Shop Tools

Aviation snips: see Hacksaw

Floor jack: tool designed to become firmly trapped under the car upon finishing any major suspension or drivetrain work by having its handle trapped firmly between the vehicle's floor pan and the ground.

Douglas Fir 2x4: used to lever a vehicle upward to aid in removal of a Floor Jack from beneath it.

Tweezers: used for removing splinters, see 'Douglas Fir 2x4', above.

Timing Light: a stroboscopic device designed to illuminate grease buildup.

1/2 x 16 Inch Screwdriver: a large motor mount prying tool that inexplicably has an accurately machined screwdriver tip on the end without the handle.

Trouble Light: the mechanic's own tanning booth. Sometimes called a drop light, it is a good source of vitamin D, "the sunshine vitamin", which is not otherwise found in garages at night. Health benefits aside, its main purpose is to consume 40-watt light bulbs at about the same rate that 105-mm howitzer shells might be used during, say, the first few hours of the Battle of the Bulge. More often dark than light, its name is somewhat misleading.

Gasket Scraper: theoretically useful as a sandwich tool for spreading mayonnaise; used mainly for getting dog ---- off your boot.