improvised tools

[GreaseDog]

just wondering what kind of tools you guys have improvised...

we came up with one today that saved the purchase of a $30+ tool that would have probably got used once.

working on a bare bones 350 TBI "rebuild", and found the rear of the crank scored where the rear main seal rides. the solution? a speedy sleeve. after destroying one attempting to tap it on carefully with a small brass hammer, we decided to use a steel plate. put the plate over the sleeve after lining the sleeve up, and tapped it on slowly. the centering hub for the flexplate on the crank stopped us ~1/4" short of where we needed to be. i snatched up the flexplate and 3 of the bolts. it was JUST close enough to get the bolts started. then tightening the bolts a little at a time drove the sleeve onto the crank the rest of the way using the flexplate. $30 saved, 1 less specialty tool wasting space in the shop. what have you guys come up with?

[$ilverado8405]

Many years ago my grandpa turned a hammer handle into a clutch alignment tool for his 54 Fsomehundred flatbed. My dad dug it out of my grandma's garage to use when I put the new clutch in my 51 F1 a couple years ago.

[trickedout420]

made a set of the fan clutch tools (for ford) with the plasma cutter and 3/8 plate worked good only used it twice putting the new motor in and pulling the old one out

also my peice of pvc pipe with 4 notches cut out works really good for a trail axle nut removers

[someotherguy]

Used to use a hockey puck for driving in wheel bearing oil seals. Someone stole the puck so now I just use a clean block of wood...

Richard

[Drisco Z71]

i made a tool to separate my tie rod from the idler arm out of a couple of u-bolts and a piece of flat stock.

[Bob T]

Not really a tool, but long, long ago the fuel pump crapped out on the '63 jeep I had. We were way the hell up in the mountains in Idaho fishing. I fixed it using my girlfriend's diaphragm. Had to buy her a new one.

[Texsbluethunder]

I've made a few on the go for my cabinetmaking stuff...
as for mechanics, used a piece of heavywall exhaust pipe to make a socket for puting bearing rerainer nuts on the fourwheeler trailing arm, looks much like a hub nut tool. Also made a coild pring compressor put of 1/4" plate and 4 threaded rods, again for the fourwheelers coilover shocks. Around the farm we have countless homemade tools.

[byrd]

i make new tools almost daily. i am an equipment mechanic, so i have alot of "special circumstance" tools in my box. whenever i drive by harbor freight i pick up some wrenches and sockets to weld/heat and bend etc.

[bhookxen]

byrd - very nice. harbor freight is good for that kind of stuff.

[sbrumley]

I have a 97 Z71. I noticed the rear output shaft is leaking on the transfer case.

[AntiBling]

Improvised positioner for cutting down bag cups.

[Bob T]

Woman's tool set:

[Speedrye]

I'm not saying I haven't done this before (says the guy who just made some round 3/4" oak plugs to drive in wheel bearing races) but I have to wonder how much more these improvised tools cost then the actual tools if we factor in our labor time?

[Dubyagee]

Torch cut wrenches, Homemade slide hammers (gimbal bearing remover for boats), welded a nut to the end of a socket to remove big allen head bolts, chunk of flat sided brass to weld holes in sheet metal etc.

[Atomic]

The BFH takes care of most of my needs

[kirk]

We made a tool at work to take apart 2 hydraulic cylinders that are on the grapple of a skidder. The way they're on there, with steel plates protecting it, you have to have something that fits inside there to take the cylinder apart. I think it may have cost around $5 to make.

[beachrog]

I have to wonder how much more these improvised tools cost then the actual tools if we factor in our labor time?

Not to go off on a tangent, but I used to have a crew come mow my lawn as I had more money than time. I live in Michigan, so now, like most, it's the reverse, I got more time than money and I mow it myself.

This type of stuff is cool. I need to do a fuel pressure test on my '97 Chevy K1500 5.7. I've never done a fuel pressure test before and was toying with the idea of making my own fuel pressure gauge.

Found this for a Dodge Caravan:

http://www.knizefamily.net/minimopar/quickfpg.html

Not sure how I'd have to change it to make it work on my truck, but seems like something you could have a good time doing and putting the effort into it would help me understand it better.

[Honey Bear]

Putting the transmission back in a buddies Mazda MPV ( will never do that again) there was a linkage that refused to go back in place. I took a 4 inch piece of 1/2 inch copper pipe drilled a hole through the side and cut a notch in the opposite end. Stuck a screw driver through the hole I cut and used the notch to guide the linkage in. Still have it in my tool box as a reminder to never do that again.

I have a pile of custom bent wrenches.

[jimmy_dong]

Not really a tool, but long, long ago the fuel pump crapped out on the '63 jeep I had. We were way the hell up in the mountains in Idaho fishing. I fixed it using my girlfriend's diaphragm. Had to buy her a new one.

alright, i give up. bob t wins this hands down. i laughed so hard, people were looking at me funny. well...funnier than normal. having worked in the oil field i have a drawer dedicated to one time, in a pinch, tools.

[$ilverado8405]

At work we have a couple of homemade punches that we use to drive the pins and bushings out of our flasks and molding tables. Basically it's a used stub pin with the flange ground down and a big bolt through it. Was looking at some stuff on the machines the other day and found that in the 80's BMM (British Molding Machines) wanted to sell us a punch similar to what we made for $225.00. Compared to a $12.00 stub pin and a $2.00 bolt I think we got the better end of the deal on that one.