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Onboard tool kit

Ursa Major

Registered User
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
We've had a lot of discussions on survival kits and other stuff folks carry in their cubs, but I don't recall a thread that was specific to the tools people carry to make that repair that will get them home. I know of compact tool kits that the owners say will allow them to take the cub almost completely apart.

Specifically, which tools (what size and type of wrenches) are the most important to carry. In addition to a small socket set and a screwdriver set,I carry a few nuts and bolts that will hopefully keep the gear attached and the exhaust system functional.
I carry a plug socket and a couple of plugs as well as a few box end wrenches and safety wire and pliers. Hacksaw, hammer,duct tape, a few tie wraps and a couple of hose clamps have seemed sufficient so far. What other tools are important?

Specific suggestions are most helpful. I'd rather carry only what is needed rather than carry a bunch of tools that are not required.
 
Been discussed before.

Ready Ratchet and an extension. Open end wrench set from 1/4" thru 3/4" plus a 1". Screwdrivers. File. Needle nose and water pump pliers. Vice grips. Safety wire pliers. Safety wire. Zip ties. Duct tape. Knife. Cotter pins. Spare quick drain. A few screws. Tire patch kit. A rag. I can do most airplane maintenance with what's in my kit. What I need and don't have usually gets added. Case in point, one of the most common field situations that'll require tools is to fix a flat tailwheel. Can you do it with your on-board tools? Try it. Or try to fix whatever else you think is likely to fail while away from home.
 
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Every time I work on my plane I try to use only the tools I cary in my plane tool bag. What I have found is you really don't need that much. If I added cylinder wrenches I could do everything including complete engine teardown. channel locks are nice for the big stuff, my ax will work as hammer.
DENNY
 
From a previous post


Tool Kit

Got that done today. 13 pounds.

Includes....

Wrenches 1/4 to 9/16
1/4 drive sockets - 1/4 to 9/16
couple of socket extensions
Spark plug socket and 3/8 drive using a 3/8 to 1/2 adapter
9/16 socket (3/8 drive) for prop bolts
Side cutters
vice grips
hammer
screwdrivers
crescent wrench
hacksaw (small size)
water pump pliers
Have Leatherman in Survival vest


Non tools but in the bag

Safety wire
Spark plug
Gas Cap
Duct Tape
Rescue tape (Neat stuff .......http://www.rescuetape.com/)
Zip ties
electrical wire, connectors, fuses, test light
two large hose clamps
Scotchbrite and sandpaper
Single edge razor blades
coat hangar (it is amazing what all you can do with one, weighs little)
spare float plugs
baggie w/ JB weld, locktight, grease, WD40, sealant, hand cleaner (all small sizes))
Baggie w/ misc hardware - bolts, nuts, washers, cotterpins, screws etc
Surgical gloves
Alternator belt (fixed on engine so I don't have to remove prop to put it on)

Probably more than some would carry and less than others. I am open to ideas and suggestions. Most of this was taken from past threads. Thanks to Steve Pierce, StewartB and others.

Bill
 
Carrying proper tools is all well and good but where can I get a a good dehydrated mechanic to use 'em?
 
All good suggestions. A couple of other things I also carry is a shortened 5/8" box end wrench and a small plastic squeeze bottle of brake fluid. If I can keep from dropping the brake reservoir cap bolt under the floor boards when adding fluid, I can stop carrying a replacement bolt. BTW, Stewart what do you use the 1" wrench on? Oil filter?
 
Yes, oil filter.

Something else to consider is that your tools may get used for other things, too, like wheelers and boats that await at the destination. A 10/12mm wrench is handy for that.
 
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Every time I work on my plane I try to use only the tools I cary in my plane tool bag. What I have found is you really don't need that much. If I added cylinder wrenches I could do everything including complete engine teardown. channel locks are nice for the big stuff, my ax will work as hammer.
DENNY

Above is good advice. I try to carry the tools I need to do an annual inspection. Plus spare things like; seat rail clips, tail wheel clips and chain, cotter pins, safety wire, spark plug de-clinker, spare plug, electrical tape, hose clamp, bicycle tire pump and tire patch material, 1000MPH tape, parachute cord, quick drain fitting. All in a bankers money bag and it weighs about 5 lbs. Just like anything else use the stuff before you need it to make sure what you have works.
 
