As you know, I'm finishing the reassembly of Dads 914.

I was hanging over the back of of the targa bar last night looking in through the window upsidedown working the lower center bolt out of the rear padding.

And then I got thinking.. what is the "toughest" "tightest" "impossible" "had to be a special tool for that" bolt on the 914?

Sounds like a contest....

So I'll start out:

External door handle inside hex bolt -

this is a fun one.. reach way up inside the door after you'll pulled out the world to get to it. You may just need a band-aid after sacraficing the knuckles to reach up there and turn that sucker...

Try taking an axle nut off with a ratchet.

I know there are always going to be tough nuts and bolts and they always make you wonder why they were done that way but you do know that someone already has put them on. The thing is in what order? I don't mind hard to get to stuff if it's not rusted or locktighted as much as rusted exhaust bolts or rusted body fasteners.

Just remember there are some folks that would not know how to try to remove a car part. Most of them don't have the patience to work on things. Persistence is the real key to repairing things.

We all know the hard stuff gets easier the more you do them.

I'm interested like you, in what the pro's think are the hardest bolts and nuts to remove.

Little plastic top dashpad nuts.

Also fun.

Nice, and my dash is out right now too....

Yep, rear axle nuts are fun.

Rear axle nuts are a piece of cake compared to getting the axles out from the hub bearings - namely if they've never been out before.....

The little 8mm nut that's held the rear sail panel trim holder on for 35 years... even harder on a six with the oil tank. Dash board nuts that are behind the gauges and vent duc's on the ends.

the one that bought the damn thing

My most frustrating experience was to find, remove, and install the roll bar pad screws. I ended up installing 1.5" screws in so I sould find the holes and screw them in. The Axle nut I have not done yet. Mike

Somehow this thread is potentially more disconcerting than scary rustoration threads during the discovery stage.

I agree with the plastic dash nuts. PITA

Out of all of the bolts and nuts I've removed so far those were the worst! Especially with everything still on the dash

Axle nuts were pretty bad. My arm hurt for two days after that one, and the cuts on my fingers from the sharp edges of the nut were something to cry about.

I havent tried the axle nuts on the 914, but on VW's I use a ratchet and about an eight foot length of pipe, it works...

This one is conditional: conditional on being totally rusted in place.

Rear swing arm mounting plate bolts 3 on each side (6 total).

My car had all 6 rear swing arm mounting plate bolts snapped off from being rusted in place. All 6 were subsequently drilled out.

Based on the number of times this question comes up, the top bolt on the starter.

Rear Axle by Far! The torque is something like 275lbs!

Nice, what about the 10MM bolts on both sides of the fresh air box!

The 2 little bolts that hold the front hood release casting in the dash. Them suckers are buried way in there usually under an inch of dirt and leaves.

The plastic dash nuts are a close second.

The toughest nut to crack is the idiot that hits your car!

Only had this happen on one of the six but it was incredibly difficult drilling out the bolt. Especially after the first drill broke off deep in the hole I had started. I think I spent two days under the car with a hand drill getting that out.

Granted, the axle nut is physically harder to loosen because of the high torque. But those swing arm bolts will rust solid if the plastic cap that seals the top side is gone, guaranteeing that the head snaps off.

Don't forget the cover over the inner adjuster on the rear caliper - The one you access through the hole in the trailing arm. It's not the torque that makes this a pain in the , but the design. The little hex socket is bound to strip when you try removing it. Then you have no choice but to slot the thing with a dremel to take it off.

Don't forget about the ball joint nuts too!

I just replaced the arms on my 73 , they were tighter than heck to get threaded back in , so I used a tap to clean the threads with generous shots of PB Blaster , finally got the threads clened out , installed bolts with generous coating of copper antisieze. they threaded in great and torqued very well also hoping the antisieze gives some rustproofing value to them.
By far the hardest bolt / screw to remove has been the screws that hold the roll bar bolster on, can't find them and when you do they sometimes strip the head out causing drilling.

Jack / Jaxdrem

Broken exhaust stud.

Bottom rocker mounting bolts! Either rounded off or rusted stuck. Darn bolts!
Tom

Toughest nut to crack? My wife when I need more budget!

Ball joint nut on the a-arm's up there too... Tried a cold chisel, long string of explitives... Ended up cutting them off and buying new joints / nuts.

Nobody mentioned a frozen CHTS with the FI in place and the engine in the car.

Knucklebuster for me, and the scars are still pink on both hands! My chiropractor loves me for that one.

I still have nightmares even with a specially cut 10MM socket and extender.

J