CMP restoration tools
 

Thought a thread about the tools we need and buy to help us restore our Blitz's may come in handy. Looking through the manuals there is plenty of unique tools and fixtures they illustrate. Is there any modern copies of these that people have bought to say, help remove hubs, or line up tricky parts.
This might be a good spot to show your home made tools that have made that task a lot easier too.
Tell me if this is a crap idea too. :)

Vice grips, lots of different sized vice grips!

Luke

Besides the normal ring/open end spanners to 1" and 24mm and matching sockets, I have a af/metric 3/4" drive set of sockets, 12",18",24" shifters. Fortunately my Father in law was a trucker so he had a good range of hub sockets.

Axle Nut Socket
 

Hi Ryan

Good idea for a restoration topic. You are correct about there being special tools listed in manuals. If you look at the regular vehicle manuals of the day you will see that they are the, in many cases, same as what is shown in CMP manuals. As been pointed out many of these tools turn up on e-bay some at high prices some less than what you would pay for a Chinese knock off from the local discount auto parts store.

Many of these can work around with common tools but the second or third time you go to work on the same component then the time to find or make the special tools becomes worth while. Here is a link to some of the special tools I've found useful. Some of these have to do with the fact that I can no longer just pick up a CMP brake drum. http://canadianmilitarypattern.com/Tools.html

Top on my list is Axle Nut Sockets, I've seen to many axle nuts that you can tell were removed or installed with a chisel. Really good sockets the forged type are best but the stamped steel work fine also. Picture below is of the one I carry in my HUP it has been modified to handle both front and rear axles, yes they used two different sizes.
Attachment 53888


The other thing to consider in this topic is how do you rig to pick up some of the major components.


Cheers Phil

Great link Phil, thank you, some terrific ideas you have come up with.
I had to laugh when you write about the weight of components. I'm yet to find that light weight part too.
My biggest help to date in the shed has been the 1ton gantry I bought second hand off ebay. It has made lifting parts so much easier as it is safer for me and enables you to do work that would otherwise require multiple people.

Rigging gear- home made tool
 

Here's something to start the ball rolling. This is a lifting frame I made a few years back to lift Ford sidevalve V8's with or without the transmission attached. It only requires the intake manifold to be removed. (See attached photos)
I borrowed the idea from the Ford CMP Maintenance Manual where they use a steel block placed inside the valve gallery to lift the engine and transmission as a unit.

Basically it is a piece of 75 mm x 50 mm RHS steel with two 75mm x 75mm x 5 mm steel angles welded to it. I drilled 8 holes in the angles to spread the load over a large area of the top of the block using the intake mainifold for their spacing, two holes front and back, four in the middle. Drilled a series of holes 55 mm apart and used a spare towing shackle to the crane via a smaller shackle. Depending on lifting a bare block, a full block, or one with the trans attached I select one of the four holes. By dumb luck the last hole at the rear was the perfect balance point for engine and trans attached. It is 115 mm from the end of the frame.

Works well in confined areas.

Cheers,

Engine Lift and Leveler Bars
 

Hi Jacques

Like your lifting attachment, notice that you have marked which hole to use for lifting what. How do you find the rolling lifts works for reaching into F15As engine compartment to get the engine?

I've marked my engine leveler the same way, so I know where to drive the lift screw attachment leveling point for the Chevy engine alone or with transmission. Recently I added the marks for a big Ford Flathead V8 engine.

Cheers Phil

Re: engine lift and leveler bar
 

Hi Phil,

It works well. The engine crane is an older one from the nineties, non-foldable, with longer extendable legs and a longer than average extendable jib so it reaches in fine.

Most of the newer ones on the market have folding legs and a shorter jib to take up less space. I am not sure that they would have adequate outreach. Luckily I did not sell it for a newer one even though it has annoyed me for years taking up a lot of floor space. Anyway it gave me a good excuse to put up a second shed for it, and other bulky items!

Cheers, and a happy New Year to all MLU Forum members!

Engine Rotisserie
 

Hi All

Got another restoration tool to add to the collection. I have never liked the common engine rotisserie because they generally just bolt up to one end of the engine which puts a lot of load on just 4 bolts going into the cast iron.

