The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest RENO and valve adjustment tool?

Hi....we went to the swap meet in Reno,NV it was very small compared with other years maybe it was the weather? While there and looking at several old tool booths a guy asked for a valve adjustment tool for his Chevy 235. The guy at the booth said it was the 5th time he was asked about this tool today and NO he didn't have any. Can somebody post a picture of this "special" tool? Thanks Steve

i know my ole man has used a p&g valve gapper for the last 40 some odd year's they work great .but of course the modern technology isn't made any more ,got to look at e-bay or swap meets .her is a link that talk's about it http://www.ctci.org/membership/Gilsgarage/ValveGapperInstructions.htm

This is the one I have. It was made by Snap-On, but it is not currently listed in the catalog.

Check out the Snap-on Cummins tool kit, it's in there....

I checked the '09 Snap-On catalog, it is no longer part of the Cummins kit.
The tool number, if you want to try to find one used, is V22A.

So Bill, you being a pro mecinic and one of the common sense contributors to the Bolt, maybe you can best explain this to me. I’m trying to see just how that Snap-On one is supposed to work. It looks basically like a 12 point, 5/8” box wrench with a kick up bent into it that slides over the square stem on the knob. The part that I’m having trouble with is the screwdriver. Is that keyed and spring loaded and retracts up into the stem when you push down on the knob? And what keeps the box from sliding off the end of the square stem when you break or tighten the lock nut? Is that a setscrew on the finger side of the square? I’m assuming it’s the key to keep the driver from rotating?
And it’s still a two fisted operation and I couldn’t imagine trying to keep all that on the rocker with one hand, while the engine were running and trying to get the feel of the clearance wit the other hand.
In other words, again, what is the advantage of this over a stubby and box wrench???
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

LAright Denny, here's the lowdown. The screwdriver part does indeed slide up into the square, and is spring loaded. The knob is only attached to the screwdriver part. On the square part, that's actually a 1/2 square drive, it's actually solid with the handle part. You use whatever size shallow socket that the engine would require, as it's made to be able to work with multiple engines. The item you see on the side is a ball type socket retainer, just like on a ratchet. I beleive the original intent was for use on Deisels, namely Cummins.
As far as an advantage? The knob on the top is easier to hold on to, particularly when using it on a running engine. That is the actual design intent on the tool, to be used with the engine running. When using it, the only part you hold onto is the knob, you can use your other hand to hold the feeler gauge, then once you get it set, you can lock it down with the hadle while holding it in place with the knob. It does work rather well, but doing it static, a stubby and a 5/8ths wrench does the job just as effectively.

Tks Bill, Ok so the handle that looks like a box wrench is must that, a lever to drive the socket, I see.
Think I'll just stick with what I'm used to for now...
DG

Longbox, I have one that looks like you describe, I have used it countless times, works great to adjust valves on a running engine. I have a 5/8" socket for the lock nut and the spring loaded "screwdriver" goes into the slot on the adjusting screw. The bad part about using it while the engine is running is the feeler gauge gets chewed up, but you can get the valves set just right very easily. I bought mine for my first car (a 1937 Chevrolet with a 216 engine) in 1949, and it is as good as new.

The Snapon tool was discontinued a long time ago. I still have a 50 year old one, but I see them on eBay all the time. I always adjust valves with the engine running. The lever allows me to loosen or tighten the lock nut while the knob allows me to adjust the valve. This leaves the other hand free to "feel" the gap with a feeler gauge. I just can't imagine adjusting valves on a Jimmy or a Y-Block without the tool.