Please help..Stuck ground strap nut on valve cover stud bolt

[lorensiuswlt]

Hello fellows,

I have problem with stuck nut. I tried to replace my m50 94 e36 valve cover gasket but got stuck with the last bolt. The last bolt was the stud bolt with ground strap on top of it (https://www.e46fanatics.com/threads/valve-cover-ground-nut-locked-on-bolt.1298672/). I could not loosen the nut that hold the ground strap on stud bolt. The nut seemed to be rounded so i could not loosen it with 8mm socket. Anybody knows how to loosen rounded nut?

https://ataende.com/photos/stuck_stud.jpg

I got this picture below from another forum, the nut with red circle that got stuck on my valve cover.


https://ataende.com/photos/stuck_nut_valve.jpg

[pbonsalb]

Vise grips with a thin wrench on the 10mm underneath. Those two valve cover nuts with the grounds have this problem regularly. The wrench in the car tool kit may be thin enough but standard wrenches are not. You can buy sets of thin wrenches and they can be useful at times.

[Eric93se]

Spray it a few times with penetrating oil. You might have to get a specialty socket set.

[Eric93se]

If you can't get vice grips to work because of the recess maybe give these sockets a try, only $10 at Harbor Freight.

https://www.harborfreight.com/7-piece-3-8-eighth-inch-metric-spline-socket-set-96362.html

[lorensiuswlt]

Hi pbonsalb, Eroc93se..thank you for your suggestions..

Vice grips wont work because of the tight space. I ended up ordered 8mm nut/bolt extractor socket. It worked perfectly..Thanks guys.

https://ataende.com/photos/bolt_nut_extractor.jpg


Vise grips with a thin wrench on the 10mm underneath. Those two valve cover nuts with the grounds have this problem regularly. The wrench in the car tool kit may be thin enough but standard wrenches are not. You can buy sets of thin wrenches and they can be useful at times.


Spray it a few times with penetrating oil. You might have to get a specialty socket set.


If you can't get vice grips to work because of the recess maybe give these sockets a try, only $10 at Harbor Freight.

https://www.harborfreight.com/7-piece-3-8-eighth-inch-metric-spline-socket-set-96362.html

[Hallatauer]

Glad you gotta it out.... too many people gorilla them when installing... just need to be snug, not cranked down.

[pbonsalb]

Vice grips wont work because of the tight space. ]

I would have used small vise grips in a vertical orientation (standing up). But extractor was a great idea and worked.

[lorensiuswlt]

Glad you gotta it out.... too many people gorilla them when installing... just need to be snug, not cranked down.

Thanks Hallatauer ;)


I would have used small vise grips in a vertical orientation (standing up). But extractor was a great idea and worked.

Hi pbonsalb, I have difficulties using vice grips because the nut was the last nut near the firewall.

[scooper]

I think vise grips should be plan Z. Always use the right size socket on these bolts else they will strip. Glad you got the bolt/stud off. Penetrating oil. bolt extractor would be the correct tools to use. Are you in Indonesia OP?

[pbonsalb]

Yes, someone made a mess of that nut. I assumed it was already time for plan z.

[lorensiuswlt]

I think vise grips should be plan Z. Always use the right size socket on these bolts else they will strip. Glad you got the bolt/stud off. .
Are you in Indonesia OP?

Yes the 8mm bolt/nut extractor was the correct tool. It was very easy to use, less than a minute. Luckily i found the 8mm extractor online. Only two seller sell it. Others sell it in a set (8-12pcs) which is very expensive. Yes i'm in Indonesia. ;)