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Need a bigger hole or small socket....

motodan

Active member
Been a while since I'd changed plugs on a Beemer. So on my '08 RT I started with the top plugs. And damn, the 5/8 (16mm) socket was too "wide" to reach plugs. But behold, a second 5/8's in the box did...primary plugs out all good. Now for the down under ones, but the socket used to extract primary plugs will not fit. These two holes are smaller - why? I live in a town with a greater metro area population of over 350,000, but not one thin(ner) wall deep socket available to fit those secondary holes. Had to get the ole grinder out to have a "correct" size socket. I will never figure out "the BMW way".
 
smaller socket needed

I found that where an 3/8" drive socket was a little too big, a 1/4" one fit just right.
 
I will look for a 1/4" drive, 5/8's inch (16mm) deep today. I did look at one store earlier, but largest 1/4" drive deep they carried was 12mm.
 
Here's one but it's a little (by this I mean a lot) pricey.

Camhead Spark Plug Socket

There are quite a few on Amazon but it's hard to know which one will work for a Camhead. Any of you that have one that works care to measure it (outside diameter, length, and plug size - I think it's 16mm but am not sure). I need to add one to my tool kit.
 
Access to and ability to use an old school lathe is also a good solution to turn down a socket to a usable size. :thumb:)
 
Yep, makes me want to find a machine shop and turn some metal, make some chips, do a little grinding. Ah, the good old days in an old school machine shop. Gotta find my 6" scale, vernier calipers, 0-1' mike, and go to work. Where's my oversized socket, I'll make it fit. :dance:thumb
 
I put the grinder to work and now my "extra" 5/8" deep socket fits/works just fine.

That's what I did and I use it only for those plugs. I went through about 4 different sockets trying to find one that worked. Then I got the grinder out.
 
This has been a common issue over the years.

Least expensive way to solve it is as suggested, get a deep 5/8" spark-plug socket turned down. The low torque requirements will mean that the reduction in socket strength is a non-issue.

Quickest, but most expensive way to solve it is to buy a Snap-on deep 5/8" spark-plug socket. Snap-on and a few other top-tier tool makers are well known for making their sockets out of higher quality steel and using thinner walls on their sockets than the vast majority of offerings.
https://store.snapon.com/Flank-Drive-174-Spark-Plug-Sockets-C629437.aspx
 
Metric Bike requires metric tools...

14mm thin wall spark plug socket from Amazon... A necessary tool for spark plug replacements... Use the right tool for the job - you won't be frustrated in the end.
 
Grind the socket down all the way around, the whole socket, I did, hope you have a bench grinder, still plenty strong enough and worked great.
 
Grind the socket down all the way around, the whole socket, I did, hope you have a bench grinder, still plenty strong enough and worked great.

Why on earth would you do this if you can buy one that works for less than $10 at Autozone?
 
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