The perfect wrench for starters

Look around here for some great advice on getting the most out of your tools! Tips and tricks!
Ridlbox
Top Notch Member
Posts: 223
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2015 9:51 pm
My tercel:: 1984 Toyota Tercel SR 5 custom aluminum rims 4 a motor custom rims Bluetooth stereo system
Location: Plymouth CA

The perfect wrench for starters

Post by Ridlbox »

1439744950581.jpg
I have found an open and boxed end 14 millimeter ratcheting swivel head wrench. It's easy to get to the back and bottom starter bolts with this wrench.
Last edited by Ridlbox on Sun Aug 16, 2015 2:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
i will find a tercel in a music video
That's my new goal 8)
Ridlbox
Top Notch Member
Posts: 223
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2015 9:51 pm
My tercel:: 1984 Toyota Tercel SR 5 custom aluminum rims 4 a motor custom rims Bluetooth stereo system
Location: Plymouth CA

Re: The perfect wrench for starters

Post by Ridlbox »

With this wrench I can do the starter from the top no more jacks
i will find a tercel in a music video
That's my new goal 8)
User avatar
dlb
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 7305
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 9:03 pm
My tercel:: '87 sr5, '83 dlx parts car
Location: bc, canada

Re: The perfect wrench for starters

Post by dlb »

i have a set of these and use them a fair amount but i don't like how the swivel head flops around when you're trying to use it. another forum member came by one time and he had a set but they had a lock for the swivel head -- you set it to the flexed position you want and press a pin to lock it. i've been looking for a set of those for a decent price ever since but every time i find them, they're over $100 for a set. too rich for my blood. i'll keep putting up with the annoying floppy flex heads for now.
Ridlbox
Top Notch Member
Posts: 223
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2015 9:51 pm
My tercel:: 1984 Toyota Tercel SR 5 custom aluminum rims 4 a motor custom rims Bluetooth stereo system
Location: Plymouth CA

Re: The perfect wrench for starters

Post by Ridlbox »

In my opinion at all is worth its weight in gold if it does what it's created for
i will find a tercel in a music video
That's my new goal 8)
User avatar
Gottolovem
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 1637
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2012 4:28 pm
My tercel:: 1985 SR5 with snow plow,1987 auto 1984 parts car,1987 FX-16 GTS
Location: Reno

Re: The perfect wrench for starters

Post by Gottolovem »

Ridlbox wrote:
1439744950581.jpg
I have found an open and boxed end 14 millimeter ratcheting swivel head wrench. It's easy to get to the back and bottom starter bolts with this wrench.

HEY THAT'S MY WRENCH CLIFF :lol: :lol:
User avatar
lannvouivre
Top Notch Member
Posts: 387
Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2015 7:18 pm
My tercel:: 2006 Pontiac Vibe
Location: Odessa, TX

Re: The perfect wrench for starters

Post by lannvouivre »

I have some from Husky, they're pretty awesome. Unless they have the reverse lever and you spend 20 minutes continuously bumping the lever without realizing it.
But...did you try hitting it with a hammer?
User avatar
dlb
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 7305
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 9:03 pm
My tercel:: '87 sr5, '83 dlx parts car
Location: bc, canada

Re: The perfect wrench for starters

Post by dlb »

Well, it took about 5 years but my dad just surprised me with a set of these ratcheting, LOCKING flex head wrenches.

Image

It's too bad I don't wrench on old cars as much as I used to but I'm still pleased as punch to finally have a set of these things in my tool box -- so pleased that I had to revive an old thread and shout about it, haha.
User avatar
Petros
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 11930
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:31 pm
My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: The perfect wrench for starters

Post by Petros »

I have been eyeing those types of wrenched for a long time. almost bought a set more than once, but I managed to work on all manner of cars, trucks, etc for 45 years without them. So I always cheap out before I buy them.

Several other items concern me besides the cost: the extra bulk of the box end, the extra weight in the hand can be annoying, and the strength/durability of the tiny ratchet mechanism.

If I had a set I might find them more useful than I think, OTOH I might not.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
User avatar
dlb
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 7305
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 9:03 pm
My tercel:: '87 sr5, '83 dlx parts car
Location: bc, canada

Re: The perfect wrench for starters

Post by dlb »

Yeah, I could never bring myself to shell out the $$$ for them either. I got a set of the non-locking ones on sale for a good price and they did the jobs I needed so I couldn't justify buying the locking ones. They're the kind of thing I only would have bought if I came across them for cheap at a garage sale or something. But I sure am happy to get them as a gift!

