Head torque on EA81?

[Al Blake]

Well,
Its taken me some weeks but I have finally got the wifes 1984 1800 4WD
(EA81) back toegther after getting the heads skimmed. Whilst I have a
workshop full of tools, including two torque wrenches and 3 socket sets I am
baffled as to how one is supposed to torque up the middle head nut on these
motors (no 1).

Once you have put the rocker back in place it obcsures the nut for No1 so
you cant get a socket on it (I tried deep, normal, half inch,
three-quarter). Nothing will go on straight enough to allow you to put
torque safely on the nut.

So anyone know the trick here? You have to have the rocker on because it is
held in place by head bolts 4 & 5 - but if you have it in place you can get
to bolt #1 !!!

Anyone know of a tool that can reach this nut in this obscure place and
connect to a torque wrench?
Or some other trick I cant work out?

Al Blake, Australia

 

[Blair Baucom]

Maybe a crowfoot, but the value would be off a little due to the offset.

Crowfoot shown here for illisustration:

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00943641000

Blair

 

[Al Blake]

Well after checking out a 'crows foot' it seems that what I really need is a
'torque adaptor'. Snap-on make them in 3/8 drive metric but the only size
they *dont* do according to their catalogue is 17mm!
Anyone know of anyone that makes 17mm 'Torque adaptor'.
Here's the snap-on page to see what I am talking about:

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/tools.asp?tool=hand&Group_ID=269&store=snapon-store

 

[Larry Van Wormer]

So anyone know the trick here? You have to have the rocker on because it is
held in place by head bolts 4 & 5 - but if you have it in place you can get
to bolt #1 !!!

Anyone know of a tool that can reach this nut in this obscure place and
connect to a torque wrench?
Or some other trick I cant work out?

I've run across similar problems when working on motorcycles. One
technique that helped was to simply use a box-end wrench, or whatever
sort of wrench you could get on the nut. "Calibrate" it by feeling
what's needed to just move an already-torqued head nut, then promptly
tighten the obscured nut. Worked okay for me.

A "torque adapter" would be better, I'm sure, but can't help with a
reference there.

Larry Van Wormer

 

[Mike Lloyd]

Sears - their craftsmen line has had almost anything I've ever needed....

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

Maybe a crowfoot, but the value would be off a little due to the offset.

Crowfoot shown here for illisustration:

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00943641000

Blair

MAYBE, if you could estimate the percentage the crowsfoot extended the
length of the t'wrench, you could reduce the setting by the (inverse?)
same percentage. In other words, if the attachment is 1/10th the length,
decrease the setting by 10%.
I dunno - plus, you may have the crowsfoot at an angle.

Carl
1 Lucky Texan

 

[johninKY]

There is a factory tool for this. Never actually seen on other than
pictures but it is our there. Any Subaru dealer near by? I'm sure a
Subaru mechanic that has worked on Subarus for years has one in his
toolbox.

 

[johninKY]

Do a goggle search for "subaru ea 81 socket". The first hit "Assembling"
shows how to make this tool.

 

[Al Blake]

Brilliant!
It even has pictures-great reference.
To think I searched google for HOURS and didnt find this.
Just shows that even with a great search engine like google you still have
to have *exactly* the right combination of search terms.
Gonna buy a 17mm socket to cut up this weekend!
Thanks a lot.
Al.