Can't get fuel rail guard off

[Pistachio]

The left nut unscrews fine, but the one in the middle hole just looks like the nut is missing and only a washer is left. The guard pulls forward a bit then gets stuck on the washer and won't pull off. Any ideas?

Middle one

Left one for comparison

 

[RIC172]

There's a nut on the left and right but not the middle. The right hand side one will be holding it on still. Ignore the middle one

 

[Pistachio]

The right one didn't seem to have anything in it and it was pivoting in the middle

Right one:

 

[Amos91]

Looks like someone has managed to put the nut on backwards (the washer is integrated into the nut).

Try some tape at the end of the socket to grip the washer and get it turning.

 

[Cub.]

That looks like some womble has managed to put the nut on “upside down”. Can you get a set of needle tooth pliers down there and unscrew it just one or two threads?

 

[Pistachio]

Oh yeah I see what you mean! How do you even do that?

I'll give it a try. Thanks!

 

[Usr117063]

How did they even screw it on in the first place?

 

[Usr117063]

?

 

[Pistachio]

I'm guessing just pushing like a gorilla on a windy gun? I'm surprised it hasn't rattled off by now. I hope it isn't cross threaded too

 

[Louis]

This is brilliant

 

[Louis]

Need pliers will do

 

[105e]

Just hope whoever did that didnt work on the brakes

 

[Touring_Rob]

Hahahaha, people are great.

 

[Pistachio]

I'm struggling with this. I can't fit long nose pliers in. I tried a 13mm on a bendy drill extension but it wouldn't grip it. Even trying to turn it with a screwdriver it feels solid. It definitely isn't loose. Probably cross-threaded. I feel like a 20mm hole saw would be good to grip the outside of the washer but there's no way to get in with a drill. Even if I took the bumper off the slam panel would still be in the way.

I don't desperately need it off. It was just to check the health of the injectors. But I'd rather sort it now rather than when I actually need it off urgently

Open to any suggestions!

 

[bloke]

smack it with a lump hammer.

 

[Crayola]

Cut the c**t off and get a new one mate

I think I may have one in the garage if you need?

 

[Thrust-Rated]

As above. I’ve got a spare in garage.

I’ve no idea how they’ve got the but back on!

 

[MonkeyKnifeFight]

Any chance you can hammer a socket onto it? Deep 13mm?

 

[Eddie555]

Taking the slam panel off is easy. Remove the 2 bolts on each side and just loosen the 2 bolts in the middle (the centre panel is slotted) so it can just pull up. 10 mins max.

 

[Matt Cup]

This happened to mine, we put a load of blue tack on the end of a socket and undid it, fortunately it wasn’t on right so it came off easily.

 

[Pistachio]

Any chance you can hammer a socket onto it? Deep 13mm?

The nut is 13mm so to get around the washer it would have to be ~16mm which would be tight in that gap

Tomorrows plan is this but with a 20mm hole saw. If that doesn't work I'll try hammering a socket in. If that doesn't work I'll break out the dremel

Taking the slam panel off is easy. Remove the 2 bolts on each side and just loosen the 2 bolts in the middle (the centre panel is slotted) so it can just pull up. 10 mins max.

Good to know. Thanks!

 

[MonkeyKnifeFight]

It should be held on by a 10mm. Im guessing someone has got creative and used whatever is lying around to secure it.

 

[Pistachio]

Are you sure? The other nut is 13

 

[Touring_Rob]

Have you got a hot glue gun? I would be tempted to glue an old smaller socket on, super glue or epoxy might also work

 

[Pistachio]

Well things kind of went from bad to worse today.

I took the bumper off. Jesus what a mess. Bolts missing, heads rounded off, nutserts just spinning, the stupid freaking headlight washers pissing all over the place, one of the wheel arch covers pieces AWOL (the one with the grill in the bottom). Took the slam panel off, not realising at first I only need to loosen the bolt between the slam panel bracket and the radiator, rather than taking it all the way out

And the AC rad was just hanging in the breeze. Both bottom mounts have snapped off. Tie wraps sorted that for now. Suggestions?

Oh and what is going on here? Am I missing something or is this just belt and braces?

