Help. Spinning square nut nightmare during headlight removal

[jaylazy2020]

Hope some can help me here as I’m in a jam

I’m swapping over rhd to LHD headlights and I’d watched so many videos I was familiar with all the 8mm and T30 etc. got the bumper off in 20 minutes. Happy days.

The nightmare started with the under headlight bolt assembly that have a square 10mm nut that is loctite to the torx 30 and just spins

I got one off with a long nose pliers but no matter what I do the other one won’t budge.

My last idea is to drill off the top of the T30 and then replace the entire nut and bolt assembly.

I’m in Germany so not a single shop open on a Sunday. If I had a dremel I’d have it off by now but I’ve only got a standard drill with new drill bits.

Photos below show the head of the bolt I want to drill off

Thanks.

[b_w.]

Can you push the headlight towards the rear to put some pressure on it? That's what I did.

[jaylazy2020]

Originally Posted by b_w.

Can you push the headlight towards the rear to put some pressure on it? That's what I did.

I was seconds away from drilling the left hand side bolt but then I managed to drill off some the plastic and squeezed in a 10mm spanner.

Why these bolts are loctited and so tight I don’t know.

Crazy thing is I had wheels, arch liners and front bumper off in 25 mins. And then got stuck for hours on that bolt as I had no long nose pliers.

I underestimated how tricky it can be to line up shut line to bonnet but then realised headlights were sitting too low and as outer edges of top part of bumper attach to the headlight the bumper was being dragged down

Only niggle is there is something small on the left side of bumper but managed to get it lined up ok.

[jaylazy2020]

You can below how I just managed to hack in 10mm.

[b_w.]

Originally Posted by jaylazy2020

I was seconds away from drilling the left hand side bolt but then I managed to drill off some the plastic and squeezed in a 10mm spanner.

Why these bolts are loctited and so tight I don’t know.

Crazy thing is I had wheels, arch liners and front bumper off in 25 mins. And then got stuck for hours on that bolt as I had no long nose pliers.

I underestimated how tricky it can be to line up shut line to bonnet but then realised headlights were sitting too low and as outer edges of top part of bumper attach to the headlight the bumper was being dragged down

Only niggle is there is something small on the left side of bumper but managed to get it lined up ok.

I had the same problem when fitting my front mount intake. Had the headlights out and struggled for hours to get everything aligned. Unless you have done it many times there is always a wrinkle, even on simple jobs. Bolts on this car seem way too rust prime. I had to cut a lot off and drill out.

[jaylazy2020]

Originally Posted by b_w.

I had the same problem when fitting my front mount intake. Had the headlights out and struggled for hours to get everything aligned. Unless you have done it many times there is always a wrinkle, even on simple jobs. Bolts on this car seem way too rust prime. I had to cut a lot off and drill out.

It’s my first time doing anything like as as the wings and bonnet didn’t move I couldn’t understand how the bumper was so off as I used the washer nut marks at top of the bumper as a reference.

Buy when I looks how the bracket hiding the front of the headlight meets the bumper as a mount I loosened off all four headlight bolts and positioned it and then it was much better.

Left hand side of bumper is sitting out a touch but I couldn’t take it all again. As the spinning nut nearly broke me. I had to go and bed two different hotel concierge desks for a long nose pliers at 0030!

Second hotel was a life saver

[NorthernM3]

Can you elaborate more on the wrench method?

[jaylazy2020]

Originally Posted by mwalter14

Can you elaborate more on the wrench method?

As the square nut seemed seized to the bolt holding it with long nose pliers was tricky

It worked straight away on right hand side but I must be trying for 30 mins on the left side and was so exasperated I decided to to try to drill out the nut

But then I tried to get the head of the 10mm spanner in one last time

Up to that point I had used a small drill bit to hack away the plastic on the headlight bracket to help get the spanner in.

So it was when I started to flex the headlight with one hand I was able to push in the head of the spanner and it was such a great feeling!

Then the next part was very important as breaking the thread lock was the part to focus on.


So holding the spanner really secure and square and the ratchet pushing in and towards the nut I built up torque gradually and the boom! It unlocked!

Crazy that the longest part of changing the head lights was one square nut.

