miller.jpg

Harry Miller & The Adjustable

Posted by 141drew Posted onApr 8, 2009 at 11:15 AM and filed under News & Editorial


Under no circumstances can you call yourself a proper car guy unless you know the story of Harry Miller. What’s that? You mean to tell me you don’t know? Take time fellas… Read… Here are a few pieces to get you started: 1, 2, 3. That out of the way, I recently stumbled upon the above shot of Harry standing behind one of his Miller-Gulf Sixes. Behind him is his tool wall stocked with wrenches and specialty tools. It made me think of a Miller quote:

“Adjustable wrenches are an abomination. I will not allow them in my shop.”

Come to think of it, neither will I…


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RustyBolts

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I didn't read the whole thing, but it says he's standing behind a Miller Gulf Six, and isn't that a straight 8?

Cool looking engine though, and a neat old picture.
 
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Uncle Buck

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HA! I will go back and read the articles, but I already knew the significance of Harry Miller! I love old Ford History and soak it up like a sponge!
 
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dps

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Those are some gorgeous cars. And I love the V8 logo turned on its side. I haven't seen that; or is that just my ignorance?
 

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vssjim

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Those V8s were built for the depression era Junk formula and only one of those finish more than a few laps but at the Speedway Museum many Miller cars and engines are there and his stuff is just the most perfectly crafted stuff to ever hit a racetrack then when you think about what they did with the tools of the twenties and thirties you can't emagine how far ahead they were just perfection to the 1000' degree.
 
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Ryan

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I'm an idiot... can't count or read... That's a "28" special front drive motor... Not a Miller-Gulf sixer... obviously...
 
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Elroy

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Ryan said:
Under no circumstances can you call yourself a proper car guy unless you know the story of Harry Miller.[/url]
Click to expand...

I've heard similar comment made about Clay Smith. Seems that Smokey Yunick had some good things to say about Smith and his camshafts. These guys were pioneers in their field and near geniuses in mechanical systems.

Just look at the workmanship in that picture. Nearly jewel like.

Excellent reading. Thank you for the link
 
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Andy Traxel

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The Harry A. Miller Club rents the Milwaukee Mile every year for a 2 day event. See http://www.harrymillerclub.com/index.asp.

Besides Miller & Dusenberg Indy cars from the '20s & '30s, over the years there's been lots brass-era cars like Stutz, Franklin & Mercer as well as GP cars from the '20s & '30s like Bugatti & Alfa Romeo. A recreation of Barney Oldfield's Golden Submarine. The restored Mormon Meteor. A Novi. And post-WWII Indy & dirt cars through the late '50s.

Lots of these cars are from riding mechanic periods. I got lucky enough to get a ride in a 1927 Amilcar a few years ago.

Besides the car owners & their crews, frequent attendees include A.J. Watson, Sonny Meyer (Louie's son & long-time race engine builder himself) & Ron Hoettells, the developer of the Sesco midget engines.

Paid admission gets you into the pits all day. The event is low-key and spectator friendly. When cars aren't on the track, they're usually in the pits with the hoods up for inspection and photo ops. The owners and crews are up for talking about the cars.

Seeing (and hearing) these great old cars running on a historic track is special. Check it out if you can.

Andy
 
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gigidon

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Not allowing adjustable wrenches is one thing. Bugatti machined his work so accurately that he didn't allow gaskets!
 
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dxdexter

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Not using adjustables in a pristine shop with every tool imaginable at your disposal is one thing. Try sloggy your way through the muck and changing a hydraulic hose on a CME Bombardier mounted drill rig with a pocket full of wrenches and finding out the one you need is in the service truck back 1/2 a mile when the road ended. Then tell me an adjustable is not your best friend.

I personally can't think of anyone who would actually use an adjustable when repairing the engine in their car let alone an expensive racing engine, but I just installed a whole house water filter and used three of them for the job and don't feel one bit guilty.:bounce:
 
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Thedroid

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I was anti adjustable until I became an industrial mechanic. You just can't carry everything with you all of the time, and management doesn't want to hear that you need to go back to ther shop to get the proper size wrench. They would take the adjustable out of your hand and do it themselves if that where the case.

I definately think that the knipex plier wrench is almost as good as using the right size wrench.
 
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dxdexter

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Thedroid said:
I was anti adjustable until I became an industrial mechanic. You just can't carry everything with you all of the time, and management doesn't want to hear that you need to go back to ther shop to get the proper size wrench. They would take the adjustable out of your hand and do it themselves if that where the case.

I definately think that the knipex plier wrench is almost as good as using the right size wrench.
Click to expand...

