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Engine Bolt Torquing

dsm8

Well Known Member
Patron
Good Afternoon and Happy Thanksgiving

I am having difficult torquing the engine bolt left hand top bolt. There is not enough room to get the allen hex socket and the torque wrench without hitting the head. I tired to cut down the allen hex socket to minimize the distance and still not enough room.

I cut an allen wrench inserted the piece into the allen hex and tried to get a crowsfoot, but the torque requirements are so high it cannot tolerate the high torque requirements without slipping.

I tried a box end wrench as an extension including calculating the torque, but the open end also keeps slipping. The three other bolts are properly torqued.

Should I just tighten it as tight as I can and "build on", mark it with torque marking and inspect it to make sure it has not backed off, add some Loctite

Any advice appreciated.
 
I used a short piece of an allen key, then got a long double ring spanner. As I recall it was 10mm/12mm. Flat, not cranked. Then I cut a short piece of 12mm allen key to put in the other end. Then a socket onto that and that's where the torque wrench goes. Google the formula for torque wrench extension and you're good to go. A bit of an awkward explanation, but it worked perfectly.
Just remembered, I was going to use a cut off 12 mm Allen key, then I found the 12 mm Allen socket in my tool box.
Good luck
Cheers DaveH
120485
 
Last edited:
A good day!

"Crafting customized tools for select maintenance tasks underscores the joy of airplane ownership"

A GOOD day is when I have to fix something on my airplane. A BETTER day is when I have to buy a new tool to do it. A BEST day is when I have to MODIFY that tool.
It's a sickness, I know:eek:
 
You can try with an allen bit insert and a torque adapter. Adjust the required torque for anything other than a 90 deg offset like normal.
 
Ball End Allen Sockets

I recall having a similar problem... I'm not sure if this was the exact bolt, but I believe so. I ended up buying a set of allen wrench sockets with a BALL END. The ball end allows you to "tilt" the torque wrench, while leaving enough "meat" of the allen wrench to prevent slippage. It worked for me, easy-peasy.

Frankly, I didn't even know ball head allen wrenches existed (me bad)...until a friend told me. Now, I wouldn't be without them. I bought a standard and metric set from Northern Tool. Readily available.
 
Caution

One caveat: Those ball-end wrenches are great, but be careful. The "neck" behind the ball is a potential failure point. I failed one assembling a Matco wheel once. The "ball" stayed in the bolt head, and because of a slight deformation of that head socket, it could not be removed.
Just be aware these things have a failure point "built in".
....or buy them from Snap-On Tools and they'll never break!
Harbor Freight - not so much.
 
When you modify the internal wrenching cylinder base wrench, i've found it's better to grind down the back of the wrench head, not the hex side. Trial and error fitting, but eventually got a usable wrench.
Almost as frustrating as using a "special" vacuum pump wrench.

George
 
Thank you

Thanks to everyone who replied. I was able to use a double box end wrench and with a couple of apps I was able to correct for the extension and it all worked.

Thanks again

BTW the engine is hanging and looks very sexy!!!!
 
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