What Tools do I need for AMW Hardware?

AMW does not carry these items.;
You can buy these items much cheaper elsewhere.

1) GOOD Snap Ring Pliers:

McMaster Carr (website) part numbers below for easy ordering!

    38mm - Either PN 57805A35 or PN 5415A63 (0.070" tips)

    54mm - Either PN 57805A36 or PN 5415A64 (0.090" tips)

    75mm - PN 7131A21 (w/0.108" tips)        

   98mm - PN 7131A26 (w/0.120" tips); extra tips (PN 7131A1)

   150mm - PN 5300A21 (W/0.120" tips)

Why do we recommend different pliers?

Why not use PN 5391A37 ( with 0.090", 0.108", & 0.102" tips)

Because they are NOT safe for the larger rings.  50% of the time these are used, we watch a ring fly out of the tool.  The tips are not angled inward properly for the larger cases.  They work OK for 54mm & sort of OK for 75mm.  The 75mm & 98mm pliers we suggest, are the same pliers with different tips.  This is much safer.  And even though the 0.120" tips on the 98mm pliers will also fit the 150mm rings, they do not have the leverage required to comfortably compress the 150mm rings. Please take our advice on snap ring pliers.  We been flying snap ring hardware for over 10 years, and have horizontally flown (test stand?) thousands of motors.  These tools have not let us down, and still work well today.

2) Reload Assembly Grease:

Zoo Keeper favorite - Slick 50 "One Grease" - Cheap and available at most AutoZone, Pep Boys, Target, K-Mart, and even Walmart.

Also very good, but harder to find - Mobil One Synthetic Grease - Available at AutoZone, Pep Boys and other auto parts stores.

Why? Both of these greases have the highest service temperature readily available, and they are easily cleaned!

Other OK choices -

Dow #111 or #112 Silicone grease - These are paste consistency high temperature silicone greases that are compatible the the o-rings AMW uses.  These required chlorinated solvents to completely clean up.  With the "stop killing the ozone layer with chlorinated solvents" push, we stopped using this grease 6+ years ago.

Generic "High Temperature Wheel Bearing Grease" -Works OK.  It's tough to find the service temperature on the cans.  Look for +425F on the generic grease, or don't use it.  The other stuff we've used for years with great success.

DO NOT USE these greases -

Silicone Dielectric Compound - It's a much more expensive grade of Silicone then Dow 111,  the service temperature is lower, and it turns to white crud after firing.  It can be very tough to clean.

Any ANTI-SEIZE Grease -  Most of these greases are filled with metal, or metal oxides, and are 2-3 times the cost of our recommended choices.  The metal compounds conduct the heat 100 times faster than the normal greases.  The heat transfer rate is fast enough to cause the casing to burn through.  While some anti-seize compounds that do not contain metal are available, these brands are not generally available in a retail establishment, and we suggest  you avoid trying to determine the difference when a POUND of the recommended choices is 5 dollars.