I needed these when we were building the new engine,hoping I don't need them soon. But now I have them.
I got them off an elderly(to me) gentleman who said he made them in the 60's. Very nice guy who has offered his help any time I need it. (you gotta love these old timers who are willing to go out of their way to give you advice and help) I seem to attract these guys, maybe because I have the time to hang around and chew the fat with them over coffee.

They cost less than a box of beer so I am happy to fill a spot in tool box with them.

Churchhill Tool JD2B made from a 3/4" socket. Cam chain adjuster.





Cam positioning tool No.3993, I do believe this one is not home made.




A micrometer that makes the one I was given in the early 80's by a retiring tradesman look new. I have now worked out how to calibrate it.





And this, made from an old spark plug with a sliding shaft in the centre. Nice key way on the inner shaft with a lock to stop the shaft falling out. He mentioned valves before he went off a a tangent about XK engines about then so I have no idea what it actually is.

 

Well done.

 

Any idea what the last one does Grant?
Either way I have one now If the need for it should arise.

 

Pure guess.

My dad had a similar looking thing for placing in the spark plug hole to hold an Inlet, or Exhaust valve closed whilst the spring was removed, and a new valve stem seal fitted.

BUT, his had a bent end, not a big bend obviously, so once inserted, the inner shaft was rotated so the bent end pushed on the valve head, then a collor locked the centre shaft in place until the task was done. Fiddly as hell to use.

 

No bent end and the shaft doesn't come out the bottom end when fully pushed in. Internal rod is 17mm from the end of the shaft,maybe I should pick up the phone and call the guy I got it from and find out what it is.

The rest of the tools are what the Dr ordered (Dr Phill) , so it may just end up being an interesting thing in the tool box.

 

Just got it Grant, screw the spark plug end into the hole. I was looking at it the other way around. Makes sense since he used an old spark plug to make the tool.
Will have a closer look tomorrow.

 

Mighty nice old tools. Love'em.


The old spark plug shell with the sliding shaft seems to be a handy way of establishing TDC!!!


As I dimly recall, a micrometer is calibrated by measuring a known accurate block. An old tale is that the master machinist made the apprentices hand file steel to a perfect cube of a prescribed dimension.
That was their tool for life to calibrate tools


My little Atlas lathe came with a very handy machinist book. Far
beyond my talaents, but educational.


I've an old tool box with old tools that I got somewhere.
Rust everywhere. I've restored all but one to function.
The egg beater style drill is stuck and defies all goops.
As a kid, I did my drilling of hoes with one like it and a brace.
I got the brace to work!!!! it accepts bits with taper tops only!!!


When I was messing with an ancient Lauson one lunger, I
heeded a fly wheel puller. Loa nd behold, after many efforts,
I got one made that worked!! It is a neat little critter and has
joined others, bigger ones!!!


Carl

 

Thanks Carl, The micrometer has a small screw in the end of it with a damper of some sort. Took a few tries but got it in the end. My modern 70's one has "C" style spanner for caliabrating it.
It is good now to 0001" inch, just proves you can't beat old tools.

Using the spark plug tool to find TDC makes sense, will get Dr Phill onto it soon.

 

Clarke, the spark plug attachment is for determining TDC when you cant see the timing marks while turning engine over by hand. I used to have 1 for doing (excuse the swear word) Renault's and Peugeots. back in the day. The notch in the shaft will line up with a mark when TDC is achieved. OLD SCHOOL.

 

Dr Phill is spot on.
We use a similar tool for finding TDC when building & timing drag bike engines.
Never seen a home made one like that though, that is super cool.

 

Dr. Phil:


And, when one is not certain that the marks and pointer are correct.
slipped dampener, bent pointer. Or missing pointer...


We had a gaggle of Dauphines in our yard in the early 70's. I taught my son and his pal a lot of engine basics on those little 4's. Never could
get over the tinny wheels with only three lugs!!! They all came free.
folks just abandoned them.... Two were dune buggies. Fun, but easily dusted by a VW powered unit.


I set the kids to "flatten" an alloy head. Nice flat glass from a defunct TV. coarse and fine valve grinding compound. Rub, a dub, on and on.
check with framing square. It worked !!!


Fast forward, son came across a Caravelle. "Sporty" Renault. Cheap at
a client tow company lien sale... Opportunity.. Swapped it straight across for an ancient Case four banger farm tractor... Intriguing.
Obsolete, but still capable...


Carl

 

That's awesome, great share!

 

Just read JagCad's post. Many moons ago, I was an apprentice at Humber-Hillman, Coventry. At the training school we all had different tasks to do depending on the career you were bent on following. Nevertheless, everyone had to be able to use a file and micrometer properly. To that end we had to make a simple one inch square plate that needed to be very accurate. Once passed off by the supervisor and marked/etched by him, you then had to make a two inch square plate - also accurately. This was likewise passed off. then came the tricky bit. You had to cut a one inch square hole into the exact centre of the to inch square and fit your one inch square into it. When held up to the light zero gaps were permitted, and the square would be removed and rotated ninety degrees and reinserted. Now that was tough - but precision was all important. I doubt that I could do that now. That little bit of work was carried by myself in my toolbox for years.