SUPER Thin Wall 14mm Spark Plug Socket Needed - Anyone with a lathe? Will pay!

[pbon]

He has already found one for half the price. Why are you telling him he should instead buy one for full price? Have you ever spent time researching things? Maybe he enjoys it. I do, as do many GJ members.

 

[nicks78camaro]

Glad OP found a different option.

I think the original point was not that OP couldn't afford the expensive socket, just checking with the GJ Brethren for potential cheaper options for a tool that will be seldomly used.

Nothing wrong with that.

 

[KFBR392]

I have a 1999 E36 M3 that I bought in 2005. Gets more attention when I drive it than my 2018 M5. But it’s not as comfortable.

They’re beautiful cars. Someone traded in an E36 M3 sedan in dark green with the super rare magma interior to the BMW dealership here about 15 years ago, and I still think about that car.

 

[pbon]

Mine is Fern Green over Magma leather. It was pretty when it was younger and lower mileage. Mine is now old and tired but I am thinking about fixing it up. It has a fully built turbocharged motor making over 700 rwhp, 6 speed transmission, and is on coilovers.

 

[Chipm]

Mine is Fern Green over Magma leather. It was pretty when it was younger and lower mileage. Mine is now old and tired but I am thinking about fixing it up. It has a fully built turbocharged motor making over 700 rwhp, 6 speed transmission, and is on coilovers.

I had a Black/black 1995 M3 for about twenty years. Now we have a regular E36 convertible, but I will get another M3 eventually.

 

[KFBR392]

Mine is Fern Green over Magma leather. It was pretty when it was younger and lower mileage. Mine is now old and tired but I am thinking about fixing it up. It has a fully built turbocharged motor making over 700 rwhp, 6 speed transmission, and is on coilovers.

Pics!

 

[F-22]

$140 for a German specialty socket doesn’t seem unreasonable. Honda sells a S-O spark plug socket for the super rare commuter Hondas for a measly $76. Pay the $140 and move on. But please use a $15 Pittsburg Pro ratchet when you use it!

That's just a socket Snap On sells though. They say it is for "Nissan® 1.8 L Versa® and 2.0 L Sentra®, Mercedes® and BMW® vehicles" on their website, they don't even mention Honda.

Pretty certain the factory tools for the Japanese cars have their own domestic tools for it, and certainly also so for Mercedes and BMW - the actual factory tool is likely make by Heyco or Hazet.

It's possible it is the Honda USA representatives which may officially recommend it. But it is just an alternative they choose on the US market then.

 

[tarbellb]

Funny folks around here

Scenario A- gets chewed out for asking to save some money on a overpriced socket

Scenario B- gets reamed for paying "$140!" for a specialty socket that you couldve easily modded a HF socket into


Can't win around here I guess

Nice euro trash cars bud, wouldn't mind a hot lap in either

 

[cad70]

Cool you found a cheaper solution. I'll never argue against that if it works.

Then again you're saving like 90 bucks at best and you have a Porsche. It's a little silly. Especially when you make the money it takes to have that car.

Peeps don't gain the ability to acquire nicer things by throwing good money at just anything.

 

[dchawk81]

Peeps don't gain the ability to acquire nicer things by throwing good money at just anything.

You mean like a Porsche?

 

[pbon]

And you don’t find many Porsche DIYers. I think it’s great the OP works on his and maybe the savings help fund the hobby.

I have a 2021 Cayenne S and did the 40k mile service myself in a day with $500 in parts. The dealer wanted $3400. I replaced the water shutoff valve, thermostat, water pump and belts for $500 in a day and a half. The dealer would have charged over $4000 (late model V6 and V8 VW, Audi and Porsche are having problems with water pumps and water shutoff valves that reduce water flow on start up to warm the car faster to reduce emissions).

 

[spyerx]

The correct garage journal answer is: "Weren't you thinking about getting a lathe anyway?".

The thought did cross my mind...

