Crowsfoot wrenches and other oddball stuff

[fotoflojoe]

So, I'm reorganizing my boxes this past weekend.
(This is the first time in four years that all my stuff has been gathered in one place - WooHoo!)
Getting to the socket drawer, I come across a rack of Crowsfoot wrenches and I think to myself, I've had these for almost ten years and I've never used them once. I'm not one to toss out a perfectly good tool, so I put them back in the box.

Fast forward to last night. I'm at Sears browsing in the wrench aisle. Coming across some sets of half-moon wrenches, I think these must be useful, but I can't think of a situation where I've ever needed an obstruction wrench.

How often do you guys use what I'm referring to as the "oddball" tools; crowsfoot wrenches, offset screwdrivers (electricians excepted), obstruction wrenches, etc.

I love having a reason to buy more tools, but when is this stuff useful? Where does it shine?

 

[chammyman]

I have never used a crowfoot wrench either. however I think the reason has been I can use a flex head ratchet spanner as a crowfoot.

Half moon spanners I have used a few times, inside chassis legs when the captive nut has broke off and I used them in diesels. I used the half moons more than the S shaped ones.

You can make do without but when you have the right tool the jobs a lot easier and faster.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I have used my 3/8 metric and SAE crows many times, same with my swivels. One several occasions I have used 1 or 2 of my 1/2 drive SAE crows and swivels as well. I have 2-3 obstruction wrenches I picked up used through the years but I have never used one, not even once!

 

[Moose-LandTran]

I use my distributor wrenches and other odd extensions and tools quite a lot for working in confined spaces and on hard to reach nuts/bolts. Some of the time i only use them because it kills me buying them and never using them!

 

[64merc]

I have used my 3/8 metric and SAE crows many times, same with my swivels. One several occasions I have used 1 or 2 of my 1/2 drive SAE crows and swivels as well. I have 2-3 obstruction wrenches I picked up used through the years but I have never used one, not even once!

Do you use the flare nut type of crowsfoot?

 

[Uncle Buck]

Do you use the flare nut type of crowsfoot?

I do have a Mac SAE flare crow set that I have used a few times. I will say that while I have not used all of the flare sizes I have in the set; the few I used really saved my keester at the time.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

I've used the flare nut crowsfoot on power steering stuff. I've had some friends use them on brake lines, due to not having good flare nut wrenches (guess which style I have).

As for obstruction wrenches, the only one I have is a 5/8, 91/6 starter/manifold wrench.
All other times I have used either stubbies (most cases), some cut in half wrenches at the shop (about 5 cases), or some flexible Gearwrench style that one of the mechanics had, because they were handy (and he didn't mind).

 

[CAT_serviceman927]

I really want some of the half-moon wrenches as well as some crowsfeet. I have used the half-moon wrenches a couple times for things like starters and hydraulic pumps. For as big as some of the machines are, the engineers at CAT still really know how to cram 5lbs of **** in a 1lb sack. I think I use more special access tools now than I ever did working on cars.

 

[Crasen]

I used crowfoot wrenches all the time when I was an aircraft mechanic in the Air Force. I do not have any in my toolbox but there has been several times when I told myself this would be a lot easier with a crowsfoot. I almost never use an offset screwdriver because I use a gearwrench microdriver with a screwdriver bit in it instead but use it all the time. I also use a 90 degree hex drive drill adapter all the time. I do not know how I would get by without them.

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

So, I'm reorganizing my boxes this past weekend.
(This is the first time in four years that all my stuff has been gathered in one place - WooHoo!)
Getting to the socket drawer, I come across a rack of Crowsfoot wrenches and I think to myself, I've had these for almost ten years and I've never used them once. I'm not one to toss out a perfectly good tool, so I put them back in the box.

Fast forward to last night. I'm at Sears browsing in the wrench aisle. Coming across some sets of half-moon wrenches, I think these must be useful, but I can't think of a situation where I've ever needed an obstruction wrench.

How often do you guys use what I'm referring to as the "oddball" tools; crowsfoot wrenches, offset screwdrivers (electricians excepted), obstruction wrenches, etc.

I love having a reason to buy more tools, but when is this stuff useful? Where does it shine?

I used a crowsfoot/torque wrench combination to torque the base bolts on cylinders on certain polaris atvs...

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

Good point on the offset screwdriver. I believe I have used one once at home, but a few more times at work (due to limited tools there).

As for the distributer wrenches, do we really consider them an offset wrench, or just another specialty wrench? I have a set that I purchased from a seller on Ebay (no longer around), that most of them are Napa, from an out of business store.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

As for the distributer wrenches, do we really consider them an offset wrench, or just another specialty wrench? I have a set that I purchased from a seller on Ebay (no longer around), that most of them are Napa, from an out of business store.

I consider all this stuff to be "specialty" tools, crowfoot/offset/half-moon/s-shape/distributor/etc. I buy them in the sizes i use at work and sometimes they just fit the bill perfectly when i'm in a bind or tight spot.

 

[Delray]

If you don't use these things too often you may not stop and think how much easier the job would be with a different tool. You might be jammed in with a universal socket trying to twist the ratchet and keep the socket on the nut when instead you could use a half moon Gearwrench and enjoy a beverage at the same time.

 

[fotoflojoe]

I consider all this stuff to be "specialty" tools, crowfoot/offset/half-moon/s-shape/distributor/etc. I buy them in the sizes i use at work and sometimes they just fit the bill perfectly when i'm in a bind or tight spot.

Actually, I do have a single distributor wrench. It's been invaluable when adjusting the timing on my trusty old GTIs (Mk1 and Mk2 - the Mk1 was the MOST fun car I've ever owned). Unfortunately, I don't own either car anymore.
So the distributor wrench never leaves the box now.

