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Whitephrog
Luke Skywalker
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I need to remove the two lower captive nuts on my BE radiator. PO cut the screw off in them. Any special tricks or precautions for removal?
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Radiator captive nuts
- Thread starter Whitephrog
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lesingepsycho
Jedi Warrior
Offline
I drilled out the spot welds like anything else. Then I hammered them back in shape, found a couple of other square captive nuts off another trashed radiator shroud I had lying around, and spot welded them back in.
Of course, I realize not everyone has a welder and a spare radiator shroud <span style="font-style: italic">laying around</span> in their garage. :wink:
JACK
Of course, I realize not everyone has a welder and a spare radiator shroud <span style="font-style: italic">laying around</span> in their garage. :wink:
JACK
OP
Whitephrog
Luke Skywalker
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<span style="font-style: italic">Of course, I realize not everyone has a welder and a spare radiator shroud laying around in their garage.</span>
Therein lies the problem.
Therein lies the problem.
lesingepsycho
Jedi Warrior
Offline
Well then, you should be able to pry up one of the side tabs that aren't welded in and slide the captive nut out sideways. Then slide a new one in, fold the tab back down and good to go. You could probably use a regular hex nut even if you pin it down real well with the tabs.
It's all just sheetmetal so there are no particular tips or tricks or things to look out for as far as I know. I guess the biggest thing to look out for would be rust if you're going to be prying metal up and down. If it's in bad shape I suppose it could snap like a paper clip.
JACK
It's all just sheetmetal so there are no particular tips or tricks or things to look out for as far as I know. I guess the biggest thing to look out for would be rust if you're going to be prying metal up and down. If it's in bad shape I suppose it could snap like a paper clip.
JACK
tomshobby
Yoda
Offline
Hi Ray,
Just week I had to deal with two of them with broken screws myself. I used penetrating fluid and then heat with a propane torch. In my case I had just enough of the pointed end of the screws so I could grip with a vice grip and they came out easily.
Had the same with a broken screw in the alternator case only that one was flush. I used the penetrant then some heat. After it cooled a little I then drilled out the center of the screw and turned it out with a tap from the other end.
For a nut you could cut a piece from 1/8" thick stock and drill and tap the hole. Probably be easier to do the hole before cutting it out.
Just week I had to deal with two of them with broken screws myself. I used penetrating fluid and then heat with a propane torch. In my case I had just enough of the pointed end of the screws so I could grip with a vice grip and they came out easily.
Had the same with a broken screw in the alternator case only that one was flush. I used the penetrant then some heat. After it cooled a little I then drilled out the center of the screw and turned it out with a tap from the other end.
For a nut you could cut a piece from 1/8" thick stock and drill and tap the hole. Probably be easier to do the hole before cutting it out.
I had to go through this myself recently. It was a time consuming process for me since two screws were broken off. I had to grind the broken screws down first with my dremel tool and then pried up one of the tabs. I ended up getting new square nuts from the hardware, tapping them, installing the new ones and just pushing the tabs back in. I do have a welder and placed small tack welds, but I think you could do the whole operation without doing this.
Kevin
Kevin
Pythias
Jedi Knight
Offline
Who even bothers putting the lower two bolts in? They're a pain to put in, a pain to take out and not needed to hold the radiator in place. Two 1/4" bolts have plenty of pull and shear strength to hold everything together. ..
Oh yeah, there are concours guys out there. .. never mind.
Oh yeah, there are concours guys out there. .. never mind.
