Actually I use a piece of hollow 1/8" thin wall brass hobby tubing. I
bought it to check deck clearances when I built my engine. I crushed it
with each cylinder and checked it with a mic after cutting 1/2" off after
each test stroke. Worked great and it crushes enough that it doesn't lock
the stroke or bind the engine. It was a handy 98 cent tool for checking
deck height and piston/head clearance. I just drop it in and when I can't
rotate the brass tube anymore I know I'm on top.

Stan Wilder
83 Air Cooled Westfalia

On Wed, 6 Feb 2002 10:09:58 -0800 Allan Bagley <allanb@CARLSON-AUDIO.COM>
writes:
> >>>You can use a coat hanger wire or other
> >>>screwdriver or whatever to put into the #1 spark plug hole and
> rock the
> >>>vehicle until it tightens up on the coat hanger wire /
> screwdriver etc.
>
> Use extreme caution turning over your motor with hard objects stuck
> in the
> plug hole!
>
> Many years ago (25+!?!?!) I broke off the tip of a hardened
> precision screw
> driver in a cylinder this way. Damned if I can remember what vehicle
> it was
> (fog of time/age). I was able to fish it out with a small magnet and
> some
> tape, etc. No harm done, but I am quite sure my heart stopped and I
> began to
> sweat profusely when I realized what had happened!
>
>
> Allan Bagley
> 86 Westy
>
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