What’sit?

[dffay]

Fine knurling with two internal dimensions: 1.0 inch ID and .85 on the other side.

Internally it is stamped SNAP-ON TK-20.

Google isn’t very helpful.

 

[Old Man Roger]

Sure you got the TK-20 right? Google image search says that’s not a snap on #

Subsequently I suspect it isnt a saw set.

 

[dffay]

Definately Snap-On. Might predate the latest numbering system and its small enough to not have enough room for a lengthy code.

 

[Johnny chaos]

google lens says fork seal driver? It does sort of look correct?

 

[Old Man Roger]

Too small for any forks I’ve ever worked on. And there wouldn’t need to be a smaller diameter towards the middle.

 

[senlow]

In the past, Snap-on used the TK prefix on part numbers for torque adaptors. In the dim and distant past, TK was used on distributor tools.

 

[dffay]

Another view.

 

[dffay]

Nice piece off machining. Ferrous metal.

 

[dffay]

My only other guess is that it’s part of a set with larger and smaller ones. So the big part number is truncated per piece.

 

[Old Man Roger]

Is it threaded inside? If it is it might be part of a puller for motorcycle stators.

 

[loganb]

AI(Claude) wasn't of much help and was suggesting some sort of ignition service tool or part of some type of set for seals etc. It did actually cite this very thread though which I thought was more interesting

 

[senlow]

AI(Claude) wasn't of much help and was suggesting some sort of ignition service tool or part of some type of set for seals etc. It did actually cite this very thread though which I thought was more interesting

Sometimes I think that the AI's name should be Clod.

 

[dffay]

Smooth inside. Something used to gather needle or ball bearings to place over a shaft?
I’m stumped.

 

[3baygarage]

Senlow was on the right track. Distributor tool.

Apparently it's a "Distributor Rubbing Block Surfacer".

Letter H seen and described her in this 1955 catalog. Credit to collectinsnapon.com

 

[dffay]

Magnificent y’all!!! I honor your tool knowledgeness!

 

[Old Man Roger]

So it’s used to grind the cam that actuates the points?

 

[RTM]

So it’s used to grind the cam that actuates the points?

I thought the points themselves, thanks for asking for clarity. Outside edge is coarse.

 

[Beerhippie]

Oh, man! I completely forgot to surface the follower on my Hall sensor!

 

[Wrench97]

The rubbing block is on the points so it would have to be to clean that up, I don't imagine it was used a lot by the late 50's in shops it was common to replace them as opposed to filing and cleaning up/oiling the wick and rubbing block.

 

[Old Man Roger]

I don’t remember them being contoured? Back then I switched to HEI most of the time so my memory of working on points distributors is vague.

 

[Old Man Roger]

 

[driftpin]

The reason you replace points is that the rubbing block on the distributor wears, why would you want or need to 'surface' one? There is always the points pitting, and wearing because of the capacitor's energy characteristic is changing, causing the pitting on one point or the other. (Charges the capacitor)"Here, kid, catch!"

An electrifying moment.

 

[four.cycle]

^ The rubbing block on the breaker points set was a much softer material than the steel cam lobes inside a distributor.
This is the first time I've ever heard of "resurfacing" distributor rubbing blocks or breaker point rubbing blocks.
We sold "cam lube" made specifically for lubricating the steel cam lobes on distributors to prevent premature wear of the rubbing block on the points (NL2 Niehoff - NL2D was the display card of 12 tubes.)

I can't imagine "resurfacing" the rubbing block on a set of points in 1955, because (a) point sets were relatively cheap and (b) in many cases, you could buy the stationary arm and the contact arm separately - the cost of replacing the piece with the rubbing block would be pennies.

Long ago we sold "commutator smoother" tools to re-surface commutators on starters and generators.

 

[rust in the eye]

If the rubbing block isn't parallel to the cam it might wear quickly on the "high" point hence altering dwell and timing. Explained in the catalog description posted up by 3baygarage. The tool ostensibly put over the cam and rotated, the knurling removing material from the soft rubbing block until full contact is made.
This procedure never occured to me but it makes sense. I only have one engine with breaker points but I'm going to check the contact.

 

[Old Man Roger]

I guess it would lessen the time between adjusting the points?

 

[Jack_K]

I feel like this tool is required more now than before. So many points I get now have issues such as poor alignment or only a very small contact area on the cam.

I don't know about the labour costs vs parts cost back then but there were and still are people who will sit there filing worn points instead of replacing them.

 

[Beerhippie]

I feel like this tool is required more now than before.

For the five out of a hundred that still run points.

 

[Jack_K]

For the five out of a hundred that still run points.

Out of the people using points, obviously not the entire population.

When points were current, decent ones were available but now it is mostly cheap garbage with plastic cams. So many I get have the wrong tension too.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

With tools like this, in the back of the catalog, in the various special tools and sets sections (valves, brakes, wheels, etc), I always like to look at the evolution. The history of a tool. What did mechanics use before Snap-on (or any other mfgr) offered a "Distributor Rubbing Block Surfacer"? Flexstones wrapped around a socket? A light film of high temp distributor grease on the cam? Or nothing?

Snap-on introduced this in 1955 and it appears in catalogs until 1967. They still had a whole page devoted to miscellaneous distributor tools well into the 70's, but this tool was no longer offered. I am guessing a third party mfgr (such as Clark-Feather, etc) talked them into it.

Same story with Cornwell. They introduced it even earlier (1950) and it vanished earlier (1964), too.



Not to be outdone, MAC also offered it (starting in 1952). Note the same ("Dandy") merchandising language...