what the heck is this doohickey?

[eschneider]

came in a box of alpine series V bits......

 

[Roger]

Can't tell what size it is, but it looks a bit like a knackered starting-handle dog. I see someone's removed it with a chisel sometime!

 

[thegoodbeamer]

looks like the bolt for hand cranking but the length of the threads seem to rule that out.Its been a long time since I saw one so memeories may be foggy.

 

[eschneider]

actually, it seems that it is a crank sprocket for a sunbeam alpine series I-V (looking at the victoria british catalog, page 32)

Very interesting!

 

[Tullamore]

You didn't give any dimensions but it looks the throw out nut for the engine starting crank. All Alpines even series V still had the provisions to crank start the engine although the nut on the engine of the SV was more of a slotted tube.

 

[Roger]

You call 'em cranks, I call 'em Starting Handles.
But surely not a "sprocket"? There's no chain . . .

 

[eschneider]

Thanks.

Yup, it is the crank pulley nut / starter handle drive for an Alpine. If VB doesn't carry it anymore, must be worth hundreds, right? <cough>

Not sure about the chunks being made with a chisel - looking at some of the other castings that came in the box-o-parts, It wouldn't surprise me if that was the uncomprimising craftsmanship of the slovenly midlander who poured the casting. <grin>

Cool bit. I wonder how many other rootes engines it fits?

Also in the box was a "king dick" lug wrench. It's tiny (no jokes, please) -- maybe 8" long..... I'm curious to know if it's an alpine bit as well.

 

[Roger]

I have a number of King Dick spanners (wheel spanner, please, not "lug wrench" - it's British, don't you know!). They are, or were, a good quality tool company when I lived in England, with a long history. The original King Dick was a dog!

The company still exists, but I have no current knowledge of their products. I think Moss is a US agent, maybe?

 

[MikeP]

There's a small 6" King Dick adjustable spanner that was part of the original toolkit.