Tools that you don't use very often and didn't use them a whole lot to begin with....and had to 'relearn' it....

[Cranky]

Mine was a dial bore gauge...got it shortly before I stopped doing engines for others and used it a few times but over 20 years ago. I'm checking out a 327 old school Chevy engine (first one to ever be in my shop!!) and decided to set it up for it and.....well, took me a bit to get it right lol.

 

[Ron_M]

I'll refrain from a smart *ss answer and just say timing light.

 

[Rick@Laysons]

....my brain

....and maybe an instruction sheet every now and then too.....

 

[toolmanmike]

Mine was a dial bore gauge...got it shortly before I stopped doing engines for others and used it a few times but over 20 years ago. I'm checking out a 327 old school Chevy engine (first one to ever be in my shop!!) and decided to set it up for it and.....well, took me a bit to get it right lol.

Still have mine from my 273 build. Also a big micrometer set for cranks. A 8" long digital caliper for pushrods. Cherry picker and geared head engine stand. Valve spring compressor. Porting kit (I think) and the list goes on and on.

 

[Cranky]

....my brain

....and maybe an instruction sheet every now and then too.....

I still have the destruction sheet for the gauge but it wasn't helping lol

Still have mine from my 273 build. Also a big micrometer set for cranks. A 8" long digital caliper for pushrods. Cherry picker and geared head engine stand. Valve spring compressor. Porting kit (I think) and the list goes on and on.

I still have 99% of my machinist tools too including my mill and lathe. Thought I had someone interested in them and sent pics etc but haven't heard anything back in a week. Oh, I have a 12" dial indicator that came in handy many times. Used to have a digital 6" dial indicator but got sick of having to go buy a battery for it every blue moon that I needed to use it! Glad I kept the manual indicators....they work no matter what lol

 

[ckessel]

My metal forming equipment. Took the classes, bought the equipment, used them a little, moved, 10 years later had to relearn. Thats why I started on my floors. If they weren't perfect, no biggie as they won't get seen once they're covered. Those areas helped me get familiar with the units again so I could make my air cleaner.

 

[Cranky]

My metal forming equipment. Took the classes, bought the equipment, used them a little, moved, 10 years later had to relearn. Thats why I started on my floors. If they weren't perfect, no biggie as they won't get seen once they're covered. Those areas helped me get familiar with the units again so I could make my air cleaner.

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Oh man, I'm already missing my 48" finger brake! Wanted to fill my shop with metal tools but there was always someone in my life demanding my time or $$$$. I sold my brake about a year ago after owning it for 20+ years and am fixing to sell the shear and other shop tools. It'll be local since they are not light....

 

[ckessel]

One of the items on my want list is a stomp shear. I have access to one about 20 minutes away, so that helps. Just sometimes I like a nice, long, straight cut or cuts to start with. But yeah, one big heavy unit! I have an electric Makita unit that works well for other areas.
Soon I'll be putting a replacement 440 together for my wagon. There's a whole bunch of special tools that I'll have to relearn for that task. Several a home made units.

 

[OneWheelPeel]

My metal forming equipment. Took the classes, bought the equipment, used them a little, moved, 10 years later had to relearn. Thats why I started on my floors. If they weren't perfect, no biggie as they won't get seen once they're covered. Those areas helped me get familiar with the units again so I could make my air cleaner.

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I bought the starter version of some of those tools, like a vise mounted bead roller and a HF bending brake all to have new toys and patch my floors. Same attitude, it’s not perfect but it gets covered anyway. Some people saw the patches and said it looked good but I never know if those kinds of compliments are sincere.

The tool I’ll have to relearn is a dial gauge I made a diy mag mount for. My brain doesn’t work well with reading measurements but I got to where I could use it to set the end play on a VW engine. Thing is I haven’t touched one of those in about a decade, but I always think about it when I see that gauge stuck to the garage fridge (so it’s out of the way and can’t get hit or anything) gathering dust.

 

[Kern Dog]

I always forget the procedure to degree a camshaft. I have the tools but each time I go to do one, I have to refresh my memory about it all.
I can assemble engines without looking up torque specs, do just about any suspension-brake-steering job without help but steps to degreeing the camshaft don't stick to my brain like other stuff.

 

[OneWheelPeel]

Degreeing a cam seems like a nightmare to me, I've only done one cam swap but that was back when degreeeing wasn't so widely discussed so I just lined up the dots and was a second quicker at the dragstrip that weekend.

 

[Kern Dog]

Degreeing doesn't take long. It does help to confirm that the cam and timing set are within tolerances!
How about measuring for bell housing runout?

It sure is easier with the engine out of the car!

 

[OneWheelPeel]

Never done that but have read about it. It seemed to come into play more with the all in one hydraulic TO bearing, at least thats when I became aware of it. Then again all my clutch jobs used a stock OEM bell housing so maybe I was out of the loop.

 

[451Mopar]

Pinion depth tool. Not really how to use it, but the math for different diff bore sizes

 

[3sloppydogs]

My problem is forgetting either that that I have a certain tool or where I put it because they rarely get used. One of my summer projects was to reorganize the shop to rectify that but I was to busy. Oh well may this winter

 

[Don Frelier]

What was the question again?

 

[69Bee]

I still have the destruction sheet for the gauge but it wasn't helping lol

I still have 99% of my machinist tools too including my mill and lathe. Thought I had someone interested in them and sent pics etc but haven't heard anything back in a week. Oh, I have a 12" dial indicator that came in handy many times. Used to have a digital 6" dial indicator but got sick of having to go buy a battery for it every blue moon that I needed to use it! Glad I kept the manual indicators....they work no matter what lol

I concur with the "battery" issue! It seems that every time I get the digital caliper out, the GD display is flashing. I keep a few packs of 357 batteries in the drawer. I use the digital caliper when measuring something set up on a machine and cannot read the manual dial with my shitty eyes. What bore gauge do you have? I use a Sunnen gauge with a setting fixture and confirm with a mic that measures the desired bore or piston size, then using a shop towel in a vise, lightly clamp it in on the back of the mic to hold it. I then after the correct gauge point is selected, fine adjust the gauge dial ring to set the desired measurement. Eazy-Peezy, only done it bout 100000 times...

 

[WileE]

I'll refrain from a smart *ss answer and just say timing light.

I see what you did there ......

 

[Cranky]

I concur with the "battery" issue! It seems that every time I get the digital caliper out, the GD display is flashing. I keep a few packs of 357 batteries in the drawer. I use the digital caliper when measuring something set up on a machine and cannot read the manual dial with my shitty eyes. What bore gauge do you have? I use a Sunnen gauge with a setting fixture and confirm with a mic that measures the desired bore or piston size, then using a shop towel in a vise, lightly clamp it in on the back of the mic to hold it. I then after the correct gauge point is selected, fine adjust the gauge dial ring to set the desired measurement. Eazy-Peezy, only done it bout 100000 times...

It's a Fowler Xtender....couldn't find a model number.

 

[69Bee]

I use a $99 MSC china version of that for rough checking as the dial has a 0.005" resolution. I select the indicator point that gets you close, then select the point washer to get the desired dimension to be indicated at an appropriate place on the dial (usually around 12 o'clock) and fine adjust with a mic as described above. My Sunnen bore gauge has a 0.0001" resolution for more precise measurements for honing cylinders.