I'm doing the same thing, every time I work on the plane I pull out the emergency tool bag. I try to do everything out of that kit that way I know what I need and where it is. Another habit I have done is use my emergency first aid kit for things that I want to do, some so simple like lite my BBQ for lunch. Well I had two new orange water proof match container's full of water proof matches, Not one match would lite from either of the two water proof containers, bought at sporting goods. So the next idea was using the flint and steel and it worked great. Carrey tools and Oil.
 
Bill,
I quit using matches several years ago. Bic makes small lighters that take a licking and keep on ticking. They are transparent so you can check your fuel reserve. They are very light. No pun intended but I'll take it. Safety wire is great but I can fix more things on the ranch, my tractor, dozer and plane with good ole bailing wire. It has worked for decades.
 
Sierra bravo,

I see your a man of semantics. Question: is a axe a "tool" or "survival gear"? Matches are also worthless when wet. The lighter however, works again when it dries out. The matches don't. Actually the "blast match" is both. I use it as a work "tool" to close heat shrink on electical fittings, clean up loose ends on fabric and other miscellaneous uses. I also use it as a survival "tool" to light a fire. If you don't like the cheap "Bic" there are other more expensive military approved lighters that work in a wide variety of conditions, high winds and etcetera. I love this website. So many varied opinions, and a wealth of information. It also on occasion provides me with a real good laugh.
 
My axe is in my survival pack. I've never needed it to do maintenance or repairs on my planes.

I spend lots of days in the wet and cold on purpose. 12-14 hours in waders or Hellys in the wind and rain is what I call a good day. I won't count on a Bic lighter on those days. I certainly won't trust one in a survival situation. I can recall lots of days where a couple of friends will stop mid-day to get a fire going to warm up and eat some lunch. It's pretty typical to see guys sitting around the fire trying to dry out their Bics so they can light a smoke later. A few guys here know what I'm talking about. :)

The failure of soggy waterproof matches is rarely the match and usually the striker. Lighting a waterproof match or a wet Bic can be facilitated by a Blast Match.
 
Yeah, but then you still have to carry the water to re-hydrate him....
Brian, a condom with fix the water problem. A condom will carry one quart of fluid. This could be useful info for a survival situation, where you need to transport water from the river to your downed aircraft. It is for that reason that I suggest that young people always carry a condom...for that emergency situation...and hence an explanation for their parents.

Rehydrating a mechanic...yet another use for a condom.

:)

Randy
 
I better look into the Blast Match, Thanks Bravo. Randy, in high school we put a condom on a air-compressor line and put air in it, most amazing! It was like sitting there with a M-80 fire cracker in front of you and waiting for it to go off.:p
 
The only thing I have that hasn't already been mentioned is a good pair of work gloves.
 
My tool bag pretty well resembles most here. Had a ready ratchet, but the plastic failed. Wonder if they make an all metal one? Went back to a small strip of real 3/8 drive sockets, driven by a stubby. A wrench will extend it if need be. Also used to carry a 6"crescent wrench for those time when you actually need two of the same size wrenches , but don't want to double up on every thing. Then once early on in a new engine I tried to drain the oil. I had not yet replaced the sump plug with a quick drain, and Western Skyways had one of those square drain plugs in it and I didn't have a square nut wrench in my bag... It was sooo tight nothing else would budge it, and any attempt would clearly round it off. A friend pulled a ford wrench from his tool kit and it made short work of the plug. Neither of these tools have much of a place in the real world of day to day aircraft maintenance , but being creative out in the sticks has made them worth the weight to me.
 
sierra bravo,
I don't know where you are, nothing is listed on your profile, but I will assume from the wet and cold your somewhere in the Northern climes. That's what I like about these threads. So many different perspectives from different areas. I'm in south Texas. We don't have cold and we rarely get rain or wet. It's 106 right now. Ten months last year without a measurable amount of rain. I duck hunt in a t-shirt over pumped water. You can see that I don't worry about wet. I have to admit I HAVE used an axe to dismantle parts from an aircraft. We use fire to cook over and stay warm during cold desert nights. Our concerns are more oriented to dehydrarion, sun/heat stroke. Always great reading a different perspective. I'm will assume a "Blast Match" is a brand name. I've never heard of it. Sounds like I need to start carrying a condom as Randy suggests in the next reply for emergency water retrieval. I don't think my wife is going to go for it though.
 
