You weren't wrong, Al. The wrench from the $14 set had even less clearance than the one I had. My friend, who's been scratching his head along with me, said he could use a set of SAE wrenches and offered to buy them. But he's been generous to me, so I gave them to him. I proposed grinding down my wrench until it fit, but he talked me out of it. It didn't take much talking, because I agreed it would ruin the set. I stuck the 1/4"-drive deep socket from the Supplemental kit on the nut and examined it again. It's tight, maybe half a millimeter clearance. No wonder I'm tearing my hair out. I just ordered that Capri-brand $5.99 3/8"-drive deep socket, and if it doesn't fit into the notch I won't feel bad about reducing its diameter with a grinder until it does. And I can clamp down on it and turn it with vice grips without worrying about marring the chrome. It's just a one-off, after all.

ADDITION: That said, there's something inherently beautiful about sockets and other chrome tools. My torque wrench belongs on an alter. The Chinese company that made the little socket dubbed it a "Capri." As lovely as it is, I won't hesitate to modify the Capri to get it in the notch and on the nut.

Sorry to hear that. Have you thought about taking the original 3/8" drive socket, clamping it on a vise, taking a HSS drill bit to it and boring that inside hole out to accommodate a bigger screwdriver?

I would, but the guy whose set it belongs to might object. He's kinda picky about his tools, and I understand that. I'm the same way.

You can get this set today for $12.99, which you also wouldn't feel bad about grinding, and you can have all the other sockets as spares or whatever you want:

https://www.harborfreight.com/38-in-drive-sae-high-visibility-deep-socket-10-piece-61291.html

Or this single socket at Lowe's for less than Amazon's price:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-Standard-SAE-3-8-in-Drive-12-point-7-16-in-Deep-Socket/3387322

D'OH! Lowe's socket would have been perfect. Nice sleuthing, Al. (By the way, the nut requires a 12-point socket, but the sockets in the set from Harbor Freight have 6 points. Great price, though.)

Seems to me LN Engineering needs to do one of two things: (1) provide in one of their installation kits a box-end wrench (or a 3/8"-drive socket) that will fit in the flange's notch, or (2) enlarge the notch so that standard tools can access the nut on the stud. I plan to pass the suggestion on to LN. That said, after dealing with them I have enormous respect for LN as a company. Their products are first-rate and their service is exceptional.

Ohhh, I didn't realize it wasn't a standard hex nut. I was wondering why you were referring to 12-point sockets! LOL. Shame on me for not putting two and two together.

They must do that just to screw with us. It's like my Subaru with those 13mm 12-point head bolts. It's the only damn thing on the car with 12-point bolts. I don't know if they're any better than hex bolts. One time I removed a head on a Subaru and the 12-point rounded out. It was a brand new socket, too. I ended up having to drill that head bolt out.

A guy I know didn't have an impact socket, which are 6 point, so he said he was going to use a standard 12-point socket instead. I advised against it. He called me back and sheepishly admitted he had rounded off the bolt's head. "I should have listened to you," he said. I don't know everything, but I do know using a 12-point non-hardened socket with an impact wrench is flirting with disaster.

Oh yeah! That's begging for trouble!

LN support insists the 1/4"-drive 7/16" deep socket provided in the Supplemental kit "will work." No idea how, in view of the undeniable fact that a screwdriver small enough to fit through it is too small to hold the stud. I will proceed with my plan to modify a 3/8"-drive socket (or an individual box-end wrench, if I can find one).

In the meantime, I'm wrapped up in making an offer on a house, so I haven't had a chance to install the rear main seal yet.

SMH. In the video you linked, even Jake said the screwdriver was too small. Good luck on the house.

The 3/8"-drive 7/16" deep socket arrived today. As expected, its diameter is slightly too large to fit in the flange's notch. Not by very much, only a millimeter or so (see side-by-side comparison). A tungsten-carbide drum will grind down the outside circumference in short order. I also need to drill out the structure inside the socket (see photo) so the screwdriver can pass through. Speaking of which, the screwdriver on the left is about the minimum size necessary to hold the stud while the socket tightens the nut. It has to fit though the socket. The small screwdriver on the right is the largest that will fit through the 1/4"-drive socket, the one that LN says "will work." It won't.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1740708261.jpghttp://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1740708320.jpg

Here's a screenshot of the socket used in Jake's Flat Six Innovations video. Without question, it's a 3/8"-drive socket. Note the smaller diameter of the business end, which allows it to clear the notch. I'm guessing the center has been drilled out as well, to accommodate a larger screwdriver. I'm going to try to get hold of Charles Navarro and let him know LN's support is confused on this score.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1740768317.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oKlgMNYOxA

Have you thought about griding off these edges of the screwdriver, or a similar throw-away screwdriver? Looks like you can reduce it by about 2mm on each side.
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1740837492.jpg

True, but you would still need a way to tighten the nut on the stud. The 1/4"-drive deep socket would also need modification to fit a larger screwdriver through it, but that socket belongs to LN's rental kit. I'm working on the 3/8"-drive socket now. I was overly optimistic in predicting the tungsten-carbide drum would grind it down to size "in short order." The steel is tough, so it's taking more time than I had figured on. But I'm making progress.

