[justincampbell]

Can anybody ID this wrench for me? Maybe some sort of specialty tool? It is 11/16 and says "15270BR" on it.

[4dblnkldude]

Looks like something you would use to release a belt tensioner.

[salem1912]

Distributor wrench? 11/16?

[burd]

Yep

[Sirrotica]

It could be a wrench for a diesel injection pump. It's been so long since i removed a pump from a 5.7 GM diesel, I can't remember if they were standard, or metric nuts. Even if it wasn't a 5.7 diesel, it could still be for another injection pump hold down nuts.

The 5.7 came out in 1977, just about the same time the metric conversion started on GM cars, and trucks.

[justincampbell]

Originally Posted by salem1912

Distributor wrench? 11/16?

11/16 is kind of big for a distributor wrench, isn't it?

[justincampbell]

Originally Posted by Sirrotica

It could be a wrench for a diesel injection pump. It's been so long since i removed a pump from a 5.7 GM diesel, I can't remember if they were standard, or metric nuts. Even if it wasn't a 5.7 diesel, it could still be for another injection pump hold down nuts.

The 5.7 came out in 1977, just about the same time the metric conversion started on GM cars, and trucks.

Possibly. My Dad and my Uncle both had several Diesel pickups from the early '80s.

[dataway]

McGanzer Flange pressure relief adjustment wrench. The valve is up under the flange.

First one was designed by Blarfingar Williamsingensenson.

[Sirrotica]

Originally Posted by dataway

McGanzer Flange pressure relief adjustment wrench. The valve is up under the flange.

First one was designed by Blarfingar Williamsingensenson.

You sure it wasn't an overload adjustment wrench for a B&S truthmeter......

[misterp266]

Originally Posted by Sirrotica

It could be a wrench for a diesel injection pump. It's been so long since i removed a pump from a 5.7 GM diesel, I can't remember if they were standard, or metric nuts. Even if it wasn't a 5.7 diesel, it could still be for another injection pump hold down nuts.

The 5.7 came out in 1977, just about the same time the metric conversion started on GM cars, and trucks.

Wrench was 9/16”. I rebuilt more of those pumps than I can remember. I was working for an Oldsmobile dealer when they started putting diesels in their cars. Wrench was just a curved end. Here’s my well used Snap-On.
I remember telling my Snap-On tool guy that they should make wrenches with standard on one end and metric on the other because everything you went to take apart had some of each. A few years latter, I believe they did make some.

[justincampbell]

Maybe should have mentioned to begin with. This wrench is just over 16" in length.

[Sirrotica]

One other application I can think it may be made for is a starter to bellhousing bolts. I can't remember what car, or engine it was, but there was something I had worked on in the past that had a third bolt that was just impossible to extract. Some starters can have bolts buried that make you think, WTF was the guy thinking that designed this setup???

Wisconsin V engines have one bolt that is tough to remove on their starters, but it is a 3/8 " bolt, with a 9/16 " head.

[RAIV55]

MisterP, you and me both. Worked at a GM dealership when 5.7s diesels were dropping like flies. Olds Cutlass' with AC were the worst to change head gaskets in. Think I got paid 5 hours to do both sides under warranty. Glad those days are behind me!

[72projectbird]

No idea, but it looks like it be a great baton to keep under the seat in the car.

[mgarblik]

Originally Posted by RAIV55

MisterP, you and me both. Worked at a GM dealership when 5.7s diesels were dropping like flies. Olds Cutlass' with AC were the worst to change head gaskets in. Think I got paid 5 hours to do both sides under warranty. Glad those days are behind me!

I worked at a GM dealer as a tech in those years as well. It was not all bad, at least for me. The plus side was those customers were so pissed and upset with those "junk" diesels, they would literally just give them away. I "bought a really nice Caprice wagon for $1.00 the guy was so pissed after multiple major engine failures. Bought a 3 year old Toronado diesel, absolutely loaded for $500.00 with head gaskets out. If you were really careful and followed all the procedures exactly, a rebuilt one would last 60-80K miles without major failure. That 5.7 diesel probably did more harm to GM's reputation than any single piece of hardware they ever developed. And it crossed all divisions.

