SSI Help/Question.

[jcc911]

Guys,
I am about to make the big switch to SSI's this weekend ('78SC)
and I have been soaking the head bolts for the past two days with PB Blaster and will continue to do so until it is time to wrench on them.
No I was a little eager tonight, so i pulled out the "special tool" for the HEs supplied by SSI, But it did not fit the nuts. It almost seems like it is one size too small. Possibly the rust build up?
If I can not get this tool on the nuts, how then will I be able to them off. I this something I would be better off sending to the shop? The one I "trust" charges $70/hr.
Thanks
Jeremy

[Rot 911]

Jeremy you are correct. The SSI wrench only fits the nuts supplied by SSI!

[CHILI]

Your stock nuts are probably 12mm. But you should be able to access them easily with the current set up. Or do you mean, you want to run them with the SSI's, but can't use the tool? I ground down a 12mm socket so that it would fit up through the holes in the SSI's and then used an angled box wrench for the others. But, I wouldn't recomend that. It was a pain. You want to use barrel nuts and the tool for those with the holes.

[jcc911]

Thanks guys for the info. Let me clairify.
I have the hardware for the new ones and will use those so that isn't an issue. What I need to know is the best way to get the stock nuts off. I will not reuse them.
I tried a 1/2" socket (best fit might been able to use 13mm) with a swivel adapter and a long extension. I barely got the socket on the nut (to little space between HE and nut) but the angle was so severe that I was afraid to put too much torque on the nut for fear of breaking it.
SO what is the best tool and procedure to get these nuts off?
Thanks, again for the help.
Jeremy

[Rot 911]

Jeremy you will need to be patient and use a combination of open and box wrenches on those nuts. If you have a torch you can put a bend in the wrench to get a bit more leverage.

[vash]

i havent tried it yet, but wouldnt a 13mm offset box wrench work? or one of those combo wrenched with a socket hinged off of one side? from sears.

i am freakishly paranoid, so i am going to do what island did. dremel through a flat side of a nut almost all the way through and give it a love tap with a hammer and chisel. do a search on mark wilson's SSI experience and that is what they did.

Here's the thread explaining Island911's method:

SSI remove/install

There is no way the hex nuts on mine would have turned without heat or splitting the nuts. This worked very well. The barrel nuts backed off without any prob. Good luck.

[Jim Sims]

2004-1978= 26 years of heat and corrosion; if the hardware is original and the existing heat exchangers haven't been off very recently then skip right to the oxy/acetlyene torch and save yourself the grief and expense of broken head studs. Heat those nuts cherry red, then spin them off while they're hot. Jim

[Bill Douglas]

Jeremy, check you have the same flange thickness. Otherwise you may need to swap out your studs or use spacers. Bill.

[jcc911]

Thanks To All For Your Help and Info!
I can't wait to get 'em on and hear the new sounds...
Jeremy

[palle7688]

Been there, done that.
Great sound.
Use a 12 mm, if it wont come of - use dremel or torch, don't break the studs.
What muffler are you installing?

[VenezianBlau 87]

Originally posted by Kurt V
Jeremy you are correct. The SSI wrench only fits the nuts supplied by SSI!

My SSI box didn't contain any nuts, nor was I expecting any. I installed new nuts/barrel nuts (and new studs) from our host. The SSI wrench didn't fit the new nuts but since nobody else ever mentioned it on here, I didn't want to be the first. Figured it was something dorky like the wrong nuts or something.

BTW I ran a 2-in 1-out OEM type muffler and now a GHL. The GHL is a little loud, but I'm getting old. Beautiful craftsmanship and lightweight. The straps are junk and I use early 911 straps with longer bolts. I blame the GHL straps for the failure of my first muffler. Allowed muffler to vibrate and welds failed.

Good luck Jeremy, sounds like you're on the right track.

Bob

[KTL]

I agree the oxy-acetylene torch is the way to go, followed by Mark & Island's dremel w/carbide method. Breaking a stud is a bad feeling.

On factory exhaust manifolds, the tool to get the nuts off after they've been freed up is a 13mm (not 12) universal socket. Not a 13mm socket with a separate universal joint, but a 13mm integrated universal joint socket. Works great.

[mudman]

And if you haven't gotten the barrel nuts off look at buying a set of Bohndus T-hadle allen keys. They are plenty long enough to fit through the access holes and give good leverage. I bought a 6 piece set for $28US. I used the bent wrench method as well as using a 1/4" drive 13mm socket with a 1/4"drive to 1/4" nut drive adapter with a 1/4" wrench. worked well but I was made fun of for using 'white trash mechanic methods'. Oh well, the HE's are off now.

Oh yeah, heat is good too.

-Jeremy

[Jim Sims]

"My SSI box didn't contain any nuts, nor was I expecting any. I installed new nuts/barrel nuts (and new studs) from our host. The SSI wrench didn't fit the new nuts but since nobody else ever mentioned it on here, I didn't want to be the first. Figured it was something dorky like the wrong nuts or something."

Yep, you had the wrong nuts. There are nice copper plated flanged OEM Porsche 8mm exhaust stud nuts that have the 12mm external drive hex. The turbo one's listed on Pelican (J-910-097-02) are not 12mm external hex; they're 13mm. The SSI wrench fits the 12-mm nuts.

Here's some images of the 8mm x 12mm drive hex nut:





Note one needs seven of the flanged hex nuts and five barrel nuts!

Cheers, Jim

[mudman]

Jim, why 7 and 5? I had 6 and 6 come off, well break off. Is the set up different going back on ?

[chrisp]

I used an offset english sized wrench. Worked great but you only get about 1/8 to 1/4 turn because of clearance issues before you have reset the wrench. It takes time so be patient. You'll be so afraid that you are going to snap your studs (I was) that you will hesitate putting enough torque on the wrench. It takes quite a bit to get the nuts free. When the nut finally releases it'll release with a bang. I thought the stud broke but it didn't. All 12 did this. Then it will require less torque from there but the nut will never "spin" off. It ends up being 3+ minutes per nut because of all of the wrench resetting. I got all of mine off without a single broken stud. My car was an '83 from North Carolina so the rust wasn't too bad.

For me heat did not help. Perhaps, I should quantify this by saying the heat that I applied with a propane torch did not help. Perhaps an acetylene torch will do the trick.

[KTL]

For the barrel nuts, I got a spare long 8mm hex key and cut the 90 deg. bend off of it. Now you can insert the key in an 8mm socket and then use your socket wrench or torque wrench when removing or installing the barrel nuts.

Nice vise Jim! A friend just sourced one of those Wilton bad boys for me. Now I have to build a bench that is sturdy enough to handle that monster. BTW, what is the part number for the OEM Porsche copper plated M8 exhaust nuts?

[Jim Sims]

"Jim, why 7 and 5? I had 6 and 6 come off, well break off. Is the set up different going back on ?"


To get the headers all really equal length, SSI changed from the exact OEM configuration and deleted one of the barrel nut access tubes (hence the special wrench). I found this out after I started but fortunately a friend had a stock of the 12 mm external hex nuts so he gave me one. Cheers, Jim

[mudman]

Check the diameter of your 8mm socket first, and make sure you have a long enough extension to fit down/up the holes. All of my 8mm sockets were too big, hence the allowance from wife to buy more tools (t-handle allen keys).