Spark Plug Socket for 38 Buick Straight 8

[40mopar]

I need a spark plug wrench or socket for a 1938 Buick with straight 8 engine.  All mu sockets are too big to fit into the spark plug recess.

 

Thanks

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Buy a Craftsman!  Had mine for 65+ years.

 

  Ben

[Mark Shaw]

I use an old deep socket that was ground down to fit the narrow spark plug holes. 

You can make one with just a bench grinder and some patience.  

[Str8-8-Dave]

1 hour ago, Mark Shaw said:

I use an old deep socket that was ground down to fit the narrow spark plug holes. 

I also did this with an old Craftsman deep socket.  I have a stamped steel tube wrench in my tool kit that fits without dragging on the sides of the spark plug tunnels which the Craftsman socket always did.  The tube wrench has thinner walls which are not nearly as strong as the drop-forged Craftsman socket and if you abused it you could break the tube wrench.  But if you are starting to threaten the integrity of the tube wrench you are tightening your plugs way too tight.   I would want to be very careful and kind to the spark plug tunnels, tearing one loose may require getting acquainted with cylinder head removal to repair.

 

This is a tool kit I made up for my car and store under the seat in a tool bag copied from an original Buick design.

 

This was a snowmobile tool kit item which was just thousandths of an inch too small to fit the Buick's spark plugs.  I force-fit an old plug and mad a mandrel from an old bolt.  The tube wrench fits plugs just snug enough to keep them from falling out of the socket which is handy for r&r.

Edited December 30, 2021 by Str8-8-Dave (see edit history)

[TerryB]

Old Japanese motorcycles used a spark plug wrench like that too.

[rocketraider]

As do a lot of small engines.

 

With all the modern engines using deeply recessed spark plugs, thinwall spark plug sockets may be available. If you can't find one at a reasonable price buy a couple of cheap spark plug sockets and take the bench grinder to them until they'll fit into the plug well.

[kgreen]

On 12/30/2021 at 6:56 AM, Ben Bruce aka First Born said:

Buy a Craftsman!  Had mine for 65+ years.

 

  Ben

The older Craftsman sockets and wrenches are great, the new ones not so great.  The new ones must be made of a different alloy combination necessitating thicker socket walls and wrench ends.

[Frank DuVal]

YES! There is a great change in Craftsman tools recently. The new combination wrenches do not fit our foam toolbox inserts at work. The new ones are shorter and feel "funny". Printing is sloppy too.😡

[edinmass]

On 12/30/2021 at 2:31 PM, TerryB said:

Old Japanese motorcycles used a spark plug wrench like that too.

Problem is, I sold those motorcycles new.........I’m getting old.

[rocketraider]

24 minutes ago, Frank DuVal said:

YES! There is a great change in Craftsman tools recently. The new combination wrenches do not fit our foam toolbox inserts at work. The new ones are shorter and feel "funny". Printing is sloppy too.😡

And people wonder why I dig thru previously loved tools at swap meets and auctions...

 

Tuesday I unearthed a set of previously loved Armstrong Armaloy long combo wrenches that I can't remember where I bought them🤔. 7/16 thru 7/8 with a 5/16 and 11/32 to boot, so I figure I'm missing the 3/8. They were in a bag with three Western Auto Wizard adjustables.

 

I have tools I've forgotten what they're for, including some I've modified for whatever specific need I had at the time, such as 40mopar may have to do to service his Buick's plugs.