Had to grind down a socket to take the drive coupler off.

[Okiesnake]

I got a new motor from uslegends.  The new motor came with a chain sprocket and needed to swap out the old drive shaft coupler.  Problem was the 36 mm nut is down in a hole that a 36 mm socket won't fit down into.  I had heard that if you can find a "thin walled" socket you can get it to fit.  Well I was not having any luck finding a socket thin walled enough to fit. (Snap-On has one for $61 but the local guy did not have it in stock)

But I did find a cheap ($1.50) 1 7/16mm socket (close to 36mm really 36.5mm) that also was too thick so I ground down the outside.  I used the side of a chop saw cutter blade.  I duct-taped the chop-saw trigger down and I put a socket extension on the socket and turned it as I ground it down.

After about 40 minutes I had it ground down enough and had the coupler switched onto the new motor!

[VMS Motorsports]

They stock the thin wall socket at True Value hardware stores. $7.99

[knoxracing]

WOW, I ause a Craftsman and have never had an issue, 36mm. I cut off a piece of  plastic tubing and inserted in the sockets as a stop. I have installed probably 100 motors, never had an issue. I have heard the better tool companies, snap on, mac etc. do not fit.

[JGRacing]

The Craftsman one worked for me also.  I will give you bonus points for persistence though. 

Dennis, can you explain the plastic tubing stop you mentioned?  Cannot picture in my head how this works.  What it the stop for?   

[knoxracing]

Its actually for installing the nut, the stop allows the nut to go in the end of the socket and sit flush with the end so you can start it on the shaft with the socket and a short extension, otherwise you are trying to reach in and start the nut. maybe i am the nut, works for me, lol!

[JGRacing]

Now I understand.  Sounds like a good idea.   

[Winterracing]

How tight do you make these?  Just as tight as you can or is there a torque these should go to?

Dan
www.winterracing.net

[legends13]

yup, craftsman 36mm works. Also, as to Dennis' point, even easier is to take a couple blue shop rags and stuff them in the socket, so that they are just to the end, then stick the nut in there. it does the same thing as the plastic.

[dcpainting]

Napa has thin wall socket that fits fine

[HAMMERIN101]

when tighten up the coupler.do you just put the engine in gear.and use a torque wrench if so how much torque....or are you just using an air wrench and tighten the crap out of it?   

[VMS Motorsports]

Tighten the crap out of it

[Bigmil]

It's also a good idea to drill and tap a hole in the coupler for a set screw that prevents the nut from backing out.  This almost guarantees that it won't come loose and it's not really that hard.

[Legends16]

I just went through this deal replacing motors and getting a socket to fit the coupler. I found a craftsman fit perfect (36mm).

Great idea Bigmil. Ill have to install that set screw some day.

[HAMMERIN101]

Every body is using the craftsman 36mm socket....is it an impact socket or a regular socket..deeep or shallow?

[VMS Motorsports]

Just a regular one. $10 at your local Sears store