Ok so something has been rattling inside my evap system, so I decided to drop it and look. Well the two nuts that hold it on the axle side just spin in place with the bolt. Except the one on the left side is now half way loose and I cannot even tighten it back up due to it completely spinning. So now what do I do?

 

If you have a die set, maybe you could chase the existing bolt and see if that helps?

 

Actually my buddy has a die set....can you explain chase? I have re threaded before but I am not familiar with the chase term.

 

My father in law (mechanic/truck driver) calls it that when you take a die and run it over an existing thread on a bolt to clean the threads up (or re-thread), so that's what I've stuck with through the years.

Also used when you are after the ladies or need something to help keep the whiskey down.

 

I see haha. The problem is that the top part of the bolt is in that bracket and I have no way of holding on to the bolt. So if do try to chase it it will spin. I could cut the bolt off, but I don't know how I would manage to attach a new one. I wish I knew how the damn thing was constructed.

 

Can't you stick a flat blade screw driver through the side to hold the bolt head? I haven't really looked at those bolts, but from what you describe, there must be a way to keep the bolt from spinning.

 

Ahhh....I understand what your saying now. Is there anyway you can reach up in there to see how the top of that bolt is constructed? Maybe an offset box end wrench or a crows foot on a socket with a wobbly could get up in there, but you'll need to get a gander at what the top end looks like somehow. Either feeling around in there is the ticket or if you are lucky you have a buddy who has one of those inspection camera's with the flexible lense thing.

Before I went as far as cutting it off, I think I'd find someone to weld it first. Cutting it off isnt likely gonna help at all. If you weld it, it won't go anywhere.

 

I tried that, did not work, in a matter of fact I couldn't feel anything that held the bolt period.

I tried sticking stuff into that bracket to hold the bolt, but it feels like nothing is there. A 10mm wrench wont even fit inside so that was a bummer. I may try to get a picture up tonight after work of the inside the bracket, if I can get to it.

 

Not sure if this would work, but you could try to jb weld that bolt to the bracket.

 

That was going to be my next suggestion. It must have been spot welded.