Original Javelin Tools

[Andrew Henshall]

I've been researching the original Javelin tools for nearly 10 years, and have nearly confirmed the details of every item, based on the info in the Instruction Book.

Can anyone confirm with a very high degree of certainty that the original Whitworth double open-ended spanners that came with the Javelin were Eagle Brand spanners, marked "Super Chrome" with the sizes on the front and marked 'Eagle Brand" on the reverse?

These are not black spanners, but in fact are chrome plated, but not a polished chrome finish. The Whitworth sizes are 3/16 x 1/4, 5/16 x 3/8, & 7/16 x 1/2. In fact these spanners are double marked with the equivalent BSF sizes as well.

Here are photos of the 7/16 x 1/2W spanner's front & reverse faces with the spanner sitting in the Javelin's tool tray.

Eagle DOE_front_s.jpg

Eagle DOE_reverse_s.jpg

Kind regards,

Andrew

[ian Howell]

Andrew:-

I admire your attention to detail but I bet that there were several different makes supplied, either at different times or depending on price/availabilty.

As ever - we shall see!

[Andrew Henshall]

Ian,

Yep, its quite possible that Jowett changed the manufacturer of some the tools that they purchased for the Javelin (& Jupiter) during the model life (or at model changeover: PA to PB etc), but others are so distinctive that only one make is identifiable, e.g. the yellow Girling brake bleeder tube tin, or the Lucas contact breaker tool.

One complication is that there are at least two versions of the Javelin cast alloy tool tray featuring different arrangements of the tools!

As far as the double open-ended spanners are concerned, the design of the Javelin tool tray where the spanners have to fit greatly limits the choices available to Jowett, and so far I have identified and confirmed only Eagle and Reform brands as the only British makes of Whitworth spanners that fit and come in the correct combinations. SuperSlim is another possibility that I planned to investigate (as they would appear to have similar shank lengths), but the SuperSlim shank is a I-beam section, whereas Eagle & Reform have plain shanks just like the Jowett illustration shows. Eagle brand spanners has jumped up the list as my most likely candidate for the original spanners supplied by Jowett as another JCC member has advised me that they were the original spanners, and a JCCA member in Victoria has the three Eagle brand spanners in his Javelin tool kit. Many others have a mix of brands, and some are not even Whitworth sizes. I recognize that BSF spanners have equivalent sizes, but they have to match the sizes listed in the Instruction book, and fit the tool tray.

I hope that other forum members will put in their tuppence worth, although with the JCCA National Rally on this weekend, it might be a while before the replies flood in!

Andrew

[Jack]

These are certainly different to the tools that we have - two or three different cars have turned up with the same branded tools, so I assumed that these were original. I'll have to get a photo and check the brand, as I sorted out (and, purely for concours points-scoring) cleaned them up for Amy's Jupiter.

This is an image from Ed's site on the Jupiter tools, which look similar to the spanners you have (though looks like at least two different types but could be the light):



This is certainly one that is worth clarifying, as when preparing Amy's kit we found there isn't an easy guide for concours entrants on what should be present and brands etc. Link here from the manual shows what should be there:
http://jowett.org/jowettnet/dt/parts/1952book/40.pdf

Jack.

[ian Howell]

One that appears to be missing is a simple bit of about 1/2" square section bar about 1 1/2" long with a 5/16" hole drilled through near one end for a 'tommy' bar.

I think this was for removing the fill plug in the back axle.

On my Javelin tool tray there was a sort of stud that the hole fitted over to keep the tool in place.

[Andrew Henshall]

These are certainly different to the tools that we have - two or three different cars have turned up with the same branded tools, so I assumed that these were original. I'll have to get a photo and check the brand, as I sorted out (and, purely for concours points-scoring) cleaned them up for Amy's Jupiter.

I'm very interested to know what brand spanners were in those three cars & you now have in Amy's tool kit.

This is an image from Ed's site on the Jupiter tools, which look similar to the spanners you have (though looks like at least two different types but could be the light): .

