The advantage of power tools is that the tools themselves do much of the work that ordinarily you might have to do yourself if you're working by hand. Tools powered by air compressors, or impact tools, take much of the strain, exertion and frustration out of many of the tasks involved in automotive projects. If used properly and with proper precautions, these tools will speed up a number of your tasks, make them much easier and take away some of the tedium of repetitive motion. Safety Alert: As with any power tools, when using air-compressor tools, wear appropriate safety gear including long sleeves, work gloves and safety glasses. Read and follow any additional safety precautions that come with your equipment. Consumer-use air compressors come in sizes ranging from small table-top units (figure A) to medium-sized portable ones (figure B), to large, standing models.
Some have electrically powered motors while others use fuel-burning engines. All of them utilize a system of belts and pistons to draw air in and store it in a holding tank under high pressure. The pressurized air is released via an outlet and hose, to which a variety of air-powered tools can be attached. A pair of gauges (figure C) indicates the pressure of the air stored in the tank as well the air being delivered via the outlet. The pressure of the released air can be regulated with a valve. With the unit turned on, when the pressure in the tank gets lowered to a certain point, the motor will engage.
The tools attach to the end of the hose by means of a standardized coupling (figure D). Generally, they simply snap in to place to form a secure attachment and airtight seal. A wide array of tools and attachments are available.
A paint sprayer (figure E) allows you to deliver large volumes of paint quickly, evenly and almost effortlessly over large areas.
A rotary cutting wheel (figure F) essentially replaces the function of a hacksaw, and allows you to cut through metal in far less time (figure G). An offset grinder can then be used to smooth off any metal burrs or rough edges.
Tools like those described above are particularly useful for customizing and body-work, but there are many air tools that are useful for engine work. One of the most readily useful examples is a powered socket wrench (figure H), also known as an air-ratchet. Though some automotive purists prefer to use ordinary wrenches and hand tools, an air-ratchet can be extremely helpful, for instance, if a job requires removing or replacing a large number of bolts. They can greatly speed up and simplify a number of the tasks required in working on an engine. Air-ratchet sets come with a variety of socket attachments, extenders and adapters, just as an ordinary socket set would.
For heavy-duty installations and projects, an impact wrench (figure I) delivers even more power than the air ratchet. These can be particularly helpful, for instance, when changing or rotating tires. The monotonous task of removing and reinstalling the lug nuts that hold the wheels in place can be simplified by using an impact wrench (figure J)and done in a fraction of the time that would be required with a regular lug wrench.
In addition to the ones shown in our demonstration, there ar numerous attachments available for a wide range of uses. Some of those include the impact drill , impact chisel , and high-pressure air nozzle. The air drill (figure K) uses interchangeable bits and is used for the same purposes as any other power drill.
The impact chisel (figure L) can be used to very quickly cut through sheet metal, and can even be used to cut through rusted or frozen-up bolts that cannot be otherwise removed.
The air nozzle (figure M) is handy for cleanup, allowing dust, cobwebs and other light debris to be instantly blown out of the way.
RESOURCES :
Some vehicles provided by Beaty Chevrolet
Beaty Chevrolet
9615 Parkside Drive
Knoxville, TN 37922
Phone: 865-693-7712
Web site: beatychevrolet.com
Some vehicles provided by Ted Russell Ford
Ted Russell Ford
8551 Kingston Pike
Knoxville, TN 37919
Phone: 865-693-7611
Web site: www.tedrussell.com
The Haynes Automotive Tools Manual : The Haynes Manual for Buying and Using Automotive Tools
Model: 1563921073
Author: Eric Godfrey and John H. Haynes
(1994)
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
Haynes Publications
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