Mr Footlong

iTrader: (7)

When it rains it pours. Sorry chaps but I do work on Fluffy so sporadically and it's that time of year where I am just doing it all at once to get it out of the way. I asked 2 mechanics to sort this for me as I miss my 'Bunny dazzler' PIAA main beams so much and twice I have found that they didn't bother sadly.

Basically in the same incident months ago where I potholed heavily and buckled my wheels, this managed to pull my left PIAA lamp heavily forward so it was facing downwards. The left no longer worked after this and for a day or 2 afterwards I got an intermittent beam from the right but that stopped too. I went to remove the lights so that I could open them up and you have to unbolt the bracket from the car to gain access to the lamps. Just my luck all the bolts but one come out. the middle bolt on the left lamp bracket flat out refused to come, no matter how gentle, tough or patient I was. Tried wd40 etc, no dice. Sadly through all my different attempt to undo it, the hex head unsurprisingly rounded on the bolt and that was that.

Iv'e had it and I want this off so I can fit it!. Those of you that either have these big PIAA lamps or have worked on then will appreciate just how little room there is to 'work' on the bolt. Ideally I wanted to somehow gut a flathead in to it and try that but how? I wanted to keep the bolt intact and avoid drilling it out myself as I don't to that so well without melting the plastic from past experience.

What is the educated opinion on how to get this dastardly bolt out and get me fixing my lamps? If I have to go get an extra long bit and drill it out then so be it
Pic here:



Cheers,

Nick .

the_msp

Drill or take the whole bumper off and cut from the back...?

Carl Davey

iTrader: (3)

You were using a hex (six-sided) socket weren't you? If not try that.

NAY TURBO 99

hi mate the first option i would say is heat but that is just going to melt your bumper we have got this freezing spray we use at work it comes in a wd40 style tin with a straw and you can spray it directly on the nut it doesnt work all the time but it does work 7times out of 10 its made buy loctite so you could try getting some off there web site or maybe a good local tool merchants hope this helps

Mr Footlong

iTrader: (7)

I used the exact size hez head along with a socket due to the length needed. I also used the actual hex key that the lights came with, no dice on this one bolt. Ideally I want to get the bolt out today so I think I may get my friend to lie there with a hose on the bolt while I drill the head away if I have a bit long enough to reach (I feel a trip to Homebase/B&Q coming on) Thanks for the advice guys .

Henrik

iTrader: (5)

I hate bolts

you should be alright drilling that though, if you have the right drills etc (and can get access). Get some HSS drills or titanium tipped ones (I bought a set from B&Q for about a tenner, i think).

I'm not sure if this is correct, but this is what i did last time i had to drill a snapped 12.9 brake caliper bolt out:
* Start with a punch in the middle of the bolt, so that you have somewhere to center the drill (i.e. so it doesn't move when you start drilling)
* Next, take the smallest drill you have, spray some wd40 on the drill bit and on the bolt, and drill for a little while (but not at crazy speed - i find slower works better than fast on metal for some reason, but i'm not sure if this is the recommended way or not).
* Let the bolt etc cool down, don't drill more than a couple of seconds at a time, and keep spraying a bit of wd40 on the bolt head every so often. This seems to cool the bolt down due to the wd40 evaporating, and also there will be less friction between the drill and the bolt head, further reducing heat. Also, be careful not to apply too much pressure as the smaller drills break very easily.
* Next, continue with the next size drill and so on until you have a big enough hole to put a bolt extractor in (or the head comes off if you're not bothered about fitting a new bolt in the hole).


Alternatively, you could try grinding the sides down slightly with a dremel etc and whack a smaller size socket on there. From my personal experience, hammering on a double hex socket sometimes works as well (but not always, and then you have to grind the bolt down to a normal six side head but smaller again, which is a right pain. Also, it's not very good for the socket sometimes).


Or, you could just grind the bolt head off with a dremel... I probably would tbh if the lamps are secure enough without that particular bolt.

Mr Footlong

iTrader: (7)

The problem is access, the pic actually makes it looks far roomier that is actually is. My weapon if choice is always a dremel and I have the uber long extensio arm but it really is that tricky to get to. If I ground down some of the heavy duty cutting discs I might be able to cut the top off but I think it is unlikely. I will investigate again shortly, just have to wait the the lazy ****** neighbours to wake up before I start doing stuff.

AndyP's_P1

iTrader: (1)

I had the same problem last week with my driving lamps (admittedly you get more room to play with on the P1).
Start drilling it out with a really small drill bit then work your way up. It might be an idea to try using an easy out on it once you have drilled it. If not then just keep drilling it out till it comes free. Your bumper should be fine.

Andy

360ste

iTrader: (1)

Why not attack from the back of the bolt under the bumper? You will have to remove the ducting and move the inner wheel arch to one side then you can get to the back of the bolt using a stud removal tool or even a set of mole grips. One other option is to drill the bolt from the back sufficiently so that you can collapse the bolt in on itself using a punch or chisel. Then fit a new bolt using plenty of copper based grease.

n one

iTrader: (5)

Yes, take it from behind

That just what I did as 360ste says

Mr Footlong

iTrader: (7)

Too late! With the P1 front lip etc it was just too much of a chore. With my friend flushing the bolt with cold water and various bits and a lot of sweat I drilled the head off. Completely siezed, the rest will not come out at all so I have cut it down with a dremel, will paint over it and drill a self tapper through it just above. cheers for the info guys