Wish I had the skill and tools to do that.
Spark plug socket problem solver
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,200
Likes: 3
From: Lehigh county Pennsylvania
Spark plug socket problem solver
Sometimes you just have to take matters in your own hands. And I finally did and should have done sooner.
I couldn't find a short enough 13/16" sparkplug socket to clear the headers on my mouse motor. So I modified an old Bonney Forge socket to suit my needs. First, I removed the foam porcelain protector from inside. Then I marked the outside where I wanted to make the cut to separate the plug end from the wrench end.
See how much wasted space there is?
I used a whizzer to make the cut...nothing fancy.
Then I chucked both ends in my lathe and faced off ~3/8" total.
I changed tooling to put a 45* bevel for MIG welding.
I clamped them and welded with .030" ER70S6 wire, because that's what was in my machine.
Back onto the lathe to cut the weldment flush and re-install the foam packing.
You can see how much longer the Snap-On socket on top is.
One custom socket and one wrench gets to all 8 plugs.
That was an easy 1 hour project!
I couldn't find a short enough 13/16" sparkplug socket to clear the headers on my mouse motor. So I modified an old Bonney Forge socket to suit my needs. First, I removed the foam porcelain protector from inside. Then I marked the outside where I wanted to make the cut to separate the plug end from the wrench end.
See how much wasted space there is?
I used a whizzer to make the cut...nothing fancy.
Then I chucked both ends in my lathe and faced off ~3/8" total.
I changed tooling to put a 45* bevel for MIG welding.
I clamped them and welded with .030" ER70S6 wire, because that's what was in my machine.
Back onto the lathe to cut the weldment flush and re-install the foam packing.
You can see how much longer the Snap-On socket on top is.
One custom socket and one wrench gets to all 8 plugs.
That was an easy 1 hour project!
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 19,445
Likes: 353
From: Athens GA
St. Jude Donor '12-'13, '15- '16-'17-'18-'19, '21
So 69 Chevy.......
When do you start mass producing these for the rest of us????????
Nice work btw .......
I love to see a creative mind at work.
When I was a line mechanic eons ago, I swore the "engineers" designing the cars never turned a wrench in their life.
Bman
When do you start mass producing these for the rest of us????????
Nice work btw .......
I love to see a creative mind at work.
When I was a line mechanic eons ago, I swore the "engineers" designing the cars never turned a wrench in their life.
Bman
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Race Director
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 10,046
Likes: 675
From: FL
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,200
Likes: 3
From: Lehigh county Pennsylvania
When do you start mass producing these for the rest of us????????
SLP Short Socket $29.95 at Summit
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SLE-30102/
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SLE-30102/
2. I don't like the idea of having the porcelain exposed. I'd rather have it nestled securely inside closed-cell foam.
Only certain styles of sparkplug sockets are good candidates for this modification. If the square hole is NOT broached completely through, it will interfere with the porcelain when cut to the desired length.
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 198
Likes: 0
From: Colorado Springs Colorado
Very Nice!
I too wish I had the tools to make things I have to buy.
I don't, so I use these:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/PO...1150/?rtype=10
They also come in 13/16".
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/POW-POW301155/
Kinda pricy, but work very well.
I too wish I had the tools to make things I have to buy.
I don't, so I use these:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/PO...1150/?rtype=10
They also come in 13/16".
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/POW-POW301155/
Kinda pricy, but work very well.