The image from Ed's website is captioned as "Part of the Jupiter tool kit", and in fact many items are missing, and others are not originals! Take the screwdriver on the far right for instance, the photos shows a bent wire screwdriver, whereas the Jowett illustration shows a "Shelley" style screwdriver with timber inserts on each side, and in fact the Shelley screwdriver shape is the correct shape to fit into the Javelin tool tray. The other issue with the tools in that photo is the tool on the left of the pliers, which is a type of ratcheting multi-grip pliers; these are not original, as there was no tool of this type listed by Jowett in the tool kit.

This is certainly one that is worth clarifying, as when preparing Amy's kit we found there isn't an easy guide for concours entrants on what should be present and brands etc. Link here from the manual shows what should be there:
http://jowett.org/jowettnet/dt/parts/1952book/40.pdf

To make things more difficult for us, there is very strong evidence that there is a typo in the list of spanner sizes in the parts manual you linked to, that is also perpetuated in the Instruction Manual. The error is that these documents list the spanners as 3/16 x 1/4, 5/16 x 7/16, & 7/16 x 1/2. Clearly, it doesn't make sense to supply two 7/16" spanners and no 3/8" spanner. Also, spanner manufacturers typically did not make sets of double open-ended spanners with the 5/16 x 7/16 combination erroneously listed by Jowett. Interestingly, the "Jupiter Equipment Checking List" that was completed before Jupiters left JCL has the correct spanner sizes listed: 3/16 x 1/4, 5/16 x 3/8, & 7/16 x 1/2. This error is corrected in later editions of these documents to show the correct sizes as: 3/16 x 1/4, 5/16 x 3/8, & 7/16 x 1/2.

Some years ago I uploaded a draft list of the Jupiter tools to the Gallery, and expected to get comments to aid in confirming my info, but nothing came back. Fortunately, I have kept at it with help from Ed and several car tool collectors, and believe that I have it very nearly fully sorted!

Andrew

[Andrew Henshall]

One that appears to be missing is a simple bit of about 1/2" square section bar about 1 1/2" long with a 5/16" hole drilled through near one end for a 'tommy' bar.

I think this was for removing the fill plug in the back axle.

On my Javelin tool tray there was a sort of stud that the hole fitted over to keep the tool in place.

Ian,

Yes, the axle drain plug key is one of many items missing from that photo. Your description of this tool is not accurate however. The Salisbury rear axles used by Jowett have a drain plug & filler plug with a male square peg, and hence the removal tool can not be a section of solid 1/2" square bar. It is in fact a tube spanner: 9/16" A/F square section tube spanner 1-9/16" long with a hole drilled at one end to accept the 5/16" diameter tommy bar.

You are 100% correct in that this tool sits on the peg in between the handles of the pliers in one version of the Javelin tool tray, but this is not where it sits in the other version according to the illustration in the Instruction book, where it is shown immediately to the right of the pliers!

Andrew

[ian Howell]

It is quite possible that the square bar in my tool kit was not meant to be there!

Still, although it was a long time ago I still think the plug in my axle had a square recess rather than a square 'peg'. I suppose that even the plug itself may not have been original?

I don't recall any square tubular spanner. There was a short single ended hexagonal one that fitted the spark plugs, and I think another double ended one (I don't recall the sizes), and the plers etc.

[Andrew Henshall]

Hi Ian,

I've checked an early Javelin hydro-mechanical rear axle fill & drain plugs as well as my Jupiter's and all have the male square peg => you need to use an open ended spanner, or square tube spanner, or similar.

The illustration in the Instruction book is not clear enough to fully define the tool that they list as the "axle drain plug key", so if some Javelin's fill/drain plugs had a square recess, then a square bar would indeed be required. Perhaps everyone else can clarify this by looking under their Javelin?!?!?!

The other tube spanners you mentioned are indeed:
Spark Plug tube spanner: 7/8" OD & 3-1/2" long to suit 7/16W nut
Box Spanner 5/16"x3/8"W: 7/8" OD & 4-3/4" long

Cheers,

Andrew

[Jack]

One of our cars had a tool kit with square bar, but all diffs have male plug. This certainly seems worthwhile to get consensus on exactly what should be in there. For what it's worth our screwdriver is the bent wire type!

Jack.

[Forumadmin]

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/r7qx9qlzt0mp550/9S4oVMOO0p
Pic of original spanners
https://www.dropbox.com/sc/cw18zcx0ks1r4gn/vd0lPtxmU6
and of the set.
Note the square different plug spanner only fitted early diff although supplied with late cars!

