[Verdoro 68]

Originally Posted by OG68

A set of nut and bolt rethreaders
I've been told by my machinist not to use taps & dies to clean nuts and bolts with. Use the rethreader to clean the gunk, paint, and mild burrs from the threads.


https://www.amazon.com/Lang-Tools-25...e%2C232&sr=1-6

Good call. My machinist is supposed to clean the threads in the block, but I could see these being handy to have around outside of engine building.

Originally Posted by sdbob

I use an old cast iron(you could use aluminum)gutted distributor, with 110 volt1/2" drill. Crankshaft turner,it slides 'on'off 'easy, old cracked balancer with handles bolted on. I'm frugal. Spend my money on tools I cant make.

I have a 1/2" crank socket I got from Comp a while that's been a super handy tool to have around. I think I bought it when I degreed the cam in my last setup.

Originally Posted by younggto

Dial bore indicators are merely comparators to your mics; is a Mitutoyo or Sunnen the best, absolutely; will a Fowler compliment Starret or Mitutoyo mics well enough, probably for a garage enthusiast. I am no pro myself but if I was starting from scratch I would buy better mics (you use them a lot more when you have them) and buy a budget dial bore indicator. Ring squaring tools come in ranges for bore so they will fit a variety of bore sizes, and if only doing one or two engines the house brand manual will be fine. For piston/ring install, tapered tools are great and for like $40 for the Summit brand they work great. Soft jaws for your vice or pieces of copper for torquing rod bolts are a must unless you buy a rod vice. And like said before the oil pump priming shaft and an old distributor housing with a corded electric drill.

Thanks - super helpful! Maybe the smarter thing to do is to pick up some gently used high quality mics in the specific sizes I need over buying a whole set of new marginal quality mics.

Originally Posted by Formulas

reversable drill

Got one! I actually inherited an old school relatively low RPM but very high torque drill from my father in law that works great for priming engines.