Particularly with the Chevy 6 that's a lot of length and a lot of weight. See picture of 261 engine on stand upside down.

Well when I started working with a Flat Head engine which while shorter, are heavier in this particular case, decided it was time to fully support both ends of the engine. The second photos shows what I came up with an adjustable front support, now the engine rotates very easily as it does not have the bending load on the single pipe swivel used in the standard commercial unit.

One afternoons work and now I wonder why didn't do it earlier. The only real time consuming part was making front adjustable in height because the commercial units actually have a 6-7 degree up angle in the swivel to compensate for the bending force when the engine is bolted on. So to take a 6 cylinder or a V8 you need to be able to raise/lower the front swivel so that it is line with the rear at the correct length.



Cheers Phil

Engine rotisserie- Another variation on the theme
 

Here's another one.

I really get annoyed when I see pre 1949 Ford Flatheads on Ebay for sale being held only by the bellhousing in a modern engine holder. That's a real good way to turn a great engine into a boat mooring anchor.

I had this made up a few years back. Again, apologies to the Ford CMP Maintenance Manual for borrowing their ideas.

It worked well. The balance point was good so that you did not need a gorilla to rotate it.

Only trap if you fabricate one yourself is to offset the left pivot pipe about 1" further back from the front than the one on the right. This is because the left cylinder banks is about 1" further forward than the right bank. I have the exact amount written down somewhere but cannot seem to put my finger on it. No doubt that info is out there somewhere on the net.

This offset is noticeable where I bolted the brackets together for storage.

Cheers!

If you are changing your own tyres a good beed breaker is necessary.

Bearing cup or seal installer.
 

Bearing cup installer.
Attachment 54073 Attachment 54072
Adjust the threaded rod to the start length, then turn the handle to wind the cup or seal into place. I have made two sizes of drivers. These were used effectively on rear hub bearing cups and the seals in axle tubes. Thats why the extra long threaded rod.

These photos were taken before I welded all the pieces together.
Attachment 54074 Attachment 54075 Attachment 54076

Endless variations on the theme are possible. Not sure if I stole this idea from the manual or just had a vision :D

Engine rotisserie- Another variation on the theme - thats good
 

Hi Jacques

I really like that one, makes a huge amount of sense for the flat head design. Now some of the manual comments about standing the engine on end to remove the pistons make real senses.

Sure provides the best access to the different parts of the flat head.

This must be the type of unit Ford intended.

Cheers Phil

Jacques you are right the lateral axis Rotisserie is the way to go on flat heads
 

Hi Jacques

I liked your lateral axis rotisserie so much this morning I went out and made up the attachment plates, thanks for the tip about the off set.

Cheers Phil

Flathead rotisserie
 

Hi Phil,

Glad to help. As I mentioned before, I cringe when I see early Flatheads being held only by the bellhousing in an engine holder.

Wish there was a way to get it through to all the Ebayers out there cleaning out Pop's shed of Flatheads.

Cheers,

Transporting chassis to sandblaster
 

Thought I would add another bit of info that worked for me.

As I don't own a truck, and hiring a large tandem trailer to take a F15A chassis to the sandblaster was going to be quite costly I looked at using a boat trailer to do the job.
The chassis is surprisingly quite light, and in fact probably less than a fully rigged 14' fishing boat and motor so weight is not a problem- just length.

Found a rough and ready one in the "Trading Post" for $120. Good enough for what I wanted. Made up a few wooden chocks to keep it in place for the 40 km round trip and secured the chassis to the trailer with threaded 5/16" rods. Prior to the sandblaster I also use it to take the chassis to a welder to have a few extraneous holes welded shut where a two speed xfer case had been fitted.
The welder had it overnight and the sandblaster had it for three days so you can imagine the cost on hired equipment if hired for 4 days.

After I finished with it a few weeks later I tidied it up a bit, put it back on the Trading Post, and got my money back with a little bit of change.

This also keeps clutter down when you live in a normal suburban home as I do and keeps wives and neighbors happy.

Cheers,

Cheers,

Normal suburban home
 

Hi Jacques

Really good solution to moving the frame around, great that you were able to buy trailer it use it and sell it and come out ahead.

