Le Mans tools and tool deck

[Phillip]

@Dave B:

Here''s the info on the Prima slot routed into the rear panel section of the tool deck on 1933/34/35 cars:

Tool Deck Prima Slot Data.jpg (141.46 KiB) Viewed 5892 times

The alloy panel is the original off of my 1934 model year Nine Sports and the Prima fits perfectly.

[Phillip]

Here are the Prima jacks that I've collected over the years:

A Series Prima Jack.jpg (115.6 KiB) Viewed 5892 times

This the an original Prima for the 1946 to 1949 Roadster. You can see the hole drilled into the base to mount onto a bracket on the tool deck. It is a slightly different design to the pre-war units, with the same one-piece handle.

1934 Sports Prima Jack.jpg (122.75 KiB) Viewed 5892 times

This is the original Prima for my 1934 Sports. It was in very poor shape and missing the inner lifting tube and saddle, as well as the handle.
I made new parts to the original patterns to make a complete unit. Still needs to be painted, but it works!

I have an identical black Prima fitted in my 1936 Le Mans SS.

Senior Prima Jack.jpg (112.4 KiB) Viewed 5892 times

This Prima was bought on-spec for me by a friend in the SOC who knew I was looking for one.
It's unusual as it is taller, has notches on the saddle and has a smaller base. It also came with a folding handle.
I call it my 'Senior Prima', as it looks earlier and suits the Senior. If anyone recognises it, give a shout!

Replica Prima Jack.jpg (115.86 KiB) Viewed 5892 times

This is the replica Prima jack that was made by a contact from my good mate, the Late Bill Haverly. Bill hoped to offer these for sale, but the chap who made them moved to Australia. I tracked him down and Paul Bouchard and I ordered a batch to sell through NASOC.
Sadly communications with Australia suddenly stopped and we only got the one batch.
They are nicely made and came either zinc plated, like this one, or painted. The handle is one piece and has the screw drive cut into the shaft directly, rather than being a separate piece crimped on with a collar, as on the original. Low-volume construction of these meant they were expensive and would probably have been a slow-moving item. They actually work properly thanks to some modern tweeks to the mechanism!

If anyone needs to see photos of the handles let me know...

[casadecabra]

Thanks for the favourable comments about my efforts with the tool deck layout - it makes it all worthwhile.

Phillip - Thanks for all the pictures (including those of the wiper arm). They will be very helpful. Interesting that the starting handle appears to be painted black - that should save me a pound or two at the plating shop. I'm fairly certain that my hand grip is chrome rather than nickel.

I've attached another picture of the blocks and clips which might be useful.

Dave B

[DarcyG]

I was just lucky enough to acquire this unit, which I now see is a 40s vintage, but will still fill the hole on my deck, comes complete with one piece handle. It is in the mail!

[DarcyG]

Photo

[Phillip]

Nicely played Darcy!
Looks like an A Series Roadster jack. Weld up the hole and yer good to go, lucky man!

[DarcyG]

Yes, found purely by accident, about usd75. It is in the mail. A cleanup, fill the hole and it will do the job. The last one i saw was euro400 plus postage to Aus.

Next is to make the necessary slots as above.

[Phillip]

Hi All,

I thought it might be interesting to review all of my parts manuals and handbooks to find out what the full range of tools used on the sports cars were between 1933 and 1937 to see how they changed and how the parts books and handbooks agreed or disagreed.

Here's what I came up with:

DETAILS OF SINGER NINE TOOLS ACCORDING TO PARTS CATALOGUES

1933 Singer Nine Sports Tools (1934 most likely the same)

Fitted on scuttle under bonnet:

- Starting handle
- Foot pump - 14”
- Grease gun
- Prima lifting jack
- Prima lifting jack handle
- Lead mallet

Tool bag (Black ‘oil skin’) containing:

- Adjustable spanner – large
- Adjustable spanner – small
- Screwdriver – 4”
- Pliers – 6”
- Box spanner - 9/16” – ½”
- Box spanner – 7/16” – 3/8”
- Box spanner – 5/16” – ¼”
- Tommy bar – 3/8th diameter
- Pin punch
- Oil can
- Distributor spanner
- Tappet spanner
- Tyre lever
- Hammer – ¾ pound
- Adjusting spanner – fan
- Hub extractor* *Not clear on what this is! Not mentioned elsewhere!


