New tools

I have recently obtained a new tool with another on the way.  The one I have received is a 12 ton press.  Not the best in the world but better that what I had, nothing.  This will work for installing the cam and distributor gears to the crank.  It should help with many other tasks around the shop also.  

I have also order this air compressor below.  It is an Ingersoll Rand brand.  Air compressors seem to range a wide array of quality.  It is a hit or miss with most air compressors.  I have a Husky from Home Depot and the tank started leaking.  I am not a good enough welder to fix it and probably could get it welded but I am afraid that the motor or the pump could be next.  It is only a few years old.  From what read, the oil less motors do not last that long (approx. 400 to 500 hours of service).  The unit that I recently purchased is a cast iron pump that requires oil and a break in period.  My old compressor has a 32 gal tank where this one has only 20 gal tank.  The old has what appears 9.9 scfm and the new only has about 5.5.  However all the reviews (many more than any other brand) for the new compressor state it will not break down and runs all of their impact wrenches, ratchets and grinders.  I realize that it will not run them continuously but should run them for what I need.  

The model I bought is the Ingersoll Rand Garage Mate Air Compressor — 2 HP, 5.2 CFM, Model# P1.5IU-A9 .  I should receive it in about 3 weeks.

Touareg brake check

Since I have my workshop, it has been easy to work on my cars.  There is a lot of room to move around.   I have no worries of anyone having issues with me making noise or fumes or anything that goes with working on cars of any kind.  With that I put my Touareg on jack stands to check the brakes.  I have had the "check the brake pads" message on my dash for some time now.  So I wanted to check them to see which is the culprit for the message.  So  here is the Egg up on the jack stands.

After inspecting the brakes at all corners, I determined that the rear driver side was the brake that was causing the message.  I found the wire broken on the inside pad.  The outside was not broken but starting to wear through the insulation of the wire.  You can see the exposed wire of the outside pad sensor in the picture below.

Once I reconnected the broken wire from the inside pad, the message did not return.  I am assuming that grounding the wire does not prompt the message but an open circuit does.  Anyway,  since the outside pad sensor was wearing through the insulation and it was a matter of a little time before it would trip the worn pad warning message, I did not reinstall the sensor.  You can see that I zip tied it to the brake line to keep it out of the way.

There is still plenty of pad left on that side even though it tripped the sensor.  Also the rear brakes wear slower than the front.  I also have new rear brakes already in the shop.  So I will wait until the brakes are all the way worn out then replace to maximize the money.

As long as I can check the brakes this easily, I will take them until just about metal.