Let's See Your Custom Made/Modified Hand Tools
- Thread starter gdocktor3
- Start date
crewchief888
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crewchief888
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kind a dark side of the moon wrench...
thegroundpounder99
Well-known member
kind a dark side of the moon wrench...
Thankfully I wasn't drinking anything when I read that lmao.
F150tech
Well-known member
No pics but I have machined sockets down on a lathe to fit tight spaces and have several cut in half wrenches for specific jobs on diesels
crewchief888
Well-known member
ive got several chopped up wrenches for stubbies.
DOE wrenches seem to work...
DOE wrenches seem to work...
crewchief888
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Jim Diesel
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Yeah i agree good thread. I have a whole heap of custom tools, i will get some photos when i get back to work.
Superbec
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Provincial
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I worked for years flying and maintaining old radial-engined airplanes. I made a couple of special sockets for removing ignition leads from spark plugs in hard-to-reach places. Many times an open end or crowfoot wrench just won't fit, but there is pretty good access straight out from the spark plug. These were patterned on original Pratt & Whitney tools. The P&W wrenches were a smaller size than I needed because spark plugs changed over the years and went up in hex size twice.
The wrench on the left is an original P&W. The center tool is a 3/8" drive 3/4" deep impact socket sliced with a cutoff wheel and carbide die grinder. The tool on the right is a 1/2" drive 7/8" deep socket with similar modifications, plus shortened and with a 3/8" square drive welded on.
The cutout in the socket is to fit over the ignition lead that comes in the top of the spark plug. The hex has to be cut away and a relief made to clear the lead when the socket is turned. Unless there is corrosion or physical damage to the threads, the lead nut will only need about a 1/2 turn before you can use your fingers to finish unscrewing the nut. You may have to reposition the tool a couple of times to get the nut loose.
The wrench on the left is an original P&W. The center tool is a 3/8" drive 3/4" deep impact socket sliced with a cutoff wheel and carbide die grinder. The tool on the right is a 1/2" drive 7/8" deep socket with similar modifications, plus shortened and with a 3/8" square drive welded on.
The cutout in the socket is to fit over the ignition lead that comes in the top of the spark plug. The hex has to be cut away and a relief made to clear the lead when the socket is turned. Unless there is corrosion or physical damage to the threads, the lead nut will only need about a 1/2 turn before you can use your fingers to finish unscrewing the nut. You may have to reposition the tool a couple of times to get the nut loose.
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JSGAuto
Well-known member
I made these (I didn't do the anodizing) for removing the tappet covers of SOHC Honda Motorcycles. It is a low profile 17mm nut that regular wrenches are to loose on...and being aluminum, just strip the covers.
I sell them on ebay, little extra cash to support the habit!
Jim
I sell them on ebay, little extra cash to support the habit!
Jim
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JSGAuto
Well-known member
Thank you.
It is made with only a couple thou clearance, and no significant chamfer. All of the commercial wrenches I measured were .020-.040 oversize. Really I think the large chamfers on wrenches/sockets are the problem with such a small profile nut.
Being aluminum, its also non-maring.
Jim
Teenager with old tools
Well-known member
Ground an old craftsman double open end because it was too thick. Have some bench wrenches just not pics of them. I too have turned down a socket on my lathe after cutting off a quarter inch
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
K-Dog
Well-known member
I have a bunch of these I cut off of used doors. They make it easy to jump window motors when the door is off the car or the battery is disconnected.
Belt moulding tool
Flattened the head on a few chisels. Work great for metal work.
Belt moulding tool
Flattened the head on a few chisels. Work great for metal work.
Wyoming09
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MushCreek
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I've done a lot of them over the years- no pics, though. I had to make a socket to fit an old Ford Pitman arm nut. It's a really oddball size- couldn't find one anywhere. I took the next size down, and re-machined it in an EDM machine to make the odd size. I might still have it somewhere...
dwysywd
Well-known member
believe it or not, i've stripped these more than once. i'm now looking for one bc i didn't even know they existed before this thread. i think that once people start learning they are out there they will buy them.
@JSGAuto contact the guys at Cycle X ([email protected]) and the guys at cafe racer magazine.
Sent from my facsimile machine
kansei
Well-known member
Just a few made years ago, but have been used over and over since...
Back in the '70s and into the mid-'80s or so, Mazda had essentially four different front strut piston shaft indexing profiles, obviously depending on supplier. Aftermarket items only added to this number, so every time I came across a new/different one, I would have a new 'holder' CNC machined into the end of a 3/8" drive extension to match the profile, except for one that had to be scaled up to 1/2" due to the diameter of the shaft, and profile. I think I have five holders now, and two sleeve sockets for the top nut securing the strut mount. This is one pairing from different angles:
Another Mazda tool- this one for the '76-'78 CD Cosmo strut gland nut, which seems to be its own animal. Started with a socket which had an OD sized to match the OD of the gland nut. Spliced in a section of pipe long enough to clear maximum extension of the piston shaft, in the event I had to work on a car that had the struts changed out to gas at some point (original design was oil). Cut in gland nut tang profile, and it has worked like a charm. At the drive end (3/4"), the socket was inverted and milled down flat. It provided a natural bevel of the socket for welding to, and being able to grab the top of the socket and ratchet head together helps with leverage when the strut is in a vise, as the CD gland nuts always seem to be welded in place.
This one is just a lengthened socket for the flywheel nut on OMC Wankel engines (Johnson and Evinrude sleds). The length is needed to clear the eccentric shaft once the primary clutch assembly is removed.
