Your Favourite Tool - When changing a clutch

[highlander]

I have one of those screwdrivers as well - they are superb! Bought it for work purposes (disassembling and reassembling routers (for memory upgrades, etc), plus installation of kit into 19" racks)

They're fine for racking stuff up, but I prefer a 'normal' screwdriver for inserting/removing cage nuts. *slightly* less chance of skewering my hand

I've taken to using one of these for inserting cage nuts:


Not great for removing them, but that screwdriver is great for getting them out. Put a flat-head bit into the screwdriver and lock the ratchet so it won't turn. Wedge the flat-head up against the edge of the cage nut's "lip" on the front of the rack. Grip your left hand around the plastic handle of the screwdriver, and use the palm of your hand to smack the bottom of the screwdriver handle, quite hard (like you're getting ketchup out of a glass bottle, but harder) and the little buggers will ping right out.

[bytecode]

Ah cage nuts - WHY are they so expensive? I'd have thought that Googles thirst for servers would have made them 10-a-penny by now!

[highlander]

Depends on your supplier and how many you buy at the same time. The last bag we (Halliburton) bought had 50 cage nuts and 50 bolts and cost £5.61 + VAT, and this was from our supplier Decorus (we probably get a discount though as we put a hell of a lot of business their way).

[bytecode]

Depends on your supplier and how many you buy at the same time. The last bag we (Halliburton) bought had 50 cage nuts and 50 bolts and cost £5.61 + VAT, and this was from our supplier Decorus (we probably get a discount though as we put a hell of a lot of business their way).

Yeah, you must be a good customer - that's a good price.

[bytecode]

Ok one of the latest candidates for my most favourite tool must be my new set of "wobble bars";
I got them for about £11 from Trago in Cornwall.

They proved really useful in undoing the nuts on those pesky retaining bolts with the elliptical heads that hold the offside/RHS drive shaft in the intermediate bearing housing near the engine movement limiter.

For anyone that has not used them before (e.g. Me!) they can be used as regular socket bars, OR you can pull the end of the bar out slightly, so that the tapered end acts like a mini universal joint.
It worked a treat.

I've included a 14mm ratchet spanner in the shot for a sense of scale.

[bytecode]

I've taken to using one of these for inserting cage nuts:

I noticed today that the cooling-hose bracket leading past the diesel fuel filter housing looks surprisingly similar to that tool.