specialty tools for h bodys what did you make?

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specialty tools for h bodys what did you make?

Postby 73astregt » Wed Feb 20, 2008 8:32 pm

ok fellas what special tool have you had to make for working on your car? post your pics lets see what you have lol heres mine a wrench made for spark plug removal with the large hedders id never get out the#3#5 cylender plugs out with out it! best little tool for those hard to get plugs made from a shorty 5/8 wrench and a cut off spark plug socket check it out!
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Postby v8astregt » Wed Feb 20, 2008 8:39 pm

Hmmm... I guess I'm special! I didn't have to make any special tools for my Astre.


I've only had to make a tool once... for the LCA bolt in the back of the 67 Biscayne I'm working on. I had to cut the closed end off a 3/4" wrench, torch it and bend the handle 90*, then reweld the closed end on.


That's all I've had to make.
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Postby 73astregt » Wed Feb 20, 2008 11:37 pm

wow i cant be the only one lol. how about that special tool that someone made up to do the lower control arm bushings? come on fellas lets see your stuff maybe we can put it in best of or something to help others with these special quirks working on these cars!
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Postby hbodyfan » Thu Feb 21, 2008 7:48 am

Nice fred, I need one of those. I welded up a square out of angle iron and set my floor jack in it to make a press. This is how I pressed on my carriour bearings. It looks hoekey but works good for me. :lol:
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Postby hbodyfan » Thu Feb 21, 2008 9:41 am

Fred, I'm planning on making one of these for myself. Do you think a 12 point socket would be better?
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Postby greg72 » Thu Feb 21, 2008 10:40 am

I also have a couple of wrenches that have been modified for spark plug changes.

I have other tools that are not necessarily h-body specific. Like the long bolts with the heads cut off that I use to align manual transmissions.....makes one man tranny swaps while on your back a breeze...well easier anyway :)
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Postby spyder_xlch » Thu Feb 21, 2008 5:50 pm

In the garage we built alot of special tools but I never did any for H-bodies.
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Postby bugdewde » Thu Feb 21, 2008 5:56 pm

greg72 wrote: Like the long bolts with the heads cut off that I use to align manual transmissions.....makes one man tranny swaps while on your back a breeze...well easier anyway :)


Gotta remember that..... one of my last H-body tranny swaps was the worst swap I ever did. Hours trying to get the input shaft into the pilot bushing. Just couldn't find the right angle......... longer bolts would have helped I'm sure.
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Postby spyder_xlch » Thu Feb 21, 2008 6:03 pm

bugdewde wrote:
greg72 wrote: Like the long bolts with the heads cut off that I use to align manual transmissions.....makes one man tranny swaps while on your back a breeze...well easier anyway :)


Gotta remember that..... one of my last H-body tranny swaps was the worst swap I ever did. Hours trying to get the input shaft into the pilot bushing. Just couldn't find the right angle......... longer bolts would have helped I'm sure.
It might have also helped if you had someone push in on the clutch pedal.
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Postby bugdewde » Thu Feb 21, 2008 7:17 pm

Yep...... that probably would have helped a ton. That was on the '72 with a 3.2L V6. Swapped in a T-50 after the Sagi went south. Stout V6.
I learned that trick on this site not too long ago when I was attempting to put in a T-50 I got from Mike in Morganton, NC. Slipped right in........ :lol:
You guys on this site have been SOOOOO helpful.
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Re: .

Postby 73astregt » Thu Feb 21, 2008 8:02 pm

hbodyfan wrote:Fred, I'm planning on making one of these for myself. Do you think a 12 point socket would be better?
i thought about a twelve point but i thought it might break easier or possably slip if the plugs were in a bit too tight i have to reach up under from the front of the car to get at the#5 plug and this short wrench works great! the fellow that built my motor loaned me his wrench like this so i copied it for my future plug changes.
post pics guys so whoever needs a tool can see how it was mcgyvered lol. btw on that #5 plug i have to remove the screw on cap from the plug to get the wrench past the big hedders(1 3/4 hookers) and the end of the plug and thats with the accel shorty plug i also have to run a sock on that wire to keep from melting the boot from heat off the hedder(its real close) just enough room to get the sock past the hedder.
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Postby peterpan » Fri Feb 22, 2008 1:40 pm

the only thing i had to make isn't really h-body specific but i made it to use on a vega

i bought a vega that was locked up and no keys for it so i made a slim jim to unlock it the vega lock rod has to be pushed down to pop up the lock knob so i cut a grove in it to catch the rod pushing it down

the slim jim is about 2 feet long
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Postby patrick1151 » Fri Feb 22, 2008 1:45 pm

Dave from Dave's Vega Village told me about a tool you can make to open Astre/Vega hoods when the hood release cable breaks. I dont know if he has one still but if he does I will post pictures.
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Postby 73astregt » Fri Feb 22, 2008 7:40 pm

patrick1151 wrote:Dave from Dave's Vega Village told me about a tool you can make to open Astre/Vega hoods when the hood release cable breaks. I dont know if he has one still but if he does I will post pictures.
there now thats the kind of stuff im talking about that one little tool that might get a member out of a jam one day!
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Postby ericseattle » Sat Feb 23, 2008 6:37 am

This won't be relevant to all the V-8 guys, but if anyone is still running the 140 motor, this might help. The 140 uses the water pump to tension the timing belt, and there was a special tool to set the correct tention with a torque wrench. In all my years of Vega, I have never actually seen this tool in person. Seen photos, but never the tool itself. You can just use a pry bar and guess at the tension, but ever the stickler for correct torque, I made the tool in the pics. I cut the threads off a 1/2 inch bolt and welded the jaw from a slip-joint plier on the shaft. Slip the bolt shank into the hole in the block next to the pump, put your torque wrench on the bolt head and torque it over to the correct setting.

I decided to try making an approximation of the correct tool after I cracked an alternator housing using a pry bar to tighten the belt. I'm guessing anyone who has ever done it with a bar noticed that the natural pry point was the alternator, and if you use restraint you might get away with it. If you have my heavy-handedness, you might want to try this simple tool instead.
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