The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Neat little everday, do everything, universal tool

I don’t know if I have ever posted about this little tool before but was using it today and thought I would share it with you guys. In my tool box I have my drawers laid out with the most used tools in the top drawer, going on down to the least used in a little drawer at the bottom of my side box. Over the years tools have migrated around from used often to replaced with better and never used, literally taken from the box and brought home to use there. So to be in the top drawer, you better be one hot tool, one used every single time the box is opened. This little device is just that, it is so useful it was moved up to the top drawer and never looked back. I have bought similar ones with longer tips or a little different shape, but none come close to this MAC SP29A.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa167/BasicsofBasics/100_0204.jpg

I couldn’t find it on the MAC web site so I don’t know if it is still available. I have seen many other brands and very similar styles available elsewhere. I believe it’s intended use is a cotter pin removal tool.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa167/BasicsofBasics/100_0208.jpg

But it is MUCH more, I use this thing everyday and on most every single car I work on.
One of the most amazing finds was when I discovered how it could be used to remove the clip that holds the lock cyl in on the Honda door handles. These clips are particularly difficult to remove. With this tool it is a piece of cake, just hook it up under the metal bracket on the handle and twist the tool, the clip comes right out.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa167/BasicsofBasics/100_0206.jpg

Here is an example (sorry I didn’t have a Honda handle apart today the day I took these photos) where the clip is hidden under this metal. You can sneak up and grab it lickity split.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa167/BasicsofBasics/100_0207.jpg

Though I use this tool every day for MANY different things, from straightening out edges of metal around a hole to lining up a hole with a nut for the bolt. This is without a doubt the thing I use it the most with though, removing “J” nuts. I have bought a number of tools over the years to remove them, they all were CRAP. Nothing even came close to this hook tool. Just stick the point under the little spring and rotate the tool pulling the spring up.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa167/BasicsofBasics/100_0205.jpg

This is a must have in my tool box. I have one at home as well, just can’t do a darn thing on a car without it.

Brian

Got'em here Brian.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00996271000P?keyword=cotter+pin+hook
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00947077000P?mv=rr

Sears used to sell their own brand and they were a lot better made than these are today.
DG

...... this reminds me of my DENTAL tools I have. They are not in my "top drawer" but lay on the front edge of the bottom cabinet.
My dentist supplies me with his old pics and such and its amazing how many times I use the pic or the little scrapper things. Last visit the gave me another pack of them he saved for me. I give them to my friends when they come in the shop and say "whats these"... and I say,.... I also clean teeth, have a seat

Lucky to have a dentist that will take the time to do that Alvin.
I've been asking my dentist for 20 years to save me any old tools and he's never come across with any. "...I also clean, teeth, have a seat", do you cut hair also????
DG

I have had one of those for over 20 years and allways said I would be lost without it. I saw one on ebay last week in a 4 piece set and bought another one. I think Mac still makes them but the handle is different on the new ones. they call it a cotter key remover. I have put that hook in a bind several times, that tool is very strong. also on the list is my pocket screwdriver, the ones the tool companies give away, can't work without it.