Help Locating Cylinder Head Nut Spanner - BMC 1.5

[wannabefree]

Hi.

 

(I'm in Cambs by the way).

 

Can anyone suggest where I can buy one of these either in the 'real world' or over the Internet? It's the curvey spanner for removing the cylinder head nuts. I seem to remember reading somewhere that it's called a "crow's foot spanner".

 

I wouldn't ask if I hadn't already tried searching the Internet with no luck.

 

Thanks,

 

Alex

[wannabefree]

This is what it looks like, image taken from a reproduction manual from ASAP supplies:

 

 

 

Edited April 20, 2009 by wannabefree

[buggsy]

Hi.

 

(I'm in Cambs by the way).

 

Can anyone suggest where I can buy one of these either in the 'real world' or over the Internet? It's the curvey spanner for removing the cylinder head nuts. I seem to remember reading somewhere that it's called a "crow's foot spanner".

 

I wouldn't ask if I hadn't already tried searching the Internet with no luck.

 

Thanks,

 

Alex

 

Hi mate,

 

try contacting Calcutt boats

 

i think they should be able to help.

 

cheers,

 

Steve

[Timleech]

Hi.

 

(I'm in Cambs by the way).

 

Can anyone suggest where I can buy one of these either in the 'real world' or over the Internet? It's the curvey spanner for removing the cylinder head nuts. I seem to remember reading somewhere that it's called a "crow's foot spanner".

 

I wouldn't ask if I hadn't already tried searching the Internet with no luck.

 

Thanks,

 

Alex

 

Try looking on ebay or elsewhere for 'crow foot spanner' rather than 'crow's foot'

 

Tim

[NBMike]

How about a deep socket (or medium depth socket) and a wobble bar on a standard rachet driver.

[wannabefree]

Thanks for the replies. I edited my post to add an image.

 

I'll try Calcutt Boats in the morning.

 

All of the crows foot spanners I can find on the Internet look very different from the BMC tool picture above. I'm not sure I would be able to access the cylinder head bolts located directly under the rocker shaft with them. Maybe I'm wrong?

 

Same problem with the wobble bar suggestion, I think. Why is it called a wobble bar anyway?

Edited April 20, 2009 by wannabefree

[Smelly]

Screwfix sold crowfoot spanners last time I looked. I do know that the BMC ones are Whitworth so it might be a struggle to find a perfcik fit, otherwise I have seen them on ebay occasionally.

[Timleech]

Screwfix sold crowfoot spanners last time I looked. I do know that the BMC ones are Whitworth so it might be a struggle to find a perfcik fit, otherwise I have seen them on ebay occasionally.

 

Are you sure they're Whit?

Unified is much more likely. (inch AF sizes)

 

Tim

[LEO]

Hi,

 

I got one from Snap On, had to file it down a bit,but it did the job perfectly. Offered it for sale on CWDF, eventually sold to a guy form Spain for 30Eu.

 

There was some discussion at the time as to the need to use a special spanner and there is a method to slacken/tighten the nuts without one, but for the normal person it's best to use one.

 

Hope you track one down - it's use certainly saved me a lot of trouble

 

They are AF sizes.

 

Leo

[Tony Brooks]

Hi,

 

I got one from Snap On, had to file it down a bit,but it did the job perfectly. Offered it for sale on CWDF, eventually sold to a guy form Spain for 30Eu.

 

There was some discussion at the time as to the need to use a special spanner and there is a method to slacken/tighten the nuts without one, but for the normal person it's best to use one.

 

Hope you track one down - it's use certainly saved me a lot of trouble

 

They are AF sizes.

 

Leo

 

 

5/8 AF from memory.

 

If all else fails and you like jigsaws then it has been known for the valve adjusters to be fully slackened off and the rocker shaft withdrawn from the posts. Then lift the rockers, springs and washers out of the way and you have easy access with an ordinary socket. Having never done it that way I can not be sure, but you might need an assistant using a hammer handle to push the odd valve down though.

[wannabefree]

Hi,

 

I got one from Snap On, had to file it down a bit,but it did the job perfectly. Offered it for sale on CWDF, eventually sold to a guy form Spain for 30Eu.

 

There was some discussion at the time as to the need to use a special spanner and there is a method to slacken/tighten the nuts without one, but for the normal person it's best to use one.

 

Hope you track one down - it's use certainly saved me a lot of trouble

 

They are AF sizes.

 

Leo

 

 

 

I spoke to Calcutt Boats and they suggested I try snap on too.

 

Are you able to post a link to the product that you bought from them please? Does it look like the image above?

 

I'll keep trying to find it on snap on but I'm struggling to navigate the site.

 

Thanks,

 

Alex

[LEO]

I spoke to Calcutt Boats and they suggested I try snap on too.

 

Are you able to post a link to the product that you bought from them please? Does it look like the image above?

 

I'll keep trying to find it on snap on but I'm struggling to navigate the site.

 

Thanks,

 

Alex

 

Hi,

 

Looks just like the one in the picture. I bought it about 14 years ago and it was hanging in the garage for years, a change of boat meant it was no longer needed.

 

I followed and stopped a SnapOn tool seller's van and went through his catalogue when I purchased mine. I will have a look at their website as well

 

5/8ths is the correct size.

 

Leo.

 

Hi,

have just been talking to AMC, (where I used to get my BMC bits from) special spanners no longer available, you might get some thing from Snap On or buy a 'Wrench' Crows foot from them, AMC siad it was a 9/16thUNF, but I think I used a 5/8ths AF. On the 'Land of the Free' website for Snap On they came out at about $21 each.

 

Leo.

 

psot editted to update info.

