Wide opening adjustable spanner recommendation?

[1969Mk3Spitfire]

I need to check and adjust the tappets. I plan to remove the spark plugs for ease of engine rotation. The crank pulley nut is about 40mm AF and I don’t have a spanner. I’ve been looking at wide opening adjustable spanner but the choice is huge. I don’t want a cheap and nasty tool but neither do I want to remortgage the house.

Any suggestions, alternatives, too?

[NonMember]

I got myself a socket of the correct size (an inch and five eighths?) which wasn't overly expensive. Not that I have a car that it fits any more - my Spitfire has a 1500 engine which has a bigger nut. I also have a socket for that but it's a 3/4" drive and too deep to fit behind the radiator. If I'm adjusting tappets I put the car in 4th and roll it forwards to turn the engine.

[Pete Lewis]

+1 for in  4th  gear and push

get the cam on compression stroke and you only turn the engine once    and gap both valves together  rather than  rule of 9

Pete

[dougbgt6]

+2 for the 4th gear and push, I've a GT6 with a 6 pot, a big lump. I don't take the plugs out and at a lethargic 73 it's easy enough. However if it's a problem, easy enough to get a push?

When I first got my GT6 a had a flat battery and jump started it, on my own , in a car park, whish I had that energy now! 

Doug

[Badwolf]

I just bought a cheap and cheerful adjustable wrench that was big enough thinking that I would only use it for turning over the engine with it. It lives in the 'car tools special' box and as it only gets very limited use on an engine that turns over easily there is little danger of damaging the pulley nut or breaking the wrench.

[AndyTV8]

I’m also an advocate of the ‘stick it in 4th and move the car’ method - I don’t think I’ve ever bothered manually turning the crank with an spanner/socket.

if you want to do it that way I’d have thought a socket on a breaker-bar would need the least effort.

...... Andy 

 

[Peter Truman]

agree 3/4th plugs out and roll the car,

attached is a photo re in the USA a selection of adjustable's WHY would adjustable spabnners go up in 1mm increments??

[Chris A]

5 hours ago, Peter Truman said:

attached is a photo re in the USA a selection of adjustable's WHY would adjustable spabnners go up in 1mm increments??

I agree no need to do that. You can go,say, 10mm to 30, 20 to 50 .....

[NonMember]

6 hours ago, Peter Truman said:

attached is a photo re in the USA a selection of adjustable's WHY would adjustable spabnners go up in 1mm increments

Because it's a meme, not a real thing

[Peter Truman]

Oops not heard of that word before, nowt like ignorance is there!

[Pete Lewis]

another alternative is some giant gland nut pliers    good for stubborn oil filters   might be knuckle skinning on a crank nut 

Pete

[1969Mk3Spitfire]

For once I've chosen to ignore the sage advice of the forum..........at my peril 😵

4th gear, rolling the car sounds a bit hit and miss.

There's no way to fit a socket without fouling the radiator.  I don't mind removing the plugs, good to keep an eye on the mixture and I'll give them a clean before refitting.

For a long time I've thought about buying a wide jaw adjustable for another application (that floats) so this has tipped the balance.

Many thanks for the input, always appreciated, especially the anecdotes. 

[1969Mk3Spitfire]

 

4 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said:

another alternative is some giant gland nut pliers    good for stubborn oil filters   might be knuckle skinning on a crank nut 

Pete

A bit of drift......are these any good?

Having only returned to the fold for more than one year, I have only serviced my car once.  It had only done a couple of hundred miles since restoration, by previous owner, but I thought that changing the filter would be wise.  I used a chain wrench remover, purchased in the early 1970s and last used about 40 years ago.  I almost destroyed the filter before it finally budged.  The metal housing looked to have been made from recycled one and a half thou feeler gauges.  Is there good access for giant gland nut pliers.......pictures? recommendation?

[Clive]

