CMP restoration tools

[Ryan]

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.

[Luke R]

Vice grips, lots of different sized vice grips!

Luke

[hrpearce]

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.

[Phil Waterman]

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.
HUPAxleSocketFrontRearv2W.jpg


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


Cheers Phil

[Ryan]

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.

[Jacques Reed]

Originally Posted by Phil Waterman

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

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,

[Phil Waterman]

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

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Does lifting a CMP Chev transmission with your knee while aligning it into the bell housing and swatting mosquitos at the same time count? How about a 'wife', used to catch a thread or two as you lift a transfer case into position? She has to be quick because you can only heist that beast up there for a few seconds at a time.

How I survived my early CMP restoring days I do not know.

[Jacques Reed]

Hi Bruce,

You are a brave man using a wife to help. I gave up asking mine 20 tears, I mean 20 years ago.

We are still together after 44 years but a few arguments while holding awkward or heavy objects and trying to explain things without being able to point to what I wanted convinced me it was a recipe for a divorce. Better to work alone.

Spending money on lifting equipment is cheaper in the long run, saves the marriage and saves my back too.

Cheers,

[Jacques Reed]

Good Day,

Here is something I made up this afternoon.
This is a more robust and safer means of holding the single speed transfer case for installing or removal than the jury rigged method I used recently to remove one.

No doubt a similar one could be made from scrap timber for the dual range transfer case on the larger CMP trucks.

The case is placed under the truck in the lowered position to clear fuel tanks. Once past the lowest point the case is raised into the correct position for the mounting holes. Lifting the jackshaft end of the case is quite easy on the table as most of the weight is on the driveshafts' end.

The folding support arm is made long enough that the case has to be lifted slightly past the resting point so that the arm can be dropped into the pocket between the ribs on the case. Once dropped into the pocket the case is lowered back against it providing a secure brace.

The hole is 1-1/8" diameter to clear the drain plug and allow the case to rest evenly on the lower ribs.

Hope this is of some interest.

Cheers,

[lynx42]

Originally Posted by Ryan

Thought a thread about the tools we need and buy to help us restore our Blitz's may come in handy.
This might be a good spot to show your home made tools that have made that task a lot easier too.

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. Lynx Engine in and Hull on 105.jpg
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.

[Jacques Reed]

Good Day,

Thought I might revive this thread with a recent operation- removing a F15-A transfer case from the chassis using a lifting table.

I bought a lifting table from Hare and Forbes last year and have used it for lifting and working on other heavy objects in the workshop. Although not essential for vehicle restoration it still is a handy item to have around. I put it to good use again two days ago to remove a transfer case from a F15-A. They are heavy items and the dual range transfer cases are even heavier.

I had to use it on grass but we haven't had rain for a while so the earth was fairly solid for the castors to roll on. If they had bogged I had a sheet of plywood on hand as a mat to roll it across. Would have preferred to do it on a solid garage floor but no space was available.

Once the table was fully lowered I lowered the left side of the case to the table to clear the chassis for extraction. I jury rigged the support for it but will make a more finished holding bracket for further lifting or removing operations.

The retaining bolts were very much wasted under the heads so I heated them with the oxy dull red then let them cool down. They backed out easily after that but beforehand they would not budge without the risk of snapping off.

Might add an oxy-acetylene set as another required tool for restoration!

Hope this is of some interest.

Cheers,

[Jacques Reed]

Good Day,

Thought I might add these for interest. The before and after cleanup of the above transfer case.

I've acquired 3 of these cases over the years and this is by far the filthiest.
I never saw so much mud and grease on either of the others.
Having said that, the crud did a good job of preserving it. After a lot of putty knife work and kerosene and brush a decent case appeared underneath it all.

Of interest it seems to be painted Khaki Green over a grey undercoat. The other two I have only have grey paint on them. Not knowing if the other two are older or newer it is hard to say when a change may have occurred as both were donor parts. This transfer case is from a confirmed 1943 truck.

Cheers,

[m606paz]

Poor man axle nut tool

[m606paz]

Now i can disassembly a check the brake cylinder

[Ganmain Tony]

Have only just discovered this thread.

Very clever work Mariano. Thanks for sharing.

Jacques once again you’ve come through with some generous sharing of your own time and effort. That tool for the trans. Case makes a potentially dangerous and awkward job much less so. As Phil said, a tool that can hang up in the shed.

Fantastic people on here.

[lynx42]

DRILL PRESS : A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings your beer across the room, denting the freshly-painted project which you had carefully set in the corner where nothing could get to it.

WIRE WHEEL : Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench with the speed of light. Also removes fingerprints and hard-earned calluses from fingers in about the time it takes you to say, 'Oh sh*t'

DROP SAW : A portable cutting tool used to make studs too short.

PLIERS : Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation of blood-blisters.

BELT SANDER : An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs.

HACKSAW : One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle... It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes.

VISE-GRIPS : Generally used after pliers to completely round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.

OXYACETYLENE TORCH : Used almost entirely for lighting on fire various flammable objects in your shop. Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub out of which you want to remove a bearing race..

TABLE SAW : A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch wood projectiles for testing wall integrity.

HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK : Used for lowering an automobile to the ground after you have installed your new brake shoes, trapping the jack handle firmly under the bumper.

BAND SAW : A large stationary power saw primarily used by most shops to cut good aluminum sheet into smaller pieces that more easily fit into the trash can after you cut on the inside of the line instead of the outside edge.

TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST : A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of everything you forgot to disconnect.

PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER : Normally used to stab the vacuum seals under lids or for opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing oil on your shirt; but can also be used, as the name implies, to strip out Phillips screw heads.

STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER : A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws and butchering your palms.

PRY BAR : A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.

HOSE CUTTER : A tool used to make hoses too short.

HAMMER : Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit.

UTILITY KNIFE : Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on contents such as seats, vinyl records, liquids in plastic bottles, collector magazines, refund checks, and rubber or plastic parts. Especially useful for slicing work clothes, but only while in use.

ADJUSTABLE WRENCH: aka "Another hammer", aka "the Swedish Nut Lathe", aka "Crescent Wrench". Commonly used as a one size fits all wrench, usually results in rounding off nut heads before the use of pliers. Will randomly adjust size between bolts, resulting in busted buckles, curse words, and multiple threats to any inanimate objects within the immediate vicinity.

SON OF A B*TCH TOOL : Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the garage while yelling 'Son of a b*tch' at the top of your lungs. It is also, most often, the next tool that you will need.

How many do you have in your workshop?