<VV> Head Torque

[Ruth Dorogi]

The special head socket tool I have was made by Snap-on.  Dennis Dorogi
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dennis & Debbie Pleau" <ddpleau at earthlink.net>
To: <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Monday, September 12, 2005 8:57 PM
Subject: Re: <VV> Head Torque


> Craig, what is the brand name on the tool?
>
> dp
>
> At 11:32 AM 9/12/2005, NicolCS at aol.com wrote:
> >Hank said:
> ><snip> John is right in that GM does use power tools on the assembly line
on
> >the head mounting job. At least in 74-75 when I was bolting 350 heads and
> >also
> >in plant 4 on the Vega line they used them as well. No reason not to
believe
> >that they didn't in the 60's as well. <unsnip>
> >
> >For sure GM uses power tools on the assembly line and first hand
experience
> >as noted above is ample proof that they used them on 350s.   Here's some
> >evidence to the contrary regarding Corvairs.  I have a socket that came
> >from the
> >Corvair engine assembly line at the Los Angeles plant. It's a two-size
> >telescoping socket - the extended size fits the upper studs and when it's
> >installed on a
> >rocker stud, the telescoping portion pushes inside to permit the outer
socket
> >to land on the rocker stud.  The chrome socket has regular thickness
walls,
> >not the HD style walls of power sockets.  The tool is in excellent
condition
> >but when I used it with a power tool to spin down the nuts and studs on
an
> >engine I was putting together, the retaining pin flew out and the socket
> >came apart
> >half-way through the job.  This would never have survivied a production
> >environment with power drives.  I put the pieces back together; now it's
> >just like
> >it was before and I use it all the time.
> >
> >Here's how I came by this tool:  When I was in LA's "South Coast Corsa"
club,
> >one of my club friends was "Red Jones".  Red worked at the Santa Fe
Springs
> >Assy plant and later at the Van Nuys plant as a quality engineer - his
job
> >was
> >actually problem solver and he's the guy who would decide what would work
> >when
> >they ran out of a particular part or a process didn't work.  Red's
affection
> >for Corvairs was well known at the plant and when the tool-crib guy was
> >cleaning house, he saved some Corvair specific tools for Red.  Before he
> >passed
> >away, Red gave this socket to me.  BTW, Red is also the guy who noticed
> >that the
> >Vega clutch disc in use at his plant looked like a Corvair disc but with
a
> >spring-center hub.  He mentioned that to me and I came up with what it
> >took to
> >install one and did the first conversion.  Now, there's a little bit of
> >history!
> >(very, very little!)
> >
> >GM may have used a power "nut-runner", but I suspect they used
> >fixed-calibration hand torque wrenches for the final tightening of the
> >cylinder head.
> >Craig Nicol
>
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