Help ! replacing yoke oil seal but spanner won't go around UJoint Assembly

[stopher]

OBSERVATION
Alpha1Gen2 upper yoke is leaking. It failed my pressure test at the yoke and spanning nut.

I have a 5.7l small block v8 with a 1.5 outdrive gear ratio.


TOOL PROBLEM
I bought an Upper Housing Spanner Wrench, but it won't fit around the UJoint assembly.
I need a hair more space.

Caliper readings:
spanning nut: 3.695"
UJoint case: 3.56" (approx. can't get caliper around it and can't calculate circumference=2pi X R to get diameter) <lazy>
spanning tool: 3.5

The UJoints are nice and don't need to be serviced...just zerked up with grease.
So i don't want to disassemble the Ujoints.

My spanning tool teeth are .06" too tight to get past the UJoint assembly.

Are there different spanning tool sizes or can i need to grind adjacent 90degree side of the teeth to get it past the UJoint ?

 

[Don S]

Re: Help ! replacing yoke oil seal but spanner won't go around UJoint Assembly

Sounds like an aftermarket tool that has been dropped and is now oval shaped. Seen this on 3 different aftermarket wrenches, but the OEM one works great no matter what you do to it.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Help ! replacing yoke oil seal but spanner won't go around UJoint Assembly

if what Don S is sayin is true. w/o buying a new tool. i'd grind (file) the wrench to fit (ya got nothing to loose if fileing to fit don't work, it don't work now for sure).... then just be sure it's engaging the retainer nut well when ya start leaning on it to the 200 ft. lbs that nut takes.
fwiw. i felt that wrench took some finesse when using anyways. like being sure the wrench and nut are mated well prior to leaning on it, tightening or loosening... i got an aftermarket wrench too...

 

[stopher]

Re: Help ! replacing yoke oil seal but spanner won't go around UJoint Assembly

done ! i used my dremel to grind down the spanner wrench and it worked GREAT.
I put a mark on the nut and casing so i could put it back together, but truth is...bearings are shot.

I think I'll have to reset preload and backlash. First timer ! wish me luck. If i bozo it, I'll just sell it as core and buy an SEI. The economics are pretty close. Labor is too expensive in Maryland.