Anyone who's ever tried to get the speedo cable nut loose while the engine's in the car will be able to relate. You can't see it, you can barely touch it with your finger tips and you cannot get a pair of pliers on it, so if it's too tight - you need a tool. Here's mine.....
The teeth grab the serrations on the cable nut and allow you to turn it just enough to break it loose, once loose you can usually turn it with your finger tips. The thread is very fine so it takes quite a few revolutions to get it off....
I have a basin wrench I keep in the tool box just for this, I think I may have had to grind on it somewhat to clear the gearbox but works great.
I have one of those too, never thought to try it......I agree you'd have to grind the sides of the head down to fit in there.....however, since you cannot see the nut it might be a PITA to get the wrench on the nut. With this it was pretty easy, I just straddled the cable, located it on the nut and gave it a push. I did have to relocate it a couple times but after a few partial turns the nut was loose and I could take it the rest of the way with my finger tips.
Cool tool, I forgot to put my cable on before my engine went in it was a bitch then the part in the gearbox leaked and I had to take it back off I was barely able to grip it with some of those needle nose hose pliers if I ever take it off again i'm making the same tool you did.
Jeff
I'm so glad I won't be dealing with this. I hated the speedo cable on the gauge, I hated pulling it in the engine bay, it rubbed at one point and started a very slow oil drip. Everything about it makes me angry. lol
I came in from the bottom with an extended pair of pliers with a bent end.
I have an issue working from on my back, I get vertigo really bad, so I have to go down from the top......but I didn't think I could reach it from below, even with a long set of pliers like that.....
It was tedius. Could only make small turns. Getting it started took some doing too. Whole job took probably 30 minutes.