Torque in a tight spot

[dopple]

I had to use an open end wrench to remove the inner ball joint on the control arm for my 1995 318ti on the passenger side.

How am I going to get a torque wrench on the nut?

I may figure something out when I get under the car to reaffix the arms after I get the bushings on but I am pretty sure a socket and torque wrench won't fit.

Thought I would go ahead and post and maybe a good idea could surface.

Thanks again to all for your help in this forum, I appreciate it.

PS. Some pickle forks may start to ride up one side of the wheel knuckle because they are a little too wide but a washer cut out to slip over the ball joint bolt and under the knuckle really worked well for me in removing the inner ball joint.

[drivinfaster]

tapered fit, poly lock nut, just tighten until it doesn't move. use a box end wrench. if you feel that you must get the appropriate torque, then i suggest getting a box end 1/2" drive wrench. snap on sells them, but i'm not sure about the fitment/access to use them.

so, just tighten down until the nut doesn't move. you'll be fine.

df

[motorwerks]

tapered fit, poly lock nut, just tighten until it doesn't move. use a box end wrench. if you feel that you must get the appropriate torque, then i suggest getting a box end 1/2" drive wrench. snap on sells them, but i'm not sure about the fitment/access to use them.

so, just tighten down until the nut doesn't move. you'll be fine.

df

agreed. Some things really don't NEED to be torqued.

[98_328i]

I used to work with a technician that was a former airline mechanic. This was the most anal man I had ever met in my life. He finally quit because he was tired of "half a$$ing" his work. He was upset because no one could tell him the torque specs for the interior door trim panel screws or the oil drain plug :rofl:

[drivinfaster]

don't a&p mechanics develop incremented elbows to set the proper torque??

actually i have a friend that was an a&p. he now works on lawn mowers for toro in texas. i also had a customer who was raising a ruckus because there was no vent temp spec for his s10 pickup when using the heater. (duh!!) some people get hung up on stuff that while (technicaly) important, really comes down to common sense and understanding of the components.

DON'T get me started on when i worked for dodge...right about when the neons were dropping headgaskets enough to drop the time down...torqued...yeah right!!!


df

[98_328i]

don't a&p mechanics develop incremented elbows to set the proper torque??

actually i have a friend that was an a&p. he now works on lawn mowers for toro in texas. i also had a customer who was raising a ruckus because there was no vent temp spec for his s10 pickup when using the heater. (duh!!) some people get hung up on stuff that while (technicaly) important, really comes down to common sense and understanding of the components.

DON'T get me started on when i worked for dodge...right about when the neons were dropping headgaskets enough to drop the time down...torqued...yeah right!!!


df


Ahhhh before the MLS gaskets huh? Gotta love the 2.0s especially when it's CP ;)

[drivinfaster]

so 98, i take it that you are familiar with the 'spray'?? what about the 3 crack method?? c'mon, ya gotta tell me the truth...:D

df

[98_328i]

so 98, i take it that you are familiar with the 'spray'?? what about the 3 crack method?? c'mon, ya gotta tell me the truth...:D

df


The copper gasket spray? Yeah I'm pretty familiar with that :D As for the 3 crack method... I'm not sure what you're talking about.

[drivinfaster]

98, here's the short list...ok, it's a neon so even the 'full' list is short...

1-remove the airbox, disconnect the battery, remove the intake, then coil & bracket w/wires, valve cover & outer timing cover.

2- remove the passenger side front tire, & splash guard.

3- remove the headbolts.

4- raise the vehicle on the lift & place a jackstand under the catalytic converter.

5- lower the lift until you hear *snap*..crackle..*POP*.

6- remove the old gasket and wipe out whatever crud you can (it is, after all only a neon...)

7-if you had the old style gasket (which is what we has at first) just reinstall everything. boom, done. if you had the mls gasket, step one would be to spray it first, then proceed with the disassemble proceedure. by the time you got to where you were ready to install the goue would be just right.

8- repeat the above steps for warranty or cash work, either way it would be back in about 20k miles...


the dealer where i worked refused to get the 3m rubber gasket removal wheels, and i was not about to use rolock wheels on an aluminum head, so we just did what we could.

that's why i left dealership work. that and i was the only guy that had a micrometer set and used them. (go figure...)

so '3 crack method' has now become synonomous with cut every corner you can. (if you didn't catch it, the timing belt was not removed, just stretched a bit...)


df