tools for removing ssi heat exchangers
 

I did a search on this topic, and found nothing satisfactory, so...

I began the fun task of removing my SSI heat exchangers today and am now all too familiar with how hard it is to do. The left side came off easily, and none of the nuts were rusty or hard to loosen. So using heat is not necessary. All I need to know is what tools do I need to get at those innacessible hex nuts on the right side, specifically on cylinders 5 and 6? The engine is a '74 2.7L, on a stand. There's a Sears nearby; what do they have? Thanks.

Charlie
Montara, CA
1970 911E

Charlie, you will probably need to purchase a couple of 13mm wrenches and bend them to fit up there. SSI makes a special too as well, not sure if they sell it separately of not. IMHO, you got really lucky by not breaking an exhaust stud. Most of us have had to use heat, PB Blaster, or a combination to get them off.

-b

I think this is the tool you need. My mechanic lent me this to remove my exhaust.

.Steven
1980 911SC

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1076490540.jpg

To remove the hex nuts, most SSI came with a special 12mm or 13mm bent boxed end wrench. Snap on also sells some bent dizzy wrenches that might work. They also sell a 12 & 13mm socket that has a swivel and long extention all in one tool.

Doesn't Pelican sell the tool bit has pictured above?

I just installed a set on my SC, so the wounds are still fresh. The most difficult nut to access was the pass side center. I used a 1/4" drive breakover and 12mm socket(yours may be 13mm). This setup was still a bit too tall, so I used a belt sander to grind about 1/4" off the top of the socket. I used a 6 pt socket cuzz that's what was there, but a 12 pt would have made it easier. Other than that, I had a couple of different lengths of combo wrenches. Good luck.

Thanks all. I'm having trouble with the hex nuts, not the allen nuts. Those are easy. Yes, I know I'm lucky that the nuts have all been so loose. I was pleasantly surprised about that. But I'd still like to know about other tools that don't require mods with a belt sander. Anyone? The three I can't get are both the nuts on #5, and the outer nut on #6. I'll be back to tell you how I complete this little task.

Charlie

For the hex nuts you need a 13mm swivel head socket available at most autoparts stores for about $14. Saturating the bolts overhnight with a penetrating oil helps a lot and you may need to heat them up with a torch to get them undone.

Obstruction wrench, 13mm size (or 12mm). THis is a box-end wrench that makes several bends to finally look like a wide U-shape thing. Sold at Sears.

A trip to the pawn shop is in order. You will find that a many 1/2" wrenches will fit the 13MM nut. (Take an example along)

Buy a couple cheap. Take them home, heat them with an actylene torch to the proper configurations. After the redness starts to leave the wrench when cooling, plunge it into a pail of cold water.

Good luck,
David Duffield

I don't want to get away from the topic at hand regarding the wrench needed to get at the hex head nuts...............

But the allen/hex key tool pictured above can be made much cheaper than buying one. Go the hardware store and buy an 8mm long hex key and grind the bend off of it. Then insert your straight piece of hex key into a 3/8" drive 8mm socket. If you have an extra socket, weld the hex key into it. Presto. Heat exchanger removal tool for about $5.

Here's a picture of the offset bend wrench mentioned by Jim Smolka and yelcab1

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1076529430.jpg

In the bottom middle of the picture surrounding the copper nuts.

I did it! I went to Sears and found a 12mm swivel socket with an especially shallow socket. It fit right on the nut with a straight extension, and turned easily. As I said above, the nuts were not rusty and very easy to loosen, as long as I could get a tool on it.

I hadn't mentioned it earlier, but I could't get my allen extension onto the #6 barrel nut because it was not lined up with the hole. So I removed the oil cooler, and there it was in plain site. It was easy to remove with a vice grip. So ends the saga of removing SSI's. I know I got lucky that it was #6, but that just makes up for all the other times.

Now , the next question: My 3.0 engine in the 911E will not include a heater system, so I'm thinking of putting something like Bursch headers on the 3.0, and keeping the SSI's for the 2.7, which I will rebuild to RS spec and either sell or put in a car that is in need of an engine. The sales lit says the Bursch headers are not street legal in CA. Why not? Is it noise, or smog? I'll use a relatively quiet muffler, and I'm smog exempt, so who would ever know?

Charlie
1970 911E