Specialist (automotive?) spanners - good suppliers?

I'm after some rather specialsed spanners. First I need to know what to ask for and then I need to find someone who has what I want.

What I'm after is a set of spanners to turn nuts down deep recesses (or other similar inaccessibility) where you can't use a socket spanner. They don't need to be completely 'open-ended', they only need a gap big enough to get over the bolt, or in some cases pipe, that the nut is on. I've come across 'brake pipe' spanners which wrap almost completely around the nut but which have a gap to go over the pipe but these are otherwise straight spanners. What I'm after is a set of spanners like this but with the jaws at right angles to the 'handle' and some means of holding it to turn it at the other end of the 'handle' (a socket?).

Does anyone know what I'm on about? Are such things made and, if so, where am I likely to be able to buy them?

While I'm about it can one get sets of 'pipe spanners' for plumbing, i.e. ordinary straight open ended spanners in sizes for compression fittings, unions, etc.

Reply to
usenet
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I think I may have found it myself after a bit of Googling, at least one solution for what I want are 'crowfoot' spanners. Not too horribly expensive either, e.g.:-

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Reply to
usenet

I wish I knew this too. I've got Metric, AF, and Whitworth of all the standard sizes you'll find in a car etc, that look like they're about the right size for plumbing, but rarely find one that fits properly. Nor will different fittings of the same pipe size have the same size nuts, flat wise.

Reply to
Dave Plowman

You ideally want flare nut crows foot sockets (these go round, but have an opening, so grip on more than just two flats), however getting them in the right sizes for plumbing will be expensive. Personally, if I need something like this for a one off job, I use an old oddsized spanner (boot sales) and cut the head off and reweld it at the angle etc. needed and if necessary grind it to the right opening.

I do have crows foot open and flare nut sockets, but they are rarely useful plumbing wise. Some came from snap on, some from a car shop.

mrcheerful

Reply to
mrcheerful

Sorry, I wasn't clear maybe, there are two separate questions above. I'm not looking for crowfoot spanners for plumbing nut sizes.

So, yes, flare nut crows foot spanners are exactly what I'm looking for to answer the first question. now I know what they're called there are quite a few places on the 'net that stock them.

Then, an entirely separate question, where can I get 'plumbing' spanners?

Reply to
usenet

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I have a couple of adjustable spanners and a some open enders that I used for car etc and the combination usually fits the bill. Its not as if you are tightening them up extremely tight . Stuart

Reply to
Stuart

Yes, saw one somewhere (BES?), but after having experimented with fixed open-ended spanners for compression nuts I found that no one size fits all nuts (I think 15mm comptression requires about 24-25mm AF). Now I use a Bahco adjustable which has a particularly wide opening (35mm or so) in a fairly short (about 200mm) spanner. This handles 15mm and 22mm easily and can just about do 28mm, but one could do with a longer spanner for that. Unfortunately they don't do a bigger size (they do longer handled spanners, but not with the proportionately larger jaw openings one needs for plumbing).

Reply to
John Stumbles

Depends on your budget.

Try somewhere like Partco, or most small independent engineering toolshops, and look at the Sealey range. They do some good obstructed / crowfoot wrenches.

Up the scale, Facom is easily ordered from Halfords (yes, really) and are superb. Slightly lower quality is Snap-on, with their "Stop me and buy one" vans. They'll happily sell one-offs for cash.

Reply to
Andy Dingley

Do you have a large motor factor nearby? My local one has a superb tool department with a choice of perhaps 5 or so brands for near everything.

Reply to
Dave Plowman

Yes, that's where I've tracked some down, our local Bennetts has two brands of crowfoot spanners, Franklin (cheap) and Sealey (more expensive but not exorbitant).

Thanks for all the help everyone, it was the name 'crowfoot spanner' that really allowed me to find what I wanted.

Reply to
usenet

Monument make a 15mm/22mm plumbing spanner - available at Toolbank Express for £2.04 incl VAT.

CRB

Reply to
CRB

Is this the same as the one Screwfix sell:-

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so I have one already but it's such a horrible spanner I never use it.

Reply to
usenet

Don't see how one spanner would help - as I said there doesn't appear to be a standard 'across flats' size for either 15 or 22mm fittings.

Reply to
Dave Plowman

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