[DeTomaso] LPC -Tool Report on New Tools That I've Found as IFinish My '73L

[P. Rimov]

Morning Chris

I picked my Parker tube beader a couple of years ago and it is by far one of 
the highest quality tools I have. I have posted publicly several times on 
the forum that if any one needs beads made on tubes up to 1 & 3/8 to contact 
me. I have rolled beads for several people thus far and mine only take about 
a minute to make:)

Paul

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Sent: Friday, August 08, 2008 9:51 PM
Subject: [DeTomaso] LPC -Tool Report on New Tools That I've Found as IFinish 
My '73L


> Fellow Pantera Wrench Drivers:
>
> I've come across a couple of new tools as I'm rebuilding/remodeling my 
> '73L that some of you may find of interest.
>
> I'm at the point of finally plumbing my fuel system in, and one of my 
> dilemmas has been that age old quandary of "smooth tubing" and "smooth 
> rubber hose", which usually ends in "smooth rubber hose sliding off smooth 
> tubing" at some very inopportune point in the future.
>
> Now the factory, or well equipped "money is no object" shop usually has a 
> nice bead maker. These are usually a variation on the WWII Parker tool... 
> (which is selling in the US, for around $450 or so). While I've got a 
> "well equipped" shop, I'm also lacking some tools.... and a bead maker is 
> one of them. I just never had the desire to spend $450 or more, for a tool 
> I might use a dozen times a year.... if I was lucky.
>
> But now I'm at that point where a bead maker would be really nice to 
> have.... almost $450 worth of "nice".... but not quite... I had the 
> shopping cart "loaded", but when it came time to click on that "Finalize 
> Purchase", I froze.
>
> I locked up. I couldn't click that mouse button to save my life.
>
>
> So I gave up... decided to think of some other solution.... beg, borrow, 
> or something...
>
> All this happened last week... and then this weekend as I was paging thru 
> the Jeg's catalog, and I came across a miracle. It's a beader that costs 
> $29.99 per "size". Or you can get an assortment. This little jewel is made 
> by Earl's Performance, and is their EZ Tubing Beaders. They come in sizes 
> from 3/8" to 2". It's designed for "soft" tubing, aluminum, copper, even 
> thin wall steel, essentially any tubing that you can bend by hand should 
> work with this beader.
>
> The beader is made from steel, and is very nicely designed. It's simple, 
> and what's even better, the darn thing works! So far I've only used my 
> 5/8" model, and that was on 5/8" OD aluminum fuel tubing. It made a 
> beautiful bead. Simple to use, quick to use, and it works! However I must 
> say that the bead height isn't as high as what the higher priced tools can 
> generate. But I didn't spend almost five bills on it either!
>
> On a piece of 5/8" (.625") aluminum fuel line tubing, with a wall 
> thickness of .031", the bead's outside diameter is .670", and the 
> beginning diameter of the tubing is .621". This gave me a bead of 
> approximately .025" height, or almost 1/32". From what I could find in my 
> various engineering manuals, that height meets all the practical 
> requirements to attain "non-slip" status. And it takes less than 3 minutes 
> to make the bead. Plus the beaders are small enough that you can use them 
> in confined spaces... like in an engine bay...
>
> This Summit URL will display all their EZ Beaders that they carry: 
> http://store.summitracing.com/egnsearch.asp?N=700+4294925139+400041+115+4294803499
>
> And if my URL gets stripped off by the list server, go to 
> www.summitracing.com, and then search for "Tubing Beaders".
>
> That link takes you to all their individual listed EX Tubing Beaders. They 
> also have these in a kit of 9 beaders, 3/8" to 2", for $400 or so.
>
> One word of caution however, Summits is not the best price. I found two of 
> my needed sizes thru Amazon, and the price difference was significant. But 
> a word in Summit's defense, if you like their $10 "anywhere, almost 
> anything" shipping cost, and really do want to buy whatever from them, 
> call them and they'll beat any price they can substantiate. If you've got 
> the URL for the competing website, they'll check it while you're on the 
> phone. If you're talking "apples and apples", they'll beat that price by a 
> dollar. And be happy while they're doing it. Good people to deal with.
>
>
> Now one other tool that I've found useful. And that's a digital display 
> torque wrench. I must confess that the normal torque wrench scale is hard 
> for me to see. To make out the right numbers... let alone get all the 
> little twist handle lines lined up, I have a difficult time doing it. The 
> new style of torque wrenches that have a digital display have been 
> wonderful. Unfortunately, for my pocket book, these tools are usually out 
> of my budget's reach.... I don't use one enough to justify the $200 plus 
> cost. Even if I have to stand there with a magnifying glass in one hand, 
> and a high intensity light in the other, I'll do that rather than choke 
> out $250 or more for a tool that I'm going to use once every 6 months.
>
> Enter Harbor Freight.
>
> Yes, that's right. Harbor Freight. Home of all tools cheap! But this tool, 
> this digital torque wrench is a darn good tool. In fact I've found it 
> selling for over $200 at Contractors Warehouse, for $179.99 at "Torque 
> Wrenches R Us", and similar prices at other locations.
>
> The punch line here is that Harbor Freight is selling these torque 
> wrenches for $59.99. That's for the 3/8" size, and their 1/2" size. The 
> 3/8" size is item 95840, and if the list server strips the URL, go to 
> www.harborfreight.com, and enter 95840 into the Item Number search text 
> box.
>
> http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95840
>
>
> I wasn't able to locate the 1/2" size torque wrench on their web site, but 
> I did find it at my local HF store, and for the same $59.99 price that the 
> 3/8" model goes for.
>
> These aren't as  nice as the $300 models from Snap On, or CTI, but for 
> sixty bucks, you really can't go wrong (a word of caution, these wrenches 
> do not use a digital strain gauge, along with the digital display, like 
> the really high priced units do. This is a normal "click" wrench with a 
> digital number display). And seeing those nice big numbers is wonderful!! 
> I've been able to retire my magnifying glass!
>
> And all of these tools have been used on my Pantera.....
>
> Chris
>
> Chris Difani
> '73 L #5829 "LITNNG"
> The Electric Pantera
> Sacramento, CA
> Email: cdifani at pacbell.net
>
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