Will I Be Able To Weld Two Sockets Together?

[coollx Member Find all posts View Profile Close coollx]

I need to fabricate a special purpose tool by welding two ratchet type sockets together (side by side) which I have never done before.

Will I be able to do it with my HH175 using c25?

Does it matter if the sockets are impact type or plain chrome plated?

Is there any special preparation I should do to insure good penetration or to break through the outside plating or finish on the sockets?

Thank you.

Dom

[84ZMike Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 84ZMike]

Grind off the chrome coating and have at it..... some chine cheap sockets are made from less than ideal steel and most all I have tried to weld didn't work out too well.....

[Krunch Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Krunch]

If you were stick welding this, would 6010/6011 be the way to go? Just askin'...not hijackin'...

[Guest Close boilerman79]

Yeah,6010/6011 would be the way to go stick welding.Also flux-core wire would do it ,with no grinding.

[Sberry Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sberry]

6011 would work but 7018 might be even better.

[Hotfoot Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hotfoot]

..or just weld a cheap extension right up next to the socket. Grind the chrome off it and the socket surface...OR. Cut and weld that cheap extension into an offset shape to use,.. that way, you can put any size socket on it you need.

What you are trying to do is much like a "Crowsfoot" wrench...would one of those work for you?

[coollx Member Find all posts View Profile Close coollx]

Here's what I'm trying to do and I've tried to attach a couple of pictures to show you what I'm dealing with.

The pictures are for a transmission input shaft for my 911 Carrera. You'll notice in approximately the middle of the shaft a large black fairly thin nut that holds the stack of gears together. This nut is 41mm and is torqued to 165ftlbs.

I need to remove the nut in order to disassemble the gears and components so I can examine and replace any parts. Then, I have to reassemble and torque to 165ftlbs.

Since I have to hold the shaft in place using the clutch splines on the left of the shaft, I need to fabricate something to loosen and retighten the nut. I thought of using a crowfoot wrench, but since the nut on the shaft is pretty thin and the torque spec is quite high I feel a 6 point socket would be better and provide better gripping power. So in essence I'm trying to build a crowfoot style socket.

So the idea is to use a 3/4" drive 1 5/8" socket (41mm sockets are very hard to find and very expensive and 1 5/8" is only .026 larger and should work fine) with the square drive bored out enough so the socket will slip over the shaft and fits on the nut. But to also have another socket welded next to it that would serve as what I would attach my breaker bar and torque wrench to that would actually drive the socket on the nut.

By the way, I'm an amateur welder. So whatever approach and mig wire that is the friendliest is what I would prefer.

Does my approach make sense? Does anyone see better alternatives?

Thanks

Dom

[Zrexxer Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Zrexxer]

Getting it OFF is less complicated. I'd take that socket, cut it in half between the drive and the socket end, and weld a piece of pipe in between the two halves to make it a REALLY deep socket. Then hit it with an impact wrench, hard and fast in reverse and that nut's off. You probably wouldn't even have to secure the shaft that tightly since the impact will overcome its rotational inertia.

I'd probably try torquing it back with a good quality crowsfoot on the torque wrench if you've got access to one that size. I'm still at something of a loss as to how you will secure the shaft 165 ft-lbs worth using the splines. You don't want bugger those up.

Pathetic MS-Paint sketch:

[coollx Member Find all posts View Profile Close coollx]

Zrexxer, your suggestion is exactly how Porsche built their tool to accomplish removal and retorquing the nut which I initially considered.

With my approach I can hold the left end of the input shaft by using the matching splined center section of an old clutch disc attached to a long arm for leverage.

With the super deep socket approach you can't use the clutch splined end. Porsche had a special fixture they designed and built that cost a gazillion dollars that fit the splines at the other end of the shaft. They are no longer available and I've never seen one for sale.

So I'm trying to figure this out before I invest in any tools or hardware.

Dom

[Hotfoot Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hotfoot]

Make a pipe bar or steel rod wrench using an old clutch center section welded to the bar....then use a Box Wrench, approximating torque by comparing it to a torque wrench son a bolt secured in a vise, with a three foot pipe alternately slipped over each... you'd be surprised how close you can get to a torque setting this way.

[MXtras Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close MXtras]

Wow - this brings back memories! ....from about 24 years ago with a Porshe transmission of some variety. I don't even recall what it was out of now.

I have done this job and I did exactly what Zrexxer suggested using a cheap-as-dirt, import socket and a piece of gas pipe. The first socket failed, rounded the nut a little and just about broke my hand, but I ended up successful using a 6 point, 1-5/8" Craftsman socket. The fit was just a tad loose but it worked. It was gas welded - no stick welder for me at the time.

Put a little heat on the nut just before you whack it with the impact. Heat it to the point where it will melt a crayon and let the wax wick into the threads - it helped me.

Scott

[coollx Member Find all posts View Profile Close coollx]

Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions. I'm not too worried about removing the nut, but I think retorquing to 165ftlbs will be a challenge and that's where my biggest concern lies.

I guess I'm going to have to decide which approach to take.

If anyone has other thoughts please let me know.

Thanks

Dom

[TozziWelding Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close TozziWelding]

I had to make one of those, only with a nut as the drive tool to remove the carrier in a Dodge rear end, I can only guess the$$$$$ of the "right" tool.

[coollx Member Find all posts View Profile Close coollx]

Another question I just thought of.

Can a hardened steel transmission gear be welded successfully to a piece of mild steel? If so, what preparation and technique would have to be used?

Thanks

[Bob Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bob]

Instead of a pipe, weld the business half of the socket to one end a plate (maybe 1/4" x 4" x 12") perpendicular to the shaft. Do what you planed with the old clutch plate to secure the shaft. Cut a square socket drive hole in the far end of the plate (or weld on the other half of the socket). Attach the torque wrench radially making a longer effective lever arm. You have to do some math to convert the wrench torque to the high torque that will be delivered to the nut.
... ops, late for dinner. Lemme know if this makes sense, I can write some more or make pix if needed.

I used a variant of this technique for 250ft-lb spec on VW rear wheel nuts.
Bob