Open end "ratchet" type spanners?

[JOEPRO]

I had "fun" for hours yesterday removing the factory tubular exhaust header from my 1989 Mercedes 190E w201 Cosworth





Super tight space - 12mm nuts and 3x of them could only be accessed underneath and took over an hour to get 3 of the nuts off (1x 20th turn at a time with a spanner is all that would fit and barely at that)

To replace a bad freeze plug behind the manifold. Since it was such a headache to remove I am going to renew all 5x freeze plugs now to be sure I don't have to go back in there.

I have seen spanners before (Bluepoint maybe?) Where the open end part has a design that lets you skip on the nut for speed but still tighten when required.

Any recommendations please? I have over 100x spanners but one more set can't hurt surely

 

[JOEPRO]

Like this sort of thing but these look expensive

 

[harveyp6]

I've got a set, not exactly the same, but they do the same. Mine are made by Stanley, they're ordinary combination spanners, but the open end is shaped so that by moving it fractionally away from the nut it slides over, ready to go again. Very easy once you get the hang of it.
I've never seen them before, but being a toolaholic, when I saw them, I just had to have them.

 

[JOEPRO]

This is actually exactly what I need that it holds the nut.

The space is SO TIGHT in this car I literally fear I won't be able to start a couple of the new nuts.

 

[Agroshield]

How open-ended do they need to be? The full A/F of the nut or the diameter fo the stud?

Probably no use for your situation, but these meet some version of ratcheting open end:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Neilsen-Ratchet-Flare-Wrench-CT4268/dp/B083JL68QX

 

[Craig-SM]

I have the Wera Joker spanner’s and they are good but same as any ratchet spanner the head around the ratchet bulks it out so in some places you can’t use them when you could get a ring spanner around.
Have you thought about a battery ratchet and specifically the through ratchet Milwaukee. Small head and narrow neck gets into most awkward places.

 

[JOEPRO]

I have the Wera Joker spanner’s and they are good but same as any ratchet spanner the head around the ratchet bulks it out so in some places you can’t use them when you could get a ring spanner around.
Have you thought about a battery ratchet and specifically the through ratchet Milwaukee. Small head and narrow neck gets into most awkward places.

Its hard to describe but the space between the studs and the exhaust tubes was so tight on removal that must of my ring spanners would not fit over the end of the studs at all. I used brake flare type wrenches and those would still just round the copper M8 nuts. So they would only come undone if a full ring spanner end was used.

I checked and only a spare, cheap spanner I had was thin enough for the ring end to fit between the ends of the studs and exhuast tubes and break them loose.

But on reassembly I will tackle what I know the the most inaccessible nuts first and take advantage of the space gained with a loose manifold. So on refitting, space won't be so much of an issue to a point. Ill still need to use the thin cheapie spanner for the final tightening as nothing else will fit.

 

[JOEPRO]

I see I could order just the 12mm one I need for now so I went ahead



I will report back on how it works.

If its good, then I will buy more and add them to my spanner drawer which doesn't require a case so ideal to buy them loose anyway.

 

[cheb]

There's a type were one of the jaws is much shorter than the other. I can't remember much more about them than that.

 

[8ob]

These facom spanners are good in tight places, ideally needs the nut to be slackened first then works like a ratchet spanner

Bob

 

[harveyp6]

These facom spanners are good in tight places, ideally needs the nut to be slackened first then works like a ratchet spanner

Bob

View attachment 513491

That's the same as my Stanley ones by the looks of it.

 

[cheb]

That's the type I was thinking of

 

[hotponyshoes]

I've got those facom ones, they work fine if the nut is not particularly tight and still has reasonably sharp corners.

More useful is just a selection of cheap/old spanners. Then you don't mind taking a grinder to them to access tight areas.
I've also done more than one job with 2 different brands the same size. One Spanner will move it a bit but not enough to get onto the next Hex, then another brand (or one heated up and bent a bit) will take it a bit further.

If I ever do a job on my own stuff where its an issue getting nuts off I normally try and replace the nut with a k-nut or 12-point of the next size down to make it easier the next time it needs doing.

 

[tom2207]

These facom spanners are good in tight places, ideally needs the nut to be slackened first then works like a ratchet spanner

Bob

View attachment 513491

same as snap on , who I think own Facom these days ,, Ive had a set of these for years and they are handy in some situations , they work way better than they look like they ever would

 

[nickk]

Imagine the repair costs on that car at a main stealer,or even a regular garage.

 

[bricol]

I think it's a Facom open ended ratcheting spanner we buy in, then cut down, and grind the working end in a pretty complicated manner to give clearance inside one of our machines where there are 24 nuts to wind up (or down) against a spring with limited room.

 

[Dieselman 63]

This is actually exactly what I need that it holds the nut.

The space is SO TIGHT in this car I literally fear I won't be able to start a couple of the new nuts.

I had them, a full set, 5.5 up to 32 I think. As @Brad93 told me afterwards, they’re for electricians I had the 19mm one slip on me and graze my knuckle. Don’t get me wrong, I love Wera stuff but the spanners are not good.

 

[Craig-SM]

Its hard to describe but the space between the studs and the exhaust tubes was so tight on removal that must of my ring spanners would not fit over the end of the studs at all. I used brake flare type wrenches and those would still just round the copper M8 nuts. So they would only come undone if a full ring spanner end was used.

I checked and only a spare, cheap spanner I had was thin enough for the ring end to fit between the ends of the studs and exhuast tubes and break them loose.

But on reassembly I will tackle what I know the the most inaccessible nuts first and take advantage of the space gained with a loose manifold. So on refitting, space won't be so much of an issue to a point. Ill still need to use the thin cheapie spanner for the final tightening as nothing else will fit.

I think you’ll find the head on the ratchet side too big from what you’ve said

 

[8ob]

same as snap on , who I think own Facom these days ,, Ive had a set of these for years and they are handy in some situations , they work way better than they look like they ever would

I got a few imperial ones, the 9/16” is a gem on landy prop shafts. Like most on here I have also butchered a few cheap spanner’s for the odd ball job, a dab of oa heat and a twist works well.

Bob

 

[Mick Annick]

There's a type were one of the jaws is much shorter than the other. I can't remember much more about them than that.

I‘Ve some AF Snap-On ones, can be very handy