1935 / 1936 Singer Nine Sports and Le Mans tools:

Fitted on scuttle under bonnet:

- Starting handle
- Foot pump - 14”
- Grease gun
- Shelley ‘double lifting’ jack*
- Shelley ‘double lifting’ folding jack handle* *Note: This is unconfirmed as we have evidence that Prima jacks were also used.
- Lead mallet

Tool bag (Black ‘oil skin’) containing:

- Adjustable spanner – large
- Adjustable spanner – small
- Screwdriver – 4”
- Pliers – 6”
- Box spanner - 9/16” – ½”
- Box spanner – 7/16” – 3/8”
- Box spanner – 5/16” – ¼”
- Tommy bar – 3/8th diameter
- Pin punch
- Oil can – 1 ½ pints
- Distributor spanner
- Tappet spanner
- Tyre lever
- Hammer – ¾ pound
- Box spanner for sparking plugs – (14mm plugs)
- Funnel – oil – steering column
- Dip stick – petrol tank ( Le Mans only )


Tool Kits according to Owner’s Handbooks:

1933 / 1934:

- Wheel lifting jack and handle “Prima”
- Oiler
- Wheel brace* *Noted in parts books as not included with sports cars!
- Tyre pump
- Grease gun
- Set of three box spanners with tommy bar
- Valve adjusting spanner
- Distributor spanner with plug gap gauge ( 15 to 18 thou )
- Large adjustable spanner
- Small adjustable spanner
- Screwdriver
- Pair of pliers
- Tyre lever
- Pin Punch
- Hammer

1935 / 1936:

- Lifting jack “Shelley” with folding handle(?) *Note: We have clear evidence that Prima jacks were used in 1935 and 1936
- Tool bag
- Large adjustable spanner
- Small adjustable spanner
- Screwdriver
- Pliers
- Three box spanners
- Tommy bar
- Pin punch
- Box spanner for pivot pin nuts* *Noted as not included on the sports cars in parts books!
- Tyre pump
- Oil can
- Grease gun
- Wheel brace* *Not included with sports cars in parts book!
- Distributor spanner
- Tappet spanner
- Tyre lever
- Hammer
- Lockheed bleeder wrench* *Not shown in parts book but is shown in handbook illustrations!

Hope that is of some value. we know that Singer tended to buy in batches and changed suppliers from time-to-time. They also reused old photos in handbooks and other publications, often recycling material over years. Obviously, tools varied between the saloons and sports cars. A car with knock-off hubs wouldn't need a wheel brace, and, likewise, a saloon wouldn't need a lead hammer.

I do have a 1935 IFS Nine saloon handbook, and it does show a Shelley jack with the folding handle and wooden 'peg' end, so perhaps this is where the confusion lies; Saloons got Shelleys and sports cars got Primas!

[cdk84]

*

[cdk84]

Hi Phillip,

Just received The Singer Bantam and Nine Coupe Instruction Book & Repair Manual.

There is no copyright date, but it cannot be any earlier than 1935, the year the Bantam was released, and at least one photograph shows the underslung chassis: there is no mistaking the earliest possible date of this publication; of course it could be a bit later.

One thing that may be diagnostic is the photo that shows a 3 speed transmission. Another is the steering wheel with three solid spokes rather than the Bluemels or Ashby chrome multi-spoked steering wheel we're accustomed to in the sports models.

The tool list corresponds best to the last of Phillip's entries, above, but there are differences. The final printed page of the Manual reads:

TOOL KIT

Starting handle.
Lifting jack.
Tool bag.
Large adjustable spanner.
Small adjustable spanner.
Screwdriver.
Pliers.
Three box spanners.
Tommy bar for above.
Pin punch.
Distributor spanner.
Tappet spanner.
Box spanner--sparking plugs.
Foot pump.
Oil can.
Grease gun.
Wheel brace.
Tyre lever.
Hammer.
Funnel--oiling steering column.

