Tony,

Compressions Testers General - Well lets see - you've got air cooled, water
cooled and a diesel -> probably means two seperate gauges as the diesel engine
has a compression range around 500psi ballpark and gasoline engines rarely
exceed around 165psi (your Vanagon is lower than most - 85-135psi normal and
71psi minimum !!! per Bently). I don't recommend the push-on type testers that
rely on your hand pressure to force a rubber cone into the spark plug hole. I
like the hose-type with screw-in fitting and an o-ring seal. It should have a
pressure release schrader-type valve for zeroing and rerunning tests and a
quick disconnect fitting from the gauge to the hose. Hose-type is particularly
needed for your Vanagon, where the plug hole is angled and about 5in below the
cooling tin.

Diesel compression tester - You don't see diesel range compression testers
very often lest you go to a tool specialty store - alternately, chase down a
Snap-on or Mac tool truck and ask to see his catalog - beware - the sticker
shock can be near fatal. My recollection is that Snap-on used to sell a tester
kit with molded plastic case - it had seperate gauges to cover both ranges and
adapters for different spark plug holes/threads. Given how often you are going
to use this being a home mechanic, I would advise spreading your tool dollars
a little thinner, but this would be neat solution since you need two
gauges/testers - and this way, they share the common parts.

What I have - When I was young, I bought a hose type (no QD fitting) - cheap
no-name-brand (here is the quality story) that I still have - but when working
as a mechanic, I found that a plug hole that was a little dirty would add
friction causing the threaded tester fitting to rotate where it was crimped to
the hose instead of threading into the plug hole ==>> very frustrating - So I
went looking then as you are today - I found a tester by Milton that looked
like what I wanted and bought it. Well. Milton is the company that makes air
fittings and gauges that are the standard of the industry and are known for
high quality - its a $30-40 unit - pleasure to use - works like a champ 15
years later.

Torque Wrench Stuff - Since you read my earlier post on torque wrenches, I'll
just tell you that I wouldn't hesitate to buy the same one again (Husky
Proffessional Series #39104 - 1/2in drive - click-type English/Metric scales -
$55 @HomeDepot). My goal was to cover the high end - this sucker torques to
250ft-lb which covers most axel nuts (Vanagon spec is 253ft-lb for rear axel
nuts) while my Craftsman beam type has a max of 100ft-lb. I've never felt
comfortable not torqueing axel nuts correctly (been using the hand-calibrated
breaker bar technique - cheater pipe if necessary). I've seen head bolt torque
specs higher than 100ft-lb - the real point here is that you need to decide
what torque range you are after - truth is that certain kinds of work require
a low-range (in-lb) range wrench, but for most folks, the mid-high range
wrench is the first need to cover the engine and chassis applications. I'm not
familiar with what Mac/Snap-on are currently offering, but I expect that they
are 2x-3x the price of the Huskey. Got any Mac/Snap-on dealers on the list ???
- Since you don't have 3/8in sockts, I'll just tell you - 3/8in wrenches will
generally not cover the higher torque values, but a 1/2-3/8 adapter will allow
you to use a 1/2in wrench and get you by as your tool collection grows.

Well - I'm a bit of a tool freak - good tools can make a real difference  ==>>
the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat - sort of thing - old cars can be
stubborn - I like air tools, but got to be careful how you use them - lots of
power - Couple of favorites from a former mechanic ==>> Snap-on 6pt swivel
sockets (1/4in drive 10mm & 3/8in drive 13mm - the swivel is built-in to the
socket) => w/extensions - awesome for inaccessible stuff.

Best regards,

Ken Stich
Conifer Colorado
80 Vanagon-L
85 Prelude Si
57 Beetle
(yes - BS Mechanical Eng - & of course you know what BS stands for)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anthony L. Mourkas wrote:
>
> >I started out with Craftsman tools - still use them - but as a mechanic,
> >really came to appreciate higher quality stuff - remember, you'll save a
> >bundle fixing your own stuff and quality tools last a lifetime. I just got
> >some Husky wrenches and a $50 1/2" click-type torque qrench at Home Depot two
> >months ago - its not Snap-on, but the wrenches seem really good
> >(feel/balance/finish) and the torque wrench is a pleasure to use (I've had a
> >Craftsman beam-type for years).
>
> I totally agree about purchasing quality.  I am looking to purchase a
> torque wrench(s) and compression tester to add to my toolbox.  Any
> thoughts as to where to buy and which compression tester/features and
> which torque wrench(s)/features would be desireable for working on
> Vanagons and other VW's (see below).  Will one wrench do?  What size
> drive (have 1/4 and 3/8 sockets, no 1/2)?  Etc. etc................
>
> Thanks, and happy holiday weekend!
>
> Tony
>
> Anthony L. Mourkas
> Hampden, Maine, USA
> 1981 Vanagon Westfalia
> 1990 Passat GL
> 1991 Jetta Eco Diesel