Irrespective of the no adjustable "holier than thou" crowd, they are a handy tool when needed. I'm of the opinion that if folks have never used an adjustable then they just haven't had a great deal of variety in their repair career. If your doing the same thing day in day out in the same place then you generally have the task required tools at hand and don't require tools for repairs that fit " outside the box" (pun intended).
 
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wantedabiggergarage

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I am not ashamed to admit owning them. Mostly inherited, I have from keychain size, up to a 24" (picked up cheap), in case of emergency (don't have the wrench size), or what they are mainly used for, plumbing.
 
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dxdexter

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Ironically I was just watching a show on national geographic; tower workers were replacing a radio antenna at over 1800 feet in the air. After one of the guys dropped the ratchet to the ground they completed the job with an adjustable spud wrench.

That reminds me; I should have an adjustable spud wrench. :thumbup:
 
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FNFS2000

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dxdexter said:
Not using adjustables in a pristine shop with every tool imaginable at your disposal is one thing. Try sloggy your way through the muck and changing a hydraulic hose on a CME Bombardier mounted drill rig with a pocket full of wrenches and finding out the one you need is in the service truck back 1/2 a mile when the road ended. Then tell me an adjustable is not your best friend.

I personally can't think of anyone who would actually use an adjustable when repairing the engine in their car let alone an expensive racing engine, but I just installed a whole house water filter and used three of them for the job and don't feel one bit guilty.:bounce:
Click to expand...

Carry a knipex that won't deform the nut, much less likely to damage than a box end wrench.
 
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vssjim

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I do think if you look at the stuff they built it was probably made to use tools like those tee handle socket wrenchs and things that were out in the open and could be tightened with a plain wrench so times were alittle different.
 
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dxdexter

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FNFS2000 said:
Carry a knipex that won't deform the nut, much less likely to damage than a box end wrench.
Click to expand...

Did you mean open end?

I'm not sure to which Knipex product you are referring, but my nuts are not deformed anyway. :) Seriously, I have never had any problems. I only use them when I have to and know when to call in the proper tool for the job.

My point was that this whole thread seemed to imply (by the title alone) that adjustables have no use and a "real mechanic" wouldn't have them in his shop and that is simply not the case. Every tool has its use at sometime or other.Obviously not in an engine building shop, but in my tool box, yes.
 
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nissan_crawler

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I don't have any in my box at work. I have 3 at home, but I don't think they've been used in the last 5 years. I had on in the truck for trailer balls, but I replaced that with a socket and 24" breaker bar.

I do use the knipex plier wrenches sometimes, though.
 
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MarkH

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Nice thought about adjustables.

The truth on day to day farm use. In the shop almost never since the shops are usually well stocked. In the field daily. Without them the cost of downtime or extra service trucks would run in the thousands of dollars a year. A good reason to use them.
 
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Ramblur

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Respectfully disagree with Mr Miller.Plus they make a decent hammer in a
pinch.:thumbup: I mean come on guys,we wouldn't dream of sending a
manned spaceship into orbit without an adjustable on board,would we?:wtf:
 
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tigwelder

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What's that, you mean you think a Gulf 6 has 8 exhaust tubes. You are showing, in fact, a famous picture of Harry Miller with the last miller 91, 8 cylinder engine. Those tools behind him include a number of what the Europeans call "pipe" wrenches or long handled sockets. Facom makes quite a selection. They were probably standard tools used by the Europeans mechanics that brought over Bob Burmans Peugeot GP car and many others like the Ballot that ran at Indy. I like the electrical wiring too. -- Tigwelder
 
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dxdexter

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Ramblur said:
Respectfully disagree with Mr Miller.Plus they make a decent hammer in a
pinch.:thumbup: I mean come on guys,we wouldn't dream of sending a
manned spaceship into orbit without an adjustable on board,would we?:wtf:
Click to expand...

As you said NASA (or anyone expecting to make any repairs) wouldn't venture far from home without an adjustable. Here's a picture of an orbiter tool tray with a Snap-on adjustable.

sts57tooltray.jpg
 
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v8garage

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dxdexter said:
Ironically I was just watching a show on national geographic; tower workers were replacing a radio antenna at over 1800 feet in the air. After one of the guys dropped the ratchet to the ground they completed the job with an adjustable spud wrench.

That reminds me; I should have an adjustable spud wrench. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Glad I wasn' standing under those guys when they dropped a ratchet from 1800 feet.
V/8
 
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Old Donn

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Whatever you might think of adjustable wrenches, you've gotta admire a guy who wears a suit & tie in the shop.
 
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pistonbrokeagain

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As a sideline, i dyno-tested a Miller straight eight, which was 2 offenhauser 4's bolted together. Unbeleivable workmanship even hand-made carburettors. Didn't power pull, just a leak check, but damned cool engine.
 
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