Removing propshaft

[mini me]

I'm trying to get the engine out and am already a bit stuck at the prop. I seem to have 14mm nuts and bolts but cannot really get a spanner on them properly due to a chassis member being in the way. My sockets don't fit on the bolts as they aren't slim enough to fit between the nut and the yoke. I have snap on 3/8 sockets which are pretty slim anyway but not slim enough.

So. I assume I need a slimmer one to do it with but googling is not really helping. Anyone encountered this before and got any recommendations?

It's on an early tam by the way.

[duff-man]

Bolts on the diff end are usually 3/8" UNF and not metric, people have been known to find others in use.

[mini me]

Ok well I'm not completely there with unf and have no unf tools but as far as I can gather 3/8 unf is slightly larger head size than 14mm. On the tam a 14mm spanner fits almost perfectly. i.e it requires a bit of a wriggle to get it on but the bolts are a wee bit rusty. I assume that a unf would not fit. But happy to be enlightened.

[mindstar]

If the slimmest socket is still too fat, buy a cheap one and grind it down until it fits. But make sure you buy the correct size first ie metric or imperial.

[mini me]

That was my immediate thought but just wondered if I was missing a trick or something. They appear to be FT as well so that doesn't help when you can't really get an angle, you know how it is. Last thing I want to do is round them off. The graham Varley bible shows hex head bolts, how I wish I had hex head bolts.

[mindstar]

I know exactly what you mean!

Maybe put some EZ-GRIP or similar on the heads when you come to undo them? Every little helps!