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I just can't seam the locate a 1-1/4 socket thin enough to engage the nut on this transmission output flange. I need to remove it so I can change the output seal. I bought a set of thin wall sockets at HF, and they didnt fit.

Any ideas? I've seen those sockets that look the are made of stamped sheetmetal. Not sure if that is what I should look for.

I ran into that problem many years ago. I had a socket of the correct size but it would not fit in the narrow space around the nut. I put a wooden dowel through the socket and used a hand cranked bench mounted grinder to grind the socket down. I held the socket at an angle to the spinning grinding wheel which caused the socket to spin on the dowel, and I kept just enough pressure on it to keep it spinning. I was able to grind the outside of the socket down uniformly all around in a few minutes enough for it to fit into the space. I ground it back about 5/8" from the open end. You could do the same with a small bench lathe and a 4" hand held grinder.

See if you can measure the inside of the bore with a caliper. Get a machinist to turn down the OD of one of your sockets to around 63 thou under that number. Should work perfectly.

I did the same as TxGoat, bought a cheap socket and ground the end down on a taper until it would clear the pocket in the flange.

Plumbers use thin walled sockets, not sure if they strong enough.

Like an 1/8 inch wall.

Kev, I've been thinking about this since our phone call last night. I can't remember it being a problem. I'll look this weekend to see if perhaps the nut on my output flange is slightly smaller?

The other thing I'm wondering, looking at your picture, is if I used a wrench instead? Again, I don't remember it being particularly challenging, which makes me think I didn't have the same problems.



Edit: just went back and confirmed in my blog from 2018 that all I wrote was "I changed the rear transmission seal." If it would have been tricky, I would've written about it.