Modern Vespa

Changing my head gasket got me rummaging around in my tool chest more than usual. I'd just bought a replacement 3/8 inch drive 10mm socket to replace one that seemed to have gone missing...then miraculously appeared some time later (I mentioned the loss to a motorcyclist patient one day and he said, "lemme guess...a 10 mm? )

I bought a 1/4 inch drive ratchet a couple years back that was much handier than the 3/8 I'd been using. Also got a wobble extension for the exhaust header bolts. I had a t-driver for a 3/8, but never used it as it didn't seem practical, but started using it...it finally made sense, and the 1/4 inch one I added worked a treat for my project.

I don't have it yet, but decided to pick up the Robot-endorsed long needlenose pliers. We'll see how that works out.

I guess the big discovery is how nice the quarter inch drive stuff works out. As a plus, it's a bit harder to overtighten fasteners.

They are also a lot more compact to fit in the pet carrier if you're one of those who likes to carry some essential tools in case of emergecies.

It's well-known among pro mechanics that 10mm stuff is always the first to disappear. I'm definitely not a pro mechanic, but I would guess it's down to the sheer number of fasteners with a 10mm head. Yes, definitely. Especially for something scooter-scale. One of the original MV members (Curt Fargo) convinced me years ago that 1/4" drive was the way to go for most scooter work, and I've been an adherent ever since. Obviously, there are still some things that need a larger drive, but it's surprising what you can accomplish with only 1/4" drive.

come to the dark side...



I swear you'll wonder how you got along all this time without.

Hmm....the flex ratchet I've seen, but what's that electrical taped stuff at the other end?

That right there is for the exhaust manifold nuts.

it's a U-joint on the end. the electrical tape on there keep the joint from flopping all over the place but still allows the full range of motion. the extension is a fixed/wobble as well for the maximum getting to the things and stuffs

correct!

and also front fender bolts, and hot lead on the stater, and brackets that hold on relays and... and... and...

Yes, but out of those things, the exhaust nuts are the only thing you need to loosen / tighten every 3 days.

that's what red loc-tite is for!

Also looks very useful for Subaru spark plugs - I use something very, very similar.

it's my go-to for most ALL the Scooby work, especially in that it's rated to take 70 lb/ft of torque!

works a treat for the plugs on old big blocks with headers in muscle cars, too!

The first magnet I bought was on a long bendable wire. I thought it was overkill for the few times I needed it, and bought another on a collapsible shaft, but when I lost a screen mounting piece inside of my BV's handlebar cover, it was just what I needed. And came in handy again since....

Except for the usual, everyday tools (wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers, ...), that's how we all acquired tools over our lifetimes. I've also bought a few tools for projects that I never ended up using and they still sit unopened years/decades later.

And like all of us that do projects that require tools, some tools find applications we never envisioned. For example, my BMW has 50-ish(!) screws to take off the fairing to access most everything that needs maintenance or upgrades. I dreaded taking the fairing off because it's time consuming and especially hard on my wrist and finger joints using T-handled Allen wrenches. I dug into (really) low-torque, low-speed powered screwdrivers (see my review of them here). It made a huge difference both in ease on my wrist and hand joints and speed of the job. I've since used it for lots of jobs I never envisioned. There is less risk of stripping a fastener or the bit jumping out of a fastener head and damaging the surrounding finish than using a traditional high-torque impact driver.

Miguel