Spinning bolt heads?

[LotusMonkey]

Hi,

A couple of times recently I have been trying to undo bolts attached to the body of my Excel and I hit a problem. When trying to undo the nuts in the boot for the fuel filter mounting and fuel pump, the nut and bolt thread on at least one bolt just spin together. I assume they are held in the body resin, or are they through body and therefore I need to get a spanner in the wheel arch? I am not with the car at the moment and the service manual didn’t seem to show this.

I did use releasing spray before trying. If the head is spinning do you use resin or something else to re-set the head in the body? Any hints for avoiding creating problems with other bolts that might be similarly fixed. Thanks !!

[jeff.fenton]

As I remember, the filter housing uses a pair of nut/bolt fixings between the boot and wheel arch. You'll need help or gorilla arms. The pump has a pair of set screws into rivenut type fixings into the fibreglass, you'll probably have to drill/grind the heads off the screws, drill out and replace the rivenut. I don't think there's any way to use a nut/bolt due to lack of access from the axle area.
Don't hold me to this, it was over 20 years since I did mine. Good luck, Jeff.

[Hawaiis0]

Yes. Nut an bolt. Help needed to make easy.

[MetBlue]

the nut and bolt thread on at least one bolt just spin together.

There are plenty of examples on the Excel of a captive nut, but the filter housing isn't one of them. When captive nuts spin together, you need to get creative to resolve, and it's not always the same answer / solution.

One example of an M6 captive is in the rear bumper behind each lens unit. Photo's below show both sides, firstly the "visible "side:


And here's the side where the sun doesn't shine ( bumper is unusual in that you can see this once the lens is removed)


fortunately thes ebolts came out as they are meant to.

I had an example on the central fixing for front bumper where it just spun. Had to drill head off to dismantle.

Tony

[Tanz]

Hi,

A couple of times recently I have been trying to undo bolts attached to the body of my Excel and I hit a problem. When trying to undo the nuts in the boot for the fuel filter mounting and fuel pump, the nut and bolt thread on at least one bolt just spin together. I assume they are held in the body resin, or are they through body and therefore I need to get a spanner in the wheel arch?.

I replaced my fuel filter last year and the bolts come out in the wheel arch. I did it on my own but as Stu says above its easier with 2 people.

[LotusMonkey]

Thanks for the input all. On replacing the rivenuts I guess if I have to remove them I can use some kind of fibreglass kit to make sure the replacement rivenut is set well. I'll see how I go!

Duncs

[Pete Boole]

Don't order Rivnuts - you'll get the wrong thing! You need jack nuts (screw anchors). Have a look on Memfast's website - good products/tools.

Pete

[MetBlue]

I've found Rivnuts ( M5) fine for fixing the lower edge of the rear bumper ( i wanted something which allowed easy removal instead of the factory rivets solution).

A very simple tool lashed up in 10 minutes is all that 's needed to set the nut and they are locking in a treat on the thick fibre glass in the spare wheel well.
M5 work great. I feel M6 would work well also, but I'd probably have second thoughts for M8.
I much prefer them over Jack nuts, which IMO are best left on the shelf in B&Q for plaster board fixings.

Tony

[LotusMonkey]

I've found Rivnuts ( M5) fine for fixing the lower edge of the rear bumper ( i wanted something which allowed easy removal instead of the factory rivets solution).

A very simple tool lashed up in 10 minutes is all that 's needed to set the nut and they are locking in a treat on the thick fibre glass in the spare wheel well.
M5 work great. I feel M6 would work well also, but I'd probably have second thoughts for M8.
I much prefer them over Jack nuts, which IMO are best left on the shelf in B&Q for plaster board fixings.

Tony

Neat tool - and definitely more practical in smaller spaces that some of the other insertion tools on the market - thanks!

[MetBlue]

. definitely more practical in smaller spaces that some of the other insertion tools on the market

And a lot cheaper .
The bits I made are only just strong enough for M5, bending slightly at the centre hole when tensioned. I'd suggest using 20mm x 6mm bar. I used 13mm x 5.
Tony

[Excel SA]

There are other ways as well using double nuts or a link nut - a bit ore compact than Tony's method, but wrecks the bolts used to tighten it all up after installing a few of them. I made up a puller using a thrust washer when building my 7 - over kill for doing a few, and think it also wrecked the bolts....

Neil.