Tools for Trip.

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Jivermo
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Tools for Trip.

Post by Jivermo » Sat Dec 16, 2017 4:43 am

Things seem to be a bit slow on the forum, so I’ll toss this in. I was searching here and on the Samba for a listing of what tools one should take on an extended trip in a ‘78 FI Bay, along with what spare parts. A couple, here in Miami, are traveling to Alaska in the early spring. They are Itinerant participants, and I have been helping them with some bus work since Colin’s recent visit to Miami. What would your tool list be for such a trip? What spare parts?

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zabo
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Re: Tools for Trip.

Post by zabo » Sat Dec 16, 2017 7:37 am

i bring a lot of tools. All my sockets/wrenches, multiple screwdrivers, test light, bottle jack, electrical tape, allen keys, fusses, spare wire, jack stand, 12 point driver for cvs, mechanics wire and a voltmeter. i used to lug my tool box but recently bought two fabric tool rolls that i love. i fill them up, one under each front seat.

For spare parts i have assorted nuts and bolts, rotor, condesor and points, clutch and accelerator cables and some wheel bearings, an old fuel pump and a fuel filter. dont know why i carry the bearings around. :)
60 beetle
78 bus

Jivermo
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Re: Tools for Trip.

Post by Jivermo » Sat Dec 16, 2017 8:11 am

Yes, I love the canvas bags, as well. Much easier to stow. I’m not a fan of bottle jacks. I’m looking for a lightweight, small floor jack to carry, as well as one jack stand. I like room to work under the bus, which is where I always seem to end up.

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zabo
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Re: Tools for Trip.

Post by zabo » Sat Dec 16, 2017 4:02 pm

i forgot to add a 6x6 piece of wood to put the jack on. I have bought a couple of small floor jacks. Have had the best luck with the low profile jacks at harbor freight.
60 beetle
78 bus

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Amskeptic
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Re: Tools for Trip.

Post by Amskeptic » Sat Dec 16, 2017 7:11 pm

The tools brought on a trip depend on the mechanical aptitude and intention of the travelers. I can talk with Marc about late breaking tool ideas, but think "light" think "few" and think of the line in the sand. I, for example, do not bring a transaxle fork setting jig with me, because I refuse to rebuild my transaxle on the road.

For extended traveling, interior real estate is at a premium. A bottle jack is good to have along with a tidy floor jack. You use the bottle jack as a stabilizer, as a hydraulic press, as a necessary complement to tire rotation day . . . . . which should be done every 5,000 miles.
Colin

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Image
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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Ronin10
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Re: Tools for Trip.

Post by Ronin10 » Sun Dec 17, 2017 3:51 pm

I have the a similar philosophy to Colin on my road trips. I'll bring the typical set of tools, but when packing up, I'm asking myself what jobs am I willing and able to do on the road, what jobs am I simply going to have the bus towed to the nearest town for, and what jobs are likely to come up, given the state of my bus at that point in time. Regardless, I want to be able to diagnose the issue in the field so I'm not at the mercy of a mechanic that hasn't worked on a bus in the last 20 years, if ever.
Oscar: 1976 Sage Green Bus, Stock Motor, Solid Lifters, Manual Transaxle

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asiab3
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Re: Tools for Trip.

Post by asiab3 » Tue Dec 19, 2017 12:09 pm

Hmmmm yes the extended road trip packing list for me is quite different than a daily commuter car list.

The biggest boon I've enjoyed for casual tool weight/size reduction is eliminating "sets" of unnecessary tools. If I'm traveling light, I only bring a 6mm allen wrench, because as long as the CVs stay on, I can get to the next town. I only carry 8, 10, 13, 17, and 19 millimeter sockets or wrenches, even though a set comes with all the in-between sizes.

Ratwell has a list of all the large fastener sizes on a late bus that I used to narrow down my large socket drawer. For a "long" trip (any milage involving an oil change and valve adjustment) I carry way more, mostly because I end up working other people's cars. Sometimes we trade beer and stories while tag teaming regular maintenance, sometimes I find work that way, and sometimes their Land Yacht is stuck in Yellowstone.

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The only tool I've Needed and not had with me was a piston ring compressor. When I was packing for a big trip I said "man, if I need this, I'll be in big trouble."

I was indeed in big trouble.
Robbie
1969 bus, "Buddy."
145k miles with me.
322k miles on Earth.

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Amskeptic
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Re: Tools for Trip.

Post by Amskeptic » Sat Dec 23, 2017 10:21 am

asiab3 wrote:
Tue Dec 19, 2017 12:09 pm

The only tool I've Needed and not had with me was a piston ring compressor. When I was packing for a big trip I said "man, if I need this, I'll be in big trouble."

