Tappet wrench trio

[alton1911]

What sizes of tappet wrenches are common?
What makes a tappet wrench a tappet wrench?
What is the standard?


Thanks in advance,
alton1911

 

[Farmer J.]

I've heard they're for adjusting the valve clearances on old side valve flat head engines, and doing it with the engine hot and running at idle.
They're long so you don't get burned on the hot exhaust manifold, and thin for doing up the lock nuts. Some engines need a juggling act of 3 all used together to hold the tappet still, turn the adjusting nut, and turn the lock nut.
Over on the Jalopy Journal there are people who know about these.. link:
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/tappet-wrenches-anyone.729614/

 

[d42jeep]

Tappet wrenches are generally thin because the jam nuts that lock down the valve adjustment as well as the adjusters themselves are often thin. I believe that valves adjusted running were usually overhead valve. Flatheads were generally adjusted with a feeler gauge with the cam lobe facing away from the valve. The two sizes were usually the size of the adjuster on one end and the jam nut on the opposite end and were sold in pairs for that reason.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

longer shanks. thinner heads.





you'll see a commonality in the part numbers among US tool manufacturers:
Craftsman No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, etc. Herbrand H1, H2, H3, etc.

slipperier than deerguts on a doorknob when you're trying to juggle the wrench with one hand and the feeler gauge with the other and hot oil is splashing all over your forearms. fun times.

 

[ttpete]

I've never done a side valve running and hot. Everything had cold clearances specified. Did a Packard straight 8 once. The inner front fender had a removable panel, and I could sit on the brake drum and work.

 

[four.cycle]

^ the scenario I described above was on an Opel Kadette 1.1L engine. solid tappets. fortunately the exhaust manifold was on the opposite side of the engine:



^ this one is from Google images. looks like it's in a GT. mine didn't have power brakes, but I did have the valve cover chromed and had two chrome air cleaners.... a real hot-rod!

 

[potato]

my craftsman set

 

[alton1911]

my craftsman set

I love these craftsman wrenches. Very extensive set. What is the part number range? I will begin a quest for the rest.

Thanks
alton1911

 

[Sawdustmaker]

slipperier than deerguts on a doorknob when you're trying to juggle the wrench with one hand and the feeler gauge with the other and hot oil is splashing all over your forearms. fun times.

I'll second that! The 235 cu in "6" in my 53 Chevy had solid lifters (some had hydraulic). Adjusting those tappets was a cuss worthy task. After my dad taught me how to do it, he just stood back and laughed. Mom was not amused.

 

[Modern Garage]

I can't think anyone would adjust solid tappets with the engine running. Too easy to bend the valve on a flathead or pushrod on an overhead. Proper procedure is to adjust to the low side of the cam, start engine and run until hot, shut it off and readjust to no clearance but not binding. You should be able to spin the valve without binding but with no clearance. Whoever is using a feeler gauge on flatheads is going to have a noisy engine until a valve stem bends.

I've actually adjusted a lot of OHV engines while idling. One guy I worked with at the Chrysler dealer wouldn't adjust slant sixes any other way, and I have to agree his did run smoother than mine after a tune up.
The feeler gauges don't last so long though...
Joe

 

[6PTsocket]

I can't think anyone would adjust solid tappets with the engine running. Too easy to bend the valve on a flathead or pushrod on an overhead. Proper procedure is to adjust to the low side of the cam, start engine and run until hot, shut it off and readjust to no clearance but not binding. You should be able to spin the valve without binding but with no clearance. Whoever is using a feeler gauge on flatheads is going to have a noisy engine until a valve stem bends.

Adjusted hot and running was the way we did it, when that was the spec. Never bent a pushrod. I don't know if those old engines were interference designs like a lot if the new ones.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[four.cycle]

I never bent a pushrod on that Opel and never damaged a feeler gauge.
The post above is the first time I've ever heard anybody say adjusting them with the engine running was the wrong way to do it.

 

[d42jeep]

Probably the valve springs on that little Opel weren't strong enough to damage the feeler blade. My feelers were never the same after adjusting early inline 6 cylinder motors running. Kind of a challenge to keep the screwdriver in the slot too.
I found another long C tappet wrench No 2 with the other Craftsman stuff on Friday. It's at the top of the picture.
-Don

 

[ttpete]

Probably the valve springs on that little Opel weren't strong enough to damage the feeler blade. My feelers were never the same after adjusting early inline 6 cylinder motors running. Kind of a challenge to keep the screwdriver in the slot too.
I found another long C tappet wrench No 2 with the other Craftsman stuff on Friday. It's at the top of the picture.
-Don

Those were probably 6 cylinder Chevys. Setting them running is a quick method especially if one is working flat rate. I always insisted on doing my personal vehicles with the engine stopped using a remote starter button to bump the engine over. It's reasonably easy if you follow the firing order.

The ones that had to be set running were those with hydraulic lifters and adjustable rockers. I used to have a set of clips that snapped onto Chevy rockers to block the oil hole so it didn't pee on the exhaust manifolds.

 

[humber2]

Probably the valve springs on that little Opel weren't strong enough to damage the feeler blade. My feelers were never the same after adjusting early inline 6 cylinder motors running. Kind of a challenge to keep the screwdriver in the slot too.:eyecrazy
-Don

There are spring loaded screwdrivers with tangs on the blade made just for this task.

 

[snapmom]

Some Snap on and Blue Point British standard/whitworth tappets.

 

[DadsTools]

I never bent a pushrod on that Opel and never damaged a feeler gauge.
The post above is the first time I've ever heard anybody say adjusting them with the engine running was the wrong way to do it.

This.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

1925 Bonney Set No. 412

 

[Private Lugnutz]

c. 1940 Herbrand Set No. H-80

 

[potato]

i love these craftsman wrenches. Very extensive set. What is the part number range? I will begin a quest for the rest.

Thanks
alton1911

44470 - 44474

 

[alton1911]

44470 - 44474

Thank you sir.
I like that craftsman were kind enough to put a set special purpose wrenches in a perfect order. It appeals to my OCD.
Thanks again
alton1911

 

[Mick56]

Milwaukee Tool & Forge, 9/16 x 5/8, very thin wrench, about 5/32.

 

[alton1911]

Milwaukee Tool & Forge, 9/16 x 5/8, very thin wrench, about 5/32.

I love these thin profile wrenches. I am still amazed at how many different sizes and combinations there are.

Thanks
alton1911

 

[four.cycle]

44470 - 44474

I may be mistaken, but I believe that before those Craftsman tappet wrenches were model numbers 444XX -- 444XX, they were No. 1, No. 2, No. 3... etc.

 

[d42jeep]

I may be mistaken, but I believe that before those Craftsman tappet wrenches were model numbers 444XX -- 444XX, they were No. 1, No. 2, No. 3... etc.

I have a pair of Long C Craftsman No 1 and a No 2.
-Don