Samantha Reed

Nothing kills a weekend exhaust project faster than a cheap chain pipe cutter that snaps mid-rotate. I learned this the hard way after borrowing a no-name tool from a parts store and watching the chain links scatter across my garage floor. That frustration sent me down a rabbit hole of testing, comparing, and analyzing every … Read more

I’ve been turning wrenches on small blocks and big blocks since my first SBC rebuild back in high school, and the one tool that still makes or breaks a valve job is the compressor. The best valve spring compressors in are the Orion Motor Tech (OMT) C-clamp kit for all-around versatility, the OTC 4572 for … Read more

Working on an overhead valve engine means dealing with valve springs at some point, and trying to compress those springs with screwdrivers or improvised tools is a recipe for flying keepers and damaged valve stems. After testing and comparing 10 of the most popular valve spring compressors on the market, I can tell you that … Read more

Cam locking tool kits hold the camshaft in Top Dead Center while you replace a timing belt or timing chain, preventing catastrophic engine damage. If you’re tackling a timing job on an interference engine, skipping this tool isn’t an option — one slip and you’re looking at bent valves and a repair bill that dwarfs … Read more

A timing chain tool kit is a specialized set of locking pins, camshaft alignment tools, crankshaft holding tools, and tensioner accessories that lock an engine at top dead center (TDC) so the timing chain can be removed and replaced without losing camshaft and crankshaft synchronization. Without one, even a careful DIYer can drift the cams … Read more

An injector puller tool is a slide hammer, mechanical, or hydraulic device designed to extract stuck or seized diesel and gasoline fuel injectors from a cylinder head without damaging the injector bore or threads. After 60 days of shop testing across two diesel trucks (a 7.3 Powerstroke and a 5.9 Cummins 24v) and a junkyard … Read more

Removing glow plugs from a diesel engine sounds straightforward until one snaps off in the head. Shops routinely quote 1,500 to 5,000 dollars for a full glow plug service, especially on 6.0 Powerstroke, Cummins, and Duramax engines where access is tight and plugs seize after years of carbon buildup. A quality glow plug removal kit … Read more

A cylinder hone is a powered abrasive tool – usually a dingle ball, stone set, or flex hone – that re-cuts the crosshatch pattern on an engine’s cylinder walls so new piston rings seat correctly and hold oil. Without that fresh crosshatch, even brand-new rings will not seal, and the engine will burn oil and … Read more

Our team has spent the last three months testing flex hone tools across engine rebuilds, brake rotor jobs, and firearms chamber work to find the best flex hone tools for . We compared 10 models from Brush Research, EWK, Kolvoii, and a handful of specialty brands — running each on real cast iron cylinders, Nikasil-coated … Read more

I learned the value of a good piston ring compressor the hard way. During my first small block Chevy rebuild I tried tapping a piston in with a wooden dowel, watched a ring catch on the cylinder wall, and snapped a brand-new set of rings. That frustration is exactly why I built this guide on … Read more