 

[billymade]

Sounds like my aircooled VW tools, they're in the box too: oil filler nut socket, flywheel lock, old input shaft to align the clutch, axle nut loosening tool, modified deep well socket to tighten the wing nut on the clutch cable....

 

[rsanter]

when I had my shop and worked as a mechanic I used some of the oddball stuff semi regularly.
the majority of that stuff I have not used in the past 10 years

I used the crowsfoot wrenches a fair amount as I was approaching things from a different direction in other to speed the repair.
also there are lines that take forever to get undone with a line wrench but go on or off in 5 min with the line typr flair nut wrench.

the half moons did not get much use, but were helpfull for door hinges and some oddball stuff for colision repair and restos. also there were some hard to access stuff on the racecar that required some odd tools

bob

 

[olds88]

I need a crowsfoot on average about once a month.... and when you need a crowsfoot, you need a crowsfoot!!!

 

[Danglerb]

The trick is to remember you have this or that special tool while you still have skin on your knuckles. Once you learn about a tool working for a certain job, it gets easier to go right to it the next time.

 

[eschoendorff]

I do have a Mac SAE flare crow set that I have used a few times. I will say that while I have not used all of the flare sizes I have in the set; the few I used really saved my keester at the time.

Crowsfoot and half-moon wrenches are those "saved-my-***-glad-I-didnt-get-rid-of-them" sort of tools.

Here's a real oddball for ya:

 

[GDA]

+1 on the many comments in this thread.

I tend to use a crowfoot at least once a month and having them around sure does make some jobs so much easier. They come in real handy for O2 sensor removal/install/final torque and certain limited access suspension work.

Added bonus is they give you access to do final assembly with a torque wrench when a socket/swivel wont fit.

 

[64merc]

Everyone seems to agree that a crowsfoot can come in handy at times. I'm trying to decide whether to invest in the standard open wrench style or the flare-nut style.

 

[billymade]

I think the flare nut style can do the job of the normal one; plus it has the added benefit of being able to be use on soft fasteners like; brake, power-steering etc. lines that are notorious for rounding off. Correct me if I am wrong but buying the flare nut models would do both jobs in one tool!

 

[GDA]

I think the flare nut style can do the job of the normal one; plus it has the added benefit of being able to be use on soft fasteners like; brake, power-steering etc. lines that are notorious for rounding off. Correct me if I am wrong but buying the flare nut models would do both jobs in one tool!

Fully agree w/ Billymade. I bought the flare nut style first and haven't encountered the need for a standard one. Plus they grab the fastener better anyway.

 

[64merc]

Fully agree w/ Billymade. I bought the flare nut style first and haven't encountered the need for a standard one. Plus they grab the fastener better anyway.

Cool, thanks guys.

 

[bchee]

Crowsfoot and half-moon wrenches are those "saved-my-***-glad-I-didnt-get-rid-of-them" sort of tools.

Here's a real oddball for ya:

That adjustable crowsfoot seems like a good idea, as long as it fits where you need it to. When you open the jaws, does the thread stick out?

 

[Northstar9126]

The Sears flyer that just came out has some Gearwrench S-shaped and Half-moon wrenches in it. I was thinking about getting some but can't seem to get past the price. Why in the world do nine bent wrenches cost $229.98 on sale?

 

[vssjim]

Flair nut style first but depending on what you do std. crowfoot wrenches later.

 

[eschoendorff]

That adjustable crowsfoot seems like a good idea, as long as it fits where you need it to. When you open the jaws, does the thread stick out?

Not that I remember... I'd have to go play with it to see for sure. But I'm in here and it's "out there..."

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Crowfoot wrenches are a valuable necessity but not often used. The half moon wrenches are know to old timers as "starter and manifold" wrenches. On flathead engines, one of the starter bolts always seemed to be between the block and the starter, and this was the oly thing to work. I have a couple of them, had them for years, but only used them once or twice, 20 years ago.

Somewhat replaced by wobble extensions and sockets, and flex sockets.

Charles

 

[hetkind]

I could of used an 11/16 halfmoon last week...changing a starter on a dodge flat 6...instead, I had to dig out a couple of old beat up wrenches I used 25 years ago when I worked on school busses...

Howard

 

[michael murder]

Everyone seems to agree that a crowsfoot can come in handy at times. I'm trying to decide whether to invest in the standard open wrench style or the flare-nut style.

I've been in a situation where all I could use was the open end type. Even though it was on a line the flare style could not fit the onto the fastener because it ran into an injector tower, the only thing that could remove it was the open style. This was on an old military truck but I've had to do this on my headers on my car too. I think the open end is the more versatile tool but on the downside is it doesn't have the grip of the line wrench.

 

[Mr.Nutcase]

Crowsfoot are handy.....
I wish had had them back then, when I was in school doing rack and pinion on GM.
I used 10mm crowsfoot on 2000 Toyota Camry Master Cylinder, It was easy with the
crowsfoot. also one tip only buy the flarenut type ones...

 

[crewchief888]

i have several open end crows feet in a couple different sizes to access hyd lines and fittings when theres no room to swing a wrench. (SO)
couple of metric flare nut type for fuel injection lines (SO)
several std and metric line sockets for fuel inj lines. (SO)
several weatherhead sockets for grease line adapters (SO)
1/2-9/16 moon wrench bent & reformed to access lower clutch manifold bolt on JD crawler trans. (matco)
snapon JD starter wrench
KD universal dist wrench
Bonney service wrenches
Armstrong service wrenches
several cut off wrenches for loosening hose/tubelines after they are broke loose, but still too tight to remove by hand

all rarely used stuff, but real time savers