Tools...availability ?

[hardtimes]

Can anyone help locating.....valve adjustment wrenches ?
I’ve got single lock lifters. Whew, not much room for arith old hands to work in !

Will/does a guy have to grind wrenches to a thin condition for such job ?

Snyders doesn’t show anything.

Any help will be appreciated.

[McMimmcs]

You can buy thin wrenches at Harbour Freight.

[alexiskai]

I ordered this wrench when I adjusted my valves and it worked great. This is the lower wrench that holds the tappet and then you can use a normal 1/2" wrench to raise and lower the adjustable part.

[JayJay]

I have on many occasions taken an el-cheapo open end wrench (acquired at flea market, garage sale, whatever) and used a bench grinder to thin the end to fit smaller needs. I have a set to fit my air tool collets, one 10 mm to fit the throttle cable lock screw on a BMW boxer motorcycle (how's that for specialized!), one to fit a Delta tablesaw arbor to change blades, and several others of various sizes that I can't remember what I ground them down for. If you want to get fancy you can use cold gun blue to protect the newly-exposed steel.

With the el-cheapo wrenches you can also get creative and heat up/bend a wrench to fit your special need. I'm thinking I need to do that for a wrench to fit the ratchet nut to turn the engine over.

JayJay

[Bruce of MN]

I looked for thin wrenches at swap meets back when we had those.

[JayJay]

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My dad had a set of what he referred to as "tappet wrenches" from back in the day, they were long handles and thin bodies. Unfortunately they were SAE (maybe even Whitworth!), and when he died I was convinced everything was going metric and got rid of them. Before I got back into Model As. Wish I still had them.

JayJay

[Bob C]

A lot on epay. https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sac...wrench&_sop=15

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by Bob C

A lot on epay. https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sac...wrench&_sop=15

Hey Bob,
Great suggestion.
I thank all for you helpful suggestions. Gives me info that I need to get it done, one way or another !

I have several decades worth of OLD tools that I can attempt to modify to purpose.

So, the two sizes that I should be looking at:
9/16” and ?

It has been awhile since I messed with this job !

[alexiskai]

7/16 and 1/2, at least for my tappets

[Doug Linden]

I bought Craftsman tappet wrenches years ago and they may now be available now at ACE, Lowe's or Home Depot. Worth checking.

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by McMimmcs

You can buy thin wrenches at Harbour Freight.

Great lead !
I like that place and they are nearby !

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by Doug Linden

I bought Craftsman tappet wrenches years ago and they may now be available now at ACE, Lowe's or Home Depot. Worth checking.

Beware - Craftsman wrenches ain't what they usta be!

The Craftsman tool brand was bought by Stanley-Black and Decker in the mid 2010's as part of Sears effort to raise money as they sank farther and farther into the bricks-and-mortar abyss. That's one reason you now see Craftsman sold at Lowe's, Amazon and a host of other places, whereas they only were available at Sears before. (Obviously Sears, now defunct, doesn't sell Craftsman tools any more). Like I'm sure many of us here, I bought a bunch of Craftsman hand tools in the '60s and '70s, when I was beginning wrenching. More recently, I bought a couple of sets of "Craftsman Professional" wrenches but they are nowhere near what the old school wrenches are. Much bulkier, rounded edges from the polishing process (unlike the crisp edges that they used to have) and irregular plating. To me they look no better than HF.

There were two attractive things about old-school Craftsman:

• Sears' no-questions asked replacement policy. If you broke it, it got replaced. As near as I can tell that has gone by the wayside because now that Sears is no longer, where do you go for warranty replacement?
• Replacement parts. Sears was really big that parts would always be available for Craftsman tools. Well, no longer. I needed a couple of ratchet rebuild kits (hey, they're 50 years old), and the best I can find on EBuy is well over the cost to just get a new one elsewhere.

So to hijack this thread even further - I've found Tekton Tools (I think formerly Michigan Industrial Tools) has the same warranty and replacement parts concept that Sears used to. Fairly limited selection of tool types so far, but I've been really impressed with the sockets and ratchets I've purchased from them. Very limited manufacture in China. My son is starting out and bought one of their "one of everything" packs and is quite pleased. So far no tappet wrenches, though.

Best wishes, all, and stay healthy.

JayJay

[McMimmcs]

My neighbour who was a Sears manager told me that they had an inventory of customers that intentionally abused craftsman tools to seek replacements.They traded the lists with nearby Sears stores.

[700rpm]

I miss Sears tool departments.

[Tim Ayers]

Originally Posted by Doug Linden

I bought Craftsman tappet wrenches years ago and they may now be available now at ACE, Lowe's or Home Depot. Worth checking.

Yes. I have a set of Craftsman as well. Not sure where these are made. Mine are from years ago and made in the USA

https://www.amazon.com/Polished-Craf.../dp/B07BR7HY35

[McMimmcs]

Originally Posted by 700rpm

I miss Sears tool departments.

As do I. I went to the tools department when I needed nothing, just to window shop hahaha!

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by McMimmcs

As do I. I went to the tools department when I needed nothing, just to window shop hahaha!

Me too. I was always amazed at the special purpose tools they came up with.

JayJay

[CarlG]

I still cruise eBay for USA made Craftsman tools

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by CarlG

I still cruise eBay for USA made Craftsman tools

Hey Carl,
I too take a liking to Craftsman... for a number of reasons. As a young would be mechanic , I got and gave gifts of Craftsman tools. Yeah I broke a very few, mostly sockets. They are damn TOUGH, but not for using a cheeter on end of 1/2” breaker !
You do what has to be done at times.
I had an exchange store ...right up street. Then BIG store a mile away !

When garage sales were big here, I was amazed at the huge piles of craftsman stuff/everything to be had... cheap !
And if any found broken, well you knew the drill, eh !
I have many different brands. Some I here more valuable/cost more than craftsman !
However, if /when I have to modify a tool.... do not use Craftsman to modify !!
America, apple pie, craftsman, etc. lol

[ranger73]

Yes Harbour Freight is great for those