I bought one of these, or at least similar. Branded Goodyear, though not convinced. Work a treat. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174885181781?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item28b7f81955:g:YNoAAOSwur9g8D4M&amdata=enc%3AAQAGAAACkPYe5NmHp%2B2JMhMi7yxGiTJkPrKr5t53CooMSQt2orsSDAeS9EQtjPGVfKXTxF0%2BjtFBqXNSSdpuEZjwBunqGKEBkYxREzd3cXElC3ZkPmI9LTFxrPZ2L3lh79SF%2BUuVNAbbqWlUYOqm3h00xIT5OopK0PE1hdlBUurw6Bj2BtB8r%2BDjWUXeecWzhImiHjZXZocUHStgQ9JFkQTJ%2Biydz2fFMsmKulLcN%2FkXmJM7zzpdFc2jALg6Ksox9x9UJKD2%2BHGHhVre%2FAlNtPbjTjmaF9ffoiQGGz1P33Zsxf2ubOrACIwB50GETFaFKhUTXh3PRxXvjYSI1D2dcycr%2FacBjSr5%2FA%2BypMfEsgzzs0E9gxlAEK6bJG%2FjMfjax%2FVslrfVCBXg%2FeRS37UjCSWsNMeFgpdS6iy9ldE8a5FWeFNUBm9t1LxuQ6mt5jC%2B25ib031u9Y7Gklxlae5da97z9zvu4lpe9ptZG75Gm9c0K4UkcrxDPDDc4rmtoYVtVmG3U8gZTAmynn%2BRE2qw%2BTHx8yHKSs2LcbQTM3x46Uy84Yo7AxlyuRmrous4cYDfP0G9QTHSgf61Wk7E4Zq7MpLOcPEUub3ZZ8oYl6f6AhlBvhBoY%2BLQn8yQ7nKyJOlN9E%2FAW2lJr5cMY%2F%2FhU6IXUYE86QPyt1uVLU0JPwqmzftV8gHMGVDoZkckIali%2FqeNy8VuzYLdQ4XlK6qYkk%2Ftc5L0taJuqR%2BZ9duV9f7Uazm3zAbgXeLmIDd8qTidrT7rwPOc5Te5DvOiLAABi9rYm3Dl%2BC9xJg%2FWceQ3MCkDjVfaww5ZuCFXuXZ6yB%2FQlVFxoY%2B3k0jHj5K%2FyrZH0EbNaTAh7P7OxboE4TIkmqVhcqH%2BikGgf1X3|ampid%3APL_CLK|clp%3A2334524

 

[JohnD]

That will be fine for your Triumph.

But you will. of course, need a Metric one for your modern.

JOhn

[steveweblin]

Get on eBay and buy a used good brand adjustable. Probably similar price to a modern item but you just know the thing will be precise fit with little or no slop in the jaws.

Or use it as an excuse for a rummage at an autojumble.

[ahebron]

7 hours ago, Peter Truman said:

agree 3/4th plugs out and roll the car,

attached is a photo re in the USA a selection of adjustable's WHY would adjustable spabnners go up in 1mm increments??

I was a bit concerned they had no imperial till I looked at the bottom of the photo!

[dougbgt6]

I bought one of these to budge a stubborn oil filter canisters, but last used on a toilet cistern, very useful. 

Doug

[NonMember]

1 hour ago, 1969Mk3Spitfire said:

I used a chain wrench remover

Presumably like the one in Doug's photo? I detest those. In my experience they rarely work and always wreck the filter in the process. I use a fabric strap type on a socket set, like this one. Much more reliable and doesn't make holes in the side of the filter.

[1969Mk3Spitfire]

Yes, my chain wrench is similar to the one posted by Doug. Despite having owned it for almost 50 years, it’s still in its original package.

I have a bright orange plastic one with rubber strap, bought from the Pound Shop a few years ago. I don’t have it at home, unfortunately, it’s kept on the floating money pit. It is remarkably good.

My favourite tool anecdote concerns Mole Grips. I was issued with a pair when I started my apprenticeship in Sept 71. We were told that they were tools of last resort, that’s there is almost always something more appropriate. 50 years later I still have them, wrapped in their VPI paper, still in their box, unused.

[dougbgt6]

34 minutes ago, NonMember said:

they rarely work and always wreck the filter in the process.

How does it not work? It's a very crude mechanism, mine always works! And I don't care if it wrecks the filter, the filter's coming off! Filters going on are hand tight. A chamois leather lining works well with things I don't want to damage. Mole grips? I love 'em! 

Doug

[Colin Lindsay]

It used to be the done thing to hammer a screwdriver through the filer and twist off; probably too many H&S rules these days to allow that.

[Peter Truman]

colin the solution when the others have failed, been a while since I had to resort the brute force and ignorance.

[Pete Lewis]

my 15"  with a 3.5" adjust slot  pliers came from Aldi some years ago for less tah a fiver,

the chain wrench chain failed so it got replaced witha bit of motor cycle chain thats lasted years 

Pete

[NonMember]

10 minutes ago, dougbgt6 said:

How does it not work? It's a very crude mechanism, mine always works! And I don't care if it wrecks the filter

It doesn't work because it wrecks the filter and then the torque doesn't get transferred to the screw thread. Then you have a ghastly mess on your hands. I may not want to re-use the filter but I'd rather its contents stayed inside it until I've disposed of it.

Also, the way the handle is done makes for really awkward access on a Spitfire (or Toledo even) whereas the strap type is turned from a convenient place.