Engine Building Tools

Hey team, long time coming but here is a short list of some of the essentials, and also a few desirable tools that will make your life easier.

✅ Essential Engine Building Tools: In Our Opinion

Take a look through and share your thoughts on what tools you couldn't live without across a range of projects.This will be filled out a little more over time: https://www.hpacademy.com/technical-articles/engine-building-tools-the-essentials-and-desirables/

🧰 Tool Brands: Community-Backed Rankings by Quality & Reputation

We've asked the HPA community about which tool brands are their favourites, and here’s a breakdown that combines your input with general reputation from the wider tool world. This isn't an ordered ranking and we haven't personally used every brand on this list by any means. This is just a way to categorise what's OK, what's Great, and what many consider The Best (thanks ccode for the suggestion!), with a little pricing insight for each on what segment of the market they are generally targeting.

Just remember, some great deals on tools that are used (but not used up!) can be had on the likes of eBay, Trademe, Gumtree etc as well as auction sites that deal with business closures. If you're not in a hurry, these can be great ways to get fantastic tools on the cheap, but as with anything secondhand, do your due diligence.

OK Tools

These are solid choices of brands generally aimed at DIYers, beginners, or light-duty work. You won’t break the bank and they'll get the job done, but you might sacrifice some longevity.

Bergen – Budget tools with inconsistent quality. Will get you through light-duty engine tasks but might not last in high-torque or precision applications.💲 Comparatively cheap in most locations.

Biltema – Scandinavian budget brand with usable tools for hobby garages. Limited range in engine-specific gear.💲 Comparatively cheap in most locations.

Boxo – Entry-level sockets and spanners that cover the basics. Decent finish for the price, but not long-term pro gear.💲 Comparatively cheap in most locations.

BGS – Offers a surprising amount of engine-related tools like pullers and feeler gauges, but quality varies.💲 Comparatively cheap in most locations.

Britool – Older stuff was excellent; newer production is lower mid-tier. Works fine for occasional engine work.💲 Reasonably priced in most locations.

Clarke – Best for light-duty use or secondary toolkits. Often found in hobbyist UK garages.💲 Comparatively cheap in most locations.

Craftsman – US legacy brand. Post-Sears era tools are hit-or-miss, but still usable for general engine work.💲 Reasonably priced in most locations.

Kamasa – Swedish tools with serviceable engine toolkits, especially sockets and wrenches.💲 Reasonably priced in most locations.

Lidl / Parkside – Extremely affordable and fine for DIY engine jobs, but not built for daily pro use.💲 Comparatively cheap in most locations.

Pittsburg / Pittsburg Pro – Harbor Freight’s go-to brand. Limited precision, but lifetime warranty helps.💲 Comparatively cheap in most locations.

ProTool – Generic-sounding name used by multiple sellers. Varies widely — caveat emptor.💲 Comparatively cheap in most locations.

ProForm – Known for engine-specific tools like ring compressors and valve train tools. Solid for budget engine builds.💲 Reasonably priced in most locations.

Sata – Emerging mid-tier brand. Makes decent sockets and hand tools, with growing adoption.💲 Reasonably priced in most locations.

Great Tools

Reliable and well-regarded by mechanics. A balance of performance, longevity, and affordability.

Bahco – Excellent fit and finish on wrenches and sockets. More than enough quality for regular engine work.💲 Reasonably priced in most locations.

DeWalt – Power tools are the highlight (great for teardown or cleaning). Their hand tools are decent but comparatively less refined.💲 Reasonably priced in most locations.

Facom – Precision fit, smooth ratchets, and great chrome. High-quality gear from Europe.💲 Top shelf pricing in most locations.

GearWrench – Best known for ratcheting spanners and torque tools. Good mix of affordability and function.💲 Reasonably priced in most locations.

Halfords Advanced – Sleeper hit in the UK. Lifetime warranty and genuinely solid socket sets.💲 Reasonably priced in most locations.

IR (Ingersoll Rand) – One of the best for air tools. Impact wrenches and air ratchets hold up under pressure.💲 Top shelf pricing in most locations.

Lisle – Specialist in engine-specific tools: valve spring compressors, ring installers, seal pullers, and more.💲 Reasonably priced in most locations.

Mac – Heavy-duty hand tools and sockets. Their torque tools are favored in pro shops.💲 Top shelf pricing in most locations.

Manley – Best known for engine internals (valves, rods, pistons), but they also produce quality setup tools and measurement gear aimed at engine builders.💲 Top shelf pricing in most locations.

Matco – Great quality and warranty support. Known for engine diagnostics and hand tools.💲 Top shelf pricing in most locations.

