MoCityc5

My first experience with a 74 Coupe. Replacing body bolts and bushings, lifting body off of frame without straps. Very Scary.


After I removed the old bolts and replaced the bushings, the caged nuts in the rear on top of the frame are spinning. Unable to screw in bolts now.


Can anyone suggest how I can get access to them to bond or epoxy them down to allow the bolts to be screwed back in?

dmaxx3500

open door and look under the carpets,in the rear outer corners of the rear floor

they used square 1''x1'' plates and screwed the bolts into them,you might be able to get a vise grip on the housings,,

or cut the bolts off and unrivit the boxes and plates after you have the body off

MoCityc5

Thanks. I thought of going at it from Inside. I will look for the plates. I don't plan to remove the body.

Wondering if I can cut open the box area around the mounting position. I might need to reinforce the area after glassing it back in.

Mooser

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...oval-tool.html

Here's some info on dealing with that nut that might help,
M

MoCityc5

Thanks. Everything I needed and was afraid would be the case.

PainfullySlow

If it helps any, you are not alone. Both of my bolts snapped off in the cage so both will need to come out. You will get through this!

BarryB72

My cages in those locations are gone so I've sort of dealt with this.

Where are you with this?

Just so I make sure I understand, the bolt is free but when you put it up through the floor you can't tighten it because the entire cage spins, or the nut inside the cage spins?

Easy to do with a helper. Have the helper turn the bolt while you hold the cage.

Or go buy a new nut and a nice sized washer, put the bolt up through the hole, tape it in place, crawl back there and finger tighten the nut as much as you can then tighten from either end.

caskiguy

Here's what the #4 amount looks like from the interior. Grind off the two rivets and remove the cage nut. You can replace it with say a grade 5 or 8 bolt, washer & nut. I've seen this done in a previous post. I'll have to do the same to mine.

68/70Vette

The nut for the bolt is in a nut cage riveted to the fiberglass body, the nut cage keeps the nut from spinning when the bolt is torqued. In my 68, the nut cage tore away from the body rivets as I tried to torque the bolt out. So I couldn't loosen the bolt........BUT WAIT IT GETS WORSE......apparently the nut had been cross-threaded during installation at the factory! I cut the bolt with a Sawzall just below the nut head. I was able to remove the remains of the bolt/nut from the top. See the second from the last photo of post #8.
..........................
If my memory is correct, the nut cage is aluminum sheet.

dmaxx3500

do not mess with the outer metal cup,its riveted in,,,

go inside the car and get the nut/bolt out thru there,after cutting the bolt head off -from underneath ,then go find a bolt and nut that fits,and a big flat washer [for under the nut]