Now as "This also keeps clutter down when you live in a normal suburban home as I do and keeps wives and neighbors happy." Got a real kick out of that, living out in the sticks the only way the neighbors see my Beasts is they have a helicopter, but keeping the neighbors happy is important.

Usually is solved by offering to pull them out of the mud or ditch etc. then they don't think the old military trucks are so odd.

Cheers Phil

There is a certain sanity in simple organization. I don't have a garage or secure work area, so nothing can stay outdoors.

Tonight I was repair something non-truck. I started out with the anticipated tools and supplies, then decision by decision, brought out more and more tools and supplies. As I worked, scrap bits, wrappings and tools were either returned to their proper holders or thrown into a single container. Sometimes I used a 2' diameter garden pail with rope handles or a folding top tote box, or tonight it was the big box the new parts came in.

After the job was finished and the work tested, everything came back indoors. (Wet snow and drizzle forecasted throughout the next week.) Before bed I will put everything in its place. It seems like taking twice as much time for each job, but at least I OUGHT to be able to start the next job without searching for lost tools or supplies.

Putting tools etc back into their place has always worked well for me. It is only recently I have been leaving things out, 'on the job'. My truck and tools are indoors however and if I'm halfway through something, leaving tools out with the job is saving me time for the next time I'm out in the shed.

Tool organization
 

Hi Terry and Ryan

Having the tools within easy reach and putting them back the logical thing to do, though not always practical. If the size of the shop allows having a roll around tool chest and actually moving it to the area you are working can be a real time saver.

Couple of years ago when I was swapping engines on my C60S I set up a time lapse camera and one of the things that jumped out at me when I watch the time lapse video was that I was spending a lot of my time walking back and forth across the shop to get a tools. Probably good exercise but lot of wasted time. Since then I have tried to remember to move the tool box with in reach. But like you I end up grabbing tools to work under the truck and then your tote bag or tray makes a lot more sense than just having the tools loose on the floor.

The other thing that I tried to do after spending to much time looking for special tools is to have a particular place to store them. Things like putting all the special engine tools, valve compressors, piston ring compressors all together in one box and marking all sides of the box with note engine tools.

Cheers Phil

I reuse plastic windshield washer fluid bottles (1 US Gallon, 4.? litre) as catch buckets. Cut out the side and toss things in. The plastic never crumples with age or humidity, and there is a handle for convenience. For instance, the magnetic towing lights are all in one place in a bottle. A car tow rope is in a bottle. A big car emergency blanket is in a bottle. The battery jumper cables are in a bottle.

engine lifting
 

For aussie MLU'ers I worked out today that Ford I6 exhaust lifter brackets found on 'Barra' and 'Orion' engines match up to sidevalve head nuts almost perfectly. Just a little widening of the bolt holes on the bracket to prevent the head bolt threads getting damaged and it lines up beaut. One can be fitted to the front and rear of the heads.
I didn't have the camera handy though.

Blitz cowl holding and positioning device
 

Thought people might find this of interest.

I know whenever I need an extra pair of hands nobody is around, or your mates have bad backs, are working, or have a golf match to go to, etc, etc.

Frankly too At 65, I am past heavy lifting anyway, and to eventually reinstall the cowl I came up with this solution to be able to do it by myself. I would really need two others plus myself to do it otherwise.

The base is made mainly of 75mm x 75mm RHS and has attached to the vertical posts horse jump keyhole channel. This allows the cowl (or another heavy object) to be placed at 50mm spacing. Any minor adjustment in height can be done with shims under the casters (or even letting a bit of air out of the front tyres).

The arms that attach to the cowl at the radiator support bracket holes are made of 25mm x 75mm RHS. This lifting frame is then positioned on the keyhole channel with 1/2" bolts and provisions are made to be able to slightly adjust the angle with the bolts for aligning the cowl to the cabin.

The steel horse jumps, which were made from the 75mm x 75mm RHS and keyhole channel, and the casters were donated to me so a couple of days work, and $30 worth of bolts was the total outlay.

I figured I would just need two people to lift it onto the right height keyholes and then the rest of it is a one man operation. I actually used my engine lifter to do it so it was a one man operation all the way.

