Specialized wrench needed

[Stormin Mormon]

At church we have a couple panic bars that stop working, now and again. What I need is a small wrench that's about the shape of letter F. Need to bend a piece of metal a couple degrees, but it's near the lock case. Vise grips or crescent wrench hits the lock case. Need a strange tool.

Off the edge of my memory, didn't they make right angle offset wrench for ignition systems years ago?

I may take a small box wrench, and use a grinder or saw to cut a notch in the end, at the correct angle. Hmm. Might work....

[Dean Hoffman]

Distributor wrench?

[Doug Miller]

Stormin Mormon wrote in news:89Hev.874653$k7.237109 @fx20.iad:

Looks like those are still available:

[Terry Coombs]

Dean Hoffman"

[Stormin Mormon]

Could be. Needs to bend a piece of metal that is about 1/8 thick. So, a wrench that goes over 9/16 bolt head would not do.

[Stormin Mormon]

[clare]

How small is small? Your memory of "ignition wrenches" is correct - up to about 3/8 inch.

[clare]

chunk of high carbon steel with a 3/16" slot cut in it. Harden and draw temper to make it hard and tough.

Cut the slot at the required angle and position to make the bend you need easy.

[clare]

Ignition wrenches and distributor wrenches are two totally different tools. Distributor wrench was for adjusting timing (or removing/replacing distributor). Ignition wrenches were for terminal nuts IN distributors and magnetos, and on coils, switches, etc. Dist wrench 1/2 inch or 9/16" range. Ignition wrenches 3/16 to 3/8" range.. Distributor wrench USUALLY a box end, with the handle bent into strange shapes depending on the vehicle/engine it was designed for. Ignition wrenches straight handle, often with jaws at closer to right angle to handle, bur not bent handle (jaws on the "edge" of the handle instead of the "end"

[Stormin Mormon]

I was at the church, today. The tab is about

1/8 thick, and 3/32 out from the bend. Not much to grab. I tried small vise grips, and not enough room to swing. I ended up cut a steel strike plate with a dremel, and that's not totally perfect. My next try will be a large screw driver with a slot at the end, at the proper angle.

[clare]

But a distributor wrench and an ignition wrench are two totally different animals.

[mroberds]

How about a crow's-foot wrench

and a small flex handle with a square drive size to match the square hole in the wrench?

You might not have to use the flex handle; the ratchet you already own might be enough. But the flex handle has a much smaller "head" than the gear mechanism on a ratchet.

Matt Roberds

[Stormin Mormon]

You're going in the right direction. Sadly, not enough room.