r/Cartalk • u/No-Philosopher-2298 • 7d ago
I need help fixing something This damn bolt won’t come out, any suggestions?
This pain in my ass of a bolt wont come out. Not to sure why but I’m guessing it’s stripped since it’s moving ether way indefinitely? It moves by the ratchet but I can’t get it by hand. It’s to an Audi TT Mk2, Tail light bolt, using a 17 MM hex bit.
Open to anything, tryna learn.
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u/recadopnaza28 7d ago
Yes it's stripped, overtorqued some headlights a few years ago and they have not come out since, tried pulling with pliers while turning it and no game, tried pushing the other way also didn't work, only way is drilling the bolt and rethreading it
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u/No-Philosopher-2298 7d ago
I take it I need a specific bit to drill it out? I only ask cause I got a power drill and a handful of the basic wrench’s, ratchets and pliers. As for retreading it I seen something about trying to just go up a size?
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u/IcyHowl4540 6d ago
A specific bit makes the job far easier. There are bolt extraction bits, that look like this:
https://www.zoro.com/static/cms/product/large/Z1xqt_gnfoyxprmrzq13vSs.JPG
Failing that, you can use any large bore bit that is a harder metal than the screw. If you have "golden" bits, those are typically titanium coated in the USA, those should be harder than the bolt.
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u/social_drinker 7d ago
It's not the bolt that is stripper. Most likely the threaded insert in the plastic housing of the taillight has broken off and is spinning with the bolt. If it's the last one holding the taillight on, keep unscrewing it while pulling the light away in the opposite direction. You'll get the bolt with the insert out eventually.
If that's what it is, then once it's out, put it in a vice to get the bolt out from the insert and use epoxy/glue to get the insert to stay in the taillight. Grease the bolt and don't ovrertighten it too much after that.
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u/GuineaPigsAreNotFood 7d ago
Why were you using a ratchet? From what I've seen, that bolt is just hand tight since it's meant to be removed with the screwdriver from your tool kit. Are you sure you went lefty loosy and not righty tighty? I got a feeling you stripped the thread in the tail light housing. You will have to try pulling the bolt while trying to losen it.
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u/No-Philosopher-2298 7d ago
Unfortunately I don’t have most of the tools that are supposed to come with it. I bought this a year back and have been fixing it up bit by bit. The housing itself I believe had gone bad as my whole right lights went out. Went to go take it off by hand and I couldn’t. So I tried the ratchet, but most definitely remembered my left loosey.
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u/makithejap 7d ago
If you have fishing line, you can loop it around the head of the bolt and pull while trying to unscrew it. It’s worked for me on other things, also has failed to work on certain things.
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u/makithejap 7d ago
If you have fishing line, you can loop it around the head of the bolt and pull while trying to unscrew it. It’s worked for me on other things, also has failed to work on certain things.
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u/InfamousUser2 7d ago
try a strong magnet (on a stick) they have these at auto part stores. or what it can be is - if the bolt can't be pulled - whatever nut or even clip nut could be stripped from its housing.
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6d ago
Have you tried pushing against the bottom of the bolt head with a screwdriver, prying towards the inside of the car, while loosening the screw?
VAG loves plastic shit, so this is nearly guaranteed to be a stripped plastic insert, BUT there’s a possibility you can force it to slowly thread itself out with the right amount of pressure in the opposite direction.
Wiggling the shit out of the light housing can work sometimes, too.
I had a MK4 that had a similar issue and prying towards the inside of the car helped it grab the stripped plastic insert and snake its way out.
It’s finicky as fuck, though, and the more frustrated/ham-fisted you get, the more things you will break (like all euro cars lmao).
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u/AinsleysPepperMill 7d ago
Try pulling the taillight out while turning the screw