KR Wilson Essential Tools for Flathead V8's

[Flathead Youngin']

1) What do you consider essential tools for working on flathead V8's?

2) What about the "great to have" but nonessential?

I'll be working on these for years to come, so I'd like to start gathering some and looking for them at swaps. I lost a couple in the fire...

4) Pics would be excellent!!

5) Is the CD of the KR Wilson tool catalog on eBay worth the buy? I'd like to familiarize myself with as much as I can.

I'm gonna guess the hub puller is #1 I have 3 of the three legged ones but not the KRW style.

 

[RalphM]

A couple I wished I had from the start.the valve removal tools are my favorite. Hub puller is a copy, but works very well.
Trying to post pic of a nice to have tool, a pair of spark plug wire pliers. Rajah

 

[Kube]

1) What do you consider essential tools for working on flathead V8's?

2) What about the "great to have" but nonessential?

I'll be working on these for years to come, so I'd like to start gathering some and looking for them at swaps. I lost a couple in the fire...

4) Pics would be excellent!!

5) Is the CD of the KR Wilson tool catalog on eBay worth the buy? I'd like to familiarize myself with as much as I can.

I'm gonna guess the hub puller is #1 I have 3 of the three legged ones but not the KRW style.

The hub puller is essential in my opinion as is the perch pin press tool.

 

[deuce_roadster]

Having the CD or catalog will help you by identifying what tools would fit your needs. They are all identified with a number often preceded by a V.There are some that are for V8 60 that if you bought you might never use, like the tool that compresses the valve spring to put the retainer on looks like the 85 version but is just a little smaller. The valve, guide, spring and spring retainer you install as a unit into the block and then using the bar with forked end, pull the spring down to install the horseshoe clip that holds the assembly in the block. There is a groove on the outside of the guide that the horseshoe clip goes in.
While the KRW tools are really great, ones not worn out are expensive and for most things there are other tool makes that work as well. I have a modest few and I think your #1 choice is correct. The shackle pin installer/remover is something you might look for as those usually need to be replaced and can be frustrating without this tool.
One other tool I have used more often then I thought is the steering wheel puller. If you have an early car with the tapered bottom of the steering wheel, it is the easy way to get it off without damaging anything. Later wheels have threaded holes that you can use a standard puller but the 32 up to at least 37 have the tapered part that flares down to the mast jacket.

 

[V8COOPMAN]

A couple I wished I had from the start.the valve removal tools are my favorite. Hub puller is a copy, but works very well.
Trying to post pic of a nice to have tool, a pair of spark plug wire pliers. Rajah

Ralph....Is this the one? DD

 

[supereal]

The extent of "must have" tools depends of the type of service work you intend to do yourself. If you are not going to so engine work, you probably don't need those. For routine maintenance, the rear hub puller is a "must". The best we have found is by Winfield Tool Works. It is a KRW clone, and is worth the price. KRW tools are sought by collectors, so few, if any, remain at a cost that justifies purchase.

 

[Brian]

The only genuine Ford tool I carry in my vehicle is the crankhandle/lugnut wrench

 

[RalphM]

This is the Rajah spark plug wire tool does everything.

 

[DavidG]

Mike (deuce roadster),

Depending on the year, some of the essentials have a B prefix or BV prefix as well.


Mike (Kube),

I agree wholeheartedly with your two choices and would add the complete set for servicing the rear axle, the transmission synchronizer assembly ring, spring spreader, steering wheel puller, steering gear box lower bearing remover and replacer, and the tool for removing the steering column clamping bolt (the one with the sheared-off head).


The illustrations below of some of the items on my list are from the 1932 K. R. Wilson catalog.

 

[Flathead Youngin']

Some great information, here. Thanks for taking the time to take pics and post up your thoughts.

I have the crows foot tool and two of the valve spring tools. I had the 618, I think it is, C-clamp valve puller. I had a few others but lost them in the garage fire.

I ordered the CD from eBay last night so that'll help me look for certain things. When I built the AV8, I recall the following would have been helpful:
-perch bolt press
-king pin press
-spring spreader
-spring bushing press
-of course the hub puller but I got mine off with the 3 leg and just a little bit of heat...not much at all

Seems like there were a few other things...

I'm equally as fascinated with DIY tools to do the same things. Some can be fabbed easily, where as some would require machining.

All very fascinating stuff....

 

[35fordtn]

Don’t forget KR Wilson’s competitor was Manzel tools. While the selection is limited they made some fantastic tools for early v-8’s that when you know what you are looking at can be bought cheap. I recently bought a extra of the driveshaft bearing sleeve tool off eBay in a manzel brand for $19 and sold my extra KR Wilson at auction on there for $148, and on that particular tool I like the manzel just as much as the KRW

 

[Flathead Youngin']

I had not heard of Manzel. Thanks for sharing.

I guess I should have titled the thread a little differently. I really don't care what brand it is as long as it works.

Don’t forget KR Wilson’s competitor was Manzel tools. While the selection is limited they made some fantastic tools for early v-8’s that when you know what you are looking at can be bought cheap. I recently bought a extra of the driveshaft bearing sleeve tool off eBay in a manzel brand for $19 and sold my extra KR Wilson at auction on there for $148, and on that particular tool I like the manzel just as much as the KRW

 

[Tim Ayers]

Don’t forget KR Wilson’s competitor was Manzel tools. While the selection is limited they made some fantastic tools for early v-8’s that when you know what you are looking at can be bought cheap. I recently bought a extra of the driveshaft bearing sleeve tool off eBay in a manzel brand for $19 and sold my extra KR Wilson at auction on there for $148, and on that particular tool I like the manzel just as much as the KRW

I have the Manzel cam bearing install and removal tools and the axle seal puller. All tools are in their wooden boxes. I got them at Hershey for $20 a set. I was happy.

I always thought Manzel took over for KR Wilson since they were also made in Buffalo, NY, but I guess I was mistaken.

 

[35fordtn]

in my experiences there are three brands to keep eye out for.. obviously KR Wilson, Manzel, and VLC. I only own two VLC tools and I have their catalog. There were exact copies of KR Wilson from the same time period and had a much more vast selection. The were intended for European Ford dealers and are very rare and are in my opinion of equal or even better quality than KR Wilson. The VLC catalog I have is from 1932 and literally the trolls and even some part #’s are the exact same as KR Wilson. The two VLC tools I have picked up came off eBay for likely 10% their real value as nobody searches for them... maybe I am shooting myself in the foot here for expelling this??!

 

[35fordtn]

Thought I’d share a few pages from the VLC catalog which is 114 pages in total.. the catalog even list unique tools not commonly seen like shock absorber rebuilding tools..

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Tinker]

Hub puller, a spring spreader, a 9/16", 1/2" and a 5/8"s. Certainly a 9/16"s and a 1/2" in the glove box.

 

[Flathead Youngin']

Haha, yeah, I'll bet ePay searches just went up 10,000%!

as nobody searches for them... maybe I am shooting myself in the foot here for expelling this??!

 

[Tinker]

Haha, yeah, I'll bet ePay searches just went up 10,000%!

Hey youngin' ... you asked the question... bet they don't, want and need are very different.

 

[35fordtn]

FYI on eBay now there is a Manzel 6306 timing gear puller which in conjunction with a step plate works wonders at removing the 4221 rear end carrier bearings in addition to the crank timing gear. I’d buy it if I didn’t already have three of them.

 

[motordr]

Wasco tools for Fords made in Canada.