I dropped my transmission today trying to change the flywheel and cltch out. I came to a stand still when I realized that the nut was over 2 inches wide. Its either two and a quarter or two and an eighth. I couldnt find a socket any where that big. I noticed in my workshop manual that there is a specific tool they use. It keeps referring to it as a STS... or maybe that is the manual it is referring to. I am by no means a mechanic but I am learning alot with these "do it yourselves" so to speak. Should I just continue to look for a socket that big? Suggestions please...

 

Its a 54mm nut.
I bought a flywheel nut wrench from here:
http://www.mazdatrix.com/8-trans.htm

 

So its a wrench. Asfar as the torque specs when putting it back on. It is 350 ft lb. Thats basically as hard as I can possible turn from my understanding. Will that surfice, or can that be a dangerous thing to do as far as the integrity of the flywheel staying on .I also got the "gluey" material so the bolt nut wont back off.

 

if you can torque to 350 ft/lbs by hand. damn. im impressed. i think i top out at 150. haha.

i used an impact wrench and a 54mm socket. if you live in maryland, i'll let you borrow mine.

 

I have that bar, its a really long and heavy bar.

you can tq it back to the 350lbs spec. Just hand tighten it first, then start using the bar and turn it about another 2 "feet" worth of distance. the manual tells ya how to calculate it.

make sure the jackstand (sounds like you're doing it at home) are SUPER stable, cuz there is a chance that you might knock your car off ... and its not going to be funny.

 

sears sells the socket.

 

My local Sears didn't have that size (or any other store nearby).
I used the wrench and the bar was too long and hit the floor as I tried to remove the nut.
I needed to bend the "arm" slightly to turn it more.
The car was lifted 24" off the ground too.
So I modified my flywheel nut wrench to accept a breaker bar or impact wrench.
I used it last month with an impact wrench and loved it!

Here are some pics of it:

Sorry for the not-so-perfect quality. Had to use my laptop's camera.

 

www.racingbeat.com

They sell the socket welded on to a 2ft long bar so you can get the torque. as well as a tool to stop the flywheel from turning.

 

It's a 2 1/8 12 point socket that is needed.

 

Anyone know how accurately you can dial into a specific torque value with an impact gun? I thought there's (generally) just a valve to control flow rate, with no indication of the exact torque it produces.

AFAIK, the impact gun seems to be the only viable method of replacing this nut while on jack stands. The socket/bar sold by various vendors relies on you using your weight to calculate a moment arm, then essentially hanging your body from that point until rotation stops. And I worry about not having the force required for a torque wrench while on my back.