The OP has already informed us that a Porsche forum member can make a socket that fits for half the dealer special tool cost. Why should he pay the $140 and move on? GJ members are notoriously frugal and resourceful in my experience, but this thread has a few who just give up and say buy from the most expensive place.

The irony and the banter here are hilarious.

He’s spent countless hours trying to find a solution to a problem that already has an answer. If you like that kind of project that’s cool. but he’s not going to find a $20 socket unless he’s really lucky.

I think 30 minutes? I've spend more time reading this thread than sending a few $ to a rennlist member who made the tools.

Glad OP found a different option.

I think the original point was not that OP couldn't afford the expensive socket, just checking with the GJ Brethren for potential cheaper options for a tool that will be seldomly used.

Nothing wrong with that.

My original thought was a local member with a lathe who wanted to make a few bux and a little project...

I mean I did spend a bunch of cash on the snap on truck that visits my shop (cash discount baby!) on ratchets... why? I think they are the best feel to me... so I'm not opposed to spending on quality, but I am opposed to getting or feeling like I'm getting ripped off.

Dealer wants like 4 or 5 hours + parts (at least $400) for this job, which will end up about $2k. it'll cost me $175 (parts with the socket) plus a couple hours of a Saturday morning. $2k to change spark plugs feels criminal to me. I'll bleed the brakes while I'm at it.

And you don’t find many Porsche DIYers. I think it’s great the OP works on his and maybe the savings help fund the hobby.

I have a 2021 Cayenne S and did the 40k mile service myself in a day with $500 in parts. The dealer wanted $3400. I replaced the water shutoff valve, thermostat, water pump and belts for $500 in a day and a half. The dealer would have charged over $4000 (late model V6 and V8 VW, Audi and Porsche are having problems with water pumps and water shutoff valves that reduce water flow on start up to warm the car faster to reduce emissions).

There are quite a few out there, especially for the older cars (checkout Pelican Parts forums... the newer stuff you see less of it, but they're out there). Unfortunately nothing good (except maybe a cleaner tailpipe) has come out of all the emissions and regulatory gear on cars these days.

Thing is, generally the cars are quite easy to service for basic work. Despite the commentary earlier, I don't think Porsche engineered the bore of these to be difficult to work on, that's not how they build cars, there was some engineering reason and it created a compromise in serviceability.

 

[spyerx]

So here’s the custom socket, swivel, and the extension. It’s cut down to 17.14mm. Super thin. About 2” of the tool hangs out the cylinder head when fully inserted (about where the knurling is on the short extension. The swivel and extension are expoxied so they don’t separate in the bore. Socket has a magnet. The guy who is making these tested them out yield at about 35nm, 2x what is needed to install at 15nm. Removal was only slightly more than that on my car and very easy to remove with this tool. It worked perfectly. Zero binding.

Using another 3/8 swivel (i got these cheap titan spring loaded made in Taiwan swivels and they were super useful for this job) and a long 3/8 extension i was able to get a pretty straight shot on the holes to allow for minimal binding/straight when torquing front plugs.

Access in the rear is from the wheel well after removing some heat shields, you can’t get at from bottom as the exhaust is in the way below. Stubbies, flex ratchets, and swivels all make it decently easy.

But now I know why shops charge 4+ hours for this job, its a PITA.

The air filter replacement is almost as bad, requiring removal of 1/2 the rear interior and pulling them out from the rear firewall.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Wow, that is crazy thin! Definitely a bargain for the work and materials that went into making that setup.

What is a standard mileage interval on the plugs?

 

[spyerx]

Wow, that is crazy thin! Definitely a bargain for the work and materials that went into making that setup.

What is a standard mileage interval on the plugs?

30k/4 years. Mine were 4 years, and 17k miles (no track use on this car of mine) and they looked a little worn but ok. I suspect porsche does a time interval on them to keep them from seizing in the heads. The plugs are TINY also.

