Interesting P&C Wrench

[Provincial]

I picked up a P&C obstruction wrench the other day. It has a 5/8" 12-point box end with a plain handle. It isn't a cut-down no. 1730 wrench, because the overall length is just one inch shorter than a 1730 and the handle has no taper toward the plain end. It would taper quite a bit if it was a cut-down double end wrench. The angle of the head is very different from the 1730, like it was made special for a really tight spot.

I have a nagging feeling that I have seen this wrench illustrated before, but it doesn't show up in any P&C catalogs I can find. It has the form of the Plomb 1930-48 obstruction wrenches, so it may have been a variation for a special purpose, made probably during WWII.

Here are photos:

 

[3baygarage]

Neat find there. It's the second interesting P&C wrench I've seen today. One sold earlier on Ebay. Maybe someone here bought it.

It had a 9/16" six point box wrench end and a flat blade screwdriver on the other end. It supposedly had nothing else stamped on it other than the name. I'm curious about its use too.

 

[Carla]

I picked up a P&C obstruction wrench the other day. It has a 5/8" 12-point box end with a plain handle. It isn't a cut-down no. 1730 wrench, because the overall length is just one inch shorter than a 1730 and the handle has no taper toward the plain end. It would taper quite a bit if it was a cut-down double end wrench. The angle of the head is very different from the 1730, like it was made special for a really tight spot.

I have a nagging feeling that I have seen this wrench illustrated before, but it doesn't show up in any P&C catalogs I can find. It has the form of the Plomb 1930-48 obstruction wrenches, so it may have been a variation for a special purpose, made probably during WWII.

Here are photos:

Its the right hex size and general configuration to be P&C's version of the 'special' for 1930's to early '50's Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth starter bolts, one of which is in an inconvenient location. Most of the quality wrench makers made some version of that wrench, more usually double-ended, 9/16x5/8.

That could be an early one of that type, as that 'inconvenient bolt' began with the '33 six cyl. engines.

cheers

Carla

 

[Provincial]

Carla, I should have mentioned the Plomb 6601 Chrysler Corp. starter bolt wrench. It is much longer and has a much different shape. It also has the handle bent again at the end so as to have a "tail" parallel with the main part of the handle and lined up with the opening.

It looks like you couldn't use this wrench for that application because your hand would be between the starter and the engine block due to the short handle.

The 5/8" opening would fit a 7/16" SAE hex bolt, but it would also fit a "Regular" American Standard 3/8" Hex, Jam, or Slotted nut. Or some special fastener.

Plomb listed their No. 1730 (formerly No. 2047) Obstruction Wrench as useful for a number of applications on GM and Hudson vehicles, but since that wrench also has a 9/16" opening, it is hard to tell which application might use the 5/8" end.

As I mentioned before, I have a nagging feeling that I have seen reference to this wrench shape somewhere, but I can't remember where. Add the fact that the handle is sort of short for the bolt size and the application becomes somewhat narrow.

 

[jabberwoki]

That's a very early one for sure.

 

[woody 73]

Very interesting good post.

Funny story but not too long ago I stopped into an old Army Navy surplus store filled with nos tools; among the many small boxes of old sockets were P&C sae sockets not many mind you just a few different sizes but still fun to see them.