Home Made Tools

[smokin325i]

on another forum i visit they have a post on tools people have built to get jobs do when they couldnt get a tool or one didnt exists and they fabricate there own ,i have done this for several cars and now being new to the e36 BMW i find my self making some very strange tools once again either to save a buck or a head ache , just wondering who else has been down this road. if you have made a tool please post some photos with a description of what it does and it would be awesome if you even had a DIY on how to make you version of a tool ,if you got it please post it maybe it would help another member out. i will be posting photos of some of the tools ive had to fabricate .

[Spyke]

Great idea!

[smokin325i]

hopefuly it catches on i know the gearheads on this forum has had to make a few tools some time along the way
(bump)

[Toby B]

I made a thin 32mm wrench to get the steering rack apart....

10 minutes with the knockoff Bridgy and some leftover 4130 and back in business.
Faster than running to... err... where can I buy something that big in metric on a Sunday?

t

[hshan]

I made a fan clutch removal tool the other day. Got a thin steel bar from Home Depot for around $5 and simply drilled a 1/4" hole on one end. It was just big enough to grab onto one of the bolts of the water pump to get the fan clutch out. It's not pretty, but it was simple and a better than $30 + wait time. Autozone only had the tools for Ford/GM and those were too big for my car.

[flyfishvt]

I love homemade tools but these cars don't give you many opportunities.

I used a drift punch as a flywheel locking tool. Sorry that's all I got.

[coconutmnky]

I used a shotgun as a weedkiller.

[Kapoosta]

Had this in my bookmarks:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1380462

[blitz355]

Grinded down a 16mm open end to get the sway bar endlinks tightened up?

[walker7182006]

I used a shotgun as a weedkiller.

[BMWMPow3r]

+1, we need a sticky with all diy tools.

Well, for the primary chain tensioner dummy tool. you can just use your primary chain tensioner and pull the inners out and place in the right sized socket. for the secondary chain tensioner, you can use a paper clip.

The slim clutch fan wrench is basically a bicycle wrench which is cheaper than OEM.
Basically any slim wrench you need can be had from bicycle gear tools.

Great idea!

[Littleredti]

I have some affordable wrenches that I heated up and bent to get in some really odd places. I have a 8 foot bar that I titled the 8ft breaker bar with duck tape. Never has a bolt not just gracefully come off with that (weighs about 15lbs). I made a long screw driver with a few others that I have trashed or found trashed. I've also cut a few wrenches for when I was getting frustrated and didn't feel like finding the right tool.

No pics as they are all at work...

[E36 For Life]

Top transmission bolts.

[hshan]

Top transmission bolts.

Wow are those for the bolts on the transmission mounts? The bottom ones came off relatively easy, but the top ones just would not budge. I managed to get one out, but the other actually bent my single wrench. Did your tool work well? Can you elaborate on the design? Thanks

[E36 For Life]

It's for the top bolts that hold the transmission to engine. I took a 13mm open end combination wrench (I think it was a 13 mm I made this 10 years ago) and cut the open end off, slid it in a 14" steel tube, crushed the ends to hold the wrench in and threw some tape on there so I don't cut my hands.
Works like a champ.

[jmo69]

The transmission bolts on mine were external Torx and in a spot only a socket with lots of extensions would work.

[E36 For Life]

I guess alot of people don't know that a 12 point will work on torx bolts.

[BMWMPow3r]

I guess alot of people don't know that a 12 point will work on torx bolts.

so you tried this on the transmission bolts without stripping the threads?

[NintendoKD]

I used a shotgun as a weedkiller.

you mustah bean a red nek in a past laf

[dozanti]

My fan pulley holding tool for tightening/loosening fan. Old ratchet handle and strip of metal bent and drilled. Finally welded the two and painted it. Took me 15 minutes

[E36 For Life]

so you tried this on the transmission bolts without stripping the threads?

Yes, threads usually only strip if you over torque/tighten.

[jmo69]

I've made a few tools and such for different projects. My pneumatic PVC trans/dif filler and my home made press. My fan tools are rebar and steel diamond plate for the wrench and the holder out of some steel from an old garage door opener. Stethoscope out of plastic air brake line, some brass fitting and some earplugs. I've pressed bushings into suspension parts with threaded rod and sockets and plumbing caps. Whatever works.


Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[myblackcar]

I used two m6 x 65 bolts, washers, some metal bars, and two 3" blocks of wood to remove the water pump when the ears broke. I threaded the bolts into the pulley screw holes and used the wood and metal bars to push against the timing chain cover to pull out the water pump.

I keep a second cheap hydraulic jack around to provide 2 tons of torque when a breaker bar or my impact wrench just won't do. I put the socket on the nut or bolt, put the jack under the socket, and pump the jack in the direction to loosen. This worked for my O2 sensor, rear shock to control arm bolt, and transmission fill plug.