That's all I have loaded on this machine...
Back in the '70s and into the mid-'80s or so, Mazda had essentially four different front strut piston shaft indexing profiles, obviously depending on supplier. Aftermarket items only added to this number, so every time I came across a new/different one, I would have a new 'holder' CNC machined into the end of a 3/8" drive extension to match the profile, except for one that had to be scaled up to 1/2" due to the diameter of the shaft, and profile. I think I have five holders now, and two sleeve sockets for the top nut securing the strut mount. This is one pairing from different angles:
Another Mazda tool- this one for the '76-'78 CD Cosmo strut gland nut, which seems to be its own animal. Started with a socket which had an OD sized to match the OD of the gland nut. Spliced in a section of pipe long enough to clear maximum extension of the piston shaft, in the event I had to work on a car that had the struts changed out to gas at some point (original design was oil). Cut in gland nut tang profile, and it has worked like a charm. At the drive end (3/4"), the socket was inverted and milled down flat. It provided a natural bevel of the socket for welding to, and being able to grab the top of the socket and ratchet head together helps with leverage when the strut is in a vise, as the CD gland nuts always seem to be welded in place.
This one is just a lengthened socket for the flywheel nut on OMC Wankel engines (Johnson and Evinrude sleds). The length is needed to clear the eccentric shaft once the primary clutch assembly is removed.
That's all I have loaded on this machine...
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Superbec
Well-known member
3/8 to 0.25 magnetic bit holder
seems a no brainer for a tool, but couldn't easily find this adapter.
made by removing a hex socket bit and installing the ubiquitous mag holder bit
can use a ratchet wrench for torque or a t-handle for speed. I like it !
seems a no brainer for a tool, but couldn't easily find this adapter.
made by removing a hex socket bit and installing the ubiquitous mag holder bit
can use a ratchet wrench for torque or a t-handle for speed. I like it !
Attachments
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Ratchet Guy
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Superbec
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3/8 to 0.25 magnetic bit holder
seems a no brainer for a tool, but couldn't easily find this adapter.
made by removing a hex socket bit and installing the ubiquitous mag holder bit
can use a ratchet wrench for torque or a t-handle for speed. I like it !
I don't get it , what exactly did u make there?
see the middle thingy
I made an adapter to use bits on a 3/8 drive mostly a T-handle.
sorta my version of a DIY Craftsman Mach series 3/8 T handle can attach any length of extensions or ratchets
I made an adapter to use bits on a 3/8 drive mostly a T-handle.
sorta my version of a DIY Craftsman Mach series 3/8 T handle can attach any length of extensions or ratchets
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hmm you could use an impact to rise and lower the kack faster, great, i did something similer for va drill
I mentioned somewhere my jump starter SLA battery went dead. I didn't think it would survive long since it wasn't built as an automotive battery, so I didn't replace it.
I took out the cable and clamp and add a quick-connect terminal clamp to it.
So now I got a jumper cable connected to a real automotive battery.
I can carry the jumper cable around separately, since it's quick connect just 2 secs to hook it on and take out.
I took out the cable and clamp and add a quick-connect terminal clamp to it.
So now I got a jumper cable connected to a real automotive battery.
I can carry the jumper cable around separately, since it's quick connect just 2 secs to hook it on and take out.
moron88
Well-known member
no pics but last year i took a couple wrenches to the bench grinder to take a bicycle apart. beats coughing up the dough for real bicycle tools for a one off job. made a wrench for my angle grinder because i lost the original one. also made a 2' pry bar for my chainsaw gas cap (it doesnt thread properly. it seals, just doesnt want to turn. way harder to loosen than tighten).
3/8 to 0.25 magnetic bit holder
seems a no brainer for a tool, but couldn't easily find this adapter.
made by removing a hex socket bit and installing the ubiquitous mag holder bit
can use a ratchet wrench for torque or a t-handle for speed. I like it !
I like the ingenuity. you know craftsman actually sells a really nice version of that, complete with t-handle, adjustable spinner, and the hex socket bit adapter...I use mine all the time, but yours is cooler!
bookmarking this thread too, I need ideas to make a tool to remove the stupid plastic canister oil filter housing on my kids 4cyl Malibu. can't fit a wrench, adjustable, socket, and can barely get channelocks on the stupid thing. tore it up good the other day doing an oil change...maybe the guy making that Honda wrench can make one for those eco-**** motors!
Thanks
Yes indeed one of the CM Mach series tool really worth having! Sears offers it both in 3/8 and 1/4 versions.
I like my version much better for more than a few reasons besides the sheer flexibility /compactness of the thing. strangely not many tool makers sell an adapter
I really like T-handle tools! I like to feel the torque feedback for precision control yet still have some of the speed, you cant get all that in a power tool.Derek420
Banned
I had to take a grinder to a socket to remove a Oxygen Sensor it works perfect and saved me $. I still have it somewhere it lets the wires through i used a stanley socket might me a spark plug but cant remember as i only used it once and i usually just cut the wires off.
Thanks
Yes indeed one of the CM Mach series tool really worth having! Sears offers it both in 3/8 and 1/4 versions.
I like my version much better for more than a few reasons besides the sheer flexibility /compactness of the thing. strangely not many tool makers sell an adapter
I like T-handle tools too. I didn't post any pics because they're really nothing special, but I have a bunch of screwdrivers, allen wrenches, and socket extensions that I welded Tee handles onto for special situations...