|
NOTE: my primary reason for asking this question, concerns repairs I have not done yet - never did any suspension work yet. Are air tools needed? Can't find a shop that would say NO to that question. Funny, the shops agree with my getting any or all of these tools, and the majority of the people at this board say I do not need them. So, I'm skeptical about the answers I've gotten because most people here at this board have car troubles and do not seem to be handling that too well (except for the seasoned regulars), so why trust their answers? Also, although an independent shop might not opt to buy a dealership tool, they are also more experienced in using generic tools, but at any rate, they have "special generic tools" for the same task, so what's the difference? Why should I look at a dealership tool any differently than I would any other tool? See, if the reason why the answers I got were advising against dealership tools because those tools just didn't work as well as certain other name brand generic tools, then not telling me that fact was just laziness, or the answers I got was just plain incompetent (not yours, you gave your reasons and you were not lazy) and the answerer does not know they are incompetent. I think there is more to it than meets the eye.
"The crank pulley holder, 5284, is the one I'd vote for. I've used mine many times to replace the timing belt and for the front seals" ...
I have that tool, and I agree, it has been very, very useful. But before I purchased it, I asked the same question here on this board before, and got the same basic responses - YOU DON'T NEED ANY OF EM! Well, I started the timing belt job, and tried (frustratingly) to use general purpose crank holders and they are crap (all of them). A Volvo tech talked me into getting the 5284, and the job went like a breeze and saved me aggravation and time. If nothing else, that alone was worth the cost of the tool, and that is why I asked the question, to find out tools really worth getting. (I will need to use it again too).
On the other hand, I also know and agree that there are probably some that really are either an exaggeration of a need, or not even effective. For instance, I personally do not like the Volvo Oxy sensor socket. I prefer the Snappy style. Again, the snappy cost me more than the Volvo tool, but it works so much better. So, isn't a tool just a tool regardless of what we label it? I suppose what irks me about some of the responses is that none of them are saying anything like what I just said - that the Volvo tool is not as good as the generic tool. To me that is an entirely different reason for not buying those dealership tools.
"On my old 240, I found sockets and pipe fittings to use along with a inexpensive shop press to replace torque rod bushings. You could also have some work like this done by taking the part into an auto machine shop" ...
That's good to hear. I've yet to do any suspension work and wondered about that.
"For repairs which are made rarely, I'd just take the car into a Volvo shop. For example, to replace the rear main seal, the tranny has to come out. I've done this years ago but have no desire to do it again. This would be a shop job" ...
Ok, now this is something that makes me curious about your reason why, unless you just really hated doing that job. My car has a leaky rear main. Volvo prices for that job, plus extras exceed the cost of what a quality trans jack would cost me, so the jack would pay for itself from just one use. I also have an engine that need to be dropped out of the bottom of another vehicle and that same trans jack would serve that purpose as well; I could loan the tool to less fortunate souls in need of such a tool; not to mention that I could rent it out to the more fortunate souls; get the experience of doing a tranny job; or if nothing else just sell the tool after doing the job. Chris Herbst was one of the guys that got me started seeing things this way. Guess I don't see a tranny jack as a SST. Yet there are those that would call it a special tool. So, just when is a tool a special tool, and when is a tool not a special tool? Maybe I should have not used that term "special" but rather "dealership" tools. I still think that a rose is a rose is a rose.
"I think in many cases the cost of special tools makes them cost-effective only in a shop where the cost is spread over many repairs or the reduction in time makes that a good savings."
Well, I feel that if buying a tool saves me what I would have to pay for Volvo or a shop to do the job, then it pays to buy the tool and do the job myself. Other reasons I mentioned above. But I understand your reasoning and agree with it generally. It's just that in practice I look at "some" special tools like I would just like a regular needed tool." So, I guess I'm saying that if a SST does not work, or if it does not save any time, or if it does not make the job easier, or safer, well, then yes, I agree, you just don't need it.
And if that's true then Volvo has done one really good deceptive marketing job. I mean, that means they are basically lying to dealerships and the shops and the public about their tools being necessary.
diyer
|
