Making/improvising Special Tools

That is basically what I did. I found that the metric tubing in the condenser was 10 mm. that is about 15 or 20 thousandths bigger than standard 3/8 tubing so the mm tubing only needed a little swaging to make a solder connection between the two. I found that brazing did not work too well because the mm tubing was a much thinner material, so I made long deep swedges of about 1 inch plus and soldered them. So far they have held up with the max pressure of 175 psi. I then used the new 3/8 tubing pigtails to adapt to my iron pipe manifolds via flair fittings.

 

Made a tool.
My sons Malibu needed an alternator. The belt tensioner needed a half inch drive ratchet but there was not enough room for a regular ratchet wrench. I chopped up a 1/2” tool I had but never used and made a very skinny driver.

 

Sometimes you just need something simple…

The shocks on my ‘53 Willys wagon are held on by a washer & cotter pin. But, the rubber bushing has to be squeezed in order to insert that cotter pin. So:



Install shock, add washer, then slip this in with the notches in line with the hole. Compress with a clamp or channel-lock, and insert pin. Voila!

Jon

 

Nutzert installation tool:


Serrated nut with threads drilled out, use a wrench to hold nut, stack of washers and bolt to tighten and compress the nutzert. Vola!
After two or three done this way you will want to get the kit but sometimes you just don't have room.

 

Came across this in my box today. Before I had a spindle nut socket I made one from a piece of muffler pipe.

 

And why not!

 

What? No Way!

FB link gone. Sorry

was video showing you could put compressed air into a brake cleaner can and get the last few sprays of liquid out.

 

Done that many times, also good for back-flushing/unclogging paint spray cans.

 

Man....a new trick.

 

I call it “The Hook”. Works very well. Easy to move around inside body and pull dents.







Wish I had a decent closeup of the “before” picture.

 

Very nice. Thanks for posting, I need to use something like that this weekend.

 

Now the snow has gone, finally able to work on my barn-find 1952 M-38.

Not run in 50 years - I had to fabricate a hub puller in order to get the drums off. Even with the adjusters slacked off, the shoes were binding.

Needed something that would not warp or crack the drum. Used a bunch of stuff from my junk-pile. It worked! Although if I wasn't totally fearless, the first one might have scared me when it 'popped.'

All original parts look "like new," ...except for being really old!

 

Now that is really cool, Just goes to show, something can always be done!
Send us some more pictures of that M-38 when you have time.

 

Here it is, the day I brought it home.

 

Man, that is some barn find! once in a lifetime find. Looks all original too. Only thing I can see that has been added is the locking hubs and the turn signals, both very necessary mods. Even the seats look original. There is a guy in my area who has an m-38, very nice, appears to have the original canvas top. I have met it a couple times on the road but have never talked to him. I noticed his driver door has a non opening window but it has a zippered slot for giving hand turning signals! Thanks for posting.

 

Nice work there Pete. And a nice prize you got outta that barn.

 

That M38 is so cool. Nice project.
I love the originality and the patina.
What a great project.

Dave

 

Technically it wasn't even in the barn. It had been under the tarps since the 1970's.

Here's how it looked when I wrote the check - I paid in full before I even uncovered it.

 

Bottle jack mod.

Wasn't carrying a bottle jack till now because it wouldn't reach anywhere good and safe to lift from, and there wasn't a good spot to lift on the tube because its a spring over axle setup.

I fixed that today. Made a bottle jack extension to reach the axle tubes and made a adapter to fit between the ubolts. Adapter is made with spare portapower ends and extensions and cut tubing. Not much throw on the bottle jack but its enough to lift a tire 3 inches of the ground. So much easier to use and weighs 40lbs less than the hi-jack.



Extension fits over the bottle jack's ram by a couple of inches and adds about 3 inches overall for a lift of 18-1/2 in. There is 15 inches of ground clearance from bottom of axle tube to the ground (riding on 275/75r17 BFG KO2s and 17x8.5 Method Beadgrip wheels, not beadlocks.)