Before your newbie rebuild, did you buy every tool you needed?

[JonT]

The tool list is expansive and expensive as Im about to start my 964 rebuild. Did you buy every tool on Wayne's list in his book or are there substitutes? Which are absolutely necessary and which can be substituted with more ordinary tools? Thanks

[Flat6pac]

Ive been building for 35 years and I'm still buying tools to make it easier.....
Bruce

[Lapkritis]

Yes, I bought every tool before I started even removing the engine from the car. No use losing time that can be avoided.

[Trackrash]

I already had a prety good selection of tools. I did buy and made some of the special tools needed. Like the flywheel nut tool and the cam holder.
Here is my current project.

[gtc]

My biggest regret was missing out on the $500 ultrasonic cleaner that was posted a while back. That would have saved me a fair amount of time and money.

If you look, you can find some affordable tool substitutes. For instance:

Stuff that worked well for me:
-Harbor Freight Digital Indicator - $30 instead of $83 (requires a different threaded tip, 4-48 thread, 1.5")
-QSC cam bar - $68 vs $85 for SIR cam bar
-QSC engine yoke - $200 vs $300 for a real P201.
-Harbor Freight Torque wrench - $11 each, work fine.
- make your own rod and chain holders from a $10 sheet of steel
-Goodson Stud Remover (head studs)- works well and cheaper than Snap-On (heat the case with a torch). Thanks to KTL for the suggestion.
-Wiseco ring comressor. Easy to use, works well. Thanks to Gordo for the suggestion.

Avoid:
-Harbor Freight Digital Calipers. Not Precise enough to be useful, IMO. I borrowed a pair of Mitutoyos from work in order to double check rod bolt stretch after using the ARP stretch gauge.
-Three wheel engine stands. Mine was rated at 750 lbs and was a little tippy.


That said, buy your SIR tools from Pelican... other sites that appear to sell them cheaper do not actually have the parts in stock, and the backorder wait can be months long.

[G50911]

hey gtc which cleaner was this? i just bought one and i think i may have gotten in on that deal. retail on the one i got was $1400 and i paid $480

[gtc]

The one from this thread. Big enough to do a cam tower:
Excellent Part Cleaner

Looks like it was actually $380, not $500... rubbing salt in my own wound...

[Lapkritis]

Originally Posted by gtc

That said, buy your SIR tools from Pelican... other sites that appear to sell them cheaper do not actually have the parts in stock, and the backorder wait can be months long.

Great suggestions... Except I tried to buy all the cam tools from Pelican at once and was able to check out. Later checked my order status to find they were back ordered... Cancelled that and found them far cheaper on eBay.

[G50911]

i ordered the 30liter one over the weekend. they're normally $1400! but i got it for ~$500 due to a price f'up on their part. luckily for me they said they'd honor the price and immediately took the ad down!

30L 30 L Ultrasonic Cleaner Brushed Tank Flow Valve Free Warranty Wholesale | eBay

[ertech]

For my experience you will need
Cam tool
Z block
Torque wrench
Metric dial indicator

The rest is pretty standard
For the exhaust Alan nut I just used a regular Alan key than as a handle for it used a socket and and extension

[mreid]

I just bought this 30L ultrasonic cleaner for $425.

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=141652197736

[G50911]

wow thats a huge price diff mark. how do you like it? i tried to find some reviews on how well it cleans. any pointers on cleaning solution?

[Spenny_b]

Well, firstly a confession - I love buying tools....there's no such thing as wasting money on them, so I already had a very comprehensive, decent quality Britool setup from previous projects

But having said that, I do baulk sometimes at the cost of some one-time-use items.

Some you'd waste more time trying to cobble together, than simply buying, e.g., I got a pretty good deal on a once-used cam tool for the 964 - even with shipping from Canada (eh) to the UK, it was just over half price.

I also bought (from our hosts) the basket and a lifting bar....not the sort of items I want to fanny about with.

Then I made the speciality tools like:

The gudgeon pin spring insertion tool
The chain holders (to hold chains vertically whilst assembling case halves)
A holding plate to mount a magnetic based DTI for cam timing (although if needed I'd do this with a Z-block tool next time)
Valve spring height setting tool

If you wanted to do the same, browse through my build thread below, it's all documented in there.

....but like the guys above ^^^, wish I'd investigated further the ultrasonic cleaners...next time, perhaps.

I think next time I'd also buy a chain tension setting tool; I "got-by" without, but it took quite a lot of effort to get the correct tension, and of course isn't 100% repeatable.

[Speed Buggy]

PVC pipe to hold the cylinders on. Don't need the Cylinder Holding Nut Set.

[michael lang]

I have made a ton of tool purchases since I started my engine rebuild. The thing that makes me the most pissed off is because I have no experience doing this, there are setbacks and delays in making progress because I don't have a stud remover or a ring compressor. I am learning as I go. Hence, I am constantly buying tools to help me do this. I tried to put together a short list prior to getting started and I had enough for simple teardown but now that I'm going back together there are things that I've had to buy along the way. I also probably take too long researching which tool to get. I know I will eventually get there but it can be frustratingly rewarding times.

[JonT]

speed buggy--can you elaborate on the pvc pipe substitute for the cylinders? Thanks

Thanks everyone I just ord'd these from Pelican:
Dial guage (metric)
Feeler gauge .004
Zblock
Chain sprocket holder
Cam socket
Acid brushes
12pt 12mm socket tool 1/2" drive

[Speed Buggy]

I think it is 1/2 " PVC, someone else may be closer to their garage, but you cut it to length and use a nut to hold your cylinders while you rotate the engine.

[Speed Buggy]

All the cool stuff I learnt about Porsche shortcuts, I learnt on here. Read through the threads about rebuilds. That is where I saw this and many others, such as the flywheel holding tool made out of a piece of barstock. Drill two holes, one on each end, and then slip over a trans mounting bolt and a bolt in the flywheel (pressure plate bolt I think), loosen and tighten flywheel bolts.

[whiz05403]

Originally Posted by michael lang

I have made a ton of tool purchases since I started my engine rebuild. The thing that makes me the most pissed off is because I have no experience doing this, there are setbacks and delays in making progress because I don't have a stud remover or a ring compressor. I am learning as I go. Hence, I am constantly buying tools to help me do this. I tried to put together a short list prior to getting started and I had enough for simple teardown but now that I'm going back together there are things that I've had to buy along the way. I also probably take too long researching which tool to get. I know I will eventually get there but it can be frustratingly rewarding times.

Get the more expensive "tapered" ring compressor that's specific for your cylinders. Much better than the "squeeze" types.

[Pazuzu]

Sorry to be late to the party...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009OR93I
Ring compressor. Our pistons are tiny and light, the wrinkle style compressor gets a tight fit on the rings without being bulky like so many tool built for big fat cast American style pistons. Also, this one is very lightweight, has a small handle (which is important with all of those head studs in the way).

Worked a charm on my rebuild.

I also use a leftover 13mm wrench as a flywheel lock, even easier and faster than drilling bar stock