As I’ve never taken off a bumper of headlights. Getting the front bumper panel gap perfect was down to the inner mounting points of the lights.

So try to use the previous washer marks as a reference point.

Let me know if you need any more help

[NSX2M4]

I went at mine when I did my Euro spec Ikon with a hand driven wrench, no issues at all. The lower two bolts have lock tight on them because the lower headlight assemblies have self leveling washers in them.
Meaning: Back the bolt out, the washer extends and pushes the headlight upwards.
Tighten the bolt, the washer moves forward lowering the headlight.
This is key to leveling the bumper.
Do not go at these with a power tool and they should be the first bolts you remove.

[NorthernM3]

Originally Posted by jaylazy2020

As the square nut seemed seized to the bolt holding it with long nose pliers was tricky

It worked straight away on right hand side but I must be trying for 30 mins on the left side and was so exasperated I decided to to try to drill out the nut

But then I tried to get the head of the 10mm spanner in one last time

Up to that point I had used a small drill bit to hack away the plastic on the headlight bracket to help get the spanner in.

So it was when I started to flex the headlight with one hand I was able to push in the head of the spanner and it was such a great feeling!

Then the next part was very important as breaking the thread lock was the part to focus on.


So holding the spanner really secure and square and the ratchet pushing in and towards the nut I built up torque gradually and the boom! It unlocked!

Crazy that the longest part of changing the head lights was one square nut.

As I’ve never taken off a bumper of headlights. Getting the front bumper panel gap perfect was down to the inner mounting points of the lights.

So try to use the previous washer marks as a reference point.

Let me know if you need any more help

I ended up just going ape mode on the bolt head with locking pliers and fatigued the bolt enough to snap apart. Savage method but only thing that worked

Originally Posted by NSX2M4

I went at mine when I did my Euro spec Ikon with a hand driven wrench, no issues at all. The lower two bolts have lock tight on them because the lower headlight assemblies have self leveling washers in them.
Meaning: Back the bolt out, the washer extends and pushes the headlight upwards.
Tighten the bolt, the washer moves forward lowering the headlight.
This is key to leveling the bumper.
Do not go at these with a power tool and they should be the first bolts you remove.

Sound advice here, will do this for re-installation.

[jaylazy2020]

Originally Posted by mwalter14

Sound advice here, will do this for re-installation.

I can relate to going in to ape mode.

I was cursing and shouting at it. God only knows what German neighbours thought!

[jaylazy2020]

Originally Posted by NSX2M4

I went at mine when I did my Euro spec Ikon with a hand driven wrench, no issues at all. The lower two bolts have lock tight on them because the lower headlight assemblies have self leveling washers in them.
Meaning: Back the bolt out, the washer extends and pushes the headlight upwards.
Tighten the bolt, the washer moves forward lowering the headlight.
This is key to leveling the bumper.
Do not go at these with a power tool and they should be the first bolts you remove.

Did the square nut spin when you were undoing the bottom bolts?

[NSX2M4]

Originally Posted by jaylazy2020

Did the square nut spin when you were undoing the bottom bolts?

No. The bolts removed without issue. Did you use a hand wrench or a power tool?

[jaylazy2020]

Originally Posted by NSX2M4

No. The bolts removed without issue. Did you use a hand wrench or a power tool?

I’m trying to remember as it was very late at night.

When trying to get it out for ages I was using a 3/8 inch ratchet with an extension

But it’s quite likely that I used the power tool that was so handy removing all the arch liners

So given how I was able to build the torque when I finally got the 10mm spanner on it and then it popped and broke the locked thread

I can see how a power tool could just make it spin

So am I right in thinking that the 3 hours of misery was all self inflicted!

[dallastide]

Hit it with your purse.

[NSX2M4]

Originally Posted by dallastide

Hit it with your purse.

Hitting something with a purse usually gets a person in line, but I doubt it would've resolved the OP's issue.

[dallastide]

Originally Posted by NSX2M4

Hitting something with a purse usually gets a person in line, but I doubt it would've resolved the OP's issue.

It's a pretty common mechanic's joke

[NSX2M4]

Originally Posted by dallastide

It's a pretty common mechanic's joke

Never heard of that. In the industrial refrigeration side of mechanics we just say, "you go girl"