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[Diamond Black Geezer]

Simple, but specific question...

Which type of crowsfoot spanner will work on undoing the oil cooler unions at the oil filter?

Any?

Open 'flat ended'...
Flare spanner end?...
'8' or '16' sided?

Really dont want to go ordering a set to then discover I can't get enough turn on an 8 sided, or the flare type won't fit in the gap, etc...

Ta in advance 

[Doctor Gollum]

Stubby adjustable 

Once cracked free, they should unscrew with finger power...

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Wow. That surprised me. I thought it was 'gospel' they had to be crowsfoot and nothing else would go in, no ifs no buts. So any 19mm so long as it'll fit inside is good, be that an old spanner hacksawed to fit, or whatever, I guess?

[Doctor Gollum]

Wow. That surprised me. I thought it was 'gospel' they had to be crowsfoot and nothing else would go in, no ifs no buts. So any 19mm so long as it'll fit inside is good, be that an old spanner hacksawed to fit, or whatever, I guess?

A thinner spanner will obviously work better, say 4-5 mm thick.

A deep offset ring spanner with a slot to clear the pipes or a thinned 19 with the handle bent or cut to suit... Just to give a couple of ideas.

I lopped a 16mm offset ring to liberate the passenger side engine mount... Still serves its original purpose but I have to use a socket and extension bar or a hammer to liberate the tighter bolts. 

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Nice to see adapting is a viable option.

I think my only 'spare' 19mm is a donkeys years old but lovely Elora, and I might cry if I hacked that up haha. I may well end up going down the route of buying one if nothing appears that I can butcher/i don't see anything at the car boot sale at the weekend.

On the one hand it makes sense to buy a set of crowsfoot spanners, but at the same time, if I find myself never using any, save the 19mm...once, well I'm just wasting money and tool drawer space.

I've just never found I needed one in all my life tinkering on cars, have I just been lucky?

[Andy B]

Nice to see adapting is a viable option.

I think my only 'spare' 19mm is a donkeys years old but lovely Elora, and I might cry if I hacked that up haha. I may well end up going down the route of buying one if nothing appears that I can butcher/i don't see anything at the car boot sale at the weekend.

On the one hand it makes sense to buy a set of crowsfoot spanners, but at the same time, if I find myself never using any, save the 19mm...once, well I'm just wasting money and tool drawer space.

I've just never found I needed one in all my life tinkering on cars, have I just been lucky?

Remember there's only a few thou difference between a 19mm & a 3/4" AF 

[ronnyd]

Nice to see adapting is a viable option.

I think my only 'spare' 19mm is a donkeys years old but lovely Elora, and I might cry if I hacked that up haha. I may well end up going down the route of buying one if nothing appears that I can butcher/i don't see anything at the car boot sale at the weekend.

On the one hand it makes sense to buy a set of crowsfoot spanners, but at the same time, if I find myself never using any, save the 19mm...once, well I'm just wasting money and tool drawer space.

I've just never found I needed one in all my life tinkering on cars, have I just been lucky?

Remember there's only a few thou difference between a 19mm & a 3/4" AF 

[/highlight]
Wot he said.   19mm is .748" and 3/4" is .750".

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Let the old battered britool AF spanners I haven't used since I was about 9yrs old come out to play!!

[Nick W]

Nice to see adapting is a viable option.

I think my only 'spare' 19mm is a donkeys years old but lovely Elora, and I might cry if I hacked that up haha. I may well end up going down the route of buying one if nothing appears that I can butcher/i don't see anything at the car boot sale at the weekend.

On the one hand it makes sense to buy a set of crowsfoot spanners, but at the same time, if I find myself never using any, save the 19mm...once, well I'm just wasting money and tool drawer space.

I've just never found I needed one in all my life tinkering on cars, have I just been lucky?

In 32 years, I've needed one once. And I cut the end off an 11mm spanner then welded a cheap 1/4" extension to the remains which meant I just had room to remove and refit a Yak18 air compressor.

[BazaJT]

When I needed one to do my oil cooler I bought a set of half a dozen[a range of sizes]off E-bay for just over £6 inc. posting.They just looked like the ends of spanners with a square hole for a ratchet/ratchet extension to fit into.For the price it wasn't worth messing about converting another tool to do the job.

[Diamond Black Geezer]

There's a nice set I've seen of Draper Expert, owning a socket made by them I think they're cracking value for the high quality of the tool, a ton nicer-finished than Sealey which is about the same price.

...but...

I think we're pretty much set on the fact they'll not get the use. So its either a super-cheapy set, as per Mr BazaJT, save faffing making one, or as has been suggested elsewhere, dig out a surplus spanner and send it to meet Mr Angle Grinder. 

[Sir Tigger KC]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SIEGEN-S0866-CROWS-FOOT-SPANNER-SET-OPEN-END-3-8-METRIC-10-PIECE-MADE-BY-SEALEY/161527373141?epid=681172462&hash=item259bc81d55:g:qIMAAOSwONBZAl0u

I have a cheap set that like Baza bought for the oil cooler pipe and was going to suggest lending it to you, but by the time we'd faffed around with postage and what not.... 

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Haha, oh youre a gent!

I've been looking at sets like that.

Siegen are (so legend has it) the same make as Halfords Pro, who I've always been plenty happy with quality-wise.

[Marks DTM Calib]

The key thing with the oil cooler pipes is to use something that acts such that it maintains the shape of the hex fitting, gripping on just two sides, on one that is tight (and I have seen some that are F-tight) it distorts the fitting pretty badly.

Crows foots allow you a cheap means to do this and you can use a big ish bar on them if needed

[Andy B]

The key thing with the oil cooler pipes is to use something that acts such that it maintains the shape of the hex fitting, gripping on just two sides, on one that is tight (and I have seen some that are F-tight) it distorts the fitting pretty badly.

Crows foots allow you a cheap means to do this and you can use a big ish bar on them if needed

Crow's foot act on just two side too 

Did you mean flare nut spanner?