- This topic has 14 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 12 years ago by
desmond.
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October 30, 2012 at 11:27 PM #20236October 31, 2012 at 1:05 PM #753550
El Jefe
ParticipantI’ve been using the nicer harbor freight sets for years, the ones in the metal cases. If you take care of them they are no better/worse than any of the other mid range taps & dies. In my experience, just about all sae cars can be nearly completely disassembled with 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, 5/8 wrenches and 1/4, 5/16, 3/8 taps & dies. Metric cars with 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, 17mm wrenches and 3mm, 4mm, 5mm taps & dies.
If it was me, I would get the Harbor Freight, or other inexpensive sets, and the few you use enough to break or wear out, you can replace just those taps/dies individually with nicer stuff. More than half you will probably never touch so not worth spending a lot on a full set of really nice stuff.
October 31, 2012 at 1:08 PM #753551spdrun
ParticipantThe trouble is that taps are hardened steel. If one breaks off in a blind hole that you’re re-tapping, it’s a yowling PITA to remove.
October 31, 2012 at 3:57 PM #753575mike92104
ParticipantI just buy the particular tap or die that I need in the moment from sears and then add it to my collection.
October 31, 2012 at 5:48 PM #753584ucodegen
ParticipantI find Harbor Freight an interesting mix of quality. Somethings are iffy on quality. On the other hand, they have ratchets, sockets, extension drives, box and open wrenches all made out of Chrome-Vanadium, with Chrome-Moly stress portions. Sears, Matco, and SnapOn still do not use Chrome-Vanadium in their hand tools – only in their impact wrench tools (Pep-Boys also has a Chrome-Vanadium hand tool line). I would rather have Chrome-Vanadium than a ‘warranty’. Chrome-Vanadium is much tougher, stronger, rust resistant than tool steel. NOTE: The frame of the Model-T Ford was made from Chrome-Vanadium. That is why the bodies of many Model-T Fords would rust away.. but the frame would still be left.
I have also noticed that they do offer a true dual-stage compressor (much more efficient and quicker for pressures above 80 PSI). While Sears are one stage, two cylinder designs. On two stage, one cylinder feeds into a second cylinder with a much smaller diameter (generally about 1/3 to 1/2 the diameter of the primary compression cylinder)
NOTE: There is a way to extract a tap out of a blind hole fairly easily, but you have to make a tool to do it (looks like a 3-D fork). You should also be using bottoming taps when dealing with blind holes instead of standard taps.
October 31, 2012 at 6:31 PM #753587Hatfield
Participant[quote=ucodegen]I find Harbor Freight an interesting mix of quality.[/quote]
October 31, 2012 at 6:45 PM #753588Participant[quote=Hatfield][quote=ucodegen]I find Harbor Freight an interesting mix of quality.[/quote]
http://www.flutterby.com/images/2012/10/01/hf_tool_sale.pdf%5B/quote%5D
I like the title “Meglinating Variable Intensity Multifunction Power Tool”..PS: I have come across some people that definitely need a “Laser Guided Paint Brush”..
That said, I have bought tools from them that are quite good. one of my Tap wrenches was from there, works quite well, and I have not found one anywhere else (reversable-ratcheting). I also bought a small Palm Nailer from them. Works great.
November 1, 2012 at 8:17 AM #753597desmond
ParticipantMaybe you guys can help, I broke the head off a small bolt in my ATV’s rear differential. What is the best way to get the bolt out?
November 1, 2012 at 8:46 AM #753599
CoronitaParticipant[quote=desmond]Maybe you guys can help, I broke the head off a small bolt in my ATV’s rear differential. What is the best way to get the bolt out?[/quote]
How big is the bolt (roughly)… Is there any part of the bolt still sticking out?
November 1, 2012 at 9:02 AM #753601sreeb
ParticipantYou won’t be able to buy a decent set for both metric/sae for $120. Anything less then the best tap and die is worse then nothing at all.
Buy them one at a time when you need them.
November 1, 2012 at 9:38 AM #753609ParticipantNo more than 1/2″. It broke off level with the differential. When your filling up the differential with oil you remove this bolt and when oil reaches the level of the hole it is full.
November 1, 2012 at 9:56 AM #753612Participant[quote=desmond]Maybe you guys can help, I broke the head off a small bolt in my ATV’s rear differential. What is the best way to get the bolt out?[/quote]
You can try using an extractor. It kinda looks like a tap except it has left-hand threads. You carefully drill a hole into the center of the broken-off-bolt, and then using a t-handle, twist the extractor into the bolt. Because the extractor has left hand threads, as you drive it deeper and it catches, you’ll be twisting in the direction that loosens the bolt.
Two caveats: 1) it works miraculously well on small bolts, but I’ve never tried it on anything larger than about ~1/4. It’s probably worth a stop at Tool Depot to ask the guys there what they think. 2) your rear diff is a cast housing, which is much softer metal than the hardened steel of this bolt. Be very careful when you drill, and even then there’s a chance you might still ruin the threads. Your next step at that point would be to try replacing the shot threads with a helicoil.
November 1, 2012 at 9:57 AM #753613Participant(duplicate post)
November 1, 2012 at 10:01 AM #753614CoronitaParticipant[quote=desmond]No more than 1/2″. It broke off level with the differential. When your filling up the differential with oil you remove this bolt and when oil reaches the level of the hole it is full.[/quote]
Depending on if it’s seized or not. You can first try using left handed drill bit to try to extract it…
Or your can try a screw extractor…More aggressive thing requires welding, but let’s not go there yet….
Here’s a few examples (your mileage may very)….
….It could be worse. You could have broken a spark plug like I did one time 🙁
November 1, 2012 at 5:56 PM #753630ParticipantI’ll try the extractor, thanks.
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