SPARES
For general running the following spares should be carried and
will no doubt be sufficient to meet any emergency.

Sparking plugs.
Lamp bulbs.
Carburetter washers.





___________________________________________________________
Edwards The Printers Ltd. Coventry


This manual has a rose umber colored cover. The photograph of the dash shows the aforementioned three spoke steering wheel and a pentagonal instrument cluster with central large speedometer, petrol gauge (NW), ammeter (NE), ignition switch (SE) and oil gauge (SW), with a dash lamp top center. Further the remote gear change is covered with what appears to be a sheet metal cover that looks like a transmission tunnel.

[casadecabra]

For some time now I have been trying to find a few tool clips to complete the tool deck on my Le Mans since several are badly corroded and one is missing. I’m sure there are some out there somewhere but living in the wilds of Spain makes seeking them out difficult.

I fought shy of trying to make them for ages as I thought it would prove quite tricky involving complicated jigs and a temperature controlled oven for hardening and tempering. In fact, when I finally got down to trying, it proved surprisingly straightforward if somewhat time consuming.

Although the originals were made from 24 SWG steel I had to use 0.7 mm (~22 SWG) spring steel to grade CS70 as it was all I could find without buying large quantities. I obtained it in the UK from M-Machine Metals who I have always found helpful in supplying small quantities of metal and plastic.

After cutting to size (1 13/16” x 4”) I annealed it on a firebrick with a propane torch. The photos below show the jig I made and the various stages in forming the shape. After forming, I wrapped iron wire around the ears to reduce the chance of the clip opening up, heated it to a bright red and quenched it in oil. I thought water might be too severe and, not having any hardening oil, used a 50:50 mixture of 30 grade engine oil and paraffin. I have no metallurgical knowledge which prompted me into concocting this mixture, but anyway – it did the job. After cleaning off the oxide I tempered it by the simple expedient of holding it in a pair of pliers and playing a flame from a propane torch on it until it turned purple going on blue. The finished springs have plenty of ‘spring’ and show no signs of distortion, cracking or fatigue.

All the above is relevant to the larger of the tool clips as these were the only ones I required but I’m sure the small ones could be made in a similar fashion.

N.B. The basic dimensions of the clips are shown in a sketch I provided earlier in this thread but I have to confess to two mistakes on the drawing:
1) The width at the base of the large clip should be 7/16”, not 5/16”.
2) The material should be 24 SWG, not 18 SWG.

For anyone who wants to have a go please ask if you want more detailed information.

David B

[Phillip]

Pretty bloody ingenious, Bill! well done!

This gives me an idea for the weird clips used on the wiring loom cover on the steering column!

[darcy]

Thanks, I only have oxy/lpg but will give it a go. I just need to find the steel, the rest I can make, and yes same for steering column clamps. Next thing I need is more time.

I mounted the spare tyre on new post last night and looked over oil gauge attachment, but birthday party today for number 6 grandson.

[darcy]

Hi again, I also have one of the 4A versions on the left, this should be easier to make with only a slight variation to your jig and do the same job - I need to get all the bits I have screwed down in place, another small job for a late night.

[casadecabra]

Phillip - funny you should mention the wiring loom cover. Been there! Done that!

I was lucky to get a wiring loom cover a few tears ago when Hardwick’s still had some in stock. The cover itself was reasonably well made but the welded-on clips looked cheap and awful. I ground them off and made some new ones using the same spring steel that I used for the tool clips (see above). I took the dimensions from your own sketches and photos in your very useful contribution to this forum a few months ago under the title, logically enough, of ‘Wiring loom cover’. The trick with all these clips is to bend the ears first. It was easy to form the shape by temporarily bolting the clip to the cover, laying a piece of 1¼” diameter tube in the groove and bending the clip around it. After hardening and tempering as I described for the tool clips, they were permanently fixed in place with copper brake lining rivets.

David B