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Boneyard tool 101 (can I call it that?)

alright thanks. I will find out what I can't bring, then I will bring the tools I can bring in the truck, and only take a few adjustable tools until I find something.

Thanks.
 
ZooMad75 said:
I've got a small Craftsman canvas bag that I load my tools into. I 've got a full set of wrenches from 1/4 to 15/16 in a roll up pouch, a good assortment of 3/8" sockets (metric and standard), 1/2" sockets up to 1", 1/4" drive sockets, ratchets for all 3 drives and a Breaker bar. Also included are some needle nose pliers, regular pliers, vice grips, phillips and standard screwdrivers, bag-o-allen wrenches, ball peen hammer, a punch, a cold chisel and a few other odds and ends.

It may seem like a lot, but it all fits in the small bag and is not that bad to carry. Of course I can't get my 8 year old son to carry it (yet!) but with the shoulder strap its doable for a large yard.

Nothing sucks worse than being deep into huge boneyard and not having the right tool to remove something you want. I remember pulling a Instrument cluster (factory tach) out of a 77 K5 and thats when I noticed I didn't have my 1/4" drive sockets with me. Had to remove all the little 1/4" screws out with a pair of needle nose pliers. A 5 minute job turned into 30 minutes.

My dad and I have been going since I was a boy and he used to carry almost his complete top box with him. We actually converted a wagon over to 10" pnumatic tires so he could pull his box along with him. We always had what we needed. It was overkill though. He has since retired the wagon/box combo for a craftsman bag that is bigger than mine. Still carries a ton of tools and I don't like carring his bag!

We do have a yard that we go to that supplies the customers with flatbed wagons to haul tools/parts with. We like that place!

One downside to having a bunch of tools with you at the boneyard. The guys that brought some screwdrivers and pliers find you real quick when they need the right one. I do loan mine out but I follow them to the car they are pulling the part from to make sure my tool don't leave with them.
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excellent thanks!
I don't know how I would feel about lending some tools to someone else, especially if I have to follow them to make sure they give it back. I will avoid them :crazy:

Thanks for the list, my dad had a red small toolbox I will probably bring...don't have any of those fancy roll up ones.

Thanks!
 
Heck for the bonyards a old back pack would make a good tool bag. A friend of my dad's always used a old surplus ammo box. Like someone said before,if you know exactly what you are after, make sure you got those specific tools to remove it from a junker.

Most of the time I go, I'm not after one thing just wandering the rows with a few things in mind to keep an eye out for. Therefor I usually come prepared for just about anything.

On the positive side, my Junkyard tool bag doubles duty for when I go wheeling. I usually throw a hub socket in and a couple other items but I've got the tools to fix most minor issues on the trail.

As I get more tools, I'll have a set dedicated for junkyard duty and a larger selection at home in my rollaway box.
 
ZooMad75 said:
My dad and I have been going since I was a boy and he used to carry almost his complete top box with him. We actually converted a wagon over to 10" pnumatic tires so he could pull his box along with him. We always had what we needed. It was overkill though.
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you can also use a dolly. this works great for carring parts too. probly not as easily as a wagon, but easier to stow in the truck.
 
Actually the wagon stuffed into the back of our El Camino quite easily. Flip it upside down so it don't roll on its wheels and it stayed put.

I think we spent almost $100 bucks to get the wheels/tires for that thing and now you can buy a carbon copy that wagon at Harbor Frieght for $50. My son's got one. I think its rated for 300 pounds.

A wagon with pnuematic tires is pretty easy to pull in the dirt or gravel of most yards. Mud is another story as could be expected.
 
ZooMad75 said:
Heck for the bonyards a old back pack would make a good tool bag. A friend of my dad's always used a old surplus ammo box. Like someone said before,if you know exactly what you are after, make sure you got those specific tools to remove it from a junker.

Most of the time I go, I'm not after one thing just wandering the rows with a few things in mind to keep an eye out for. Therefor I usually come prepared for just about anything.

On the positive side, my Junkyard tool bag doubles duty for when I go wheeling. I usually throw a hub socket in and a couple other items but I've got the tools to fix most minor issues on the trail.

As I get more tools, I'll have a set dedicated for junkyard duty and a larger selection at home in my rollaway box.
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alright thanks. I will probably expect for the most, and bring everything I need(if I can) then leave them in the truck, and only take a light box of tools

Thanks
 
The cordless sawzall mentioned above is a good idea. Keep in mind that, unlike your truck, you won't need to put anything back together. I have cut brackets as many times as I have unbolted them. If its faster and you don't need it, cut it. Same thing with belts/hoses/wires. Cut them and move on.