[stellar]

Originally Posted by Sirrotica

One other application I can think it may be made for is a starter to bellhousing bolts. I can't remember what car, or engine it was, but there was something I had worked on in the past that had a third bolt that was just impossible to extract. Some starters can have bolts buried that make you think, WTF was the guy thinking that designed this setup???

Wisconsin V engines have one bolt that is tough to remove on their starters, but it is a 3/8 " bolt, with a 9/16 " head.

Chrysler had a similar wrench for top starter bolt removal, but the one here isn't it.

[Sirrotica]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

I worked at a GM dealer as a tech in those years as well. It was not all bad, at least for me. The plus side was those customers were so pissed and upset with those "junk" diesels, they would literally just give them away. I "bought a really nice Caprice wagon for $1.00 the guy was so pissed after multiple major engine failures. Bought a 3 year old Toronado diesel, absolutely loaded for $500.00 with head gaskets out. If you were really careful and followed all the procedures exactly, a rebuilt one would last 60-80K miles without major failure. That 5.7 diesel probably did more harm to GM's reputation than any single piece of hardware they ever developed. And it crossed all divisions.

Because I got stuck fixing most of the diesels at the buick dealership I worked at, I knew exactly what to take care of to head off problems. Plugged air breathers were something overlooked all the time. Excessive crankcase pressure would take out the rings, causing excessive blowby, and resulting oil leaks. Many 5.7s met an early demise by being run out of oil.

Using gas engine breathers on a diesel required, either washing them out, at every oil change, or replacing them. Getting crankcase pressure out of a diesel is one of the keys to making them live. If GM had used another type of PCV system, the problems would have been minimized.

I bought a 3 year old 81 Bonneville diesel for half of what a gas one went for. I drove mine to 140,000 miles before selling it to a customer of mine.

I bought mine at 48,000 miles, the guy I sold it to wouldn't buy it unless I converted it to gas. I bought a 77 cutlass for $50, and took the engine out for the Bonneville, and I parted the cutlass out for about $500. I sold the diesel engine for $100, I had dozens of calls for that engine advertised in the local paper, it was still running perfectly.

I sold the Bonneville for $1500, got an AMC Concord wagon in trade too. I sold the AMC for $500.

During the time I owned it I had to buy a used injection pump for it for $50, other than that all the parts I put on it were warranty from my friend, that was the parts manager at the local Pontiac dealership. The car got a best of 31.7 MPG on a trip from Erie PA, to Phoenix AZ. I owned that car for about 6 years, it didn't owe me a cent.

A friend I worked with at the buick dealership, did the same with a olds toronado. He managed to get a free targetmaster engine from the olds dealer when he bought it.

There were a lot of dealership mechanics driving GM 5.7 diesels at that time, most of the diesel cars were loaded with options too.

Agree that poor, to non existent maintenance of those cars cost GM millions of dollars in warranty claims, and tarnished their image terribly. The public and the mechanics that worked on them were very poorly equipped with enough knowledge to do proper maintenance on those engines. Just changing oil, and filter, wasn't enough to keep rings, and seals in them. Also using oil not meant for diesels use was very common with 5.7 owners.

Converting gas engines to diesel duty, usually doesn't go well either. IH is one that did it, and pretty much got away with it, 7.3 and 6.9 V8s were formerly a gas design, strengthened for diesel use.

[RAIV55]

I'd buy GM pickups with bad 5.7 diesels for next to nothing. If they could be repaired with pieces I had on hand fine, otherwise they would get converted to gas. Recall one full loaded Silverado that got a 455 Olds. When I'd jump on it, there would be smoke like a diesel. Had a lot of fun with a Ford one night. Bet that ol boy still thinks he got spanked by a 5.7 diesel.

By 1982 they had ironed out the biggest issues with the 5.7, but by that time their reputation was so bad the dealers couldnt give them away.

[FrankieT/A]

Thank god for those cars as far as I'm concerned. I use the hydroboost hoses off those(still available new) for Hydroboost conversions on our cars. 77-78 for standard fittings and 80-81 for metric. They fit perfectly if you're not going braided or something like that...