MTFCA Forum

I went to two local flea markets this week and bought old tools. They are, a T5893 1 plug & headbolt wrench, 11708B 42 wrench, the monkey wrench, and a Bridgeport Mfg Co valve spring tool marked PAT'D MAR 16, 1920
I hope I never actually need to use the valve spring tool. I will remove the rust from it and hang it on my special tool board. What did the "right" valve spring tool for a Model T look like?

The ford z tool valve spring compressor looks like a long fork with a seperate s hook. Tools are in the ford parts manual.

Here's a couple pictures I got off the web ...

Tommy's valve spring compressor and the original T tool work well with original style valves with pins in the spring caps.
With modern valves, caps and a pair of collets to retain them, they are problematical. The original T tool requires one hand to hold the spring and cap under compression, which means the collets have to be fitted with one hand only. The scissor type compressor frees up both hands, but both of these tools cant the spring cap, still making it difficult to fit the two collets.

Bridgeport and others made a period tool which compresses the spring with jaws which move in parallel. The spring and cap remain perfectly aligned, making fitting of the collets a breeze. Whenever I find one at swap meets, I buy it, moving it on to other T owners who may not be aware of them. Unfortunately, some have suffered modifications to the forked jaws to allow them to go over larger valve stem guides that those on model T's. but most are still usable.

Allan from down under.

I have one of the Bridgeports Alan....it is a nice tool.

I finished unloading my swap meet trailer this afternoon. Of the two parallel lift valve spring compressors in the old tools tub, one is painted black and is unbranded, the other is made by Kay-Dee. The Bridgeport I mentioned is one of two in my tool box.

Allan from down under.