You need what is call a "pass thru socket" set:

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91kvbpIVoDL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

The sockets have a large thru opening that the screw driver can pass thru and uses a special rachet that grips the flats on the outside of the butt end of the socket:


https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/...AC_SL1500_.jpg

I recommended a similar set to her about a week or so ago, but she she said she needs a 12-point thin-walled socket and these appear to be neither.

You can use a set of vice-grips on the socket. You only need to tighten it enough so it doesn't spin when you put a torque wrench on it, right?

Correct. The trick is to get it tight enough, and for that you need either a box-end wrench or socket that fits in the notch and on the nut.

The 3/8"-drive socket will now fit in the notch and on the nut, I'm happy to report. It took a while to grind it down enough, and it wasn't easy. As I said, the steel is tough. Tough enough that an old drill bit I had wasn't up to the task of drilling out the hole for the screwdriver to go through. I'm going to knock off for tonight and hit it with a new bit tomorrow. In the meantime, here's my grinder setup. Note the quarter-inch high pile of steel particles on the paper towel. Needless to say, I wore a mask, nitrile gloves, and eye protection. The bottom photo is a comparison with the 1/4"-drive socket.

NOTE TO SELF: Get a bench grinder, for God's sake. This would have been the perfect application for one.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1740883072.jpg

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1740883117.jpg

I clicked the "Post Reply" button by mistake. Nothing to see here, folks. Move along...

Now that you mention it, I would actually love to have a set of those. However, I'd be surprised if the set's 7/16" socket has a small enough outside diameter to fit in the notch and on the nut, since few do. You've installed a number of Solutions and you must be aware of the flange notch's small size, making access to the nut difficult with standard tools, so what do you use to tighten the center stud's nut?

I have both Snap On and Astro pass thru socket sets and use one of them. At one time, both were available in both six and twelve point design, but the twelve point fell out of favor and became harder to find. We also have a couple of "modified" sockets that had the centers drilled out larger and the outside tip turned down slightly on our lathe.

Also be aware that the opening in the flange has changed over time as they updated the design, and that notch has become smaller, requiring some creativity on the installer.

There are so many ways that could be done without a bench grinder.

You could use one of these to attach the socket to a drill and run it at high RPM over a stationary sheet of sandpaper, or a metal file, or even a grinding stone running in the opposite direction.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1740929132.jpg

Good idea, Al. And it probably would have been easier than my improvised grinder. However, I had a very good reason for not going that route: I didn't think of it.

That's an excellent reason. Had I known what your approach would be I'd have suggested it sooner. Regardless, you got it done and that's all that matters. :cheers:

I swear, I've been plagued with obstacles during this entire project. The latest obstacle arose when drilling out the socket. I saved the drilling for last, thinking it would be a snap. It turned out to be an order of magnitude more difficult than shaving down the socket's diameter. I broke a new drill bit trying to get through the socket's two internal partitions. That was disheartening. I'm not equipped properly. Clearly, a drill press is needed, and I'd like to have one someday, but for now I think I'm going to take the socket to a local machine shop and have them do the honors. I know those guys. I'll take a short case of Coors with me.

They'll definitely make quick work of it. But if you want to give it another shot yourself, clamp the socket on a vise (I'm sure you have) and start with the smallest bit you have that's just bately too big for the existing hole. Drill through, then go with the next size bit and repeat until you've reached the desired diameter.

Yes, I started with 17/64", which was one 1/64" larger than the 1/4" holes in the internal partitions, figuring to proceed to 9/32", 19/64", 5/16", etc. all the way up to 3/8", the objective. After laboriously drilling its way through the first partition, the 17/64" broke in two. Maybe it had a structural flaw. I'll try the 9/32" before I take it to the machine shop. However, I'm pretty busy with a house purchase, so I'm not sure when I'll get a chance to find out.

At least the Solution is installed, except for torquing the flange and stud. The rear main seal will take only a couple hours, but I expect the cam chain wear pads to be a multi-day project, since I haven't done it before and I tend to be ultra-cautious and mega-meticulous with new procedures. In any case, I plan to finish the swap here before I move all my tools to a new house in a different town.

Congrats on the new house!!

