What's in my bag? — David Picciuto
About the bag
My bag is my grandfather's old camera bag from the 80s. It's not very useful, doesn't hold many things and is kinda ugly. And that's exactly why I love it!
What's inside the bag
Valve Seat Cutter — I really like tools that only have a single purpose. I'm currently building a couple of go-kart racing engines and this valve seat cutter allows me to fine tune the contact between the valve head and the seat. Engine building and kart racing is a new passion of mine and has really reinvigorated my love for tools as I get to try new things and learn new skills.
Valve Guide Driver — In kart racing everyone is looking for that edge to shave off a tenth of a second. Replacing stock valve guides with ones that lubricate better and have tighter tolerances is one way to improve performance. This tool is extremely simple in design but has become a necessary item in my arsenal of engine building tools.
Piston Ring Installer — Have you ever started a new hobby and got overwhelmed with all the tools available? Many times I'll think "well, I'm not going to perform this task very often so I'll wait to get the tool that makes this easier." This is not one of those tools to put off. Installing rings without this tool is hard, messy and can ruin the piston ring that's incredibly valuable when it comes to horsepower. Maybe you only use this tool for 5 minutes, one time a year but you'll be glad you spent the money.
Piston Ring Compression Sleeve — Here I am again with a simple tool that only has one purpose. I started out using a cheap piston ring compressor tool that can fit any size by ratcheting around the piston. If you have ever used one you'll know how much of a pain in the butt it is to use. This sleeve removes the pain of installing pistons by compressing the rings and allowing for the piston to drop in the cylinder. Yeah, it's kinda of pricey compared to the cheap universal compressor and you'll need to buy one for every size piston but I guarantee you'll have far less headaches. and enjoy the process more.
What's in YOUR bag? We want to hear about unusual and unusually useful items that you carry in your bag. Start by sending an email to claudia@cool-tools.org with a photo of the things in your bag (you can use your phone). If you get a reply from us, fill out the form. We’ll pay you $50 if we run your submission in our What’s in my bag? newsletter and blog.