Motor 2001 top 20 tools: The best of the best

Motor, Sep 2001

There have been several "smart" testers that attempt to determine if a vehicle's battery still is serviceable. But they work best when they start out with a battery that's freshly charged. The next big step in battery testing is to find out before you spend the time trying to charge it. Midtronics has a different approach, and the Editors at MOTOR recognize it as a Top 20 Tools winner. That makes four Midtronics trips to the winner's circle in the last eight years. This time it's for the GR-- 1, a major step up in battery initial and continuous testing and charge adjustment.

We haven't quite reached the 100% level of diagnostic technology for a dead battery, just as doctors can't predict how well a patient would recover from major surgery before it's performed. But Midtronics' GR-- 1 Diagnostic Conductance Battery Charger is good progress with industry-leading technology. It's like connecting a monitor to the patient and not only checking his progress, but adjusting the treatment for the fastest recovery as the patient seems to be able to respond.

The GR-1 starts with measurements of open circuit voltage (OCV) and a derived number for conductance (the ability of a battery to produce current, which is proportional to its cranking amps capacity). The conductance is determined with a small AC signal to the battery terminals and a measurement of the AC current returned.

The GR-1 has the improved ability to eliminate most unserviceable batteries before charging or at least within the first five minutes. After that, it continually measures conductance and adjusts the charge so the battery doesn't gas. Most batteries come back to full charge typically in an hour or less; the new GR-1 has reduced that time to about 30 minutes.

GM Water Pump Socket by Schley Products

When a specialty socket is just over 3 inches in diameter and weighs about 1 3/4 pounds, you can assume it's got a tough job to do. But when a tool company introduces still another socket for the same application, and it weighs in at over 2 1/2 pounds, you have to wonder why.

In this case, the problem is the locked-in cartridge-style water pump on the Cadillac 4.6-liter Northstar V8, and its little brother, the 4.0 V8 that's been used in the Olds Aurora. There isn't a lot of room for the specialty sockets now on the market to remove this pump. And despite their heft, there's a lot of pressure on their contact "fingers," which bear against the water pump flange plate when you try to twist out the old pump. As a result, there have been reports of finger cracks, bending and, in some cases, outright breakage when a pump is really stuck.

The boys at Schley Products recognized this weakness and set about to reinvent the wheel, so to speak. Called the GM Water Pump Socket (No. 61100), this CNC-machined tool features added thickness to the fingers area of the tool (it still fits in, and onto the pump cartridge), along with a reshaped finger cross-section that helps distribute the removal forces more broadly. Most of the time we want the slimmest, sleekest tool to reach into an area without trying to manipulate excess iron. Every once in a while, though, we want an "industrial strength" tool that can withstand a lifetime of abuse. And if that's your wish, this socket is right up your alley!