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  #11  
Old 11-21-2016, 04:58 PM
BillL BillL is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Central IL
Posts: 5,516
Default Get the 1/4" Drive

Quote:
Originally Posted by sblack View Post
I was able to find a solution from the forum for getting access to the inner exhaust nuts on the left side of the engine. It seems that a flex socket is required. I have read that it should be a 1/4" drive. Is this mandatory because the 1/4" drive is smaller? I am having problems finding them locally but I have found 3/8" drive. Should I save my cash and keep looking or will the 3/8" drive work too? I don't want to buy twice. Thanks.
I bought some MAC 1/4" drive universal drive sockets in 1/2" and 9/16" from Ebay. On my M1B, a 3/8" drive universal socket (like the sears above) would not fit. I already had one. Your engine and/or exhaust may be different. Also, I have a SnapOn "S" wrench with a thin box end, and it works to get a feel of the torque better.

For you non-tool guys, a "wobble" is a rounded end to the make drive end of an extension.

A flex drive is like a tachometer cable and actually flexes. Not very useful for me, it doesn't tolerate much torque. Only seen one in 1/4" drive.

The socket above is a "universal drive socket"
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  #12  
Old 11-21-2016, 05:19 PM
g zero g zero is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: palm coast fl.
Posts: 945
Default Socket

Change the nuts out and replace them with Stainless Steel all thread rod couplers . The 5/16 thread size uses a 7/16 wrench and the "nut" is over an inch long , you can cut them in half or use them full length as it covers the entire stud protecting them from corrosion.
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  #13  
Old 11-22-2016, 04:34 AM
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rzbill rzbill is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Asheville, NC
Posts: 2,692
Default

My hangarmate has a set of the Snap-On 1/4" universal drive sockets. The only thing I borrowed them for was exhaust nuts.

After getting the Harbor Freight wobble extension set 3 or 4 years ago, I have not touched the Snap-Ons.

The Snap-Ons are a beautiful tool but the $200 price at their booth at SnF was too much for my taste. Ten bucks to HF was preferable.
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  #14  
Old 11-22-2016, 09:41 AM
jrs14855 jrs14855 is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Lake Havasu City AZ
Posts: 2,393
Default Exhaust nuts

The big issues are whether the pipes are perfectly straight where they attach to the flange. Also the inter cylinder baffles will interfere at some locations.
The Snap on sockets are slightly thinner wall than most. Every little bit helps. The wobble extension will not help if the baffle interferes with the socket.
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  #15  
Old 11-23-2016, 04:59 AM
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snopercod snopercod is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Asheville, NC
Posts: 2,104
Default Summit Racing 12 pt. Exhaust Nuts

The factory crossover exhaust on my tightly-cowled Lancair was so tight that it was impossible to reach the inner exhaust nut on the #2 cylinder with any tool known to mankind. I tried everything with no joy. The exhaust developed a crack on the #4 cylinder anyway, so I replaced the entire system with a not-so-tight Custom Aircraft Parts exhaust. (I know what you're thinking: "So if you couldn't get a tool in there, how did you get the old system off? Answer: Sawzall) To avoid this problem in the future, I replaced the standard Lycoming nuts with 12 pt. black oxide nuts from Summit Racing rated at 180,000 psi yield strength. They were much smaller and could be easily torqued with a 1/4" drive, 3/8" 12 pt. swivel head socket. I bought a Snap-On socket on eBay for $20.

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  #16  
Old 11-23-2016, 06:11 AM
sblack sblack is offline
 
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Default

Some great suggestions here guys. Thank you all.
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  #17  
Old 11-23-2016, 07:22 AM
BillL BillL is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Central IL
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Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by snopercod View Post
I replaced the standard Lycoming nuts with 12 pt. black oxide nuts from Summit Racing rated at 180,000 psi yield strength. They were much smaller and could be easily torqued with a 1/4" drive, 3/8" 12 pt. swivel head socket.
Black Oxide and high carbon steel will oxidize at exhaust flange temps, so monitor these during annuals and when they begin to look rusty replace. These exhaust nuts are problematic. Either a high temperature superalloy or silver coated, or standard. There are some Lycoming special nuts that some with the 540's but not the 360's. They are $25 ea from Lyc (Self Locking Nuts (STD-2043)), but a more common superalloy nut can be found for less than $5 ea. I am just using what came with the kit and will replace (like these beauties) when corroded. Stainless, normal stainless, will gall and stick, and don't have particularly good strength at higher temps, so be careful with them, use some good nickel anti-seize.

I asked the Lycoming guy that did the training at OSH - he said some OEMs liked the silver coated locking nuts, but can end up getting stuck to the studs (at overhaul) and resulted in more stud replacements. The others just put up with come coming loose and corroding, but left the stud intact. I chose the latter path. A tool that fits will come in handy for that check. No statistics found on loosening of the common nuts.
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Bill

RV-7
Lord Kelvin:
“I often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about,
and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you
cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge
is of a meager and unsatisfactory kind.”
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  #18  
Old 11-23-2016, 12:25 PM
rightrudder rightrudder is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Laguna Hills, CA
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Default

Just for reference, the 1/4" wobble extensions worked on my IO-320-D1A with the double-crossover exhaust supplied in the Van's FWF kit. Sometimes, a very short extension and a medium-length one used together worked great.
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  #19  
Old 11-23-2016, 02:12 PM
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snopercod snopercod is offline
 
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Location: Asheville, NC
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Default Thanks for the tip.

Quote:
Originally Posted by BillL View Post
Black Oxide and high carbon steel will oxidize at exhaust flange temps, so monitor these during annuals...
Thanks for the tip. No oxidation noted in 18 Mos. /100 Hrs. but I'll monitor closely. Silver plated would be nice.
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  #20  
Old 11-23-2016, 02:15 PM
mdoyle mdoyle is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Xenia, OH
Posts: 148
Default Local Sears store at the Mall

Local Sears store:
Description Item # 00943246000P Model # 43246

1/4 in. drive flexible socket. 6 pt. opening.Standard size 1/2 in. Guaranteed forever.
Added on January 13, 2016

$6.96 single socket, or buy the set
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Last edited by mdoyle : 11-23-2016 at 03:30 PM.
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