Favorite Early V/8 Tool & Why?

Bruce, there is a picture of a flathead OHV engine with dual rocker shafts in Tex Smith's flathead book page 198. The engine is part of Bill Smith's collection. Sure looks like OHC engine.
 
JM 35 Sedan said:
Not sure if you are asking about tools made by or for FoMoCo and/or tools that someone has personally made themselves to use while working on their Early Ford V8? The tools I like the most are the ones I have made myself.
Hub/drum puller, steering wheel puller, pinion and pinion bearing removal tool, press on timing gear puller, distributor bearing removal and replacement tools, oil seal installation tool for torque tube and axle housing, tool for removing outer race bearing in axle housing, intake mount engine hoist plates, adjustable angle exhaust mount engine stand adaptor, exhaust mount engine storage stand with wheels, spring spreader, Stromberg carburetor throttle bushing removal and installation tools, bolt on engine block legs for block transport or storage, and probably a few I can't remember at the moment. I guess I enjoy making tools to work on my early V-8's almost as much as I enjoy owning and driving them.
Out of the above list, I like the hub/drum puller and the adjustable angle exhaust mount engine stand adaptor the most because I use those the most.
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I'm with John about the tools we make ourselves. My favorite early V8 tool is the porting fixture I built ten years ago. During the half-dozen years I ported flathead blocks on a steel-top, waist-high workbench in Vern Tardel’s shop I figured out that there had to be a more-comfortable, efficient way to do the work than wrestling a heavy iron casting into nearly okay positions and held there with wood wedges while I stooped and stretched to see what I was doing. The rare occasions I had to port a block on one of the two almost-always busy KR Wilson stands in the shop proved no better. In fact, the stands provided fewer opportunities for advantageous positioning than the workbench and the wedges!
I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that it took me so long to think of a two-axis gimbaled fixture and the “nearly infinite” positions available. I had just begun to visualize the fixture when Art Morrison’s chassis-building business began touting their mandrel-bent rectangular-tube hot-rod and racecar frames, and . . . Wham! Big inspiration. A ‘phone call followed with an e-mailed sketch, and I had the foundation for the fixture. Some bits of steel tube and plate, a couple of hole saws and some welding and I had my best-pal flathead tool!
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I designed it to fit a universal engine stand because that was my option at the time, and it’s a reasonable scheme for just about anyone. Today it plugs into a socket welded to a steel pole at the end of my porting bay, but it’s as portable as ever. And it’s also very adaptable; I use a trimmed 8BA bell housing to adapt the “late” blocks, and I redrilled the mounting plates to accept V8-60 blocks, taking into account their crank-to-cam centerline differences; blocks are mounted in the fixture along the camshaft centerline to minimize rotational weight bias.
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My favorite early V8 tool has also become my favorite Chrysler Hemi head tool and is about to become my favorite for big-block Chevy heads and motorcycle heads as well! It all comes down to a two-axis gimbaled fixture that holds the work in any secure position desired.
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Mike
 
bigdtexaskid said:
My Favorite Early Ford V/8 Tool is Herbrand #2360 Ford Motor Jack. It not only raises the Motor & holds it in position but provides the means of turning the motor over while working on the bearings, replacing rings, pistons or any of the Numerous jobs performed with the crankcase off. Remove the Fab Pulley Nut, screw in the threaded bolt into the Crank Shaft & rest the foot of the Tool on the Chassis. An easy turn of the forcing screw raises or lowers the Motor to proper working position. The use of a Conventional Jack is Dangerous. With this Tool, you can make Road repairs easier Ex. changing Water Pumps & Raising the Motor to working on Transmission Problems. Tool Wt. 2 lbs. 6 oz. Height 11". Easley carried in your car to take on Road Trips.
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Makes 2 of us that have this tool. Found this thread looking for something else
 

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Easy. Large straight blade screwdriver. Too useful! Seems like it's in my hand every time I do something around my cars.

It's also a lot lighter than a KR Wilson engine stand, but I'm very envious!
 
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VeryTangled said:
Easy. Large straight blade screwdriver. Too useful! Seems like it's in my hand every time I do something around my cars.

It's also a lot lighter than a KR Wilson engine stand, but I'm very envious!
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And a 5Lb coaxing hammer in the other hand!
 
If possible, could someone please post a sketch or photo of how that engine lifting tool is positioned when being used? Can it be used on both 59AB and 8BA style blocks?
 
19Fordy said:
If possible, could someone please post a sketch or photo of how that engine lifting tool is positioned when being used? Can it be used on both 59AB and 8BA style blocks?
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Don't think the type engine has much to do with it working but the way the frame cross member is configured does.
Don't know about '49-'53 Ford but looks like it will not work on '49-'51 Merc. due to radiator mount bracket on the center of the frame cross member.
This is my understanding of how it works.
 

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I would have to say "THIS WEBSITE", it never needs to be oiled and stay's rust free.

Stumphy's Fab works flathead stand adapter, I use it all the time. Scott
 
Wasco engine lift. Lifts with transmission or move forward for engine alone.
 

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These two sonszabitching valve bars in this picture! They're like two bad brothers - sometimes I love em', sometimes I hate em! :cool:

I've use the lower one the most (is about 3 feet long) - was made by 'Proto' back in the day. It is a really high quality forged tool, heat treated, etc.

Given the number of engines I've worked on - this would HAVE to be the tool that I've used the most, cussed at the most and fallen in love with, wanted to beat myself half to death with, etc! LOL

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Looking in my Red Green repair manual...Duct tape is essential in any repair :D
 

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I like the All Power horse shoe clip puller and the valve assembly wedge knocker to pop them out. If that doesn't work the KD 918 valve guide puller is next. These have helped me get a lot of crusty old flatheads apart with a way lot less trouble. There are others but these are likely the best overall that I have.
 
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