Anyway I then had a go at the backwards nut. I put a flat head screwdriver in between the nut and the guard and turned it to coax the nut around. And it worked! What is interesting though is that the nut had lock tight on it, but the nut that was the right way around didn't. So now I'm thinking maybe someone pissed off a garage and they got their revenge by lock-tighting the nut in backwards! Who knows

Oh and then when I was putting the bumper back on I scratched the s**t out of the wing ?

Anyone got an RB wing for sale?

 

[Usr117063]

Thats not the orignal nut?

 

[Pistachio]

You mean it isn't OEM?

 

[Usr117063]

You mean it isn't OEM?

Nope, they are like this for socket space

 

[Usr117063]

Someone at the garage probably lost the nut so botched a standard one on there

 

[Pistachio]

Oh well they work the same when they aren't backwards anyway

I replaced the backwards one with a stainless one. That was all I had

 

[Usr117063]

I think your idea they did it because pissed off seams likely tbf ?

 

[Louis]

The cable ties will be because it's not securing down onto the rail properly when it's been removed. Probably had new injectors at some point in its life? Definitely been a bodge by a garage threadlocking a nut backwards, or a friday!

Can get the hose connection from ktec if you want to replace it, might be leaking slightly? http://www.k-tecracing.com/show_product.asp?id=4022

 

[Eddie555]

The air con bracket looks to be bolted to the bottom of the radiator. (I don’t have air con on my Cup) if it is and if it’s that rotten then I would be inclined to change the radiator and bolted it back up properly. I recently changed my radiator ,which was bought when Carspares had a discount, it cost me £38 for a new one.

 

[Pistachio]

The cable ties will be because it's not securing down onto the rail properly when it's been removed. Probably had new injectors at some point in its life? Definitely been a bodge by a garage threadlocking a nut backwards, or a friday!

Can get the hose connection from ktec if you want to replace it, might be leaking slightly? http://www.k-tecracing.com/show_product.asp?id=4022

Thanks for the link. Might get one. Are they easy to swap over?

The air con bracket looks to be bolted to the bottom of the radiator. (I don’t have air con on my Cup) if it is and if it’s that rotten then I would be inclined to change the radiator and bolted it back up properly. I recently changed my radiator ,which was bought when Carspares had a discount, it cost me £38 for a new one.

Can't really argue with that price! I was thinking of bolting a piece of metal across the damaged section to give the AC rad something to fix to. Not a very tidy solution though

 

[Eddie555]

Thanks for the link. Might get one. Are they easy to swap over?



Can't really argue with that price! I was thinking of bolting a piece of metal across the damaged section to give the AC rad something to fix to. Not a very tidy solution though

It looks like the price has gone up but if I were you I’d just change it. You couldnt see that mine was rotten right in the corner as all the plaster cowling covers it all. It was only because I was fitting a Pms shifter and I felt a drip on my head which made me look up and see a leak. Btw don’t get one from Euro car parts because their one is wrong and the fan brackets and fittings are wrong. This is the one I bought. But saying that as I said earlier mine is a Cup without air con so you best check.

 

[Touring_Rob]

The nut was on backwards because all the threads look to be missing/stripped from the back so they probably couldn't get it started the correct was round and just though 'f**k it, only a Clio'.

My friend, that is a mess.

If it was mine, for piece of mind I would change the fuel rail (the clips are on the rail?) and replace the rad with a new one.

Do you live by the coast? or did a previous owner? Looks salty AF under there, would probably give everything a good jetwash and a scrub while it was in bits - glad your sorting it.

 

[Touring_Rob]

Its not even mine and I feel angry at the poor bodges - I love a good elegant bodge but that is just lazy.

 

[Amos91]

Thanks for the link. Might get one. Are they easy to swap over?



Can't really argue with that price! I was thinking of bolting a piece of metal across the damaged section to give the AC rad something to fix to. Not a very tidy solution though

I wouldn't bother trying to switch the rail end with a new one, it's really hard to push onto the plastic pipe.

There are two o-rings on the connector, one of them has probably broken off when removed previously. It's best just to take the o-rings off the new connector and slide them onto your current one.

Looks like you learnt the hard way on the bumper though, I'd recommend always masking the bumper and wing if you're putting it back on by yourself.

 

[Pistachio]

Ok thanks I'll see about swapping the O rings. Yeah my face just dropped when I saw the wing. I've got a replacement coming though