NICE engine stand! That casting that holds the spindle- what did that used to be? It looks perfect for an engine stand.

 

Cigar, I'm going to have to steal your casters/pallet idea. . .thats a good one

And I must say, that is a nice engine stand. And probably the only one I have seen that WASN'T made in China

 

Built a hydraulic powered wrench for taking 6” and larger nuts off of log loader and large excavator boom cylinder rods. Would cut out wrench from 1 ½” plate including the 12” handel with hole for clevis used with a 3” bore cylinder worked great.

 

For a while, I was spending more time making tools that making things with the tools. I love the idea of spending a week and $30 to make a $35 tool. Kept me in the garage for a week AND saved me $5

Seriously, I leaned quite a bit looking around for ideas on building tools. I've made a couple planishing hammers, an english wheel, motorcycle table lift, and a welding table just in preparation of building a mini bike (for a mini chopper build-off competition)

 

I built a 5' sheet metal brake. Struggles with 5' foot 18 steel, for anything less it's good. Sweet bike you got there wdglide - needs a bigger motor though

 

I made a T-handled jet wrench for the holley 94s. I necked down some 3/8" roundstock on my drill press to fit in the plug hole and filed a tooth on it. For the handle, I drilled a hole for a #12 2" brass screw I had removed the threads and head from. I used JB weld to hold it in place. The 3/8' stock got zinc plated when finished. I also made a T-wrench for removing the brass jet plugs. Normal scewdrivers chew the $#@ out of them. I had a piece of 3/4" stock that I ground into a duck-bill shape. Smoothed it out, cut the shank and head off a 3/8" bolt, zinc plated them, and drilled/tapped a #8 hole for a brass screw to keep the handle in place. For stubborn jets or plugs, I clamp the wrench in my vice and turn the carb body.

 

I made a ball pein hammer in metal shop 27 years ago. Knurled alum. handle with one steel face and one brass face on the other side. I still have it hanging above all my store bought tools I dont dare use it . I look at it everynow and then and it brings me back to my high school days . Hopefully I will end up giving it to one of my grandkids some day . Some things you just cant buy .

 

Ok, first I know this is crude, but when I built these, all my tools were in storage in Ariz, and I was in Utah, and all I had was a Torch and an AC Welder, and the Engine had to be done. The tools I make now are much better fabricated.

I do not have the luxery of being able to afford the tools I need, so I build a lot of them. Pullers, Jigs, 10 ton Press, Trans Jack, just about anything I need, and I can build it. I get a lot of my steel from where I work. The scrap pieces they let me have, they throw away as to small for them to mess with or store. Perfect for me.

Anyway, back to this tool for posting. I made these from a Service Station they were tearing down. They let me have the Beams for Free. Love the Price. The Trolly is homemade as well. The rollers are out of a Hay Bailer.




Room for tools is a luxery in my shop. So I had to come up with an engine stand. So I made and welded one to the Beam. When not in use, it just piviots to the side.





I have used it without, but it makes me nervious, so when I have the big block 460 on it, I add insurance.




When I get time, I will post the Press and Trans Jack. Very Simple, but very affective.

In the Red Tool box you can see, is a Antifreeze Jug. One thing I do is cut the side of them out, and they make perfect Bolt Trays for engine tear downs. Also that is my Catch it all Box. My Big one is off to the other side.

BTW, the Block is just about ready to go back in.

 

I've made a couple that stick out in my mind. My first one is the socket to get the lock nut off of the front axle of the 4x4's.
I used some pipe and key stock to get it just right, worked great till I bought one last summer.

The second is a valve spring tool. Used a big C-clamp,welded a drive shaft U-bolt to it and them a washer to that. This works great and the price was alot better than a specialty wrench.

 

hehe, I made a valve spring compressor once, but I was in a hurry and didn't have a welder.

so, I just used a holesaw in a peice of wood slat.
I put my knee on one side of the wood, hand on the other, and remove the valve keepers/spring.

simply tools for simple minds
dp

 

I had a manual trans with fill and drain plugs that had a square hole in them for removal. I thought a 1/2" socket extension would work but it was too small. I bought a 3/4" to 1/2" adapter to make a custom tool. 3/4" was larger than the square hole so I ground the sides down on a bench grinder until it fit snug. The trans was on my work bench secured in a vise. I had to use an 18" breaker bar with a cheater pipe to break the plugs loose.

In my metal shop class in high school I made a funnel out of sheet metal as a class assignment. The teacher kept asking me how I got the rim so smooth. I told him I just followed the instructions we were given. I left that funnel at my parents house. Don't know where it is today.

 

Rodger, what a great looking ride you have, your progress has me beat 200 to 1. All I need is time, money, space and tools, can never get all 4 together only 2 out of 4.
.....=o&o>.....

 

I made a tool to remove the center bolt on 5.0 truck intakes. I too a long allen wrench, cut the curve off, and tacked on a screw gun driver bit holder to the end. Now I have a long drill bit holder also.

 

I made this puller to remove the carrier bearings in a dana 60. You put the 2 halves together over the bearing, put the hose clamp around it, bolt the puller to it, put the round piece in the hole where the axle goes through for the puller to seat against, and it will pull it off with no damage to the bearing.

 

Made my own fuel filter cap tool for 7.3's out of 3/16 diamondplate. Semi-float axle bearing puller made from hole saw cut outs, washers and a bolt