ACDelco 12V Cordless 3/8 Ratchet and Impact Wrench Kit

This is the ACDelco G12 series ARW1209-K14 kit: the ARW1209 3/8 inch cordless ratchet (45 ft-lbs, 170 RPM) and the ARI12104 3/8 inch impact wrench (90 ft-lbs, 0-2400 and 0-3100 RPM), sharing one 12V lithium-ion battery, with a fast charger and a canvas carry bag.

The ratchet is the tool you reach for on a transmission. Pan bolts, valve body bolts, cooler line brackets, crossmember hardware, and bellhousing bolts in the tight space between the case and the tunnel are all 8mm, 10mm, and 13mm work that a full-size impact cannot reach. The head is slim enough to work along a pan rail, and the trigger is variable so you can spin a bolt down and stop before you strip it. Snug by hand and finish with a torque wrench, this is a run-down tool, not a torque tool.

The impact wrench covers the fasteners the ratchet will not break loose: converter-to-flexplate bolts, transmission-to-engine bolts, crossmember and mount hardware, and rusted exhaust or driveshaft bolts you have to move to drop the unit. At 90 ft-lbs it is a compact-class impact, not a lug gun, so pair it with a breaker bar for anything seized.

Both tools run off the same 12V pack, which keeps you from juggling chargers, and neither one needs a compressor or a hose dragged across the floor. If you have been doing pan drops by hand ratchet, this is the upgrade that gets the most time back.