Advice on right tools

Stock 996 in Atlanta, I plan to start doing intermediate oil changes myself and may later graduate to brake flush etc. I am seeking advice on the best tool package. I know I need the filter wrench and am familiar with these from my biking days. Question is: - what type of torque wrench and where to buy (Sears, Home Depot, Lowes all nearby. - Are jack stands or ramps the best solution for elevating the car? If jack stands, do I need a special jack? If so, what type? I realize everybody has their own method but if you were starting from scratch what would you buy? I would appreciate a quick response as this will be my xmas gift. Thanks

Griot's has a great torque wrench. They will give you free calibrations as long as you own it and the kit includes a sturdy hard plastic case. As far a jack goes, I'd recommend one of the new racing style jacks. Craftsman has a good one. I'd bet Griot's probably also has a nice one.

It depends on how much money you want to spend and how much you will use the tools. The high end tools like Snap-on are awesome, however they come with a hefty price. While the sears tools may have dropped a little in quality over the years the ease of purchase and no hassle easy replacement is very nice. For the weekend warrior that wants to do oil changes, brakes and such then more than likely the Craftsman tools will work just fine for a fraction of the cost of the high-end stuff. Torque wrench. Depending on what you plan to do you might want to consider two. A small one say 10-80 lbs/ft or so and a bigger one say 60-150 or so. In general the larger the range the less accurate the closer you get to each end of the limitations. I have Snap-on torque wrenches. I elevate my car with a floor jack and jack stands. Others on here use ramps. It is a preference thing I think unless you need the wheels off, which then obviously jack stands are required. Floor jacks are much like tools. There are some really nice high-end jacks with low profiles and high lifts but you will pay for them. The craftsman jacks work will for average weekend warrior. Track guys like the ultra lightweight aluminum jacks for portability. If your car is lowered or you plan on lowering it the lower profile jacks may be required. I started from scratch. I didn't want to spend the big bucks for snap-on so I bought a very nice craftsman mechanics set that included the polished (Craftman�s �professional� line) ratchets with all 6pt sockets which had a large number of deep sockets also. The mechanics sets are in general the best deals and a good starting point, however, you have to look carefully what is included. Not all sets are created equal for working on a car and the number of pieces does not necessarily mean you are getting most useful tools as everything is considered a piece. Also not all sets include 6pt sockets. If I had it to do over again, I would have gotten the same set but with the �professional� wrenches because the polished wrenches are easier to keep clean. I have Snap-on torque wrenches.

Good thought on the jacks as they will be needed to do brakes, pads etc. On the torque wrench, is there a preferred size drive? I will probably go with a craftsman as I will not use it enough to justify snap-on. Also not sure where to buy them - aren't they trade only?

The craftsman will work fine. I just got a deal from friend on the snap-ons. I�d get a � inch drive for stuff like the wheel bolts. However for other many other things a 3/8 inch drive is better. Anyone can order snap-on online.

Thanks Brian... You saved me from doing a lot of typing. lol Nick, Brian has given very good advice. I agree with what he has proposed as a starting point.

I also agree with the advise given in this thread. Keep in mind that with the 996's the jack spots are quite low, so a low profile jack may be required. I use a hockey puck on the jack for protection. My tools are from Cromwell Tools and include a 3 ton jack and jack stands, 12" torque wrench w/ 1/2" drive. With the torque wrench, I have been told to always back it down after use. For brake fluid, I use a Motive Pressure Bleeder. It attaches onto the reservoir and simply pump up the pressure. It is very easy to use. Remember, brake fluid is highly caustic and will eat your paint. Also, oil changes are pretty easy, too. Good luck with the tools and repairs. It's an easy way to save $$$ that can be used on better things. Steve 2003 996

All of these suggestions are excellent ones. I use a Craftsman 1/2" torque wrench that goes from 20 to 150 ft/lbs, and a Harbor Freight aluminum jack. At the time I bought it, the price for the wrench was about $60 and the jack was about $120, and have both been very good tools. All of the aluminum "racing" jacks are made in China and are good quality. Their lifting saddle is low enough that they will fit under a Porsche with no problem. But the jack that I really lust over is made in Denmark from AC Stertil I use the Craftsman 3 ton jack stands. The only mod that I did to them was to dip the saddles in Plasti Dip to keep them from scraping the jack points on the car. One last tip on torque wrench use: Always pull the wrench toward you to properly obtain the tightening torque spec. Try not to drop or hit your torque wrench as that can affect its calibration. Always store the wrench at its lowest torque setting to maintain its calibration.

