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Yesterday I drove my bike the 24 mile round trip to Harbor Freight to pick up some of their long reach pliers. I had looked for hemostats and forceps on their web site without success. While there, just by chance, I came across something that looked exactly like a hemostat. When I took it down from the display I saw that it was, indeed, a hemostat, which they call a "12 Inch Locking Clamp". I secretly opened the package enough to take it out and hold it in my hands finding out how the locking mechanism worked. It was light and easy to open and close with one hand and the exact 12 inches I had determined to be the perfect length for my application. At $4.99 I couldn't resist. In fact, I returned the long reach pliers I had picked up and decided at the store that the hemostat was by far the superior tool for what I had to do.
I stopped at Home Depot to look at their claw type pick-up tool and decided that control of the claws would have to be accurate if I was to be able to insert two of the four claws into the small opening of the tube. I knew I would have no problem getting the pointed jaw of the hemostat into the opening and once there, clamped and locked there would be no worry of the tube slipping free. At about $10, complete with light from a single LED, I decided against the pick-up tool in favor of the hemostat.
Once home, tired from the bike ride, I decided not to use the hemostat until the next day, but that day I would only prepare the work space for tomorrow when I would be more rested and relaxed. I moved some of the spark wires out of the way, and moved the accelerator cable from the axle of the throttle and detached the bracket on the top of the valve cover so that I could move the cable to the drivers side of the engine.
Next I decided to work on getting the needed amount of light on the work area. For that I used a 3 LED head light, removed from its head strap. It had a magnet that I used to position it so that it would shine a good bright light directly into the well of the spark plug. You can see that actual light in the photo of the empty hole in the post where I first announced my success. Flash was not used in that picture.
Once all that was done, I stood before the engine looking at the situation. With a clear, uncluttered view of the whole area, in good bright light, and with the right tool in my hand, I felt confident and without fear. I took my place and slowly reached in and quickly closed and locked the hemostat. Pulled the tube out of the hole and away from the car. The picture of the tube in the jaws of the hemostat is the exact grip that I got when I closed down on the tube. It's still locked in that position. It will take a while before I let go of it.
Then I savored the moment the way one might savor the first spoonful of vanilla ice cream on a hot 4th of July day, in 2011.
The tube turned out to be exactly 4 inches long. The piston was very far down in the cylinder. The tube hit the side of the cylinder and dropped down until it was caught in the spark plug hole. Had it been 3/8 inch shorter it would have fallen all the way in. The tubing is pretty stiff and very light so there was not much force that would cause it to flex or bend and fall. From that I would say my worst fears were not real. For instance, I don't think slamming the door would have been enough to shake it loose. But how can one know without seeing it fall or taking it out to measure the situation. I'm glad I was able to make my discovery by the latter means.
Once again, thanks to all who helped me in this. I'll try and return the favor some day.
I promised all who took part in the thread a special prize of my own invention. To get yours just send me a private message with your real name and mailing address. There may be a number to make and I shun the pressures of time when at all possible, so it may take me a while, but I promise, all will receive their prize.
I stopped at Home Depot to look at their claw type pick-up tool and decided that control of the claws would have to be accurate if I was to be able to insert two of the four claws into the small opening of the tube. I knew I would have no problem getting the pointed jaw of the hemostat into the opening and once there, clamped and locked there would be no worry of the tube slipping free. At about $10, complete with light from a single LED, I decided against the pick-up tool in favor of the hemostat.
Once home, tired from the bike ride, I decided not to use the hemostat until the next day, but that day I would only prepare the work space for tomorrow when I would be more rested and relaxed. I moved some of the spark wires out of the way, and moved the accelerator cable from the axle of the throttle and detached the bracket on the top of the valve cover so that I could move the cable to the drivers side of the engine.
Next I decided to work on getting the needed amount of light on the work area. For that I used a 3 LED head light, removed from its head strap. It had a magnet that I used to position it so that it would shine a good bright light directly into the well of the spark plug. You can see that actual light in the photo of the empty hole in the post where I first announced my success. Flash was not used in that picture.
Once all that was done, I stood before the engine looking at the situation. With a clear, uncluttered view of the whole area, in good bright light, and with the right tool in my hand, I felt confident and without fear. I took my place and slowly reached in and quickly closed and locked the hemostat. Pulled the tube out of the hole and away from the car. The picture of the tube in the jaws of the hemostat is the exact grip that I got when I closed down on the tube. It's still locked in that position. It will take a while before I let go of it.
Then I savored the moment the way one might savor the first spoonful of vanilla ice cream on a hot 4th of July day, in 2011.
The tube turned out to be exactly 4 inches long. The piston was very far down in the cylinder. The tube hit the side of the cylinder and dropped down until it was caught in the spark plug hole. Had it been 3/8 inch shorter it would have fallen all the way in. The tubing is pretty stiff and very light so there was not much force that would cause it to flex or bend and fall. From that I would say my worst fears were not real. For instance, I don't think slamming the door would have been enough to shake it loose. But how can one know without seeing it fall or taking it out to measure the situation. I'm glad I was able to make my discovery by the latter means.
Once again, thanks to all who helped me in this. I'll try and return the favor some day.
I promised all who took part in the thread a special prize of my own invention. To get yours just send me a private message with your real name and mailing address. There may be a number to make and I shun the pressures of time when at all possible, so it may take me a while, but I promise, all will receive their prize.
:geek::p
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