 

[rust in the eye]

That looks scary weak. I'd hate to service one of these where the plugs have been in place for eons.
I'd at least be R&Ring them once in a while if you aren't accumulating miles. One of those itty bitty plugs with a whole lot of thread length and no room for stronger tools seizes and you are seriously F'ed.
FWIW & future reference the Lisle 63080 swivel socket measures 18.6mm O.D. too big for the OP but perhaps useful information for another.
@ spryerx Is that monkey **** set up of universals and rotating head ratchet what you need for access on that thing?? Good Lord!

 

[spyerx]

That looks scary weak. I'd hate to service one of these where the plugs have been in place for eons.
I'd at least be R&Ring them once in a while if you aren't accumulating miles. One of those itty bitty plugs with a whole lot of thread length and no room for stronger tools seizes and you are seriously F'ed.
FWIW & future reference the Lisle 63080 swivel socket measures 18.6mm O.D. too big for the OP but perhaps useful information for another.
@ spryerx Is that monkey **** set up of universals and rotating head ratchet what you need for access on that thing?? Good Lord!

Mid engine. That crazy setup let me get a straight-ish shot with the torque wrench for reinstalltion. Removal after I broke them I used a finger ratchet.

But yeah, you’re right. Porsche suggests 4 years on these or no more than 30k miles, likely for that reason to keep from seizing.

 

[Indexmill]

So here’s the custom socket, swivel, and the extension. It’s cut down to 17.14mm. Super thin. About 2” of the tool hangs out the cylinder head when fully inserted (about where the knurling is on the short extension. The swivel and extension are expoxied so they don’t separate in the bore. Socket has a magnet. The guy who is making these tested them out yield at about 35nm, 2x what is needed to install at 15nm. Removal was only slightly more than that on my car and very easy to remove with this tool. It worked perfectly. Zero binding.

Using another 3/8 swivel (i got these cheap titan spring loaded made in Taiwan swivels and they were super useful for this job) and a long 3/8 extension i was able to get a pretty straight shot on the holes to allow for minimal binding/straight when torquing front plugs.

Access in the rear is from the wheel well after removing some heat shields, you can’t get at from bottom as the exhaust is in the way below. Stubbies, flex ratchets, and swivels all make it decently easy.

But now I know why shops charge 4+ hours for this job, its a PITA.

The air filter replacement is almost as bad, requiring removal of 1/2 the rear interior and pulling them out from the rear firewall.

It's hard to believe that thin wall is going to take the torque required to get old plugs out. That is prolly why the $140 ones command that much money.

 

[pbon]

It's hard to believe that thin wall is going to take the torque required to get old plugs out. That is prolly why the $140 ones command that much money.

Why? The one person here with actual experience wrote in post #133 above:

“The guy who is making these tested them out yield at about 35nm, 2x what is needed to install at 15nm. Removal was only slightly more than that on my car and very easy to remove with this tool. It worked perfectly.”

 

[Hannahranga]

Peanut gallery chiming in again, how tight is the fit in the bore? I'm curious if the socket would fail at a higher torque value if it's supported by the very close bore compared to wrenching on a bolt on a vise.

 

[rust in the eye]

Peanut gallery chiming in again, how tight is the fit in the bore? I'm curious if the socket would fail at a higher torque value if it's supported by the very close bore compared to wrenching on a bolt on a vise.

This crossed my mind too. My thoughts being if the socket weren't strong enough as is(apparently not the case so a moot point)having a slip fit to the bore may be beneficial, perhaps coated to prevent galling. All this assumes extreme cleanliness as well.

 

[spyerx]

Guys - the socket is same diameter as the factory tool. ITs not made from unobtanium although porsche would like you to think so.

It removed the old plugs perfectly, These things are only torqued to 10ft lbs / 15nm.

Unless. Your plug is leaking in the bore, it’s spotless in there, totally weather sealed by the coil on plug igniter.