Question for Leathermang and others regarding valve wrenches and propane torch heat.
 

Dear leathermang and everyone:

I've just bought a propane torch for $10 and wondered whether
this propane torch (about 2200 F) is able to heat a regular 14mm wrench enough so that I can hammer it into the desired shape of a valve adjusting wrench.

It seems that you removed the pic about how to make a valve adjusting wrench from the link in one of your old posts. Could you please repost that pic?

I'm not familiar with welding stuff.

Thanks a lot for your precious information.

Best regards,

Eric

I would say almost defenitely not. You could by using a oxygen actylene torch (pretty expensive), or if you got a MAPP/oxygen you may be able to do it. Propane just doesn't get hot enough.

IMHO, it isn't worth making or buying the special wrenches for this task as you only have to do it every 15k miles at most. It really isn't that bad with normal wrenches.

I do not remember intentionally removing it... give me the thread and I will see what I can do to restore it...

I also do not think that will be enough heat.. you sure do not want to bend it without it being hot enough.. that would cause cracks... but of course you are not going to be putting much pressure on them...so if you start with good metal like the Sears Craftsman one it might not matter to have some surface cracks...

If you can borrow some bent wrenches from someone to try once I think you will want some yourself.... the back cylinder is a pain even with the bent wrenches.....

....

i have one bent wrench i made with a brazed on steel pipe handle for the bottom nut, then use a regular wrench diagonally on the top nut. his A turbotorch (with the air inlets) burning MAPP gas could probably get it hot enough, maybe even the propane. the oxy acetylene torch gets a hot flame, but when you just need to get something cherry red, the concentrated neutral flame is too hot to apply directly, it is for melting metal to weld it. To just get something red you would back off the flame. I would say try the propane, if it gets it red, it should be easy enough to bend with a vice and pliers. I wouldn't worry too much about strength since you're not torquing it like crazy.

If I remember correctly I had no problem bending a couple inexpensive 14mm wrenches to use as "special valve adjusting tools". Its been a long while since I've used mapp gas. I just finished twisting and bending a 1/4" flat bar stock to make a new exhaust pipe support for the 300dt - 5spd project car, I did have to use the mapp gas torch head (on regular propane, though) just my .02 good luck, mark

Eric, the $10 propane rig probably won't do it by itself as the flame isn't concentrated enough. Those MAPP kits are pretty handy: you can go propane alone, propane and oxygen, MAPP and oxygen. A decent oxy-acetylene rig will set you back about $300 if you want to go all out. Or you can bring the picture, your wrenches, and a 12-pack to a machine shop about 30 minutes before closing time and you'll get the job done pronto. They'll use a big hydraulic press to do the bending.

Concerning the Bottom wrench... just BUY IT. I tried making one...no way for normal mortal . Must be very thin and the little holder which fits on it makes all the difference ... unless you have three arms...

I use the Hazet ones, but wonder whether these would work. Guess you would ned to buy 2 sets to get 2 14mm ones, but still inexpensive.

THose are nice and would be great in any toolbox... but I don't think they would work for this... the three items are in a line and close together,,, in fact the middle wrench needs to be ground to make it thin enough to fit between the lowest holder and the top wrench...

Dear everyone:

Thanks a lot for your precious information. My mom won't probably let me buy heavy duty oxy-acetylene welding kits (too dangerous I think).


Dear Mr. Leathermang:

Here's the link:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?threadid=42187

I could no longer find the mentioned pic at photoisland. Anyway, your picture regarding the sizes for bent wrenches in this post is great. I'm a little bit curious: is your name Greg or Calvin (Young)?

I had adjusted valve lashes on a 240D, a W116 300SD and a W126 300SD using regular 14mm wrenches. It took me about 45-60 minutes on 5-cylinder OM617 and less on 4-cylinder 240D.

I just hope that having proper bent wrenches would cut the time in half, so I've tried to get them.

Dear Mr. Thomaspin: these crowfoot flarenut wrenches won't work because you have to attach drive extensions to them, which would take up lots of space.

Best regards,

Eric

These crowfoot flarenut wrenches are great for quickly loosing the nuts on the IP's fuel supply lines, thus preventing a catastrophic WOT when you incorrectly installed an IP (as Mr. LarryBible had gone through before).

Eric

LOL.. ok I see what happened.. I am Greg... Calvin Young is a man who was in the 112 th Cavalry with my father in the Pacific during WW2. I had 100 megs of space there and they sent word that they were reducing it to 10.. so I took old stuff out....I guess I should have just put it into the thread and left it...

Eric. I used propane and oxygen to heat it up, then just bend it with a pair of pliers. I am locate in the bay area if you need to use my torch.