Be careful with the Var chainring bolt tool. It's not really meant for torquing on stuck hardware but as a bike assembly convenience and the plate which engages the nut half of the nut/bolt is easily distorted. My own best luck is with vising up a 5mm allen key, setting the crank on it and turning the nut after soaking some Liquid Wrench into it. David Feldman
<hayesbikes@nls.net>; <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2001 6:47 AM Subject: Var #232 Chainring bolt tool, was: [CR]garage ingenuity needed
> At 22:49 1/10/2001 -0500, Roy H. Drinkwater wrote:
> > I surprised that nobody mentioned this.
> >"Var #232 Chainring bolt tool.This is the ultimate weapon for stuck
> >chainring bolts. The tool grabs the two notches in the nut, with perfect
> >alignment, while also the T handle engages the Allen bolt. When you need
> >this tool, nothing else will do. $39.95"
> >
> >It's on the Harris Cyclery web site,
> >http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/tools.html#crank
>
> I have some wonderful old Var, Eldi, and even Hozan tools that I cherish
> and use. I largely agree with Roy's sentiment, but would like to modestly
> offer a different perspective:
>
> When I was a starving grad student and a newly wed, I decided that bike
> tools could be divided into three classes:
>
> 1) Essentially, gotta have this to do the job. This included things like
> the right freewheel remover, chain splitter, and good cone
> spanners. Between this and the next category came the really nice
v-groove
> cable cutter, which lowered blood pressure. Beloved spouse never begrudged
> these, as tightly defined: More pasta, Harvey! But, she's an engineer :-)
>
> 2) Tools that made the job a whole lot easier, but weren't absolutely
> essential. One (controversial) example was bb tools. For years, I did my
> adjustments w/o proper lockring and adjustable cup tools, and did
> relatively little damage. I trued a lot of wheels in frame. Ugly, but we
> got along. The ugly wood stand, top surrounded by a radiator clamp to
keep
> it from splitting, to support cranks while hammering out cotter pins (a
two
> person job).
>
> 3) The right tool for the job. This is pure esthetic pleasure. At
times,
> I wish I had more bikes with cotters, so I could more often use the great
> Var tool with almost infinite leverage. All the right ball-headed allen
keys.
>
> Mostly, I've been able to assemble tools that give satisfaction in
> use. I'm still not ready to spring for the Var chainring bolt tool new,
> but I'll sure watch for one at the swap meets...
>
> Your mileage may vary!
>
> Harvey "still scrounging" sachs
>
> >Roy "the right tool for the job" Drinkwater
> >Lititz, PA
> >
> >
> >VGhpcyBpcyB0aGUgdWx0aW1hdGUgd2VhcG9uIGZvciBzdHVjayBjaGFpbnJpbmcgYm9sdHMu
> >IFRoZSB0b29sIGdyYWJzIHRoZSB0d28gbm90Y2hlcyBpbiB0aGUgbnV0LCB3aXRoIHBlcmZl
> >Y3QgYWxpZ25tZW50LCB3aGlsZSBhbHNvIHRoZSBUIGhhbmRsZSBlbmdhZ2VzIHRoZSBBbGxl
> >biBib2x0LiBXaGVuIHlvdSBuZWVkIHRoaXMgdG9vbCwgbm90aGluZyBlbHNlIHdpbGwgZG8u