I was indeed in big trouble.
Robbie
For next time ( :blackeye: ), know that you can individually install rings with your fingers and a feeler blade. I now prefer that method when installing a piston from the top down. If you should find that too much slow-speed fiddling, you can get either a full-size single or a couple of screwed together big wide hose clamps and tap that piston on in with alacrity and oil.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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wcfvw69
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Re: Tools for Trip.

Post by wcfvw69 » Sat Dec 23, 2017 11:14 am

I think Tram on the Samba once said that a well maintained VW with quality parts used should only require a cell phone and credit card on road trips. I'm thinking there's some truth to that. When I take my 'newer' cars on road trips, that's all I bring with me.

Of course, my 2015 Honda with only 38k miles has developed an odd no start condition that requires a jump start on occasion. Battery tested fine under a load last time it did this. Yesterday, the finance has it at a grocery store. Calls and says it only clicks when she turns the key over. I go to her and the car with jumper cables and a multimeter.
Battery reads 12.1 volts. Turning the key gets me no response from the starter. Jumping it gets the starter turning over and it starts.

We get home with the car, shut it off. It fires right back up like nothing was ever wrong. Tried it this am. Fired right up again. Very odd.. Searching the Honda forums, there appears to be a problem with 2014/2015 Honda's that Honda is not owning up to nor doing a recall for.. Lovely.

So, what car is truly dependable anymore? Deep sigh..
1970 Westfalia bus. Stock 1776 dual port type 1 engine. Restored German Solex 34-3. Restored 205Q distributor, restored to factory appearance engine.

TrollFromDownBelow
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Re: Tools for Trip.

Post by TrollFromDownBelow » Sat Dec 23, 2017 8:02 pm

This has been done on the Samba a gajillion times, but thought it might be fun to attempt to start a comprehensive list of tools and parts to take with on long road trips that folks on this forum can edit / add to.

However, my first suggestion before embarking on a trip to Alaska is to ensure all suspension components have been gone through and addressed appropriately (ball joints, center pin, tie rod ends, rear bushings, etc, etc). Many suspension components require either lotsa pressure and/or lotsa torque to R & R....ergo specialty tools. Getting this stuff done prior to, negates having to do this on the road. Also, these parts don't just typically fail out of the blue...the gradually wear and get loose tolerances, so easy to catch and predict prior to failure.

After that, I would ensure that all the CV boots are in tip top shape. If not, buy good quality and replace them...messy job to do on the road.

Then, assuming you have an engine that has good compression (you did check this..right? :flower: ) and is in good tune, My next line of defense as far as tools and parts would be as follows. Surprisingly,many things you can fix on a bus with most simple hand tools.

- Set of metric box wrenches
- Set of metric sockets both standard and deepwell ...3/8 drive will do, with several extension lengths, and a U-joint attachment
- breaker bar
- set of appropriate metric allen wrenches
- quality 3/8 drive torque wrench
- phillips and flat screw drivers
- tire iron
- hammer
- BF hammer
- Needle hose pliers
- regular pliers
- Channel locks
- vise grips
- adjustable wrench (quality one...not some HF Junk)
- small crowbar
- WD 40
- molybdenum grease
- loc-tite
- grease gun (you did say they were traveling to FL to AK and back...although oil changes and lube jobs can be farmed out)
- duct tape and baling wire (not joking...stuff can come in handy)
- If you have the original fasteners on the CV joints, the appropriate tool to take these off
- feeler gauges
- volt /ohm meter
- timing light
- dwell / tac meter
- Bottle jack, small floor jack, and two jack stands
- 2' x 3' piece of carpet to lay on when wrenching on the bus
- Bentley manual ( I actually carry Bentley, Muir, and Haynes, as all three have their complimentary strong an weak points)

As far as spare parts:
- valve cover gaskets
- points and condenser
- misc metric nuts and bolts
- TS II - realize they've gotten a bit pricey, but can cause all kinds of weird problems. Still cheap insurance.
- fuel filter
- clutch cable...I've never had one brake, but hey, they are relatively cheap, and easy to transport.
- CV boot (probably not necessary if you have good quality ones on it now)
- fuses of various sizes
- # of oil filters you will need (not sure how readily available they are on the road...don't take up too much space)

That would really be about it....as far as engine components such as alternators, fuel pumps, etc, you can most likely have most anything shipped to you that you might need. If you happen to have a spare double relay, AFM, and alternator laying around, and if you have the space to spare, sure, take it. But if you don't, I wouldn't go out and buy one 'just in case'.

