Any thoughts on how to remove the center body mounts located in the side kick-panel areas? I got the bolt loose, but it keeps spinning. I'm not sure how to get at the nut below it to hold?

 

Anyone?

It looks (feels) like there may be a weld-nut on top of the frame that broke loose. I can't get to it because of the body. Any tricks?

 

That is a caged nut in there. A lot of them spin it's pretty common. Bad news though. You will have to cut out the cage and weld a new one in it's place.

Pretty big job with the body on. You will need a die grinder to cut off the old one. I know I ended up replacing 2 of them. I have tried to wedge the nut in there but find it is almost impossible to hold it.

Good luck. There may be a body off in you're future.

 

I cut the head off the bolts and once I pulled the body then I could get to the nut and was able to work the bolt out f the nut using a little heat and PB Blaster.

 

I had a tough time removing all of my mount bolts, but through judicious use of PB Blaster they all came out. I believe that one or two issues ago, Corvette Fever had an article on the removal and replacement of mounts. In that article, they also had the same problem that you are experiencing, although it may have been a different mount. The nut does reside in a cage. Their solution was to take a long piece of concrete steel rebar (reinforcement), grind one of the ends to a square-like taper, and then drive it in between the inside of the cage and the nut, thereby wedging the nut tight.

I'm sure it sounds easier to do than it really is, but it may work in your case. If you send me a PM when I get home this evening to remind me, I'll try to photocopy the article's highpoints and post them. Once you have the bolts out, you can carefully raise and brace the body about 6 inches up (one side at a time), and you may be able to reshape the cage with a hammer so that it will keep the nut from spinning during reassembly. You will also want to carefully run a tap down through the nut and lube the bolt before reassembly. Once you get the new bolts snug, the cage has little impact as the friction of the nut against the cage tends to hold it tight. In my case, number 4 mounts already had problems, and the cages were broken loose from the body fiberglass. I simply ran a tap through the nuts, and then held them tight with a large open end wrench. Unfortunately, you can't hold numbers 2 and 3 mounts with a wrench.

Steve

 

Thanks! I think I have the concept down now. I'll give it a whirl...

 

The caged nuts are designed to float. The body can be adjusted fore and aft on the frame. If you lift the body, make sure the steering wheel rag joint is lined up and spaced correctly when you remount the body. Don't ask how I know this.