Cheers,

In my opinion, the two most important tools in my restoration shop are an electric welder and a set of oxy-acetylene torches.
Preference goes to a MIG machine as my all around go to.
Hopefully my new shop will see both MIG and GTAW (TIG) / SMAW (stick)
setups for total versatility.
A good quality cutting/welding/brazing outfit for the oxy/acetylene is a must.

Outside in the real pay cheque world as a Field Service Tech, one of the handiest things I use daily is a simple 20L plastic pail. Nothing fancy, even an old oil pail or whatever is handy. Good for garbage, scraps, tools, oil or whatever the task requires. I keep a stack handy in my service truck.

Every good resto shop also needs at least one engine stand, a few axle stands, a couple dollies on casters and either a shop crane (engine lift) or suitable chain fall.

A decent workbench with a hard surface top for beating on stuff coupled with a good 6" swivel base vise.

Then there is a good compressor, air tools chucks and hoses to go along with it etc.

Chop saw, drill press, hand grinders, clamps

Toolbox filled to the brim with every possible combination of sockets, wrenches, screwdrivers, hammers, prybars, chisels vise grips, pliers

And then there are the specialty items.... :thup2:

Further to my last, check out good quality used tools for excellent deals on normally pricey items.
Some of the best values I have ever come across have been found at garage and auction sales or merely through networking with people or replying to adverts on places like Kijiji or buy and sell.
As far as I'm concerned, I would rather buy someone elses high quality name brand used tool than a piece of crap from China.
Truth is, often times the used items can be had for a fraction of the price of new and cheaper than the cheapest imports.
I would even hazard a bet that a guy could put out a couple grand if he shopped carefully and end up with quite an assortment of tools and equipment.
As always, it is buyer beware.
I know there are lots of guys out there that just have to have something and then never use it and sell for pennies on the dollar.
Over the years I have bought lots of great used stuff to outfit myself with that would have cost thousands if I was too picky and had to have brand new... :fry:
Afterall, it is used as soon as it comes out of the box...

Blitz cowl holding and positioning device
 

Hi Jacques

Like your nose assembly tool, your roll around stand looks like it would be very adaptable too the problem of positioning heavy and award parts.

As I've gotten older it is a matter of being craftier vs. stronger working on CMPs. So many of the lifting jobs in my shop are done with a jib crane which is adjustable in sever axis.

This weekend when I was looking for pictures of the side view of C60S to answer Hanno's question. Found lot of old pictures two of them show and alternative method of positioning the nose on a CMP another CMP.

Attachment 68849

Attachment 68850

Cheers Phil

Now that's thinking Phil!! :thup:

Hi Phil,

Yes, I made it as much for holding and moving large bulky items to work on them as for positioning the cowling. The nose needs a few repairs: a few spot welds redone, a few dents removed and a few holes welded shut. I can actually mount it upside down on the rack at a nice comfortable height for working on it especially for welding.

I find if I dump something in the corner of the shed it just sits there.
I can also move it around now when space is at a premium.

Like your jib arrangement. Found the balance point of the cowling was close to the radiator support bracket holes on the 25mm x 75mm RHS so probably could have got by with just the engine crane to position it with fabricating a support bracket to attach to those holes.

Like you suggested it will come in handy for other things and I greatly improved my accuracy on the drill press building it. Can honestly say I did not have to elongate any holes to make the bolts fit!

Cheers,

lathe
 

Since I bought a lathe, it has been so useful . I've made bolts - bushes - pins shafts and heaps more , even a ACME thread lead screw . And having a small milling machine is great, I made a 24 tooth gear out of cast iron , using a dividing head .

Pics of the broken gear . I machined off the broken gear and made up a new gear blank .

The Gear being made Mike

A good gantry is also high in the needs list. Here I have the Canadian Scoutcar,Ford Lynx Mk.III* hull hanging high before fitting onto the chassis. Attachment 68909
Two chain pulls worked a treat off the gantry and another one on the No.7 crane set at the rear was all that was needed to maneuver the hull down onto the chassis.

A set of go-jacks enabled the chassis to be moved into position.

Can you see a Blitz there as well?

Regards Rick.