Edited April 21, 2009 by LEO

[wannabefree]

I'm not making much progress in my search for the right tool or indeed any tool. In fact I'm going backwards.

 

I bought this: crow foot spanner 5/8 AF from ebay in the end - yet it's 1 or 2mm too small so I am very confused.

 

In any case even if it did fit the tool doesn't allow the access I need to get the nuts off under the rocker shaft.

 

Could someone who knows for sure advise me of the correct size please? What's the difference between A/F and UNF?

 

This really is frustrating - nobody I call can help.

[Big Steve]

If you know the nut size it should be easy to make one from a cranked ring spanner, get it hot and hammer it to shape.

 

AF is the size across the flats of the nut, UNF is the thread form and diameter of the bolt. So a 5/16 UNF bolt might be 1/2"AF

 

Metric bolts are measured AF when it comes to spanners, ie a 6mm bolt might take a 10mm spanner.

 

Whitworth are done the other way, ie a 3/8Whit spanner will fit a whit bolt with a 3/8" dia,the actual AF size is .71"

 

One place to try might be the MG owners club, I believe the B engine is basically the same as the diesel.

Edited April 30, 2009 by Big Steve

[LEO]

If you know the nut size it should be easy to make one from a cranked ring spanner, get it hot and hammer it to shape.

 

Hi,

 

I tried to make a suitable spanner along the lines you suggest, it did not work. To get the correct size, try different sockets from a set until you get one that fits the c/h nuts.

 

Will the 'Crows foot' spanner you bought not fit following some 'adjustment' with a file or grinder?

 

Leo

[Albion]

wannabefree said:

I'm not making much progress in my search for the right tool or indeed any tool. In fact I'm going backwards.

I am very confused.

snipped

 

In any case even if it did fit the tool doesn't allow the access I need to get the nuts off under the rocker shaft.

 

Could someone who knows for sure advise me of the correct size please? What's the difference between A/F and UNF?

 

 

I have the pukka Churchill special ring crow's foot, double hex pattern (Part number 18G 694A) that I used for exactly the same job when I rebuilt my BMC 1.8 some years ago. It appears to be 11/16 AF but I'm not sure whether that is the same on the 1.5.

I tried to post a picture of it here but I can't get it to work from my browser (as indeed I can't get the Quote button to work either). If you PM me I'll send the picture so that you can see what it looks like, unless you know that the 18G 694A is not suitable for the 1.5.

Roger

[wannabefree]

Hi all.

 

Thanks for the information, suggestions and leads. I'm investigating them all.

 

When I do eventually source the right tool for the job I'll post a link on here for anyone else reading this thread in the future.

 

Thanks again,

 

Alex

[ditchcrawler]

I'm not making much progress in my search for the right tool or indeed any tool. In fact I'm going backwards.

 

I bought this: crow foot spanner 5/8 AF from ebay in the end - yet it's 1 or 2mm too small so I am very confused.

 

In any case even if it did fit the tool doesn't allow the access I need to get the nuts off under the rocker shaft.

 

Could someone who knows for sure advise me of the correct size please? What's the difference between A/F and UNF?

 

This really is frustrating - nobody I call can help.

It looks as if you can get them in Australia

http://www.bmcno.org/notices-MG%20T%20and%...Tool%20Kits.htm

 

Googleing brought up several wanted adds for them so you are not alone.

[Big COL]

Google Cromwell Tools

Cromwell sell crowfoots. If they haven't got the right size in stock they can usually supply one within a couple of days.

Possibly the very spanner you are after. Worth a telephone call

 

Colin

[Speedwell]

You don't need this spanner to remove or refit the head. Some of the head bolts go through the rocker shaft so you have to remove it to to remove the head. The difficult bolts are then exposed. The head can be refitted in the same way. The special spanner is useful if you want to re-tighten the head after an engine run as recommended. I compromised on mine by torquing the difficult bolts to a slightly higher torque than specified and not re-tightening them. Most of the bolts can be re-tightened with an ordinary socket.

Arthur

[Big Steve]

I've got a 1500BMC in the shed, just been out to measure it, and the bolts definitely accept a 11/16 AF spanner.

 

It looks easy to remove the rocker shaft and remove the head that way, but this will compromise the tightening order. I think that is pretty important.

 

Just found this tip on an engine site

 

ROCKER ASSEMBLY REMOVAL: Design, engineering, and good mechanical sense does not allow for the rocker assembly to be removed from the A or B series engines without replacing the head gasket. However, after EXTENSIVE FIELD experimentation, I can assure you that removing the rocker assy poses no threat to the head gasket. But remove the 5/16 nuts on the studs, THEN the head nuts.

Edited May 2, 2009 by Big Steve

[wannabefree]

I've got a 1500BMC in the shed, just been out to measure it, and the bolts definitely accept a 11/16 AF spanner.

 

It looks easy to remove the rocker shaft and remove the head that way, but this will compromise the tightening order. I think that is pretty important.

 

Just found this tip on an engine site

 

ROCKER ASSEMBLY REMOVAL: Design, engineering, and good mechanical sense does not allow for the rocker assembly to be removed from the A or B series engines without replacing the head gasket. However, after EXTENSIVE FIELD experimentation, I can assure you that removing the rocker assy poses no threat to the head gasket. But remove the 5/16 nuts on the studs, THEN the head nuts.

 

 

Thank you all for your efforts helping me in my attempt to locate this BMC tool.

 

I was unable to get one so I removed the rocker shaft in order to gain access to the bolts. Going by the book with the tightening order shall not be possible but I'm resigned to risking it.

 

I'm getting a proper engineer to have a look at the head and gasket to diagnose what the problem is with the engine - but that's another thread.

 

Thanks again,

 

Alex