BEAM Equipment Van Norman Tool Holder Guide.

A portable boring bar is the machine shops use to make an engine cylinder bigger and round again. The tool holder is the little steel block that holds the cutting tip. BEAM Equipment & Supplies makes new holders for old Van Norman bars, and a lot of those same holders also fit Peterson and Kansas Instruments (KI) bars because those companies copied or continued the same designs.

Think of it like sockets on a wrench: the wrong size will not go on. The two big groups are:

• Older / smaller-slot bars (no “S” in the name): Van Norman 777, 900, 905, 944, 965. Peterson / KI 944.
• Newer / bigger-slot “S” bars: Van Norman 944-S, 777-S, 777-S4. Peterson PK-447 and PK447-S (also written PK-447-S).
• Special cases: Van Norman 943 and KI 943M. Van Norman 888 and 999.

An “S” holder will not fit a non-S bar, and a non-S holder will not fit an S bar.

The four jobs these holders do

1. Regular cylinder boring — open the cylinder from top to bottom.
2. Blind-hole boring — bore a cylinder that is closed at the bottom (two-stroke blocks, some outboards).
3. Counterbore / sleeve trim — cut a liner flush with the top of the block.
4. Chamfer — put a 60-degree bevel at the top of the hole so the piston rings go in easier.

Regular cylinder boring holders

These use insert BE-1120 (six cutting edges; flip it when one edge gets dull).

Holder	How shops use it	Fits Van Norman models	Also fits Peterson / KI models
VN-1134	Short holder	Van Norman 944	Peterson / KI 944
VN-1135	Medium: long on a 944, short on the others	Van Norman 944 (as long), 777, 900, 905, 965 (as short). Will not fit 944-S or 777-S	Peterson / KI 944. Will not fit PK-447 or PK447-S
VN-1136	Long holder	Van Norman 777, 900, 905, 965. Will not fit 944-S or 777-S	Matching non-S Peterson / KI bars of that family. Will not fit PK-447 or PK447-S
VN-1121	Short holder	Van Norman 944-S	Peterson PK447-S
VN-1122	Medium: long on 944-S, short on 777-S	Van Norman 944-S and 777-S	Peterson PK-447 and PK447-S
VN-1123	Long holder	Van Norman 777-S and 777-S4	Peterson PK-447 and PK447-S
VN-TH999S / VN-TH999L	Short / long	Van Norman 888 and 999	No common Peterson equivalent listed

Old-style holders that still take the original VS-2 / VS-3 bits: VN-944214 (short for Van Norman 944-S) and VN-777177 (long for Van Norman 944-S, short for Van Norman 777-S / 777-S4 and Peterson PK-447).

Blind-hole holders

These use insert BE-8101. You also need the setting block VN-BHFX so you can set size with the regular micrometer.

Holder	How shops use it	Fits Van Norman models	Also fits Peterson / KI models
VN-BHS	Short	Van Norman 944	Peterson / KI 944
VN-BHM	Medium: long on 944, short on 777	Van Norman 944 and 777	Peterson / KI 944; users have also run this on Peterson PK447-S for closed-bottom holes
VN-BHL	Long	Van Norman 777, 900, 905, 965	Matching non-S Peterson / KI bars
VN-BHS-S	Short	Van Norman 944-S	Peterson PK447-S
VN-BHM-S	Medium: long on 944-S, short on 777-S	Van Norman 944-S and 777-S	Peterson PK-447 and PK447-S
VN-BHL-S	Long	Van Norman 777-S	Peterson PK-447 and PK447-S

Simple setup: put a .030" feeler gauge between the little calibration screw and the VN-BHFX block. Use that same feeler every time you set the holder in the micrometer. After one test hole, only turn the main adjusting screw to change size.

Counterbore / sleeve-trim holders

Same bodies as the regular holders, but with a “C” in the part number. They usually take BE-1119.

Fits the same machines as the matching non-C holder:

• VN-1134C / VN-1135C / VN-1136C — Van Norman 944, 777, 900, 905, 965 and Peterson / KI 944. Not S-series.
• VN-1121C / VN-1122C / VN-1123C — Van Norman 944-S, 777-S, 777-S4 and Peterson PK-447 / PK447-S.

You can also use the old VS-3 bit in the traditional-style holders.

60-degree chamfer holders

These put the lead-in at the top of the cylinder. They use BE-1119.

• VN-1634 / VN-1635 / VN-1636 — Van Norman 944, 777, 900, 905, 965 and Peterson / KI 944.
• VN-1621 / VN-1622 / VN-1623 — Van Norman 944-S, 777-S, 777-S4 and Peterson PK-447 / PK447-S.

943 holders (their own little family)

Holder	Fits Van Norman models	Also fits Peterson / KI models	Insert
VN-94311 (short)	Van Norman 943	Kansas Instruments 943M	BE-8101
VN-94312 (long)	Van Norman 943	Kansas Instruments 943M	BE-8101

These use a pin instead of a threaded adjusting screw: VN-943SHRT or VN-943LNG.

BEAM parts that go with the holders

Cutting inserts

• BE-1120 — everyday cylinder boring (6 edges).
• BE-8101 — blind holes and 943 holders (3 edges).
• BE-1119 — chamfer and most counterbore holders (3 edges).
• BE-2119 — 888 / 999 holders only.

Little screws that hold the insert

• BE-3MX10 (also written BE-M3X10) — most 112x, 113x, and blind-hole holders.
• BE-632375 — 999 holders.

Adjusting screws (the screw you turn to set bore size)

• VN-SHRT, VN-MED, VN-LNG— 9/32"-32 thread for most holders.
• VN-SC999S / VN-SC999L — for 888 / 999.
• VN-943SHRT / VN-943LNG — pins for 943 / KI 943M.

Must-have extra for blind holes

• VN-BHFX setting fixture.

Old-style bits still sold

• VS-2 regular, VS-3 sleeve cutoff, VS100early 1/4" shank.

Quick “what do I buy?” checklist

1. Look at the nameplate. If it says 944-S, 777-S, 777-S4, PK-447, or PK447-S, buy the 112x / BHx-S / 16xx family.
2. If it says 777, 900, 905, 944, 965, or Peterson/KI 944 with no “S”, buy the 113x / BHx / 163x family.
3. If it says 943 or 943M, buy the 943 holders.
4. Match the job: regular bore = BE-1120, closed bottom = BE-8101 + VN-BHFX, liner flush or top chamfer = BE-1119.
5. Keep one short, one medium, and one long adjusting screw in the toolbox.

That is the whole system in shop language: right slot size, right length, right insert, and the Peterson / KI twins listed next to the Van Norman models they copy.