Homemade Ratchet Socket

[shew01]

Today, I was reading the “Model A Engine Timing Tools” article in the July 2022 edition Model A News, page 14. It’s an interesting idea.



If I drilled an old 1/2” socket to accept a metal pin (to act like the end of the hand crank), what could I use for the metal pin?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[alexiskai]

Looks like a roll pin? HF will sell you 300 of them for $6.
https://www.harborfreight.com/315-pi...ent-67682.html

[shew01]

Originally Posted by alexiskai

Looks like a roll pin? HF will sell you 300 of them for $6.
https://www.harborfreight.com/315-pi...ent-67682.html

Thanks for the feedback. It looks like Lowe’s has something similar called a tension pin.

https://www.lowes.com/search?searchTerm=tension+pin

My local hardware may have something similar too.

Thanks for the quick response. I never considered something like this.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by shew01

If I drilled an old 1/2” socket to accept a metal pin (to act like the end of the hand crank), what could I use for the metal pin?

You likely are going to have another problem in that drilling a socket that is likely made of tool steel of some grade is going to be as hard as Chinese Arithmetic! An original hand crank works very, very well at doing the task. There is not a need IMHO for fabricating a special socket for this task.

[fivefix]

...unless one has sinned as I have and installed a toolbox that blocks the crank opening.

[mcgarrett]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Save yourself some grief and buy the ratchet wrench made for turning the crank nut, especially if you have a front mounted tool box. The special wrench makes turning the crank a real breeze!

P. S. Don't forget to remove the wrench from the nut when your done!! Unlike the original hand crank, the ratchet on the crank it will not kick it out of the way. Ask me how I know...

[ndnchf]

Originally Posted by mcgarrett

Save yourself some grief and buy the ratchet wrench made for turning the crank nut, especially if you have a front mounted tool box. The special wrench makes turning the crank a real breeze!

P. S. Don't forget to remove the wrench from the nut when your done!! Unlike the original hand crank, the ratchet on the crank it will not kick it out of the way. Ask me how I know...

I have that wrench too, it works great. I painted mine bright red to make sure I see and remove it!

[shew01]

Originally Posted by mcgarrett

Save yourself some grief and buy the ratchet wrench made for turning the crank nut, especially if you have a front mounted tool box. The special wrench makes turning the crank a real breeze!

P. S. Don't forget to remove the wrench from the nut when your done!! Unlike the original hand crank, the ratchet on the crank it will not kick it out of the way. Ask me how I know...

I bought the (expensive) ratchet from Snyder’s or Bratton’s, and it doesn’t come anywhere close to fitting my car.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bruce of MN]

Originally Posted by shew01

I bought the (expensive) ratchet from Snyder’s or Bratton’s, and it doesn’t come anywhere close to fitting my car.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Mine from Bratton's fits fine and is very handy.

https://www.brattons.com/RATCHET-NUT...ductinfo/8922/

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by shew01

I bought the (expensive) ratchet from Snyder’s or Bratton’s, and it doesn’t come anywhere close to fitting my car.

There are a large number of aftermarket ratchet nuts in the wild that do not fit – they're either too small at 1-1/4" or too big at 1-1/2". Having deformed "hooks" is also common.

My ratchet nut was so beat up that I removed it and installed a bolt (15/16" head, 5/8"-18 threads, 1-1/4" long) and hardened washer. Since the bolt is shorter than the ratchet nut, I can fit a normal socket on it and turn the crank precisely using a breaker bar. If I ever sell the car, I'll put a new ratchet nut on it.

[Y-Blockhead]

Originally Posted by mcgarrett

Save yourself some grief and buy the ratchet wrench made for turning the crank nut, especially if you have a front mounted tool box. The special wrench makes turning the crank a real breeze!

P. S. Don't forget to remove the wrench from the nut when your done!! Unlike the original hand crank, the ratchet on the crank it will not kick it out of the way. Ask me how I know...

I bent one up from an inexpensive 1⅜" wrench. I'm too cheap to buy one from the vendors for $40.

[walls]

Originally Posted by Y-Blockhead

I bent one up from an inexpensive 1⅜" wrench. I'm too cheap to buy one from the cendors for $40.

I assume you just used a torch and bent?
I don’t know anything about tool grade steel.
Is it just like bending normal steel?

[katy]

[QUOTE]I bent one up from an inexpensive 1⅜" wrench. I'm too cheap to buy one from the cendors for $40[QUOTE]

I did similar w/a 1&1/4" wrench, only I don't have a torch to "heat and bend" so I cut it up and welded it back together.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by fivefix

...unless one has sinned as I have and installed a toolbox that blocks the crank opening.

Even that box is not an issue. Just place the transmission into 3rd gear and then use the wheel/tire as leverage to rotate the engine by just rolling the tire forward or reverse.

[GPierce]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

Even that box is not an issue. Just place the transmission into 3rd gear and then use the wheel/tire as leverage to rotate the engine by just rolling the tire forward or reverse.

That’s what I do. It works great.

[shew01]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

Even that box is not an issue. Just place the transmission into 3rd gear and then use the wheel/tire as leverage to rotate the engine by just rolling the tire forward or reverse.

Two person job?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[shew01]

Originally Posted by fivefix

...unless one has sinned as I have and installed a toolbox that blocks the crank opening.

Yup, that is where I’m heading.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Hitman]

Or track one of these down. They're made to use the crank in either direction.

[katy]

If you're goneter use a ratchet, why not just get a socket that fits the ratchet nut?

[shew01]

Originally Posted by katy

If you're goneter use a ratchet, why not just get a socket that fits the ratchet nut?

That sounds like a good idea. With the radiator on the car I can see how that area of the car is made. What size is the not?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk