CMP restoration tools

[Luke R]

Vice grips, lots of different sized vice grips!

Luke

[hrpearce]

Besides the normal ring/open end spanners to 1" and 24mm and matching sockets, I have a af/metric 3/4" drive set of sockets, 12",18",24" shifters. Fortunately my Father in law was a trucker so he had a good range of hub sockets.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Ryan

Good idea for a restoration topic. You are correct about there being special tools listed in manuals. If you look at the regular vehicle manuals of the day you will see that they are the, in many cases, same as what is shown in CMP manuals. As been pointed out many of these tools turn up on e-bay some at high prices some less than what you would pay for a Chinese knock off from the local discount auto parts store.

Many of these can work around with common tools but the second or third time you go to work on the same component then the time to find or make the special tools becomes worth while. Here is a link to some of the special tools I've found useful. Some of these have to do with the fact that I can no longer just pick up a CMP brake drum. http://canadianmilitarypattern.com/Tools.html

Top on my list is Axle Nut Sockets, I've seen to many axle nuts that you can tell were removed or installed with a chisel. Really good sockets the forged type are best but the stamped steel work fine also. Picture below is of the one I carry in my HUP it has been modified to handle both front and rear axles, yes they used two different sizes.
HUPAxleSocketFrontRearv2W.jpg


The other thing to consider in this topic is how do you rig to pick up some of the major components.


Cheers Phil

[Ryan]

Great link Phil, thank you, some terrific ideas you have come up with.
I had to laugh when you write about the weight of components. I'm yet to find that light weight part too.
My biggest help to date in the shed has been the 1ton gantry I bought second hand off ebay. It has made lifting parts so much easier as it is safer for me and enables you to do work that would otherwise require multiple people.

[Jacques Reed]

Originally Posted by Phil Waterman

Hi Ryan
The other thing to consider in this topic is how do you rig to pick up some of the major components.

Here's something to start the ball rolling. This is a lifting frame I made a few years back to lift Ford sidevalve V8's with or without the transmission attached. It only requires the intake manifold to be removed. (See attached photos)
I borrowed the idea from the Ford CMP Maintenance Manual where they use a steel block placed inside the valve gallery to lift the engine and transmission as a unit.

Basically it is a piece of 75 mm x 50 mm RHS steel with two 75mm x 75mm x 5 mm steel angles welded to it. I drilled 8 holes in the angles to spread the load over a large area of the top of the block using the intake mainifold for their spacing, two holes front and back, four in the middle. Drilled a series of holes 55 mm apart and used a spare towing shackle to the crane via a smaller shackle. Depending on lifting a bare block, a full block, or one with the trans attached I select one of the four holes. By dumb luck the last hole at the rear was the perfect balance point for engine and trans attached. It is 115 mm from the end of the frame.

Works well in confined areas.

Cheers,

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Jacques

Like your lifting attachment, notice that you have marked which hole to use for lifting what. How do you find the rolling lifts works for reaching into F15As engine compartment to get the engine?

I've marked my engine leveler the same way, so I know where to drive the lift screw attachment leveling point for the Chevy engine alone or with transmission. Recently I added the marks for a big Ford Flathead V8 engine.

Cheers Phil

[Jacques Reed]

Originally Posted by Phil Waterman

How do you find the rolling lifts works for reaching into F15As engine compartment to get the engine?
Cheers Phil

Hi Phil,

It works well. The engine crane is an older one from the nineties, non-foldable, with longer extendable legs and a longer than average extendable jib so it reaches in fine.

Most of the newer ones on the market have folding legs and a shorter jib to take up less space. I am not sure that they would have adequate outreach. Luckily I did not sell it for a newer one even though it has annoyed me for years taking up a lot of floor space. Anyway it gave me a good excuse to put up a second shed for it, and other bulky items!

Cheers, and a happy New Year to all MLU Forum members!

[Phil Waterman]

Hi All

Got another restoration tool to add to the collection. I have never liked the common engine rotisserie because they generally just bolt up to one end of the engine which puts a lot of load on just 4 bolts going into the cast iron.

Particularly with the Chevy 6 that's a lot of length and a lot of weight. See picture of 261 engine on stand upside down.

Well when I started working with a Flat Head engine which while shorter, are heavier in this particular case, decided it was time to fully support both ends of the engine. The second photos shows what I came up with an adjustable front support, now the engine rotates very easily as it does not have the bending load on the single pipe swivel used in the standard commercial unit.

One afternoons work and now I wonder why didn't do it earlier. The only real time consuming part was making front adjustable in height because the commercial units actually have a 6-7 degree up angle in the swivel to compensate for the bending force when the engine is bolted on. So to take a 6 cylinder or a V8 you need to be able to raise/lower the front swivel so that it is line with the rear at the correct length.



Cheers Phil

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Does lifting a CMP Chev transmission with your knee while aligning it into the bell housing and swatting mosquitos at the same time count? How about a 'wife', used to catch a thread or two as you lift a transfer case into position? She has to be quick because you can only heist that beast up there for a few seconds at a time.

How I survived my early CMP restoring days I do not know.

[Jacques Reed]

Hi Bruce,

You are a brave man using a wife to help. I gave up asking mine 20 tears, I mean 20 years ago.

We are still together after 44 years but a few arguments while holding awkward or heavy objects and trying to explain things without being able to point to what I wanted convinced me it was a recipe for a divorce. Better to work alone.

Spending money on lifting equipment is cheaper in the long run, saves the marriage and saves my back too.

Cheers,

[Jacques Reed]

Good Day,

Here is something I made up this afternoon.
This is a more robust and safer means of holding the single speed transfer case for installing or removal than the jury rigged method I used recently to remove one.

No doubt a similar one could be made from scrap timber for the dual range transfer case on the larger CMP trucks.

The case is placed under the truck in the lowered position to clear fuel tanks. Once past the lowest point the case is raised into the correct position for the mounting holes. Lifting the jackshaft end of the case is quite easy on the table as most of the weight is on the driveshafts' end.

The folding support arm is made long enough that the case has to be lifted slightly past the resting point so that the arm can be dropped into the pocket between the ribs on the case. Once dropped into the pocket the case is lowered back against it providing a secure brace.

The hole is 1-1/8" diameter to clear the drain plug and allow the case to rest evenly on the lower ribs.

Hope this is of some interest.

Cheers,

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Jacques

The simplicity of your design is pure artistry, anybody planning on trying to remove/install the transfer case should be taking a look at your design.

It is one of those tools that once you make it you hang one the wall of the shop just so you have it next time you need it. I'll be looking at it to see what changes to make it fit the C60 series.

Thanks for sharing.

Cheers Phil

[Jacques Reed]

Hi Phil,

Thanks for your comments.

Like all devices the design evolved over the afternoon.

Clearances of bolt heads in the raised and lowered position required the 45 degree slope cut on the rear locating batten.
The larger block of wood was added on the front side to give support to the declutch shaft carrier, and therefore more stability in the raised position.
The square block of wood on the base was added to raise it slightly to enable a lifting strop to be passed underneath if no one was available to help lift it in or out of the holder.
And finally, the block of wood was added under the hinge on the base to raise it to the same height as the square block to enable it to lay flat for storage- on the wall until next required!

Cheers,