Snap-On MD-5

[John Timmins]

Is anybody familiar with this tool ? It looks like a Tee wrench. The bottom is made to put on points to bend and align the points contact surfaces.

Many new sets of points have the contacts that are not parallel. That's what the tool is for, to adjust them.

I work with points since I restore vintage outboard motors. I could use an MD-5. I've only seen a picture of one. A friend of mine Snap On Scottie, a dealer almost 50 years, has never seen a MD-5.

 

[snapmom]

It is a point aligning and adjusting tool for Holley Distributors , prob from the 50s

 

[WWheeler]

I've no answers helpful for you, sorry, but your post piqued my interest enough to google this tool and found almost nothing except for a thread in another forum, that I'm going to guess is possibly also a post by you in-search-of this same tool, that links to an ebay listing for Mercury Outboard Motor Ignition Tools that includes it.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Ki...r-Ignition-Tools-for-2-Cylinder-/253687086426

I suppose if I'm right that was you then I'm guess the asking price for that whole set is probably out of your price range but in case I'm wrong there you go. Better jump on it.

All that said, in the chance that it might help with responses to this thread - perhaps someone recognizes it or something comparable - here's a collage of the images of the Snap-on MD-5 from that listing before it disappears from ebay:

 

[John Timmins]

Carl Kiekhaefer thought everybody was "the ENEMY" of his company Kiekhaefer Mercury Outboards. An interesting read is the book written about him called IRON FIST. His angst was a summary that the whole world was out to get him and his company. A way to insure his failure was inferior parts by parts suppliers including electrical components like coils, condensers, and points.

This tool and another Mercury tool to measure the points spring tension were important to check or correct "bad parts on purpose." The ultimate enemy was the Johnson and Evinrude Outboard Marine Corporation.

Those are my pictures I posted on another web site. The needles and round scales are available online if I need them. I would like to find this tee wrench pictured above some day.

New points sold today often have the point's contacts not parallel. Some people don't like that. I am a member of the restorers that have a rule "Never use new points." I always use cleaned up old points after spending time aligning them, then polishing them with crocus cloth after fine sandpaper like 1000 grit.

My old Mercurys run like new and my fishing motors like my 1958 22 HP Mark 28 get 1 HP per cubic inch - a respectable output.

Thanks for the comments !

 

[John Timmins]

Like I said before.... my friend who is on his way to being Snap-On's first 50 year dealer told me he has never seen one of these tools. I asked about it on the Collecting Snap - On web site. I didn't learn much except one person said they are on eBay once in a while. I have never seen one for sale yet.

 

[snapmom]

http://collectingsnapon.com/catalogs/catalogs.php?loggedin=0&catalogPage=1447

shows up in the 55 cat.

 

[John Timmins]

It is not in my 1953 Model U catalog, but it is on the 1954 Snap On price list for $2.85

I want one

 

[Spiffers]

Maybe you could use the pictures and get someone to make you one. I have a friend who is a machinist and if I needed something like that I'm sure I could talk him to messing around with it.

 

[MShaw]

If you are going to try to make it you will need a few representative dimensions to be able to "scale" it.

 

[John Timmins]

Thanks for all the responses.

I was wrong. The MD-5 IS in the Catalog U of 1953

 

[Kevin0345]

Thanks for all the responses.

I was wrong. The MD-5 IS in the Catalog U of 1953

I have a md-5

 

[Kevin0345]

I have md-5