FWIW, UST now sells a smaller Blast Match. The "Sparkie" is a one-handed smaller version of the Blast Match that is selling for under $10. With the spark rod stowed it's about as big as a Bic lighter.
 
just as people have said use your survial tools to work on your plane. but dont stop there, find those tools that do the same job as 3 then ditch those other three. being a 115 lb backpacker weight vs worth is something ive learned over time.
some of my emergancy mechanic/survival stuff. (if im flying local i wouldnt carry most of this)
1. combination base nut wrenches cuts wrench weight in half
2. starter fluid has endless uses from finding intake leaks to filling tubless tires to degreasing
3. 3 o-rings of every size.
4. TWO spark plugs. (know of more than one fouled plug that fouled the second plug only to have that second plug foul the new plug. cold cylinder gone rich thing)
5. para cord.
6. .020 and .o4o saftey wire
7. bic lighter and propane torch. bics dry out just fine if you shake them upside down enough.... even in rain after dropping them in a puddle. take it from a smoker. and propane kicks the crap out of any other wet weather fire starter.
8. tire repair patches and "worms" with a compact hand pump
9. short handle socket wrench with exension
10. gorilla tape
11. j.b. weld and cyanoacrylate glue. (that means the really good super glue)
12. electrical wire, connectors, volt meter, zip ties, alligator clips.
13. high quility long handel wire cutter.
14. razer blades
15. coffee can
16. a few sheet metal and machine screws of every applicable size
17. step drill
18. tip changeing screw driver that has a FIXED shaft, light and magenet.
19. LED flash light.
20. the biggest survival blanket you can find
21. hammer ax.
22. round and flat file and sand paper (3M "purple" variety pack)
23. high temp RTV.
23. a few hose clamps. heard of a montana cub gear that was "fixed" with a split tube, hose clamps, and j.b.weld.

24. HALON fire extinguisher, powder extinguishers destroy more than they save in alot of cases....i still need to get this one.
25. 2 high quility double pulleys. you can move a alot with 90-150 lb para cord and 2 tiny double pulleys.
26. allen wrench's
27. sewing needle
28. single man brake bleeder.

thats my basic list + or - a few items

and so on.
 
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just as people have said use your survial tools to work on your plane. but dont stop there, find those tools that do the same job as 3 then ditch those other three. being a 115 lb backpacker weight vs worth is something ive learned over time.
some of my emergancy mechanic/survival stuff. (if im flying local i wouldnt carry most of this)
1. combination base nut wrenches cuts wrench weight in half
2. starter fluid has endless uses from intake leaks to filling tubeless tires. to degreasing
3. 3 o-rings of every size.
4. TWO spark plugs. (know of more than one fouled plug that fouled the second plug only to have that second plug foul the new plug. cold cylinder gone rich thing)
5. para cord.
6. .020 and .o4o saftey wire
7. bic lighter and propane torch. bics dry out just fine if you shake them upside down enough.... even in rain after dropping them in a puddle. take it from a smoker. and propane kicks the crap out of any other wet weather fire starter.
8. tire repair patches and "worms" with a compact hand pump
9. short handle socket wrench with exension
10. gorilla tape
11. j.b. weld and cyanoacrylate glue. (that means the really good super glue)
12. electrical wire, connectors, volt meter, zip ties, alligator clips.
13. high quility long handel wire cutter.
14. razer blades
15. coffee can
16. a few sheet metal and machine screws of every applicable size
17. step drill
18. tip changeing screw driver that has a FIXED shaft, light and magenet.
19. LED flash light.
20. the biggest survival blanket you can find
21. hammer ax.
22. round and flat file and sand paper (3M "purple" variety pack)
23. high temp RTV.
23. a few hose clamps. heard of a montana cub gear that was "fixed" with a split tube, hose clamps, and j.b.weld.

24. HALON fire extinguisher, powder extinguishers destroy more than they save in alot of cases....i still need to get this one.
25. 2 high quility double pulleys. you can move a alot with 90-150 lb para cord and 2 tiny double pulleys.
26. allen wrench's
27. sewing needle
28. single man brake bleeder.

thats my basic list + or - a few items

and so on.
 
I used to carry a big 10 lb tool kit. My planes are well maintained and I found I rarely ever used it. I got one of these with the addition of some safety wire and a small pair of Vise Grip pliers and get along OK at under 2 lbs. It's a Motion Pro "American V Twin" tool kit.

http://www.motionpro.com/motorcycle/partno/08-0173/

"A heavy Cub is a dangerous Cub"

Crash
 
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