A- head engine builders

On my TFS A heads, the stud bolts/nuts that lay next to the Valve spring are too close to get a socket on them squarely and the socket has to be cocked sideways to torque.I had to grind the top side of the socket down to get it on the nut enough to get enough grip, and still it rubs the top of the spring.The torque can't be true w/socket rubbing the spring. What do you guy's that do this professionally do?

Rick,are you using the 12 point nuts?

About all you can do is get the thinnest socket you can and rub the chrome off of it to keep the flakes out of the engine .

Nevs wrote:Rick,are you using the 12 point nuts?

Nev's,Yes they are 12 point.
Lem, Thats what I did, It is still real hard to get enough grip on the nut to get a good grip to torque.

"get enough grip on the nut"

Gotta be a nut hugger

bbf-falcon wrote:

Nevs wrote:Rick,are you using the 12 point nuts?

Nev's,Yes they are 12 point.
Lem, Thats what I did, It is still real hard to get enough grip on the nut to get a good grip to torque.

That's about all you can do, we took a 12 point socket and ground it down as far as we could. It works, but you're right, it is tight.

Rick,
What I did was make an "offset" extention out of a box end wrench and and extra 1/2 drive socket.
I cut a slot in the socket for the handle area of the wrench to fit in. I then had it welded to make it one piece.
I then refigured the required torque for the nuts, with the added lenght of the extention.
Box end slides past the valve spring...works like a charm...

Hope it helps..

Lem Evans wrote:"get enough grip on the nut"
Gotta be a nut hugger

Hope he doesn't "overtorque" it.

Ya know, us guy's on this site being the "NUThuggers that we are accused of being,you would think we would have a "GRIP" on things like a "NUT"

bbf-falcon wrote: Ya know, us guy's on this site being the "NUThuggers that we are accused of being,you would think we would have a "GRIP" on things like a "NUT"

Can I get an amen?

I used a 3/8" drive socket, short extension and then an adapter from 3/8 to my 1/2" torque wrench. The 3/8" drive socket is shorter and thinner.

I was wondering about that,and I was thinking the adapter might throw the torque value off. Kinda like a swivel

bbf-falcon wrote:I was wondering about that,and I was thinking the adapter might throw the torque value off. Kinda like a swivel

As long as you are in a straight line with the nut, socket, adapter and extension all in a straight line that's 90° to the torque wrench it won't be off.

Thanks for the tip guys, as I may be Uhhh, nevermind...









Doug...

Yea, These A heads aren't that much different than the OEM as far as working on them,but there are a few things I have learned that is also a little different. Another thing I noticed on these heads is, I kept noticing little pieces of rubber under my valve covers laying in the head. After close inspection I could see the Large valve springs that lay close to the bottom of the head were clipping the VC gasket when the valve would open and penching little pieces of rubber off.

1bad521 wrote:Thanks for the tip guys, as I may be Uhhh, nevermind...









Doug...

AUT OH,
Doug Is wanting to go Faster

Rick,

I knew right away you were going to talk about the valve cover gasket.I noticed that right away on my cousins 557 A-460 Headed motor,we trimmed the VC Gasket so the valve springs wouldn't have a snack.

Later Mark.

turn the socket down on a lathe

Turned mine down on a bench grinder,seems to do OK.

I took the spring off on the ones that were close. Only 4 if I remember correctly.