Little known handy tools

[DonTom]

Lou mentioned to me these tailpipe tools.

Makes me wonder what other handy, unusual or weird tools I do not know about. I never needed to work on a tailpipe before.

Anyway, these tools got the job done, the exact same ones Lou mentioned, but if I want perfection, I will need a larger size, which are available. I think my Class A tailpipe WAS (IOW, should be) the 4.25" opening but the largest tool in this set only goes to 3.5". But that is good enough. As long as it will pass a smog test and is not restricted enough to cause any problems, I am happy with it as is.

I noticed my tailpipe was smashed totally closed when I left KOFA, AZ. I just noticed it when I was ready to leave there, and I assume it happened right there, but I never heard or felt what cause it while I was driving. I had to hammer in a very large screwdriver into the opening to get it open enough to drive home. I never knew how hard that steal was! Just to get it open a little took a lot of work and hammering on the super large screwdriver. Fortunately, I always bring a lot of tools on my RV trips.

Here is what I started with today (already opened from that large screwdriver that I hammered into it at Kofa:

The tools are more made for something that is already round, so I had to use various tricks to make this stuff work, or the thingies would come out of these tools where there is no pressure to hold them in:

Also used to tools at once:

This is what I ended up with and I will probably leave it like this:

It took more work than it looks like. That tailpipe steel is very super strong.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[CharlesinGA]

I would spend a few bucks at a muffler shop and let them cut the pipe off and weld a new piece on. I hate stuff looking crappy, and while I normally don't pay people to do stuff for me, this is a perfect example of an exception to that rule.

Charles

 

[DonTom]

I would spend a few bucks at a muffler shop and let them cut the pipe off and weld a new piece on. I hate stuff looking crappy, and while I normally don't pay people to do stuff for me, this is a perfect example of an exception to that rule.

IMO, it's just too much hassle to bring an RV into a shop. Most muffler shops around here do not have the room for an RV. But I could get it done at a truck repair shop. But to me, it's not worth the hassle.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[No cats]

I would use some heat and some spare tubing I have around. MAP gas and torch will make that stuff easy to open up.

I've take wrenches that couldn't fit in tight spots and got them red hot on a vise to bend them any shape I need.

 

[DonTom]

I would use some heat and some spare tubing I have around. MAP gas and torch will make that stuff easy to open up.

I've take wrenches that could fit in tight spots and got them red hot on a vise to bend them any shape I need.

Again, too much hassle.

Unless I hold my camera right up to it, or get a foot or less to the ground with my eyes, it is not even noticeable as is. Not that I care much. I care more about things working correctly than I do about what they look like.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[John From Detroit]

I have a set of those.

had to replace a section of pipe and the shop that sweged it did not quite make it big enough to slip over the older pipe.. I was about to dig them out when I thought. "It's only a mm or two I wonder if the magic pipe expander will work" so grabbed the propane torch and hotted up the outer pipe.. Slipped over the remaining old pipe easier than putting on a pair of socks. Then by the time i found the pipe clamp it had cooled a bit. (That's the magic part) That was one TIGHT joint.

 

[Rene T]

Again, too much hassle.

Unless I hold my camera right up to it, or get a foot or less to the ground with my eyes, it is not even noticeable as is. Not that I care much. I care more about things working correctly than I do about what they look like.

-Don- Auburn, CA

Could you have gone upstream a little and cut it off with a hacksaw?

 

[old RV guy]

Lou mentioned to me these tailpipe tools.

Makes me wonder what other handy, unusual or weird tools I do not know about. I never needed to work on a tailpipe before.

Anyway, these tools got the job done, the exact same ones Lou mentioned, but if I want perfection, I will need a larger size, which are available. I think my Class A tailpipe WAS (IOW, should be) the 4.25" opening but the largest tool in this set only goes to 3.5". But that is good enough. As long as it will pass a smog test and is not restricted enough to cause any problems, I am happy with it as is.

I noticed my tailpipe was smashed totally closed when I left KOFA, AZ. I just noticed it when I was ready to leave there, and I assume it happened right there, but I never heard or felt what cause it while I was driving. I had to hammer in a very large screwdriver into the opening to get it open enough to drive home. I never knew how hard that steal was! Just to get it open a little took a lot of work and hammering on the super large screwdriver. Fortunately, I always bring a lot of tools on my RV trips.

Here is what I started with today (already opened from that large screwdriver that I hammered into it at Kofa:

View attachment 178625

The tools are more made for something that is already round, so I had to use various tricks to make this stuff work, or the thingies would come out of these tools where there is no pressure to hold them in:

View attachment 178626

Also used to tools at once:

View attachment 178627


This is what I ended up with and I will probably leave it like this:

View attachment 178628

It took more work than it looks like. That tailpipe steel is very super strong.

-Don- Auburn, CA

Thanks, that looks really good.

 

[bigbAZ]

Is this a thread about little known tailpipe tools or little known tools in general? If the latter, I'll start with one that many non-plumber people wouldn't know about but they have saved me more times than I can count. Internal pipe wrenches.

 

[DonTom]

Is this a thread about little known tailpipe tools or little known tools in general?

I would like to hear about any type of weird, unusual tool for anything.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[No cats]

 

[DonTom]

Thanks, that looks really good.

I am not concerned with what it looks like, just that it doesn't
restrict the exhaust. Besides, it is not noticeable unless somebody is looking for it:

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[DonTom]

View attachment 178646

What is that used for?

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[rvlifer]

What is that used for?

-Don- Auburn, CA

Looks like a modified spud wrench to me. Used to align holes.

 

[No cats]

I think steelworkers use it to align panels with the tail. The other side is obviously a standard size they use.

 

[old RV guy]

I think steelworkers use it to align panels with the tail. The other side is obviously a standard size they use.

Spud wrench

 

[Boat Bum]

Cable signal tester $25

When diagnosing the multitude of issues I had getting my complete AV system working as intended I found the above tool invaluable. Especially good at determining if the signal is bad on the pedestal or your system.

 

[bigbAZ]

This is my home made version of a tool you can buy, any guesses? (the screw in the side was an after thought just to get a better grip on it when using/adjusting)

 

[DonTom]

Could you have gone upstream a little and cut it off with a hacksaw?

Not a good idea to have the hot exhaust on the rear tire.

Besides that, I expect it would just chew up hacksaw blades. That steel is extremely strong.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Rene T]

Ising a sawzall it would have taken about 1 minute. If you’re worried abut the tire, then just buy a tail pipe extension to put on the pipe.