Thanks, Al. I'm excited.

thin wall sockets
 

somehow I cannot find the link someone shared here about the 'thin wall sockets'.. :o

I'm back from the world of inspections, preliminary reports, seller disclosures, vesting deeds, septic and well-water test results, etc., etc., and the inevitable so forth. Now I need to get cracking on that engine, get it all ready to stick in the car. The OEM cam chain wear pads (a.k.a. timing chain guide rail sets for VarioCam solenoid-actuated chain adjusters) and assorted seals and gaskets I ordered from Pelican on 3/7 hadn't arrived yet, so I called them to see what the holdup was. Turned out they had the wrong billing address associated with my debit card, which seems strange, given that I've ordered lots of stuff from them with the same card. I gave them the correct billing address, the card went though, and they said they would ship the order out today. No harm, no foul, since I won't be ready for those parts until next week. It's too late today to run that socket over to the machine shop and have them drill it out to 3/8". I've broken or worn out three drill bits so far, but I have more bits left, so I might give it another try tonight. Once the screwdriver can fit through it I can finally torque the IMS stud nut. I also picked up a couple of sheetrock screws, which Jake Raby claims is just the ticket (together with pliers) for removing the old rear main seal. The new seal and installation tool for setting the seal's depth are ready to go.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1742340701.jpg

It dawned on me that drilling the socket was the wrong approach. Once again, an 80-grit tungsten-carbide grinding drum, one with a small diameter, was a better solution. Took about 15 minutes.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1742603908.jpg

Also, the order from Pelican arrived today, containing: (2) "Timing Chain Rail Sets for Solenoid Actuated Chain Adjusters" (cam chain wear pads), (2) "O-Rings for VarioCam Chain Adjusters," (3) "Sealing Rings" (for chain tensioners), and (1) "Camshaft End Plug." You're looking at $135.67. The plug alone was $18.03. It was made in Slovenia. Which, as we all know, is where are the finest plugs are made.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1742608452.jpg

I opened a support ticket at LN, asking for assistance:

As per steps 41 and 42 of the Solution installation manual I installed the nut on the stud finger-tight, and then I torqued the flange bolts to 10Nm. Using a modified 3/8-drive 7/16" deep socket and a medium-large screwdriver I snugged up the nut on the stud. But now I'm scratching my head, because when I try to torque the nut, the stud turns with the nut. I had assumed snugging the nut would immobilize the stud so the nut could be torqued, but that wasn't the case. I tried tightening the nut more, with the same result. I have followed each step of the installation manual to the letter. How can I get that nut torqued?

Here's why I'm sure the nut and stud are spinning in unison. Note the registration marks. They don't move in relation to each other. Wish Jake Raby were here. No doubt he'd say something like, "I've seen this before, and here's what you need to do..."

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1742865713.jpg

LN Support's reply:

"The only advice I have is that some customers have used a small zip gun to quickly try and get the nut set and then use the wrench to torque it down."

I haven't replied to that. I wouldn't know what to say. This is a nutty situation, the latest in a string of nutty situations during this IMS bearing installation. It's true that this is new territory for me, and that's why I've been extra cautious in following LN's instructions, plus I've watched hours of videos demonstrating the process. I thought I understood every aspect before I began the installation. LN's support is not helpful. Looks like I'm on my own in solving this problem.

How is it possible for a nut on a rotating stud to "set" in the first place? It would seem to defy the laws of physics. The only possibility I can think of is that tightening the nut causes the other end of the stud, the part that looks like a valve, to press tightly against the bearing itself, limiting the stud's rotation. I've tried tightening the nut as much as is possible with the socket and screwdriver, and that doesn't seem to fix the problem. The nut and stud are still rotating together. I don't have a pneumatic zip gun at my disposal, but I have a powered ratchet. I guess I could try that. Funny, there's no mention of zip guns or problems with "setting" the nut in LN's instructions.

Doggone it, I have years of experience working on conventional engines, but it doesn't help me in this situation. It's humbling. If JFP or someone else with experience installing the Solution can't help me with this, I'm S.O.L. At least, for the moment.

Desperate, I opened a support ticket at flat6innovations.com in hopes Jake Raby himself would respond:

Dear Jake,

I've run into a problem installing a Solution, one LN's support couldn't help me with. I figured since you invented the Solution you'd know what to do. I'm having a problem getting the nut to "set" on the stud so that it can be torqued. The nut and stud rotate together, which makes torquing impossible. I described the situation in detail on 986 forum in my "Swapping engines" thread, in messages #396-398:

https://986forum.com/forums/boxster-general-discussions/86311-swapping-engines.html#post666536

Contacting you here is a last resort.

Best regards,
Michelle (a.k.a. LoneWolfGal)

i cant get a clear pic of the stud.. is it slotted in the middle ,, is that a small hole with a thread inside ??