Car Parts and Accessories

Measuring tools

For taking measurements that do not need to be accurate to more than 0,5 mm, a 300 mm steel rule is adequate. It can also be useful as a straight-edge for scribing out metalwork or checking the amount of distortion in a cylinder head.

For more accurate measurements use a micrometer, or a vernier caliper which will measure accurately down to 0,01 mm. A 0-25 mm micrometer is limited to a maximum range of 25mm.

The vernier caliper is for taking internal, external and depth measurements up to 150mm and is sufficient for most do-ityour-self jobs on a car.

Spring calipers

A pair of outside spring calipers is useful for transferring measurements between the vernier caliper or metal rule and the part of the engine on which work is to be done.

Feeler gauges

A set of feeler gauges can be used for measuring the gaps in spark-plugs, contact-breaker points and valve clearances.

Electrical equipment

Circuit-tester

Electrical faults usually head the list of causes of breakdown, so carry a circuit- tester as an aid to quick diagnosis of electrical or low-tension circuit defects. Buy one with a pointed probe—rather than one with a screwdriver blade—that can be pushed through a cable’s insulation and will only make a pin-hole.

Soldering iron

A good soldering iron, preferably electric so as to maintain a constant heat level, is worth having for the maintenance of electrical equipment.

Points file

This is used for cleaning the contact points in the distributor and the spark-plug electrodes. A feeler gauge is sometimes attached to the handle of the file.

Strobe lamp

A stroboscopic timing lamp is used for checking the ignition timing of an engine.

If a mark on any rapidly rotating wheel is seen by the light of a lamp that flashes once for every rotation of the wheel, the mark will appear stationary. The timing lamp works on this principle.

On most cars there is a Top Dead Centre (TDC) mark on the crankshaft pulley at the front of the engine. Fixed to the timing-gear casing is a metal pointer.

Disconnect the HT lead to No. 1 plug and clip it to one of the lamp leads. Clip the other lamp lead to No. 1 plug—still in the cylinder head.

As the engine ticks over, the strobe lamp lights each time No 1 plug sparks. When it is shone on the engine pulley, the pointer and desired timing mark should line up if the timing is accurate. If they do not, minor adjustments can be made to the timing at the distributor.

Care of the battery

If a battery is stored for a long time, it will discharge through internal leakage. A battery charger will keep the battery in peak condition, especially during the winter. It also has a further use: a fully charged battery will produce only about two-thirds its power when cold, but half an hour on a trickle charge will warm it up, so that it can punch out full starting power.

A distilled-water filler avoids overfilling by cutting off the flow as soon as the correct level is reached.

Use a hydrometer to make a monthly check on each of the battery cells. Some hydrometers show ‘Full Charge‘, ‘Half Charge‘ and ‘Flat’; others have a graduated scale. With the latter a full charge will read between 1.270 and 1.290, a half charge will read 1-190-1.210 and a discharged battery 1.110-1-130.

Jumper leads, 2-3 m lengths of cable with crocodile clips soldered to the ends, can be used to bypass a defective circuit.

When changing a sealed-for-life battery, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Valve-spring compressor and grinding equipment

Before a valve can be removed from the engine, the valve spring must be compressed and the split collars which retain the spring cap must be withdrawn.

The tool for this job is a valve-spring compressor.

Workshop manuals usually specify which is the best spring compressor to use and illustrate the way to use it. An overhead valve is fairly easy to remove, since the cylinder head can be detached from the engine and worked on at a bench.

Car manufacturers no longer produce engines with a side valve arrangement but when encountered, they may be less accessible, unless the engine is out of the car. The cylinder head will have to be detached before they can be removed from the cylinder block.

The valve-grinding tool consists of a wooden stem with a rubber sucker pad at each end. The suckers are used to grip the valve when grinding. The grinding paste is sometimes sold in duo-tins which have coarse paste for rough grinding in one end and fine paste for polishing in the other.

Nut and stud-removers

Nuts and studs sometimes become so badly corroded or damaged that they can be removed only with purpose-made tools.

A nut-splitter works like a nut-cracker but has a hydraulically operated cutting edge capable of exerting considerable pressure.

A stud-extractor will withdraw a broken stud or bolt. Drill a hole in the broken end for about three-quarters of the stud’s diameter and most of its depth. insert the appropriate extractor and, using a wrench, turn it anti-clockwise to bring out the stud.

A stud-remover fits over the stud and a knurled wheel provides grip when the tool is used with a socket set.

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