The only thing I don't like about ratchet wrenches is the box ends have to be fatter to fit the ratcheting stuff in there, and there have been a handful of times where that made them too big to fit in where I wanted them to go. That's my only complaint though.
User avatar
stefando
Member
Posts: 39
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2018 9:14 pm
My tercel:: The Caribou: 1983 SR5
Location: Norcal

Re: The perfect wrench for starters

Post by stefando »

Just got a set of these from my father in-law as a gift, he's an old time FJ mechanic and had way more money for tools than I've ever considered. They come in handy but I still like fixing everything on my car with my one trusty toolbox- part of the reason I love this car. I just threw the 10, 12 and 14s in there to save me time with all the little bolts here and there. Speaking of starters, I got one off of a pick and pull that works sometimes but the solenoid is intermittent, took it apart to lube it up and everything looks okay.. still intermittent when i test it. Anyone had experience with internal wiring going on starters that sat out a while? For now the one on the wagon works, just trying to find a good candidate for a backup- at 4 dollars couldn't beat it..
1983 SR5 Brown
Salmon River California
User avatar
Petros
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 11930
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:31 pm
My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: The perfect wrench for starters

Post by Petros »

for a Tercel, you will only need 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, 17mm, and 19mm. and one large socket with a breaker bar for the cv shaft axle nut (23mm? I forget). Everything on the Tercel is one of those, either open/box end, or normal and deep socket. Several extensions, a universal joint, and a ratchet handle, you will have everything you need for the Tercel. if you ever attempt to completely take apart the carb, there is one jet that requires an odd ball deep 9mm socket in 1/4" drive size.

Stefando, try taking apart the soloniod on the starter, and filing/cleaning up the main electrical contact. they get arched and corroded and make marginal contact, you can buy a starter kit that includes new electrical contact, but you can make the starter a good reliable spare by just cleaning the contact and than reassembling it. The starter, like many parts on the Tercel, were designed to be field serviceable since they saw this car good for remote areas and third world countries were parts were not always available.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
User avatar
stefando
Member
Posts: 39
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2018 9:14 pm
My tercel:: The Caribou: 1983 SR5
Location: Norcal

Re: The perfect wrench for starters

Post by stefando »

Thanks Petros, I find this car much more reasonable to work on than my previous cars (tdi, 318ti, subi) and it's rewarding to just eyeball a size and be right 90% of the time.
I'll clean up the starter tomorrow- I thought it was probably a good call to grab it, everything else valuable on the car had been taken pretty much (save the rear axle- kinda wanted that..) and this starter looks like it's been in there a while.
1983 SR5 Brown
Salmon River California
User avatar
splatterdog
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 1623
Joined: Sun Mar 26, 2006 10:26 am
Location: Minnesota, USA

Re: The perfect wrench for starters

Post by splatterdog »

stefando wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 12:45 pm Just got a set of these from my father in-law as a gift, he's an old time FJ mechanic and had way more money for tools than I've ever considered. They come in handy but I still like fixing everything on my car with my one trusty toolbox- part of the reason I love this car. I just threw the 10, 12 and 14s in there to save me time with all the little bolts here and there. Speaking of starters, I got one off of a pick and pull that works sometimes but the solenoid is intermittent, took it apart to lube it up and everything looks okay.. still intermittent when i test it. Anyone had experience with internal wiring going on starters that sat out a while? For now the one on the wagon works, just trying to find a good candidate for a backup- at 4 dollars couldn't beat it..
Solenoid contacts are the ONLY failure I have ever seen on any Toyota starter. Well except the one when I forgot to tell the wife the key in T4 #1 sticks in crank when it's 20 below. Smoked!
User avatar
stefando
Member
Posts: 39
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2018 9:14 pm
My tercel:: The Caribou: 1983 SR5
Location: Norcal

Re: The perfect wrench for starters

Post by stefando »

splatterdog wrote: Wed Jan 09, 2019 7:06 pm
stefando wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 12:45 pm Just got a set of these from my father in-law as a gift, he's an old time FJ mechanic and had way more money for tools than I've ever considered. They come in handy but I still like fixing everything on my car with my one trusty toolbox- part of the reason I love this car. I just threw the 10, 12 and 14s in there to save me time with all the little bolts here and there. Speaking of starters, I got one off of a pick and pull that works sometimes but the solenoid is intermittent, took it apart to lube it up and everything looks okay.. still intermittent when i test it. Anyone had experience with internal wiring going on starters that sat out a while? For now the one on the wagon works, just trying to find a good candidate for a backup- at 4 dollars couldn't beat it..
Solenoid contacts are the ONLY failure I have ever seen on any Toyota starter. Well except the one when I forgot to tell the wife the key in T4 #1 sticks in crank when it's 20 below. Smoked!
Awesome, thanks!
1983 SR5 Brown
Salmon River California
User avatar
Petros
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 11930
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:31 pm
My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: The perfect wrench for starters

Post by Petros »

stefando wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 9:58 pm and this starter looks like it's been in there a while.
funny you should say that, I have noticed that all of the remanufactured coronets are junk and not worth paying money for, and that many of the new, but aftermarket, comments are junk as well (especially those made in communist factories in the orient). Only the factory comments are durable, and those are hard to find new for a car this old, and costly.

However, I have noticed that usually a used, even a very old used, factory component like a starter, alternator, distributor assembly, etc. is usually more reliable and a safer bet than a "new" aftermarket or reman component.

not to say they do not fail, but that the old used factor parts fail less often than the after market parts.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
Post Reply