Was out in the shop today and its too cold to do much. I saw one of theses tools in I believe the "service bullitins" Been wanting one for awhile so I made one. It is to install the starter switch extension with. It keeps you from bending the inside parts of the switch when driving the extension into place. Not a real important tool but its handy and took about 1 hr to build. So I started thinking (a dangerous thing) What homemade tools do all of ya'll have. (Im from the south so excuse the ya'll). I have some more tools Ive built to show later, but everyone, show off your homemade stuff. Give a brief description of what its made of, and how you made it. This tool is made from a piece of pipe that had a 1 inch inside diameter. The stem of the switch is aprox 7/8 inch. I cut a piece 1-3/16 long. That measurement is a little shorter than the distance from the bottom of the plunger cap to the bottom housing. I then cut out a section aprox 1/4 of the circumfrence. I straightened the "ears" of the sleeve some and then "cold blacksmithed" it on a piece of 7/8 inch flat bar or key stock used as an anvil/die, to make the opening 7/8 inch. Then I welded a piece of 1/4 inch rod on for a handle and added a piece of vacumn hose for a cushion. Now I have another tool that will out last me. OK now its someone elses turn ....

Fixture for poring main caps

cam nut socket.

Dean: Nice .... can you explain its use for us dummies. I assume that the burner preheats the fixture and then you flip it into pouring position. Give us some details. Do you "tin" the caps before pouring, ect... Thanks ...

Thanks Erich, I built one similar. Im hoping some of these homemade tools will help out the "newbies" some. When I first started with the Ts I had very little money. I had to make most of my stuff. Still using a lot of it.

Rear cam bearing reamer with a shell mill cuter. Lines up the rear bearing so everything turns very easy. Kind of a copy of a KR Wilson tool I saw.

Reamer in use

My grandfather made this in 1932 using a hack saw and a file, from a piece of 5/8" steel plate:

Cam bearing are getting better about being round, most are out of round. Made a set of dies to press them back to round, after fitting to the bores in the block they are reamed to size. Doing so along with the rear cam bearing reamer above lets the cam turn with one finger because all are in line.

Wow! A hack saw and a file! That was before the days of cable TV. That is a heck of an accomplishment for a hack saw and a file.

It always amazes me what folks can accomplish when they want to.

I made a cam nut socket, a sleeve puller, various bushing drivers and a HCCT. Next project will be a tool to remove driveshaft bushings.

Donnie
Yes caps are tinned and must be at temperature
For the Babbitt to bond

Hi Mike: Is that my cam bearing in the die.... ? Nice work you are doing ...

Nice set up, Mike. I had a machinist friend turn out mine for me.

I made this tool to free up a sticking valve on my Roof 8 Valve. I can usually free it up and wash a little kerosene down the stem and go. Much easier than pulling the head and replacing or re-working the bushing. We discussed the problem here a year or so ago and I concluded the stem may be bent on that valve. Only one valve ever sticks. It was easier to make the tool than fix the problem.
Later.
Rich

Model T Ford generator spin tester.

Ron the Coilman

Fixture for straightening RE housings. Use with a lathe.

The socket for the timing gear nut seems to be a popular DIY tool. Here's mine.






Magnet charger:




The switch for the charger is a starter switch with a long handle to push it down easily. The idea of the ammeter was to indicate a current flowing, but it proved superfluous. You can see the charger jump against the magnet when you push the switch.

I forgot about this one.


A regular puller wouldn't grab a timing gear, so I improvised these hooks for it.

This one is not only a T' tool, it's made from a T' part, a wheel hub flange that I use as a lathe face plate to mount the ball cap for machining the babbitt.

Clutch spring compressor from old Ford parts



Can't take any credit, idea from older T repair guide. But sure comes in handy.

The worlds fanciest coil adjusting tool:

Nice tools everyone. Dan I wondered if the clutch spring compressor would make it. I have one just like it. It was one of the first homemade tools I made. Jim, I think it would only be proper to use that adjusting tool on Town Car coils ... Keep them coming ... everyone ...

Electrically Cranked Coil Tester - ECCT

ECCT Advanced Features GUI

Starter Bushing Driver. Its one of the first lathe made items I made. Drivers like this are an easy thing to do and a good excercise in useing a lathe if new to using a lathe. I made several different ones thru the years, for different applications, and stamped them as to there use. They are real handy to have as you do not have to look all over the shop for something that will work..

I don't have one but, that spring compressor has another use. I see with a loop of steel rod threaded on the ends and a piece of flat bar, the bottom part could be made into a transmission lifting tool.

James: I believe a tool similar to what you describe was posted on one of the "watzit" threads recently. I may have to build me one ...

My version of a Camshaft Nut Tool. It is a section of a "Wheel and Bearing wrench welded to a socket. I should have used a deep socket so it could be used to hand tighten the front bearing as well.

The other tool is to align the U-Joint when installing the engine or rear end.

