I tried to change my manual transmission fluid. I have an Allen socket that fits, but there is no room for the socket and ratchet. I had read here that 'all I have to do is get the 14mm Allen key and cut about 1/2" off and use a open end wrench'. Well, that is easier said than done. I have been to Harbor Freight, Sears, Wal-Mart, Home Depot etc and cannot find a 14mm key. The only thing I can find are the large sockets found at one of the auto parts stores. I buy another set and get the trusty hack saw out and commence to hacking. These sockets must be made out of diamond. After 10 minutes, all I have to show are a few scratches. I checked the tool rental page and I guess this tool is too basic to be there . Any ideas where I should turn next?

Another question I have is my Haynes Manual states I should lube my throttle linkages, door hardware, locking mechanisms, etc with a 'light oil'. What IS a light oil? Would 3 in 1 work? I have searched and for the throttle links, ATF is recommended. Would power steering fluid work as well, or the 3 in 1 or WD 40?

Yall have already been life savers. A little more help and I might actually be able to talk half way intelligently about these things in 10 years

__________________
Fantom71 aka Dale
Madison, AL

91 190E 2.6 5 speed 220k miles and this car still scoots!

i could loan you mine, send through the mail.

http://www.mcmaster.com/

p/n: 7289A22


This is the short arm key. If the arm is too long, you can't cut it with a hacksaw because the hardness is about Rc 50 or so. You'll have to grind the tip down on a bench grinder. DO NOT overheat the tip when you get close to the final length that you need. If you do, the temper will be lost and the wrench will round it's corners the minute you apply a decent load.

you just missed this on ebay...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4612513707

I was watching it, but it was more than I wanted to spend... ('cause I'm sooo cheap)

EDIT - Thanks Brian, I just ordered it.

__________________
Cheers,
Robert

Another option is to get a short bolt with a 14 mm head (sorry I don't know metric well enough to know what size bolt has that head) and a couple nuts to fit it. With it double-nutted, you should be able to get enough torque on the inner nut to turn the plug out of there. Could even triple-nut it if need-be.

__________________
Keep everything as simple as possible-but no simpler--Albert Einstein

If you dont have enough room behind the plug for a socket and ratchet, try sliding the allen socket thru a nice long 14mm box end wrench and into the drain plug. Just remember to remove the fill plug FIRST!

I checked the availability of such cap screws. It appears that the 8mm cap screw uses a M13 head and the M10 cap screw uses a M16 head, so, you're probably SOL with this approach for use with the 14 mm.

Well so much for that bright idea. Always works for US bolts.

Actually, looking at a standards chart, if you could get a 10mm bolt to Japanese Industrial Standard Specifications, it would have a 14 mm head. Maybe a bolt from a Toyota would work...

__________________
Keep everything as simple as possible-but no simpler--Albert Einstein

Thats right, a japanese M10 bolt will have a head of 14 mm.

But why sawing in a tool? that stuff is too hard, use an angle grinder.
That way you'll be done in a minute.

I was able to fit an Autozone hex with a breaker bar to loosen then I used a vicegrip pliers clamped to the hex bit to unscrew the rest of the way.

__________________
1981 240d
Newport,RI

Wish i had an angle grinder

I have hand tools and that is about it. There are a ton of toys on my wish list, but job 1 is to get my number one toy in tip top shape.

Thanks for all of the suggestions.

__________________
Fantom71 aka Dale
Madison, AL

91 190E 2.6 5 speed 220k miles and this car still scoots!

Hanabaro WINS the best idea of the Month Award!!!!!