Homemade crank nut wrench ?

J

Jon-Ohio

Senior Member
Have any of you made a homemade crank nut wrench (1 3/8") to help in timing the ignition ?

I see in the parts catalogs they have one for $35 give or take but it's not in my fixed income retirement tight budget right now.

I have an old 1 3/8" - 12 pt socket that is too long to fit between the nut and radiator - but I may try to cut it shorter and weld a 1/2" steel rod handle to it.

I tried using the hand crank but the engine is too tight from rebuilding and hard to turn over by hand and especially to get the timing pin in the index dimple.

Any helpful idea's would be appreciated.

Jon in Ohio
 
I have made several of these wrenches. I cut down the length of the socket and weld them on a bar that is slightly bent. They work fine, be sure you don't forget to take them off before you start the engine. You can generally pick up the sockets at swap meets for around a dollar. They are an odd size.
 
1 3/8" box wrenches don't show up too often, so I had to pay about $10 for this one at the used tool store. They aren't exactly cheap, but they have a good variety of tools.

I used an oxy/acc torch to heat the bend area red, then put in the two sharp bends and a slight bend to clear the pulley. It works great. You can also lay the wrench on the left frame rail, then click the starter with the key off to loosen the crank bolt.
 

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Has anyone tried an offset 1 3/8 box end wrench for this purpose. Perhaps no alteration is needed?
 
This works for a Model B. I think spacing to the various obstructions is about the same as Model A.
I started with a Craftsman 36 MM socket on a tip from someone on this board...it is close enough, and, oddly, it was the only 1/2" drive socket I could find for the job. Everything by everyone in 1 3/8 was 3/4" drive and was just too big and bulky for the space.
Then I snapped in a square adapter, also from Sears...not sure exactly what to call these. The device is simply a drive square topped with a 3/4" hex so you can turn a socket with a flat wrench. They come in sets of 3, 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2, and only add about 3/8 of an inch to the length of the socket, making it compact enough to wiggle into place. The rig is turned by a Sears 3/4" ratcheting reversible box wrench...I bought 2 of these, one flat, the other offset. Don't remember which fit best. I keep the whole mess together.
This fits, is convenient, and the reversible ratchet is perfect for finding the right rotational spot. Just remember to be turning forward on the final approach.
By the way, modern Sears plating is HORRIBLE...the whole set is a ball of rust now, but still works. The rest of my Craftsman stuff from 1962 still has good plating.
 
Jon-Ohio said:
Have any of you made a homemade crank nut wrench (1 3/8") to help in timing the ignition ?

I see in the parts catalogs they have one for $35 give or take but it's not in my fixed income retirement tight budget right now.

I have an old 1 3/8" - 12 pt socket that is too long to fit between the nut and radiator - but I may try to cut it shorter and weld a 1/2" steel rod handle to it.

I tried using the hand crank but the engine is too tight from rebuilding and hard to turn over by hand and especially to get the timing pin in the index dimple.

Any helpful idea's would be appreciated.

Jon in Ohio
Click to expand...
Have you taken the spark plugs out so you don't have to fight the compression?
 
Why is it that this topic reminds me of a Rube Goldberg-style machine that turns the Model A crank by means of a fan belt attached to any number of other odd devices which operate to spring the other into action and eventually end up turning the crank? Couldn't find a good picture of such to post and capture adequately as to what I mean. A musical background would likely be the song Popcorn with the Muppets working all the gadgets as it plays.

I'm being funny and not sarcastic in the least. :-)
 
I have an S & K 1 3/8 1/2 socket which is 2 inches tall, it will clear the crank retainer on the front cross member but there isn't enough room to get a ratchet or breaker bar on it. So if a 1 3/8 socket will do the job I'm thinking it cannot be more than 1 1/2 inches tall. What say you?

* Problem solved: If you can get any 1 3/8 socket on to the crank bolt, get a 6 inch extension either 1/4 or 1/2 and put it through the crank hole from the front of the car, then add your ratchet wrench or breaker bar and you are there!
 
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That's why the flat wrench adapter on my Model B rig above does the job...the thickness of the flat box wrench is considerably leas than any normal ratchet handle. This allows all movement to be handled from within engine compartment, much easier than reaching out to beyond the radiator while trying to get position just right.
 
Here's mine I'm sure it want homemade but it wouldn't be hard to make at home. It appears to be a 1 3/8 Combo wrench that had the open end removed and bit of bending and a powder coating. I keep it with the other tools in the trunk of my car. I got it in an estate buy, that's why I don't know its origin.
 
Tiny said:
Here's mine I'm sure it want homemade but it wouldn't be hard to make at home. It appears to be a 1 3/8 Combo wrench that had the open end removed and bit of bending and a powder coating. I keep it with the other tools in the trunk of my car. I got it in an estate buy, that's why I don't know its origin.
Click to expand...

That's like the one the vendors sell... for ~$35. :eek:
 
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WOW!! $35? I think its just a Harbor Freight wrench. Maybe I should start making them? I probably paid paid less than a dollar, but i spent several hundred dollars at once and left with a truck load of A stuff. :)
 
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