trying to get my headlights out to clean the lenses and also get a dead spider carcass out of the housing, also going to be fitting some angel eyes.

 

But i can not access two bolts, You know the one's I'm on about, drivers side rear left (as looking at it from in front of the car) and passenger side rear right. for love nor money i can not get to these bolts, i have followed guides that say to remove the Recirc valves and the throttle body pipes, but my bolts are just too stuck, i even tried using a breaker bar and had no joy in getting them to budge, i can get a spanner on them, but then i have no room for leverage.

 

With the recircs in the way, i cant get at them from underneath its driving me mad. its getting to the point where I'm thinking of drilling out the bolts from the top, then using something else to secure them once i put them back it in, these are the only two bolts I'm struggling for access to.

Edited September 16, 201015 yr by vodkashots

i did it not long back, first i used a hacksaw blade in my hand filing a git in the top on the bolt, and after just about cracking it, and using a screwdiver i had 'thinned' the tip of on the grindstone, i got them, and i did it without removing the recircs, be patient, file a nice deep git in the top of it, crack it, even a little bit, oil it up, then try the screwdriver on it, might have to crack it a bit more, it is a royal PITA, i took my bumper off to do mine also. when i put them back on, i used 2 fresh bolts from the other corners, cut a nice perfect git in them, managed to start them with my hand, then the screwdriver does the rest, and the ones i originally put a git in went in the other holes... HTH matey...

ya gotta crack it with a spanner tho more than likely, i have got not small but slender hands, the clips on my recircs didn't want to come off.... I also got a 12mm spanner, put it in the vice, blow torch got it red hot, then put an angle on the shaft close to the ring end by hitting it, dropped it in water, 1 modified spanner, really did help... but if you've got or can get a spanner with a pivot/moveable whatever they are called ends on, probably just as good, maybe better, i keep meaning to invest in a set!

ill give that a try, but i think I'm going to struggle getting them to turn, had to use my breaker bar on the other 3 bolts for each headlight just to get them started. bumper is already off the car as its going to a certain someone to take a copy of. but ill wait till he is ready to advertise before i say much more.

 

More tips are welcome, as i can see this idea failing. but i will still try lol

 

ya gotta crack it with a spanner tho more than likely, i have got not small but slender hands, the clips on my recircs didn't want to come off.... I also got a 12mm spanner, put it in the vice, blow torch got it red hot, then put an angle on the shaft close to the ring end by hitting it, dropped it in water, 1 modified spanner, really did help... but if you've got or can get a spanner with a pivot/moveable whatever they are called ends on, probably just as good, maybe better, i keep meaning to invest in a set!

 

Yep got a set of swivel head ratchet spanners from halfrauds, good bit of quality kit tbh, but i just cant get them on, and have enough movement to crack the buggers.

Edited September 16, 201015 yr by vodkashots

i guess yours are deffo alot tighter than mine were then.... Not too sure i'm afraid, have a brew, have a cig (even if ya don't smoke :)

 

Best of luck pal, if i can think of anything else, i'll let you know, have you soaked em good n' proper in a penetrating fluid? could help, or find a small child with a slight knowledge of nuts (ahem) and bolts and spanners, get there hand in! I managed to get a bent spanner on without removing the recircs, think one of em i had to hit with a hammer, don't get me wrong, took me a few hours to get just those two bolts off!!!

 

Bit random, but a left handed thread nut/2 nuts the same thread might go on the top of it, them you could use that to unscrew the bolt??? then you have to remove them of course, just a thought pal...

i guess yours are deffo alot tighter than mine were then.... Not too sure i'm afraid, have a brew, have a cig (even if ya don't smoke :)

 

:lol: :lol:

 

cherry flavour could be relaxing ian ;)

lol cheers bud, going to give it another go in a few mins

:lol: :lol:

 

cherry flavour could be relaxing ian ;)

 

lol didnt we talk about that at JAE?

yep you had your old holbourn in toe! and said you did not like golden virginia ? or somin like that anyways, i dont mind the cherry flavour though ;)

green flavour might be even more relaxing :) :)

 

just thinking, 2 left handed thread nuts is pointless, one and a right hander yeah, so it locks, but have to be thin nuts, could use 2 normal ones if ya can lock em... i wish you were closer matey, my hands are made for the job! skinny and long fingers, i'm a keyboard player by trade :) they have adapted!

i'm sure they are bog standard, either m8 or m10, i found a nut sraight away to clean the thread up after i fettled em....

green flavour might be even more relaxing :) :)

 

just thinking, 2 left handed thread nuts is pointless, one and a right hander yeah, so it locks, but have to be thin nuts, could use 2 normal ones if ya can lock em... i wish you were closer matey, my hands are made for the job! skinny and long fingers, i'm a keyboard player by trade :) they have adapted!

 

NOooooOooooOoo, could of done with flexie hands. well ive left them drenched in penatrating oil so hopefully when i get back to them they will be a bit better to turn if i can get on them.

 

But to while away the time slighlty, here is a picture of my oily turbo lol

 

 

thats the join between the turbo and elbow

not the clearest pic matey, that's not coming from the cam cover is it?

nope, defo the turbo matey, its blown its rear seal, you can see the lower bolts protruding out where the turbo meets the elbow, these were already missing :blink: not its gone completely and drips, for some reason my camera will not focus on it even when in macro mode?

bad times mate, just another thing that keeps us all busy tho eh? any joy with the headlights? or are you still smoking cherry/green stuff :)

bad times mate, just another thing that keeps us all busy tho eh? any joy with the headlights? or are you still smoking cherry/green stuff :)

 

so need to do my headlights but i dread it :/

If your car isnt too bad with bolts that look like they are rusty, i cant see it being too much of a problem, havent been back to the car yet giving the penatrating oil a bit more time to sink in.

Will have to check amongst a host of other things :/ first priority is a battery that works without help lol

Will have to check amongst a host of other things :/ first priority is a battery that works without help lol

 

Well first battery, then overheating problem, then MOT tax and a week in the sun lol

You read my mind bud :)

AARRGGGHHH those bloody bolts, thats it wheres me drill

i feel ya pain bud :crying:

they must be blasted tight i undone all my light bolts with a 1/4 inch ratchet on a flexi bar and extension all the best in sorting it

lefty loosy righty tighty :sorcerer:

lefty loosy righty tighty :sorcerer:

 

i love that saying.lol!!

thats what all teh new apprentice's get told.lol. I still remember it myself:blush:

stupid thing is i cant see the damn things, if they are anything like my elbow bolts they will look like they are welded to the damn thing.

 

Thought id get the downpipes off one day, so had a look at the bolts where the down pipe meets the bottom of the elbow, thought to my self aah just a case of wire brushing to get the thread back. ooh how wrong i was. but i do have very shiny nuts with no thread now :blink:

 

Just wondering if that's what the problem is. 20 years of crap build up that has managed to set like liquid metal