As for hauling things, the local yard has a wheelbarrow for light stuff and a forklift for the heavy stuff.
 
re

It totally slipped my mind since I always carry it, but a Leatherman multi-tool can come in real handy with kniffe,screwdrivers, wirecutters, needlenose pliers, etc.
 
cbbr said:
The cordless sawzall mentioned above is a good idea. Keep in mind that, unlike your truck, you won't need to put anything back together. I have cut brackets as many times as I have unbolted them. If its faster and you don't need it, cut it. Same thing with belts/hoses/wires. Cut them and move on.

As for hauling things, the local yard has a wheelbarrow for light stuff and a forklift for the heavy stuff.
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I don't have a cordless sawzall...not even a normal sawzall!
By the time I go I will probably have my O/A cutting torch ready...for the bad stuff!
 
At least bring a hacksaw with a good blade. Also a set of 1/2" drive sockets sized in 16th's up to about 1 1/4". I cant even count how many times I've wished I'd brought that socke that was a size larger than the one I packed. A pickle fork is handy, sometimes. Also a range of socket extensions, I have a few 3", 8" and two 18" for my 3/8 drive, and a universal joint for a 3/8 socket. Definitely something to cut belts and hoses with, don't waste your time trying to remove them the proper way. A utility knife with a few new sharp blades is very handy for this. A BFH, or a large ball peen is a must as well.
 
I have a small arsenal of wrenchs, socket sets(both metric and standard), Assortment of Pliers, Vice Grips, Channel Locks, Cheater Bars, Wire Cutters, 5 pound Sledge, Screwdrivers, Very small sockets for interior stuff. Usually I get 3 or 4 guys to go, and we typically take a pickup, a couple yards by us will let us drive in, not very large yards though 4-5 acres and they are moving stock alot to scrappers and such. When I got some running boards last year the guy in the payloader was nice enough to pick this old chevy up for me and prop it up on another car for me.
 
Drey said:
IUsually I get 3 or 4 guys to go, and we typically take a pickup, a couple yards by us will let us drive in, not very large yards though 4-5 acres and they are moving stock alot to scrappers and such.
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If I drove anything into the yards that I go to, you run the risk of the rest of the wolves starting to take your ride apart while you are pulling something off of another truck! I've seen it happen. The big one I go to in Denver won't let you drive in unless you are towing in something for scrap. Park on the scales and let them pull the junk car off the trailer and get out of there!

Last time I was at that yard there was a 78 K5 that was just dropped off. I was there within minutes of it being parked at the end of a row. It was pretty complete minus the interior. Body/exterior trim, engine/drivetrain were still intact. I pulled the horn and a couple of other trim bits and walked the rest of the yard. about an hour later the front grille trim and grille were gone, parts had been yanked from the engine and parts that were loose inside had been yanked too. It's crazy to see how fast people can strip these things in the boneyards.
 
The local yard here always lets me ride around in my truck, I use the k10 because of all the crap laying around. The number one tool I always take is the torch because sometimes wrecks have to be cut open just to get to the part.

I never leave any tools or any valuables out of site because the yard here is full of damn theives.
 
mofugly13 said:
At least bring a hacksaw with a good blade. Also a set of 1/2" drive sockets sized in 16th's up to about 1 1/4". I cant even count how many times I've wished I'd brought that socke that was a size larger than the one I packed. A pickle fork is handy, sometimes. Also a range of socket extensions, I have a few 3", 8" and two 18" for my 3/8 drive, and a universal joint for a 3/8 socket. Definitely something to cut belts and hoses with, don't waste your time trying to remove them the proper way. A utility knife with a few new sharp blades is very handy for this. A BFH, or a large ball peen is a must as well.
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Okay I will bring a hacksaw. I have a utility knife of course...might need to pick up a new ball peen hamer though, the handle broke inside my old one...the top partof the handle is stuck in the hammer head.

Thanks guys...hopefully I can get my courage up within the next few weeks/month.
 
courage I need for me. I need to call first, I don't do phones so it's hard.
It's a steve thing, you won't understand :grin:
 
If a lawyer who knows absolutely nothing can do it, you should do fine. Belive me, no one looked more lost than I did (do), but they put up with me just like th CK5ers and it is now a fun trip.
 
LOL okay thanks.
I'm gone next weekend, so probably next week I will call and ask about policys and whatnot.
 
my buddy and i generally always go together, i havent been to the yard alone in years. makes things easier when spotting and pulling parts. we generally take a good sized toolbox, and carry it on a 2 wheel cart, or a wagon with large pneumatic wheels. the 2 wheel cart makes it easier to carry out large parts as well. here's another little gadget we never go without, although sometimes it never gets unloaded.
15098IMAG0101.JPG

get quite a few looks with that little beauty, but she generally pays for her own gas several times over.
 
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