Cheers,
Mike
1976 VW Bus aka tripod
FI ...not leaky, and not so noisy...and she runs awesome!
hambone wrote: There are those out there with no other aim but to bunch panties. It's like arguing with a pretzel.
::troll2::

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Amskeptic
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Re: Tools for Trip.

Post by Amskeptic » Sun Dec 24, 2017 6:46 am

TrollFromDownBelow wrote:
Sat Dec 23, 2017 8:02 pm
Surprisingly, many things you can fix on a bus with most simple hand tools.

Cheers,
Mike

Legend
black - I got this too
blue - I don't have this, and here's why

Colin :pirate:

- Set of metric box wrenches
- Set of metric sockets - 12 point 8,10-19, 1/2 drive > 24, 27, 36, 3/4 drive > 42 both standard and
deepwell sockets I just switch to open-end wrenches
...3/8 drive will do, with 3, 6, 12" extensions, and a U-joint attachment
- 3/8 flex-handle ratchet with extended handle length
- 1/2 drive breaker bar, 3/4 breaker bar for above 42mm socket - critical for early buses
- set of appropriate metric allen wrenches (2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 17)
- quality 1/2 drive torque wrench 0-100 ft/lbs beam style preferred
- phillips and flat screw drivers ( tiny on up )
especially a bf flat-blade screwdriver that fully fits engine tin screws
especially a bf phillips that fully fits door latch screws
- tire iron
- hammer 8#
- sledge 10#
- Needle hose pliers
- regular pliers I never use them
- Channel locks
- Visegrip® needle nose, small, medium, large both flat jaw and rounded
(you do not want crap knock-offs)

- Crescent® 4" and 8" adjustable wrenches (quality one...not some HF Junk)
- small crowbar
- WD 40
- 2 pints of Dot 3 brake fluid stationed near the reservoir
- spare rear wheel cylinder heck, station it next to the reservoir in a ziplock with paper towel padding
- molybdenum grease (must be CV joint suitable!)
- loc-tite
- grease gun (with flexible hose and an additional cartridge of same grease as above)
- duct tape and baling wire (not joking...stuff can come in handy)
- If you have the original fasteners on the CV joints, the appropriate tool to take these off > just use a 6mm allen bit with a 3/8" drive
- feeler gauges (check for .0015" up to .035" with definite .006", you'd be amazed to see how many sets are partial these days)
- volt /ohm meter
- timing light (if you have a Type 1 engine, get one with a dial)
- dwell / tac meter
- Bottle jack, small floor jack, and two jack stands > I have taken heat for this, but jack stands are nothing but a PIA space-eater in the interior, and they can lull you into a false sense of security on any but concrete/cool paved surfaces
- 2' x 3' piece of carpet to lay on when wrenching on the bus> naaaaah interior contaminant!
- Bentley manual ( I actually carry Bentley, Muir, and Haynes, as all three have their complimentary strong an weak points)

As far as spare parts:
- valve cover gaskets
- points and condenser
- misc metric nuts and bolts
- TS II - realize they've gotten a bit pricey, but can cause all kinds of weird problems. Still cheap insurance.
- fuel filter
- clutch cable...I've never had one brake, but hey, they are relatively cheap, and easy to transport.
- accelerator cable
- CV boot (at least 2, these damn things can go bad in a heartbeat and if you take an axle off, get both done)
- fuses of various sizes ONLY 8A and 16A in their correct spots
- # of oil filters you will need (not sure how readily available they are on the road...don't take up too much space) > just stop by a NAPA and get a 1521 a few days ahead and stop by WalMart a few days ahead for your 20/50 wt Castrol GTX 5 quart container for only $16.97
- 7" sealed beam headlamp - you never know when that special rock knocks you darkety blind
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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asiab3
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Re: Tools for Trip.

Post by asiab3 » Sun Dec 24, 2017 11:39 am

Interesting list… I have a complete list of "what's in my traveling work tool box" and it's immense. Until I had an engine issue in Colorado, my cross-country tour needed these bits over 14,000 miles:

philips #2 screwdriver
flathead 1/4" screwdriver
tach/dwell meter
10mm and 13mm socket/ratchet
3/8" torque wrench
feeler gauges
13mm offset box wrench
a little grease
paper towels
oil

Of course, the "what's in the box" list is a few pages long, and contains weird stuff like tie-rod pullers, thread files, and tools for removing stripped fasteners. I do work on other people's cars after all. :)

Robbie
1969 bus, "Buddy."
145k miles with me.
322k miles on Earth.

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