drifting tools

[wibble_puppy]

still trying to find out where I can buy some drifts - seems they are a great boon for all sorts of under-vehicle stuff! I got very fed up trying to push the bush into the clutch hole (too tired to think of the correct term, you know what I mean) without a proper drift.

I can't find anywhere online selling them.

Anyone know where to get them?

Grateful for all suggestions and pointers!

wibble

[Alec]

Hello W.P.

I'm not sure what you are after? If you are talking about the bush in the the end of the crankshaft, then I don't think that you will find a supplier.

I assume that you are looking for a stepped drift, which is an easy thing for someone with a lathe but due to the variety of sizes of drifts required, makes commercial drifts less likely to source.

Alec

[les]

If I were you, I'd try to find an engineering firm and see if they can suppy you with various diameters of brass rod, (short lengths) even better if you know the sizes, inside and outside diameters, of for example, the crankshaft bush, they could make a drift for a particular job.

[alex_holden]

Or post a drawing of what you want and one of us with a lathe can turn one up. Generally I will make a drift when I need it for a specific job (eg. replacing the rocker arm bushes, or the valve guides).

[chickenjohn]

I bought the Machine Mart- Clark set of drifts and chisels and punches, they have stood up to 3 1/2 years of use and abuse and show little sign of wear and none have broken (despite being hit sometimes with BIG club hammer).

[wibble_puppy]

hi everyone and thank you for your replies!

the crankshaft hole one is done, but only with a massive investment of time and ingenuity - i just want the same faff every single time a bush needs drifting in or out of a hole!

(why is it called "drifting", by the way? )

You lucky chaps with lathes!!!!!

chickenjohn I can't make out how your solid tapered things will act as drifts, as far as i can see in the pics of "how to do terribly simple jobs on your car" in the Minor books they are using hollow cylinders?

I do realise one can often bodge a drift-equivalent out of a socket etc.... but having seen how long it takes even someone very experienced to do a job this way, i couldn't help wondering if there was a Drifts-R-Us somewhere where i could pick up some of the most useful contenders.... seems not

les and alex, thank you very much for your suggestions alex i might well take you up on your extremely kind offer, if i get really stuck!!

cheers everyone,

driftless wibble xx

[chickenjohn]

You can tap (very carefully) around the edge of the metal bush with the smaller flat end of the drift, hammer on the other bigger end evenly and it will "drift" the bush in. I used these ones (with the flat end) successfully on the pedal bushes. Other than that, try and find a bit of pipe or a box wrench of the right diameter or slightly smaller.

Use with care, tap evenly around.

[alex_holden]

I think drift comes from Old English drifan meaning to push something forcefully.

A stepped drift is a bar with two diameters. The smaller diameter is a sliding fit inside the bush and the larger diameter is usually slightly under the bush's outside diameter (if it's larger than the bush you can only use it to drift something in, not out). You need to turn a sharp corner at the step between the two diameters, possibly even undercut it slightly, to make sure it presses the bush in cleanly.

[chickenjohn]

Get someone to make one up on a lathe!

[aupickup]

frosts advertise drifting tools

[Mogwai]

I got some offcuts of brass & steel bars from an auto jumble to use as drifts.