This tungsten scraper is my new favorite tool.

Disclaimer: I purchased this tool at full retail price at my own expense, with no compensation to write about the item.

I was watching a video the other day of Eric O. at South Main Auto replacing a manifold on a Pentastar. We have a little experience with that here at Dorman, given that we manufacture a patented upgrade to stop those leakers from piddlin’ oil on driveways across the nation. Here, take a look at the section I watched:

Purchase background

In 2005, I bought a Blue Point YA5200A. Obviously, this thing is designed to neatly remove inspection stickers from windshields. I used it all wrong and just used it on everything any time I needed to clean up a gasketed surface. Just a few months ago, I was ramming it against some pockmarked gasketed surface like I shouldn’t be and it finally broke.

I never liked the spring-loaded blade retainer, and that’s the piece that shot craps. I replaced it with a no-name equivalent that had the same basic design, except used a knurled thumbscrew and plate to retain the blade, and it was business as usual. But acquiring a heavier-duty version nagged at me.

Photo: Mike Apice.

When I poked Eric’s scraper part number into my Googlin’ machine, I found one for $22.98 (not including the ride to me). I liked the idea of a thicker blade, and tungsten carbide is a material that I have limited, albeit excellent experience with. When running a lathe, I’ve used tungsten carbide bits almost exclusively, and you probably do, too, if your shop has an Accu-turn or Ammco brake lathe. It’s a very hard but very brittle material.

The other tungsten carbide item I have in my life is my wedding ring, and oddly enough, that very much is born of automotive necessity. I’ve always felt any jewelry on my hands was a liability; it’s often another way one can lose a finger or get hung up on machinery. Further, common jewelry metals like gold and silver are fairly soft and get scratched and dinged and dented quickly under a hood. When my wife and I were married, I discussed the prospect of not wearing a wedding ring, and that went over like the proverbial flatus in a place of worship.

Photo: Mike Apice.

Trial run

The scraper arrived packaged well with a silicone cover for the tungsten insert which I’ve continued using. I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be used just for shipping, but I’m gonna keep it in play. The scraper is made in Taiwan. The metal section has a frosted appearance and a beefy blue plastic handle.

The carbide insert is attached pretty firmly. I asked Astro’s Customer Service Manager about how it’s affixed to the steel, but she was not permitted to speak about their manufacturing methods. After having examined it, I’m fairly certain it’s brazed, so there’s no real worry about it coming free under normal, non-abusive use.

Photo: Mike Apice.

I cut this thing loose and it’s awesome. Because of the 90 degree angle on the blade, you can take a nice angle of attack you can’t get with a razor blade. It knocked the gasket material and white oxide off an aluminum head and timing cover like they weren’t even there, leaving nice, smooth aluminum in the wake with no gouging. Due to that angle, there was actually less dinging in the gasketed surfaces than with a razor blade.

Photo: Mike Apice.

The extra weight and heft help, and the fat plastic handle has a spot molded in where you can push and guide with the thumb . The thick blade doesn’t react to changing pressure like a razor blade.

If this thing holds up for a year, it would be a fantastic tool, but I imagine it’s gonna hang in there for way longer than that. If you’ve been like me, living under a rock and clinging to the old ways, maybe see if the tool man has one on the truck or dial up Astro. This is a big winner in my book.

Thanks, Eric O.!