Be_Zero_Be

Headlamp ring remover at top and exhaust nut wrench at bottom.



Radiator cap remover.

Hand Cranked Coil Tester

Holley "G" tools

While not specifically designed for any "T" part it is still useful because sometimes you just want to work outdoors!


So you just roll this baby out and lower the legs and you are ready to act like you are in the middle of a project also doubles as a yard sale table

My transmission lifting sling. I saw one of these in an old FordOwner magazine years ago so I built one.

Also pour and bore cam bearings. Do blocks with the use of Jean French's set up. Thanks to Dean Yoder for letting me copy his rod jig

Steve, how can you feel justified taking a tool I probably spent so much time creating and turning it into something else. All those years sweating it out at the Owatonna Tool Company producing the highest quality special tools in the world and in less than a minute you completely change it to perform a completely different purpose!!! I'm starting to feel a little faint. I've never seen so much disrespect for a mans lifetime achievement I... Oh wait I think I might have went a little too far with this rant.

Donnie, I built a transmission lifting tool like yours. I didn't spend much time bending the hook though. If it wasn't so cold outside I'd go out to the shop and take a picture of it. But for now, at -6 degrees, and having been out there all day I'll just have to have you trust my word. Besides Steve has already drove a stake through my heart by destroying such a wonderful tool.

.
.
........................

First three items are for pressurizing the cooling system and the cylinders to check for leaks. Second item is for removing the spray nozzle on the Holley G. The fourth item is made from a spark plug to lift the engine out. The fifth item is used to temporarily hold the exhaust manifold in place until the intake manifold is also in place. The long bar is set to turn the crank from either the front or the back while assembling the engine.





This item is a variation of a jig to straighten an exhaust manifold.




This is a set up to check the clutch spring pressure.

When I first read the title, I thought I would show the oil check pet cock tool I made, but I believe I am outclassed on this one.

generator test

Nice tools everyone. I think Ill start a new homemade tools #2 thread with my next tool. This one is getting long. Showing all the homemade stuff may encourage some new T mechanic to build some tools and do there own work. Hal: Post a photo of your petcock tool. A tool is a tool. Besides these are Model Ts There is no high class in the T world ...

Collar for removing backing plates on rear axle housings.



slug for pressing off backing plates

Wrong pictures, I will try again for the collar.

My husband is a machinist so he made this to set the timing on our 14 T.

Sorry posted the wrong message to these pictures, this is the timing tool. The other is for centering the timing cover to the center of the cam.

Nice tools Erica. I started a Homemade Tools #2 thread with a couple more of my tools. Thanks for all the posts. Lets keep it up with more stuff. There have been some good things so far...

Over the years I have reproduced several T tools that at the time I had a personal need for but later found so did others. I tried to reproduce them as close the original specs as they were produced at the time. I now sell some of these tools to vendors for resale. I have also reproduced several T parts as well. Bob

My coil adjusting hammer:

Looks kinda small

Bump!

So who wants to make me a cam shaft rear bearing reamer like Steve Tamosos above? Let me know if you can.

I have ca$h and i am ready to pay. Seems like a GREAT easy setup, full rod with centered hole with set screw for a reamer.

Travis Towle
785-408-3409

Topeka, Kansas

I just sent him a pm. Is he reproducing them?? I'm in!! Matt. 601-941-0538

I call it my EEPH (Extremely Expensive Pumpkin Holder).

Continued on the 2015 thread at: http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/506218/506472.html?1420201933

Respectfully linked,

Hap l9l5 cut off

No picture, but this is a pretty simple item that might be good to carry in the "trouble truck" on any extensive tour:

I had about a foot square steel plate welded to about a four foot length of square tubing that slides into my standard hitch receiver on my pickup truck. Bolted to that steel plate on the 4' length of square tubing is a big "herk'n" vise that could be a great help in the event of extensive emergency repairs need on roadside or hotel parking lot. Also, a steel plate a couple feet square with a short length of heavy angle iron welded to the bottom of the plate near the center and then clamped in the vise would make a pretty stout improvised "workbench" on the back of the "trouble truck" that might come in handy too! FWIW,......harold

A few years ago, I got the idea of making graduated, see-through dipsticks for reading the level in Model T gas tanks. The inside diameter of the tubing needed to be no greater than 1/8th inch or the gasoline would fall out of it in spite of suction and unfortunately, the only clear, rigid tubing with that I.D. didn't have enough wall-thickness to be durable.

Made a bunch and handed them out to whoever wanted one, but I doubt any survive. The one I kept sure didn't.

Geez! You guys are talented. I wish the heck I had half the ability you do. I'm in the wrong hobby!!!

ALUMINUM VALVE SUPPORT TOOLS FOR CHANGING THE CAMSHAFT. THESE TOOLS MAKE THE JOB EASY

Glen,

That is a good idea but I just use wood clothes pins to hold the valves up! They will also hold the lifters up. Cheep and no machining required.

Paul, Not much profit in clothes pins. Scott