I have been cleaning out my garage and came across tools that no longer have a use.
Oil can spout. This was useful when we had round metal oil cans. The device would puncture the top of the oil can and the spout would allow the oil to be poured into the engine. Today, oil is in plastic bottles with a built in spout.
Tool to remove window crank clip. This is a flat steel tool that could be slipped between the window crank and the inner door panel. Pushing down on the devicce forced the clip off the window crank and allowed it to be removed. Most cars today have power windows.
Dwell meter. This was used to adjust the distributor points. Todayās cars donāt have distributors
Battery syringe for adding distilled water to a battery. Most batteries are sealed. However the syringe has other uses.
Tripod bumper jack.
What other commonly used automotive tools do you remember that were used on earlier cars that arenāt used on modern cars?
I have two older cars, both have distributors, both drum brakes on at least two wheels, and one has mechanical ignition points, so still need , own, and use many of those tools. I donāt have a window clip removal tool, but if I did Iād probably use it. Instead I wrap a length of old cotton t-shirt material around the base of the crank and move it back and forth until the clip eventually pops off. Years ago my dad had one of those L-shaped tools to hand crank a Ford Model T. He had no Model T though. I think he had one as a teenager. I think I probably have that somewhere in storage. What about those Simpson volt/ohm meters? The kind with a big dial on them? I have two, and still use them occasionally. They work better than a digital volt meter if I want to measure a voltage that is changing rapidly, like measuring a starter motor during cranking. I own two of those 60 hz transformer-based really heavy battery chargers. The new ones use some kind of digital switching power supply so they donāt need to be as heavy, but my heavy ones do the job ok. I wish I had the screw-driver type tool that makes it easy to adjust the idle mixture adjustment screws on my truckās carb.
Tappet wrenches, wheel pullers for old Mopars and Hudsons. I wonder what happened to all of those? Every gas station used to do repairs and had one. One tool that is still very useful, but I donāt see anyone using anymore is a vacuum gauge. I see Dealerships claiming they canāt fix anything unless it throws a code. A vacuum leak doesnāt always throw a code. Distributor wrenches, Ignition wrench sets and points files, the little 2 pc capsule you used to lubricate the rubbing block on the points
I still have 2 bumper jacks in my garage, along with some chains and hooks. Can be very useful for removing fenceposts set in concrete that need to be removed or getting large shrub or tree roots to break when you have cut all the ones you can see.
The window crank tool is still in regular use for me, we do fleet work for a local utility that has several bare bones work trucks. And the occasional cheapster customer who buys bottom of the line cars. We have a customer, 40,000 miles on his 1992 Accord. Didnāt even spring for painted bumpers or a radio.
The dwell meter has other uses. It was used regularly on all GM cars with computer controlled carburetors to adjust the mixture control solenoid. The carburetor was set properly when the Mixture Control Dwell was 30 degrees.
Iām glad to see Iām not the only one using automotive tools as landscaping aids. We installed a 500 pound fountain made by drilling a hole in a boulder. Instead of renting a bobcat, I just laid some boards down and brought out the shop crane. The neighbors were highly amused but it worked very well!
I need that window crank removal tool if youāre throwing it out! My 2005 truck is a base model. Love the rubber floors and non push button 4wd. Wouldnāt mind power windows or the larger V8, though.
My window crank removal tool is a shop rag slid behind the window crank. Put the rag behind the crank and move it back and forth like youāre trying to polish the stud the crank is attached to. Eventually the rag will catch the ends of the clip that holds the window crank on, and the clip will come off. The only downside - sometimes that clip goes airborne to unknown destinations. Last time I did this, the clip bounced off the shop ceiling and landed in an open toolbox tray in front of the truck. I had given up looking for it and started cleaning up and putting up tools. It was just sitting in the toolbox drawer waiting for me
I thought every one used a shop rag to remove window cranks that use the hair pin.
A few years ago after getting rid of all the books I cleaned out all the custom bent and ground down combination wrenches and scrapped most of them. They filled a 5 gallon pail to overflowing. I still have a row of special tools for installing and adjusting accessory and timing belts on the wall. Some day someone will see all the junk and wonder what it is. Maybe someone will post a picture of some of the odd tools on the internet and ask if anyone knows what they are. The Mopar timing belt weighted tensioner might be a tough one.
I think I have an old hand crank for a ford, my best guess as to what it is. I had a yardstick up at the cabins with holes in it evidently for ā36ā wooden ruler for the antique automobile memorabilia collector. 16 numbered holes for the engine mechanic to keep track of the valve positions in old flat head engine overhaul. " Someone tossed it or hid it, not sure.
I donāt know how many Mopar timing belts I did back when those were still on the road, but somehow I managed to get the timing belt installed without that specialty tool.
