StratfordShark

I'm doing first MM job, so will be annoying you with lots of questions.

Want to loosen the 4 17mm nuts holding rack to protection plate. The bolt heads are hard to reach to counterhold above cross member. Dwayne's write-up shows him using a short socket to counterhold, Pirtle says to jam in an allen wrench next to bolt head.

Both techniques still look (and feel putting my hand around the bolt heads) as if they will be very tricky - I wanted to use flexi-head wrench but it feels as if there's not even enough room between edge of some bolt heads and lip of cross member. It's a RHD S4 which may be a factor making access trickier.

I was just using an electric impact wrench to remove sway bar to frame bolts, so was wondering if I could use this to loosen on the 17mm rack nuts, or is there danger of doing any damage using that tool? It would make job a snap if I can use it.

Thanks for advice.

Adrian

Leon Speed

Adrian, an offset box end wrench works really well. Using an impact wrench to loosen is fine too. For installing you need to get the correct torque.

StratfordShark

Thanks Aryan - I'm going back in garage now and I'll try the offset wrench as have a nice set of those. OK on install torque - I consulted WSM for that this morning and is 46Nm. I would rather get held up with new mounts installed than be frustrated before getting job properly under way so I am less worried about the install!

Hilton

Its trickier on RHD cars because of the PS hard lines which travel all the way along the rack, making the rear passenger-side (left) one a real pig to get at.

I just use a 5mm allen key to wedge the nut against the lip at the edge of the crossmember. Just think about which way the nut wants to turn, and place the allen key so it wedges between a corner of the nut and the side of the lip.

To tighten, just wedge it on the other side and torque to spec.

LostInSpace

Use all the other tricks for removal as well, heat, penetrating fluid etc.

On my GT, they were particularly bad due to corrosion as a result of no belly pan and years of year round use.

Good luck!

CraigL

Sean: Craftsman sells a tool called a Wrench Socket, with 17mm available individually or as part of a set. This tool was the right size to get on those nuts securely. At least it was simple on my GTS.

Tazzieman

I'll second the fact that it's a real ***** & bugger of a job! Unbolting and bending of the harness clamp was an absolute necessity for me.
One of those many jobs that puts hairs on your chest.

Tazzieman

DP

StratfordShark

Hmm my offset wrench couldn't find decent angle of attack on any of those heads.

I have been able to loosen them jamming allen key, but what on earth did Porsche use?

Not looking forward to torqueing them on re-install. Is it possible to torque them up before fully bolting cross member back in place, when there will be better access to top of crossmember?

Rodrv6

Porsche probably assembled the rack to the crossmember while out of the car, put the crossmember on the engine, and lifted the whole thing into the car from underneath, of course giving no thought as to how we would get them back out again....

SeanR

Take a number 5 allen key, use it to wedge between the bolt head and the cross member and then use your impact gun to take the nuts off.

or

Use a flex headed rachet with a short 17mm socket, put the ratchet at 90 degrees and put it on the bolt.

StratfordShark

I got all the nuts loose using allen key wedge and a 1/2" ratchet to crack nuts open. At least none had corrosion etc problems.

But I like that flex headed ratchet idea - thanks Sean and all for their thoughts. I have one but when I experimented with holding a 3/8 17mm socket up there at least one bolt had not enough clearance above it for ratchet head. It may work on some of the others though. I hope the cross-member bolts are going to be at least no harder than this...

Bilal928S4

I have used these inserted in the socket and then used a gear wrench. It fit perfectly.
http://www.harborfreight.com/hand-to...aps-67011.html

Tom in Austin

That's a nifty tool Bilal, thanks for posting. Amazing what all we end up with when working on a 928 :-)

StratfordShark

Well the good news is I just got all 4 of the 17mm rack nuts off.

The bad news is I managed to snap one of the 17mm bolts that fixes the side arm of the rack protection plate. On a RHD there are two such side arms - the illustration in PET shows only one arm - so I'm leaving the other soaking in PBlaster. Should have used some heat first on the one that snapped.

Doesn't seem too critical given plate held on by the 4 x 17mm bolts to rack, but I'll try to remove the snapped off shaft that is flush with the hole when the cross member is lowered. Thinking I would try to dremel a slot but if it snapped then it must be very corroded down there so may not work.