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Stumped- what is this tool and what was it used for?


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I think that what you "probably" have is an antique automotive valve lapping tool. Many antique automobile engines had valves with two holes in the top. A lot of different hand-operated valve lapping tools were manufactured that had two prongs that fit into the holes in the valve. The idea was that after removing the valve springs, you would apply lapping compound (grease or heavy oil with an abrasive mixed in) to the valve face and seat, and then you would use the lapping tool to rotate the valve back and forth, periodically re-applying the lapping/grinding compound as needed. The lapping compound came in different grits so that you could get a rather fine finish at the mating surfaces. It didn't produce as long-lasting of a result as, say, a proper three-angle valve grind, but it did the job. There were spiral models, geared models, hand-crank models, and even plain wooden sticks with suction cups and two-prong attachments. I'll see if I can find a picture of a spiral model, which is probably the oldest type, but in the meantime, here's a link to a picture of a geared model that would do the same job.

http://www.agcoauto.com/content/plugins/p17_image_gallery/images/64.jpg

You can still buy hand-crank valve lapping/seating tools that come with a two-prong adapter.

Al (Steamboat)

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You're welcome. I can't include the link, but if you go to the USA ebay, you can search for "antique ford valve lapping tool" (without quotes) and something similar to yours should come up, unless it's been sold by the time you try searching for it.

Al (Steamboat)

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FWIW, I should add that your lapping tool's tip could be swiveled 90 degrees to use either the two-prong tip to lap/grind the valves on cars like Model T Fords that had two holes in the top (or "head") of the valve, or or a flat tip that was probably for lapping valves on other engines that had a slot in the valve head instead of two drive holes, so I'm guessing that it was probably a 'universal' valve lapping tool, which may have come with other tips that could be switched to fit other valve configurations.

Whew! That's about as much valve-lapping esoterica as I can come up with at the moment. 

Al (Steamboat)

12 minutes ago, Charles R. Stevens said:

For most of that’s a very short drive, there Dave.

:lol:

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  • 4 weeks later...

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