Milwaukee – Fantastic electric tools for teardown and cleaning tasks. Hand tools are apparently improving, although we only use the power tools.💲 Top shelf pricing in most locations.

Olsa – Popular for storage, but they offer decent sockets and torque wrenches too.💲 Reasonably priced in most locations.

SP Tools – Strong lineup of mechanic-grade hand tools and impact gear. Popular in our neck of the woods and we've used their sockets, spanners, ratchet spanners etc for years.💲 Reasonably priced in most locations.

Sunex – Great for impact sockets, bearing pullers, and lifting equipment. Trusted in engine bays.💲 Reasonably priced in most locations.

Tone – Rare outside Japan, but superb quality and often used in heavy mechanical trades.💲 Top shelf pricing in most locations.

Würth – Used in high-end shops. Engineered to industrial specs, though availability can be spotty.💲 Top shelf pricing in most locations.

The (possibly) BEST Tools

Elite-level brands often used by professional engine builders, race teams, and those who demand unmatched precision.

Knipex – Absolutely essential for circlip pliers and hose clamps. Legendary cutting and gripping tools.💲 Top shelf pricing in most locations.

Snap-on – The benchmark for many in part due to their excellent marketing for new mechanics and a solid warranty. Superb sockets, ratchets, torque wrenches, and engine specialty tools.💲 Top shelf pricing in most locations.

Sonic – Precision sets used in OEM workshops (e.g. VW, Mercedes). Tool control and quality in one.💲 Top shelf pricing in most locations.

Stahlwille – Ultra-precise German torque tools, micrometers, and spanners. Exceptional feel.💲 Top shelf pricing in most locations.

Tekton – Transparent manufacturing and growing respect. Their torque wrenches and sockets punch above their price.💲 Reasonably priced in most locations.

Koken – Impressive ratchets and nut-grip sockets. High-end gear for serious builders.💲 Top shelf pricing in most locations.

Nepros – Koken’s luxury line. Impossibly smooth tools, if you can afford them.💲 Top shelf pricing in most locations.

ARP – The gold standard in engine fasteners, but they also offer specialist torque stretch gauges and engine assembly tools. Built for serious builders.💲 Top shelf pricing in most locations.

Mitutoyo – Unmatched in precision measuring equipment: micrometers, bore gauges, calipers, and dial indicators. Essential for serious blueprinting and machining.💲 Top shelf pricing in most locations.

Sunnen – The go-to for cylinder honing and measurement. Their gauges and honing tools are shop-grade and highly respected in engine machining.💲 Top shelf pricing in most locations.

💬 Final Thoughts

This breakdown isn’t gospel, but it reflects both real-world experience and general tool reputation on the interwebs, including from the HPA community. Whether you’re building your first toolbox or replacing something that let you down, there’s a brand here for every budget and need.As a last note just keep in mind what you can (or can't) readily purchase locally too. There's no point chasing down a recommendation which needs a special order for the basics when there will be several other brands locally that do the same thing.

What are your go-to brands, and why? Also, what company do you buy them from? Let’s keep the discussion rolling! 👇

It would be great to see recommended brands for each of the tool. Any recommendations for torque wrench that is not super expensive but reliable and will do the work? Thanks!

Note Pawel, have seen your comment and we're working on it.

Another vote for recommended brands to consider when buying tools as I'm also looking at buying now and the number of options and price ranges is huge.

I would also like to see some recommended brands. I can’t imagine buying the “best deal” off Amazon is going to be the best path to take.

Sometimes the "best deal" off amzn can do the trick. Perfect example is the scale that Andre uses in his videos, sourced on Ali IIRC. :)

+ on adding a list of brands/vendors. Maybe a side by side comparison, on quality and performance. Example:

Ok:

HART (from Walmart)

Good:

MATCO

Best:

SNAP-ON

Again, this is just an example. I do not sponsor nor do I know who makes the best...

Good morning,

The list is a great idea so thanks for putting it together. I’m happy to look into pricing and brands myself but please could you confirm the specification needed for measuring equipment? I’d like to buy my bore gauges and micrometers in metric, but do I need 0.001 resolution or will 0.01 be sufficient? Struggling to find sets available that go down to 0.001mm and I notice in the videos that the bore gauge you use is 0.01.

Thanks in advance, Craig

+1 on SNAP-ON ... being able to get my tool fixed or replaced same-day without leaving the shop is awesome. I'd also add this Valve Lash Adjuster to the HP tool list:

Valve Lash Adjuster

LSM

https://lsmproducts.com/

But all SNAP ON aside, I also use husky, craftsman, and even a few cheap harbor freights. If the tool works for the job, no sense in replacing it until necessary. That said, I will spend good money on quality cutting tools (drill bits, blades, etc.) because this will save a ton of time.