Free Tools!

[Mayhem]

Tom - when I found the set of adjustable reamers and extension pilots, I did a search on them as I had never used them before. This is from the web site of the company who made the set I have:

SCREW ON EXTENSION PILOTS

Complimentary to the Adjustable Reamer is a range of Screw-on Extension Pilots designed to meet the demand for an attachment which makes easier the use of the conventional Expanding Hand Reamer when line reaming on such jobs as king pins and piston bushing. The Screw-0n Extension Pilot is supplied complete with a double-taper sliding Cone Bush and replacement Collar.

When using the Extension Pilot it is essential to ensure that threads of both the Reamer and the Pilot are
clean. The method of fitting the Pilot is a simple operation carried out by removing the front adjustment nut and replacing it with the plain collar with the internal chamfer facing the blades. Screw on the Extension Pilot and replace the sliding bush using either the long or short taper whichever is the more suitable for the operation in hand.

For inline reaming of two holes, seat the tapered cone supplied into the second hole to be reamed and pass the Pilot through the first hole and locate into the Cone and commence to ream the first hole, to ream the second hole reverse the procedure.

[TomG]

Thanks Darren, that sounds logical. Unfortunately the odds are pretty slim that I'll need this particular size reamer the next I need to line ream something. I guess that means a tool buying spree is in my future to acquire enough to make a complete set. See? There's no such thing as free tools.

Tom

[Rickabilly]

What those instructions neglect to say is that you should alternate reaming small amounts out of each hole if there is any chance of serious misalignment, that is:

1. evaluate the two bushings and use the best one(hole a) as the first pilot hole,
2. ream the worst hole (hole b) only until the it "cleans up"
3. use the newly cleaned up hole (hole b) to pilot as you ream hole a to size,
4. finally pilot in hole a as you bring hole b to size,

this way all misalignment is removed, just reaming one and then the other will be satisfactory 99% of the time but the first hole will usually be cocked with reference to the next hole.

Regards Rick