[Andrew Henshall]

The photo below shows a set of tools in an original Javelin tool tray.

DSC05263_ss.jpg

You can see that a couple of the tools are sitting in locations that are not the same as those shown in the illustration in the Jowett Instruction book that I have.

Javelin tool kit Manual P40.PDF

Specifically, the screwdriver and cylinder head spanner are swapped around, although the screwdriver fits the shaped recess properly. The axle drain/fill plug key is also sitting inside the pliers on the peg provided to locate it securely. My question for you all is what tool is meant to be in the location immediately to the right of the pliers?

Given that all the tools listed in the illustration in the Jowett Instruction book are present in the tray in the photo, what tool is missing from this collection? Once I have this info, I will be able to publish the updated list.

Please ignore the Reform brand open-ended spanners; I am still trying to confirm that the originals were Eagle Brand spanners.

Question for Keith, is the tool kit shown in your photos in your post above actually the one in Richard Homersham's Javelin?

Cheers,

Andrew

[Robin Fairservice]

I don't have any of the original spanners, but I do have a Owner's Instruction Book dated January 1950, as my Javelin was made in August 1950. There isn't a tool shown between the arms of the pliers. The spanners are: 7/16" x 3/8", 5/16" x 7/16", and 3/16" x 1/4". This instruction book was scanned and is in the Gallery.

I would suggest that for different years and/or models Jowetts' may have made different choices. The set for a De Luxe has more tools than the one for a Standard.

[Andrew Henshall]

Hi Robin,

Thanks for the info. The attachment ("Javelin tool Kit Manual Page 40") in my post above is actually a scan of page 40 from the January 1950 Javelin Instruction Book, and as mentioned, the illustration on page 40 shows a set of tools in different positions to those in the photo of the tool tray above. The fact that the tools actually fit perfectly where they are located in the photo is the first problem as it highlights the differences between the tray and the illustration. I'm trying to resolve these differences. Are there two versions of the tool tray? Your thoughts on this will be received with great interest.

Forum members are saying that the axle drain plug key sits on the peg in between the arms of the pliers, which is where it is placed in my photo above. This leaves the location immediately to the right of the pliers in the tool tray empty, and I am asking people if they know what tool should go there.

There is no peg for the axle drain plug key shown in the illustration in the Instruction Book, and the drain plug key is shown sitting between the wide locators to the right of the pliers with no locators to stop it sliding backwards & forwards. Indeed these locaters are far too wide apart to suggest that they were designed for the drain plug key, so what are they intended for?

Now, as to the sizes of the Whitworth open-ended spanners, you state that the Jan 1950 Javelin Instruction Book shows them as: 7/16" x 3/8", 5/16" x 7/16", and 3/16" x 1/4". Have you made a typo? My copy of the Jan 1950 Javelin Instruction Book shows them as: 7/16" x 1/2" (not 3/8"), 5/16" x 7/16", and 3/16" x 1/4". Can you please check your copy again and report back?

My original post questioned the fact that this Instruction book shows there are TWO 7/16" spanners and no 3/8" spanner, which contradicts other info that Jowett published. These show that the actual spanners supplied were: 7/16" x 1/2", 5/16" x 3/8" (not 7/16"), and 3/16" x 1/4". Evidence from cars with original tools kits supports conclusion. In addition, it is normal for tool manufacturers to supply sets of double ended spanners in combinations that form a regular progression in 1/16" increments, and unusual to duplicate any sizes in the set and leave a sixe out. The obvious issue with having a set of spanners as shown in the Illustration is how does the owner tighten the 3/8" Whitworth bolts on the Javelin!!!! Do you agree that Jowett had a typo in the size of the middle spanner in the Jan 1950 Instruction Book?

Kind regards,

Andrew

[Robin Fairservice]

Oh dear; I either can't read or can't type. I should have written 7/16" x 1/2".

My tray, which I am sure is the original, shows two ridges to the right of the pliers. I have no idea what originally was there. There is nothing between the plier handles, and no depression for anything. The only original tools that I have are "O", "M', AND "N", the Starting handle and the Wheel Brace, plus a Tecalemit grease gun that I found in a antique store that looks to be right size and appearance.. Two 7/16" be useful when you need a spanner on each end of something.