Ok I'll show you mine just because you showed us yours. I've had this thing laying around for about ten years. Got it with some antique wrenches in a box at an auction. As yours does too this one spreads and doesn't compress. We've asked a hundred people what the heck it is and nobody knows>>>>.
4-Banger A good pic end-on of the fingers would help clarify, but it looks like screwing the screw one way will open the fingers apart, and the other way it will compress. And it really looks like a pre-war valve spring compressor. If the cups on the fingers point inward, it is most definitely a valve spring compressor. Engine Pro - Yours should only be forced apart by turning the screw, not be forced close by turning the other way. The cups on the fingers point outward, and the size and heavy duty construction would suggest a ball joint separator.
The cups do point inward, but the outside parts have grooves for traction on them. Also the design of it looks as if it can apply more force spreading apart (opposite the cups of the fingers). I did try to use it as a valve spring compressor and compressing the spring it broke the small rivet that keeps the fingers on the bar attached to the threads. So I am not sure it was meant for that.
The crossbar has rivets on the outside of the arms. Screw it down and that's going to pull the bar and compress the two arms together. Looks like a valve spring compressor to me
Hey CadDaddy. Mine doesn't have any cups, the fingers are flat on the ends. It,s got some casting #s on it from way back that we have never been able to match to anything. Maybe a it is a joint spreader>>>>.
The first one is a style of valve spring compressor for inline flatheads. The second one looks to be a valve spring compressor too but works to push the spring up to compress it. one side would go on the lifter while the other pushed up on the spring retainer.it may be application specific too. The second one would work the same way as the tool in fig 3-37 page 77 in this link I looked for a photo and found a whole book . http://books.google.com/books?id=QL...nCpyaNo&sig=moeRnbJYORj2VT8bjnBIHsag_L0&hl=en
The first one is a style of valve spring compressor for inline flatheads. The second one looks to be a valve spring compressor too but works to push the spring up to compress it. one side would go on the lifter while the other pushed up on the spring retainer.it may be application . rIGHT YOU ARE SIR my Dad bought one new way back when and i was with him when he bought it,also saw him use it quite a few times.
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