[QUOTE=Orient Express] and a Harbor Freight aluminum jack. QUOTE] I wasn't aware that there is a jack point under the engine. Where did you position the pad?

Hmm.. interesting Jack point! If that's kosher then I'm happy because I know that the actual jack area is so small that it's impossible to jack and then get a stand in there. Found out the hard way because ( like a dumbass ) I went to Big-O to fix a slow, and they just threw the jack in there and jacked it up on the low pressure pressure AC line.. and bent it. It only cost $85 to replace the plastic skirt but the quote for the line is $1300!!! They have to partially remove the engine.. It doesn't really need to be done, but fighting Big-O for the money anyway. Keith

When you put a your Porsche up on 4 jack stands, after you have put the car up on the front jack stands, you lift the rear from either the engine case (at the centerline, just rear of the sump cover), or if you have a jack with a long enough reach, the center of the suspension cross-member to put the jack stands on the rear lifting points. It is perfectly safe to lift the car from the engine, as long as you lift on the crankcase and not the sump cover. Remember the engine actually hangs from the body with 2 bolts in the back and the front mount off of the transaxle. Here is an article I put together on lifting a 996/997 up on Jack Stands

Unless you have hydraulic motor mounts (i.e. all 964s, 993s, 996s & 997s) In which case its a crapshoot. They might not fail the first or second time you lift the entire car by the engine but they eventually will fail prematurely (you'll notice when the liquid squeezes out onto the floor). Also there are some serious problems with those harbor freight jacks. Besides the cheap-*** seals that leak they ALL develop a problem were instead of releasing smoothly they just drop (you don't realize how dangerous this is until your car is partially resting on jackstands). You can bleed the jacks and even replace the fluid but it still won't help. The other issue I've noticed with them is excess horizontal movement. If the jack was designed properly it would lift up, instead the HF jack moves the entire car horizontally. A properly balanced jack will not do this.

The lifting method that I have described is the one that is prescribed by Porsche and is used by most factory-trained technicians. I have been lifting 996s like this for quite a while with no ill effects. Remember you are not supporting the car via using the engine as a lifting point (except for the time required to raise it up). You are just lifting it to get the jack stands under the rear of the car. There is more lateral and compression stress on the engine mounts driving on a bumpy road than lifting it up via the engine. Of course if you still do not feel comfortable lifting from the engine, then simply get a jack with a longer reach and lift from the rear suspension cross-member. But don't take my word for it, ask a Porsche trained Tech how they get jack stands under the rear of a 996. With all tools there are some that will be defective and some folks have not had good luck with Harbor Freight tools. My personal experience with Harbor Freight including their aluminum jack has been excellent. I have had none of the problems you describe with the jack that I have had in use for over 4 years. The only issue was a case of dry pivot points that caused the jack to squeak when used. A little WD-40 took care of that. There are a variety of manufacturers of the "Racing" jack design, some may have better quality control than others. My philosophy has always been if a tool is not performing, then back it goes to the seller for a replacement or refund.

Excellent artiicle, also I really like the color of your car

I'd be curious to know where Porsche has "prescribed" this? I've only seen warnings against using the engine as a jacking location but nothing for it (nothing at least printed since 1989). I've been doing the same thing but only because my hydraulic jacks will not lift the rear-end high enough from the front without an extension. I also plan to eventually swap the hydraulic mounts for RS mounts so I don't really care when they fail. That is when the mounts fail, during the 15-20 seconds that your are supporting nearly half the cars weight on the two engine mounts and the transmission suspension. Porsche mechanics have been known to do all sorts of questionable things to save time even when their training manuals say otherwise. In any case, nice article!

Lifting from the engine case is a standard technique that is taught at US tech center training. The mounts are compressed when the engine is lifted, in the same way that they are compressed with the car is driven on a bumpy road. It is extremely doubtful that a mount will fail because of compression. Mounts such as on the back of a 996 are designed to take much higher compression rates than they encounter on lifting the car. As I said earlier, if you are uncomfortable in lifting from the center case, then get a jack with a longer reach and lift from the suspension crossmember. Thanks for the compliment. Happy lifting