I was thinking, instead of spending $25 on the slp shortened spark plug socket, what if I were to just buy one of these: http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...seBVCookie=Yes

and then just drill a 1/2" hole through the top, would that be pretty much the same thing? How hard is it to just drill a hole into a socket? (I'd just grind down a regular spark plug socket but I don't really got anything to grind it down with)

Also, it says it is a 5/8" hex... Will that be too wide to fit a 5/8" wrench on, on the passenger side cylinder #6, the space there is very very limited with the design of the headers?..

 

Buy the 1/2" drive socket and you don't need to drill the hole out. You can cut the Craftsman sockets to lenght easily with a hacksaw.

 

The inside of the spark plug socket is 5/8", the hex on the outside of the socket is 3/4" if you buy the 3/8" drive socket.

 

Sweet, I didn't know that these sockets were that weak, i'll have to try this on a regular spark plug socket, I suppose that would pretty easy to drill out more also being there already is a hole there for a 3/8" ratchet.

 

I just cut mine down shorter. It works great, but you have to watch out for bottoming out the spark plug in the socket.

Dan

 

I made one this spring also, cutting it off with a hacksaw is fast and easy but drilling the end out to half inch is tough. Mine was a 3/8 socket so I started out with the smallest drill bit that would fit and stepped up bits by 64ths till I got to 1/2". If you use high speed steel bits like I did, drill at the slowest rpm possible. I first tried a drill press but it spun at 150 rpm which was way to fast since the socket is harder than the drill bit. I finally used a cordless drill with the socket clamped in a vise, that way I could control the cutting speed and pressure. It dulled or broke every bit I used and one or two revolutions and the socket would get super hot even with cutting fluid. I used the drill bits from where I work which we resharpen so if you use your own it might be cheaper to buy the socket for $25 or ruin $50 worth of hss bits.

 

I simply bought a cheap 3/8" drive chrome Craftsman socket and hacked a bit off. There was no need to drill out the hole. It works just fine, and my Edelbrock shorties are probably some of the worst headers for plug access.