A/C leak detectors from Robinair are available in ultrasonic (TruTrack, Model 16450), electronic (Model 16600, photo), and ultraviolet (Model 16292) versions. 165
Vehicle wash systems in the Rieskamp Equipment line are designed to provide 360 degrees wash coverage in less than 90 seconds, with a special emphasis on wheels, undercarriage, and rear doors. 170
Fuel-dispensing pump called the GoPump is a state-of-the-art electronic pump offered at a price comparable to that of a mechanical computing dispenser, according to Bennett Pump. The GoPump is available as a retail dispenser or commercial fleet dispenser. 184
High-temp sealer and metal-repair compound called Pyro-Putty 2400 is a ceramic-metallic, high-temperature paste that can be used, says Aremco Products, for sealing and repairing exhaust ports and manifolds, headers and pipes, catalytic converters, mufflers, and a variety of other cast iron, steel, and stainless steel components. 172
Aqueous parts washers in the Mi-T-M line are offered in spin, front-loading, and conveyorized models, either electric or gas, in mild steel or 304 stainless steel. 168
Pre-wash cleaning unit delivers up to 500 psi of pressure and 25 gpm of water volume. Landa's new high-pressure/low-volume Water Blaster, which draws water from a collection pit or catch basin, is designed for pre-wash cleaning of heavy equipment caked in mud and grime. 163
Lower control arm bracket puller, #63600, offered by Steck Mfg. does the job without removing the lower control arm (LCA). Simply tap the LCA bolt out enough to slide the keyhole slide plate over the bolt head, slip the other side plate over the threads and secure it with the shoulder nut. Attach the pulling ring, and you're ready to pull. 161
Truck bumper alignment on Chevy, Ford, and Dodge vehicles is easy with the radiator support tab puller, #63500, offered by Steck Mfg. A machined disc fills the insulator opening to eliminate distortion and the need to remove the radiator support. 162
Refrigerant purity tester, Robinair's Cool-Tech ID, Model 16900, checks air-conditioning coolant for possible contamination. A red light indicates the refrigerant has failed the test; green signals a purity of 98% or better. Tester also displays percentage of air in the system or tank. Model 16910 also displays the exact percentage of R-12, R134a, R-22, and air, and purges the air. 164
Pulsating wand-type washer converts a steady supply of compressed air into 1,500 "turbo pulses" per minute through a trigger-activated piston. The Uni-Cleaner, from Environmental Solutions Int'l., allows you to clean with air, air/water solution, or air/grit mixture. 166
Grease gun, Lincoln Model 1220 Mini Power Luber, is a 3.6V cordless/rechargeable gun that dispenses two 3-oz. grease cartridges per charging. Century Mfg.'s small, lightweight gun, which is said to be ideal for lubricating hard-to-reach fittings, comes with rigid-extension and battery charger. 182
Multi-oil-fired heaters in Shenandoah Mfg.'s line include the new Horizon series that offers the economies and advantages of single-pass heater design. The UL-listed Horizon heaters, available in 200,000 and 315,000 Btu sizes, feature low head room and multi-directional venting. 176
Basket-blast parts finishers in Empire Abrasive Equipment's Pro-Finish line are designed to improve finishing results and reduce labor costs. Operator simply loads the parts and the selected finishing media into the unit, sets the timer, and the machine does the rest. 178
Wheel-end filling template from Castrol Heavy Duty helps maintenance technicians meet the recommendation of a 50% fill level. The hand-held template is included in each case of Castrol SHL 00, a synthetic, semi-fluid grease formulated for steer axles and non-driven wheel ends. 183
Pyrometer can check cooling systems, A/C systems, engines, and brakes and perform other tasks requiring accurate temperature data over the range from -40 degrees F to +1999 degrees F. Check-It Electronic's Diesel Set 0606 digital pyrometer operates on one standard 9V battery. 169
Electronics service tools, including a new line of JTS test sets and recently introduced handheld meters, are featured in Jensen Tools' Master Sourcebook for 1999/ 2000. 174
Graphics application tools in 3M Commercial Graphics' Power Grip line for large formats include CPA-1 Power Grip Applicator for placing films with Comply Performance on substrates that are flat or flat with rivets; MPP-1 Multi-pin Air Release Tool, which requires only one puncture around each rivet; and RBA-3 Rivet Brush Applicator with stiff bristles that put film down over rivets quickly and easily. 187
Automatic antifreeze recycler, Model AF250 from Kleer-Flo, takes a 25-gal. batch of dirty coolant, pumps it through a prefilter and an ultrafiltration unit, and stores the cleaned fluid in a 30-gal. drum. To restore proper balance of additives and inhibitors, a premeasured amount of proprietary additive is added to each batch. 171
Oil skimmer, Model 4 Oil Grabber from Abanaki, removes oil from water or water-based solutions. Latest version has removal rate of up to 20 gph and can reach depths from 1 to 100 ft. or more. Depending upon the liquid, Model 4 can reduce oil content to less than 5 ppm. 167
Tire repair system, Safety Seal +Plus+ The Liquid Patch, combines North Shore Laboratories' Safety Seal repair plug, which seals the entire injury from tread to inner liner, and Liquid Patch, which creates a permanent flexible patch on the inner liner. No mechanical buffing is required. 185
Truck brake lathe, Star Machine & Tool's Model 2010 Super Lathe, features a one-piece, 2,000-lb. cast-iron housing for motor, gear case, controls, and the spindle drives, which are shared by two different lathe operations. Lathe can resurface drums from 6 to 24 in. dia. and rotors from 4 to 30 in. dia. 189
