Guess the mystery tool?

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Greenville, SC: USA
My father who was a machinist made this back in the mid 70's .
First hints: It is made out of brass and was used on automobiles that were first made in the 70's

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I know when the state started requiring emission testing, checking the gas tank filler size was part of the test.
I always thought leaded gas would wreck the catalytic converter although I don't remember which came first.
I always heard that about ruining leaded gas too, but I drove my 1978 Thunderbird for 280,000+ miles with no issues. And, what is this "emissions testing" of which you speak? :unsure:
 
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Welcome to the east coast. It started with tailpipe emission testing as well as checking to be sure the converter wasn't removed as well as the filler check. Now days they just plug into the OBD2 to check the status of the car systems.
 
One of my criteria for choosing an area to live in is emission testing. After growing up in California and dealing with their inane smog laws, I swore to never live again in a county that required testing.

We did live in Ogden, UT for several years. They had emission testing back then- but the fair kind . By that I mean that they sniff the tailpipe and it's pass or fail. At the time I had a Bronco with a fuel injected 302. Cammed, remapped fuel curve, no catalytic converters- yet it passed the tailpipe sniff. Because it ran great! They knew all the mods I did but they didn't care because the tailpipe was clean.

Now in CA, I spent years trying to outsmart the emissions testing. What got me was the time I had a vehicle that passed the sniff test but failed the visual. I had to spend $800 to reinstall a bunch of emissions equipment. On retest, it failed badly. So I got a waiver for that registration period because of the money I spent (wasted). But if I couldn't bring the emissions into spec I could not renew my registration the next time. So- not only did I waste $800 but the fuel economy dropped by a large amount. So you have a law written to clean the air- a good thing. Yet the way it's written it does the opposite, and encourages what they really want- everyone to buy newer cars. By the way- California also taxes registration like homeowners property tax- on the book value of the car. So if they make you buy a newer cars, the state makes more tax income on registrations. California sucks. Period. It's a shame they have some of the best weather, scenery, and recreational areas. But I'll never move back!
 
I've had a couple of Jeep XJ Cherokees that went into the 300k's. One I sold at 360k, the other at 320k. Both ran great and kept running for many miles. And a Chevy Silverado, 1996 with a 350, that I sold at about 350k. And it was a crème puff!
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My question is did a ford actually make it 280,000 miles?😉
When I let my 2000 F-150 go it had over 390,000 miles on the original engine & transmission. It still ran fine but the body was rough (I had been hit & opted to take the money instead of having the body work done). The front seat was slam worn out & it rode a little rough. I have been blessed the last couple of years to work close to home but for years I averaged 30,000-33,000 miles a year. Working commercial construction & not wanting to run work has its price. Other than oil changes, brakes & the battery I remember changing the alternator, water pump & power steering pump, if I recall correctly.
 
I remember seeing adapters sold that would allow you to pump leaded gas into unleaded only cars.

In Georgia in the '70's they just checked to make sure you hadn't removed the catalytic converter. I remember a guy I grew up withs dad that had a business selling catalytic converter bypass pipes.
 
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There's still no evidence that TEL used in leaded gasoline caused any environmental problems. Politicians were hornswoggled by "environmentalists" that since it was lead it had to be causing problems. It's sort of like the lawyer that convinced one jury that talcum powder caused cancer. Then every lawyer since refers to that case as "proof". And if there is so much asbestos in Johnsons baby powder, why aren't every adult in the US dying from Asbestosis or Mesothelioma?

Crooked lawyers convincing unknowledgeable jurors that their lies are truth.
 
As I understand it, the TEL damages the catastrophic combuster, the possible environmental damage was just gravy.
Catalytic converters came after lead was removed. The fact that leaded gasoline screwed up converters was just gravy.
The reality is this. Every time politicians try to formulate gasoline they screw it up, because they aren't petroleum chemists.
Remember MTBE. The government mandated it's use. Then when it was determined that MTBE was carcinogenic it became a bad thing. Then too, MTBE had a great affinity for water. Once MTBE got into the wild it contaminated the aquifers and the politicians found out how hard it is to remove MTBE from water. The governments response was to blame the oil industry for following mandated policy.

When the government folks got caught their response was it wasn't their fault because those decisions were made by "somebody else".
 

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