[MB968]

[quote name='Cloud9...68' timestamp='1330324178' post='122471']

Also, I haven't yet found any bent extensions online as of yet. I'll call some of the local specialty tool places in town tomorrow, and if they don't have anything, I'll build my own, using the ideas of the people who have responded here.

[/quote]



Thought I'd better edit this post, as I just realized from the shank sizes below that the extension is for mounting the indicator, not an indicator extension. I like the previous post which suggests just taking a straight extension and bending the end. That's probably the best way to get around the cam.



For future ref. I think you'll find McMaster-Carr has one of the better selections for dial indicators and accessories.



My original post follows:



When I pulled up the McMaster-Carr site yesterday, I seem to recall a multipiece extension. It has two joints that each can be locked at an angle to make it go around things. Check it out on their web site under dial indicator accessories. Here's a copy/paste from the site:



Double-Jointed Attachment



Flexes in two directions. Has one 1/4" dia. shank and one 3/8" dia. shank. Length is 5 3/8".

Each

1987A19

$18.51

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[Cloud9...68]

I found a piece of copper tubing at Lowes that fits nice and snugly around the existing plunger, so this takes care of one of my tool issues. Now to see if I can find the stuff I need to make a set of cam saddles (changing my mind on that one - I know many people have gotten away without them, but with my luck, I'll be the one who ends up snapping his cams).

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[MB968]

Don't know if its been discussed before, but it would be nice if this site could have a tool library. Most of these special tool items aren't something we'll use more than once or twice. Don't know if the site owners are interested in something like this. We could do a paypal up front as a deposit. After returning the items in good condition, the paypal would be returned minus orig. shipping and a fee charged by the site owner (which would aid the site financials).

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[tamathumper]

I would have loved something like that more than once already, and it's only been a year.

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[MB968]

[quote name='Cloud9...68' timestamp='1330293010' post='122441']

But my bigger problem is with my gauges - they don't appear to allow the use of any adapters (I need two for the job - one to touch the top of the piston, which needs a long, straight extension, and one to tough the top of the #1 intake valve lifter, which requires a bent adapter to get around the cam lobe).

[/quote]



Don't know why I didn't think of this sooner, guess it's been too many years since I was in the lab doing things like this. If I were going to do this job I'd use a standard dial indicator with a long rod to reach the top of the piston, and a last word, or lever type indicator to come in from the side to touch on the top of the intake valve lifter. The lever types are designed for exactly this type of application where you have to reach in past other things to make a measurement. The levers at the end can be rotated so no matter what angle the mounting rod comes in at, you can still set up the tip to measure motion in the direction you want to measure it. Check these out on the McMaster-Carr site if my comments aren't clear.

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