Graphics-application system from Auto-Tech Mfg. removes old graphics adhesives without damaging paint and applies new decals without bubbles or wrinkles. Quick 'n Easy Remover gets rid of adhesives and sticky substances in 60-90 sec.; Decal-Graphic Solution prepares the surface and bonds the new decal to the surface. 186
Battery-charging system, Pulse Charger/World Version, recovers lead-acid batteries deemed useless, according to PulseTech Products. It combines a 20-amp charging system with "pulse" technology, which is designed to eliminate effects of sulfation buildup by re-energizing the sulfates, removing them from the plates, and returning them to the battery acid as active electrolyte. 179
Geared lug wrench, X-12, with 12:1 gear ratio delivers over 3,000 lb.-ft. of torque with one-hand operation. Socket goes on the nut to be loosened/tightened; a stop arm fits over the next lug nut to prevent wrench from turning. Models are available from TIA Products for a variety of wheel configurations, as is a smaller unit for light-truck work. 173
Custom fiberglass sump called ReSump is built and installed inside any brand sump to solve water intrusion problems. Total Containment says the product and process solves leakage problems - without breaking concrete - for about one-third the cost of a sump replacement. Installation usually requires one day per sump. 175
Handheld refractometer, Model 7186 Battery/Coolant Tester, measures the concentration of coolants and freezing-point temperature when a drop or two of a sample is placed on the device's prism surface. This Kernco Instruments tester reads coolant (EG- or PG-based), -32 degrees F to +50 degrees F; battery fluid, 1.15 to 1.30. 177
Brake and light tester, Model 910B from Lite-Check, allows one person to check trailer air brakes, lighting system, Wabco ABS, 7-way cable, and tractor electrical output in just four minutes. Also available is the Model 311R 110VAC power supply, which protects your trailer 12V lighting system and ABS by providing filtered, regulated 20 amp 12VDC power. 180
Oil/water separator, the Eliminator II from Gardner Denver, features sediment/pre-absorption chambers, pop-up flow indicator, sample test jars, translucent oil containers, and an extra-wide carbon bed. Design results in less oil carryover, thereby improving compressor operation and reducing maintenance. 181
Wireless wheel-alignment system from Bee Line is available as the LWC2W, a 2-head system for heavy-duty trucks, or as the LWC4W, a 4-head system for automobiles, light trucks, and SUVs. System operates on standard D cell or rechargeable Ni-Cad D cell batteries, and can be used at distances up to 1,000 ft. in conjunction with any existing Bee Line PC-based computerized wheel alignment system. 227
Brake drum maintenance video, #T-99105V, features the SteelLite X30 drum, outlining the possible causes of brake drum wear and offering troubleshooting and preventive maintenance tips. 344
Truck-body parts kits from Morgan include everything needed to do a job, eliminating the need to order individual items. Walk-ramp kits and corner-cap repair kits are the first available. Soon to come are kits for insulation repair, U-bolts, and side doors. Kits are ordered under a single part number. 322
Hub-piloted wheel puller from Kiene Diesel Accessories removes seized disc wheels. A socket on the Wheel Whiz is put over the wheel hub. Five chains are then placed through the rim's handholes. An impact wrench is inserted into the drive socket on the back of the unit, then the technician snugs the chains and applies torque. 346
Leak detection system introduced by MotorVac Technologies combines pressure-testing technology with the use of a visible, nontoxic vapor to detect leaks in air-brake, vacuum, exhaust, air-intake, fuel, oil, transmission, and other vehicle systems. Industrial LeakChek, which operates on 12V power and compressed air, uses a chemiluminescent additive in the vapor that causes the source of the leak to glow when exposed to "black" light. 324
Air intake/throttle body cleaner, MV4, from MotorVac Technologies, is a proprietary detergent formulation for decoking intake plenums and cleaning throttle plates and idle bypass circuits. Twelve-ounce cans of the environmentally friendly cleaner use nitrogen as a propellant and come with a 30-in.-long application hose. 323
Fleet-shop software, Creighton Manning's Fleetmax version 2.3.2, resolves all Y2K issues and includes an alternate part number search from the Work Order action entry. Version 2.4 with improved billing reports, additional parts inventory reports, and a handy Work History icon for each vehicle profile is due for release on CD-ROM shortly. 328
Damage estimating system is a Windows-based computer program for designing and creating recreational-vehicle damage repair estimates. CD-ROM product was created by Duncan Systems with insurance adjusters and RV repair-shop personnel in mind. 226
Portable data collector, the LaserLite Mx from Videx, is a handheld unit featuring a small external memory card that adds 2MB or 4MB of memory to the unit's internal 256K RAM. Data can be entered in three ways: bar code reading with a laser; Touch Memory button reading, or alphanumeric keypad entry. 188
Battery testing/charging system, IBC 2000, quickly diagnoses and fast-charges a battery. Total time for fully automatic analysis and charging, according to Associated Equipment Corp., ranges from 17 sec. to 45 min. Bench and mobile models (cart is optional) are available. System has a continuous rating of 70 amps; max. output of 90 amps at 60% duty cycle. 342
6000-lb.-capacity mobile lift, MR-6, from Benwil raises a vehicle to a comfortable 48-in. working height. The lift and separate pump are mounted on rollers for easy movement around the shop. Power is by 115/208-230V electric or 100-psi air. 337
Pro-Tuff grease guns from the Plews/Edelmann Div. of Stant feature a variable stroke for easy greasing in confined areas, with a 360-deg. swivel coupler that locks in any of 12 positions. Guns can be loaded with standard 14-oz. cartridges, through a bulk-loader head cap, or by suction fill. 330
