Transmission Oil Change

[BOWHIKER]

I'm Getting Ready To Change My Fluids Tomorrow And My Question Is Conserning The Transmission Plug . I Have A 09 Soft Tail So I Decided To Do A Dry Run To See If I Needed Anything Special . I Could Not Get A 1/2" Drive Socket On The Plug Because The Shocks Are So Close Together . I Tried A 12 Pt. 3/8 Drive And No Luck But My 6 Pt 3/8 Drive Will Just Squeak By So I Know I Can Break It Loose With That And Then Run It All The Way Out With A 1/4" Allen Wrench . Can I Use The Allen Wrench To Break It Loose And When Done Use It To Install The Plug And Tighten It Down ? Also Since My Torque Wrench Is 1/2" Drive If I Use A 1/2 To 3/8 Adapter On A Short Extension And Socket Will I Still Get The Correct Torque ? You Guys Know A Lot More About This Then Me . It Is Real Tight Quarters Between Those Shocks On My Soft Tail .

[SCHMIDTYS]

I've got a special tool I use on Softails , never tried using a socket or anything . I use an extended length allen driver with a 3/8ths ratchet .

[spydr]

I used a 3/8 ratchet when I did mine a few weeks ago. The extension will fit but the socket won't. What I did was slide it from the back. Get it up there behind the shocks, then slide it between the shocks til you get where you need to go. My torque wrench is 3/8 too so I didn't have a problem. I don't think the torque spec is anything to speak of, if you want to guestimate it with the socket wrench.

[Blackdog 15]

Originally Posted by BOWHIKER

I'm Getting Ready To Change My Fluids Tomorrow And My Question Is Conserning The Transmission Plug . I Have A 09 Soft Tail So I Decided To Do A Dry Run To See If I Needed Anything Special . I Could Not Get A 1/2" Drive Socket On The Plug Because The Shocks Are So Close Together . I Tried A 12 Pt. 3/8 Drive And No Luck But My 6 Pt 3/8 Drive Will Just Squeak By So I Know I Can Break It Loose With That And Then Run It All The Way Out With A 1/4" Allen Wrench . Can I Use The Allen Wrench To Break It Loose And When Done Use It To Install The Plug And Tighten It Down ? Also Since My Torque Wrench Is 1/2" Drive If I Use A 1/2 To 3/8 Adapter On A Short Extension And Socket Will I Still Get The Correct Torque ? You Guys Know A Lot More About This Then Me . It Is Real Tight Quarters Between Those Shocks On My Soft Tail .

I use a thin wall 3/8" drive deep socket, either 6 or 12 point...with a 3/8" to 1/2" adapter and my 1/2" drive breaker bar to break it loose..after that either an allen wrench on end or an allen socket will work..They are hard to deal with when you're not looking directly at them...just have patience...

[cracker]

To answer your questions:
Yes you can use an alien wrench end on a socket to tighten to torque. But don't use a ball end when torque.

Yes you can use a torque wrench through adapters and achieve the proper torque.

But a 1/2 inch drive torque wrench may not go down low enough to get to the proper torque. You may have to get a 3/8 drive that reads out in inch pounds, for the plug torque.

[Tucson_Tim]

I have a dumb question, mostly because I don't have my service manual here at work . . .

Are the hex key sizes (Allen wrenches) metric or SAE?

[Blackdog 15]

Sae..........

[Tucson_Tim]

Originally Posted by Blackdog 15

Sae..........

I thought so but wasn't sure. Thanks.

[Tucson_Tim]

For those interested the allen wrench (hex key) size is 1/4 in.

ETA: Noticed that Bowhiker had already stated that it was 1/4 in. Duh.

[Blackie_]

09 FLSTC, used a 3/8 drive with extension and 5/8 socket, had no problems at all backing it out and back in.

Blackie