous supply of various flashlights and cordless lanterns laying around that come easily to hand when I need a quick look. I have them all: little AAA lights, snake lights, 18v. Dewalt lights, etc. saves a lot of trouble looking around for a troublelight , cord and outlet, and is usually enough for the job. The corded lights are really for visitors. Some of those cordless lights you'll want to return to a homebase (so you can always find a light) and some you'll want to let float around. It's often nice to have one of those halogen lights on a tripod that they sell for $10-$20 at HD.

Never miss a chance to impulse-buy an interesting light at the store. Keep a little LED light on your keychain. A couple handy lights in the hall closet by the door so you can grab one on the way out. Buy a sixpak of those Garrity throwaway lights in a bubble pack. Put one in each glove compartmet, in a bin, in the sparetire well.

Don't curse the darkness, get a fluorescent corded troublelight that plugs into the cigarette lighter and keep it in your car.

When you burnout the brake filament in one of those dual-filament brake/tailight bulbs with two contacts in the base, solder on a couple hookup wires with alligator clips to the working filament and put it in the glove compartment for roadside debugging and lighting. Works better than a multimeter for lots of jobs.

Indulge impulse buying of lights! You'll always use that light. Better you spend your money on lights than on diamonds!

 

- Set of metric wrenches
- Set of metric sockets and at least two wratchets (spare 10 and 12mm sockets for when you lose 'em)
- Bent 12mm wrench for us Nikki carb guys
- Stubby, low-profile 14mm wrench for those stupid front caliper mounting brackets
- Stockpile of Liquid Wrench (in a pinch, WD40 will do)
- Breaker Bar
- Precision Persuasion Device (read: Big Forkin' Hammer)
- Wirebrushes of various sizes and roughness (for spark plugs, cleaning grime off from around nuts, getting rid of crap around your intake mani, whatever)

and plenty more things I can't think of right now.

Jon

 

Buy every wacky ratchet you see: gooseneck, offset, twisthandle, 72 tooth. Believe me, you'll use them. 1", 3" and 6" wobble extensions. Harborfreight has a set of colored sockets so it's easier to see the right size when you're under the car.

 

A video camera on the ceileing to have the hollywood cam view of how things go down (and no i don't mean go down as in when you go to polish the hood )

hand tube bender, cutter, for making brake and fuel lines.
C-Clamps

Thats all i can think of now

 

a TV, so you can play the rebuild video while doing the rebuild, if you dont already have it memorized.

I like lots of work bench space, so a large work bench.

 

Following Matt's lead of engine rebuild stuffs ^^

More ziplock baggies than you can shake a stick at
Masking Tape and Sharpies
Little divided-compartment boxes or organizers

And whenever I'm wrenching on a junker, I never hesitate to stuff a handfull of spare bolts in my toolbox. You never know when you're gonna strip that caliper mounting bolt and be like "Damn, I don't have a spare one of those!"

Jon

 

And if your employee tells you that he learned from the RX-7 club...Fire that ****** on the spot. No ifs not buts, just get rid of him ASAP.

 

Good thought on the 19.2 Diehard Drill and impact kit. part # 11550 FYI. They come in handy from drilling anything to breaking bolts/nuts loose after PB Blaster of course! Stubby ratcheting wrenches, rubber mallet, and screwdrivers!

 

a large compresser and some air tools ( air ratchet, impact hammer, etc...)
angle grinder
dremel wiht thousands of the super heavy duty carbon fiber grinding wheels
metric wrenches and ratchets ( 6 point setups allow for less slippage on those tough to get bolts)
a sand blaster
lots of flourescent lights and drop lights (preferably the ceiling mounted ones)
a large bench about 3.5 feet tall with stools
welder/torches
soldering iron and solder
spare wires of all different gagues and colors
battery charger
multimeter/voltometer
decent stereo that has at least AM/FM radio and pref. CD
gasket sealant and black silicone RTV
locktite (blue and red)
never cease
brake compound ( the squeal destroyer)
vice grips and large bench mounted vice
anvil
sledgehammers 3 lb. and 10 lb.
cheater bar
breaker bar
spare fuel and oil
gear oil
hydraulic fluid for brakes and clutch
screwdrivers (as much variety as possible)
engine stand
clamps of all varieties
carb cleaner/brake parts cleaner/engine degreaser
tube bender/ pipe bender/cutter
lift/ramps
decent jack
oil waste container
normal trash container
recycling container ( beer bottles, soda cans etc)
mini fridge with your choice of refreshments
baggy of good herb
shop rags
glass cleaner
paint thinner/denatured alcohol
bondo filler and FG resin
fiberglass cloth
non latex bio degradeable gloves ( i like the environment)
notebook for writing down measurements/wiring colors and doodling body mod ideas, etc...
kitty litter for that occasional oil spill
brooms and dustpans ( i advise having more than one)
shop vac approx 5 hp wet/dry variety
plastic shelving with drawers for extra bolts/connectors/body clips
body panel clip removers short and long
hydraulic presses
i know that there is more but i cant think of it right now

 

I may just add to my own thread:

Body soldering tin, flux, tinfile and wooden tools for some oldschool bodywork.
My partner in crime told me, that he eventually wants to get a lathe and a mill.
The garbage containers is one thing i need to get, the old shop was a ******* mess.

Keep it coming..

 

I have 3 trash cans and my shop is still a mess! I think its becuase they are all full, and im too lazy to empty them and then just throw stuff on top of the allready overflowing can!

Ima get a dumpster! That will solve it! lol