Top hose elbow bolts

[Roger Blassberg 0]

The top hose plastic elbow/radiator joint is weeping. The elbow itself seems to be ok, I replaced it fairly recently, so I suspect the O-ring seal.

 

I tried to undo the bolts (one short, one long) , but the captive nuts in the radiator flange are turning and the flange itself has cracked across the outside of the long bolt hole.

 

I propose to cut the heads off the bolts to remove the elbow, repair the cracked flange with Araldite or similar and then use longer bolts and nuts that bear onto the top and under side of the flanged connection.

 

The big question is this; if I cut the existing bolt heads off, can I then push the remains of the bolts and the captive nuts down through the bottom of the radiator flange, or are the captive nuts moulded into the flange to prevent then coming out. As said, they turn, but I'm not sure that they can be pushed out.

 

I would obviously prefer to avoid having to buy and fit a new radiator; the leak is very minor and I can live with it for the time being, but I want to sort this out eventually.

 

Best wishes

 

RB

[fla 9]

roger - could you not just carefully pull out the bolt and captive nut as one with the elbow (assuming its only one thats spinning, both if both are loose), remove the nut and refit this with araldite back into the rad? Once set you could then refit the elbow.

[Roger Blassberg 0]

Hasan,

 

the bolts go in from the top, through the elbow and screw into the captive nuts which are set, I assume, into the underside of the flange on the radiator (otherwise they would pull out when doing up the bolts). So the question is, if I cut off the bolt heads, will the remaining threaded stud and the captive nut move downwards and away to enable me to refix a new nut from the underside?

 

What next with this car??

 

Roger

[steveo29 0]

havent looked at that specific part but generaly no they dont just push out the bottom , theyre molded into the plastic when its made

 

id imagine with some care you could dremel away from the top until you can pull the insert , then jb weld it back together

[RW1 0]

So the question is, if I cut off the bolt heads, will the remaining threaded stud and the captive nut move downwards and away to enable me to refix a new nut from the underside?

 

Yes, the only threaded part the nut itself. The rest is a bare tube.

 

.

[borachris 0]

Hi Roger,

 

Just wondering how you got on with this?

 

My rad elbow snapped yesterday and when I tried to remove it, I have the same problem that you had :(

 

I have a spare rad and elbow but don't really want to swap the rad at the moment if I can help it, had the same idea as you about pushing the bolts through and looking at the spare rad it should work but though I would ask first.

 

Any input appreciated :)

[Roger Blassberg 0]

Borachris, I have not yet done anything about this as the leak is so slow that it is not a major issue. I have a new elbow and seal waiting to go on but not yet done the rad replacement.

 

I can't believe that it is 18 months since I started that thread.........

 

Best wishes

 

RB

[borachris 0]

Thanks for taking the time to reply Roger, I'm going to attempt to change it at the weekend, weather permitting, so I'll let you know how I get on!

 

Cheers

[G60 CS 0]

get onto Gruven parts and get an Ali replacement :)

[borachris 0]

Thought I'd let you know how I got on!

 

After making several cuts in the bolt heads with a dremel and cutting disc, I thought I would snap the remainder of the bolt head off by twisting it using a socket and ratchet, to my surprise both bolts had freed off and just turned out!

 

I greased up the spare bolts I had and gently fitted the new elbow, bolts tightened to 10nm without the captive nuts turning, might be a different story when I want to remove it next but ill worry about that then lol

 

Done about 200miles since and all is well :D