Which tools?
 

Hello all,

My Cessna 177 is going in for some work doing next week. A 50hr, plus a load of other bits and pieces (post-purchase bug fixes). The maintenance company are a well-regarded, friendly bunch, and say they offer "supervised maintenance", whereby we can do some of the work ourselves, under their supervision, and save some money on the labour charges.

Whilst I've not worked on aircraft, I did spent a number of years working as a pit monkey for a superbike team so am quite happy ripping engines apart, and have a great deal of mechanical sympathy.

Obviously using my own tools would be a requirement, and I guess the first thing on the shopping list would be a set of AF sockets & spanners. All my metric snap-on is pretty redundant for the task in hand.

Any recommendations as to what I should buy to get me started would be most appreciated. I would guess I'd just be doing cowlings, filters, oil, nothing too complex.

Thanks in advance...

Best bit of kit you can get is a Snap On ratcheting screwdriver.
As for the rest, If you've got a small fortune to spend, go for Snap On. If not, pop down to Halfords and you can get AF sets of just about everything for a fair price.

> Best bit of kit you can get is a Snap On ratcheting screwdriver.

You're so right. Pride of place in my garage that!

Since buying the aircraft I don't really have the spare cash to go for more snap-on stuff to match the metric I've already got. I certainly agree as regards Halfords; their sockets have certainly improved in recent years (didn't they buy Sykes Pickervant?).

A Leatherman wave!!!:}

Yer only man for any aircraft repair:ok:

I would have you doing all the mundane tasks I don't want to do! So make sure you've got wirelocking pliers, good cutters and standard & longnose pliers for lots of split pinning.
Craftsman, Facom/Britool are the next best thing to Snap on. Lots available on eBay.

For Spark plugs a deep 7/8th socket....

A good kit would be a set of A/F spanners up to an Inch in size, you won't need anything over that. Also the same with sockets from about 3/8th upto an Inch, normally a 3/8th drive.

I would also suggest a 1/4 drive set from 1/4 up to and including 9/16th.... A double depth set of the 1/4 drive would also come in handy up to 9/16th..

A mirror, torch, wire feeler gauges for the plugs, a normal set of feelers, snips, wirelocking pliers and a file for the prop blades will just about do most jobs......

and as said a ratchet screwdriver, a dumpy one too would be the icing on the cake, you will then have a kit that will cover most jobs on the Aircraft..

You need the Boeing spanner. One tool to suit any occasion. :E

Boeing Spanner
 

http://www.ridgid.com/ASSETS/CF64200..._Wrench_3C.jpg
This is very useful

My Ar**!!

A Victorinox SWISSTOOL is yer man.:ok:

:hmm: The plug socket you will need for the Spark plugs is a Deep 7/8" not 7/16":ok:

No self respecting engineer goes without one of these..

http://www.petitesouris.co.uk/acatal...ahammers36.gif

That aside, I would go with what NutLoose suggests above ^^^ :ok:

Thanks for the suggestions guys, much appreciated.

Terraplane- back in the days when my dad used to wield spanners he used to refer to adjustable wrenches as "those damn things". Invariably because they used to have a habit of slipping off your selected nut and twatting you in the face.

you may even wish to purchase the Boeing Chainsaw - A google search will yield you the info required. :ok:

For plugs- 1/2" drive also a 3/4 x 7/8 spanner for the leads.

B727:hmm: The plug socket you will need for the Spark plugs is a Deep 7/8" not 7/16":ok:



Ooops finger problems in my Typing, should have reread it :)

Terraplaneblueshttp://www.ridgid.com/ASSETS/CF64200..._Wrench_3C.jpg
This is very useful


Got one of those :)

Some chief engineers might well sling those wrenches right out of the hangar door if they see one in your toolbox! :)
By the way, not all 7/8" deep sockets are deep enough for spark plugs. Some only grip half of the hex so take a plug along to the toolshop to make sure you buy the right one.

Some chief engineers might well sling those wrenches right out of the hangar door if they see one in your toolbox! :)
By the way, not all 7/8" deep sockets are deep enough for spark plugs. Some only grip half of the hex so take a plug along to the toolshop to make sure you buy the right one.

Phew........... better not let my Chief Engineer see it then.................... wait on a moment, I AM THE Chief Engineer :}:} :} :p

They do not really compare to an adjustable as they are designed to work on more than two faces of the nut...