The SnapOn flex-handle 3/8” ratchet works well for removing
sparkplugs in tight engine compartments. You can also swing
the handle 90° to the head and quickly spin off a fastener with
rapid wrist movement or by spinning the handle 360° with your
thumb and forefinger. The flex-handle makes it very easy to clear
obstructions when using this ratchet.
I have found that deep sockets are more advantageous than
normal sized versions. You can grasp the longer socket with your
fingers to help spin off nuts and bolts quickly, and it is easier to
reach those pesky recessed fasteners used in outboard motors.
Six point sockets are almost mandatory for those working in salt-
water environments. Twelve point styles often strip the heads on
tight and corroded bolts. For outboard work, both 1/4” and 3/8”
drive long-handle ratchets for extra leverage and deep six-point
sockets are what I use most of the time.
Another tool that thrives in cramped quarters is the SnapOn shorty 5/8”
sparkplug socket. Limited access on V-8 and V-6 marine engines often
required ingenious methods of modifying sockets or wrenches to fit
over those hard-to-reach sparkplugs. The Snap-on #S9724RHS “shorty”
socket, only 1-1/16” long, opens at the top to easily slide over the ceramic
tower, and the hex end grips the sparkplug shell securely. A 5/8” open-
end or box wrench on the socket has room to swing. The tool is perfect
for the Ford V-8 stern-drives with their limited-access exhaust manifolds
that obstruct the sparkplugs.
TODAY’S TECHNICIAN
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FALL 2014 | MARINE TECHNICIAN TODAY
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