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Can't get fuel rail guard off



The left nut unscrews fine, but the one in the middle hole just looks like the nut is missing and only a washer is left. The guard pulls forward a bit then gets stuck on the washer and won't pull off. Any ideas?

Middle one
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Left one for comparison
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There's a nut on the left and right but not the middle. The right hand side one will be holding it on still. Ignore the middle one
 

Amos91

Honorary Member
ClioSport Club Member
Looks like someone has managed to put the nut on backwards (the washer is integrated into the nut).

Try some tape at the end of the socket to grip the washer and get it turning.
 
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I'm struggling with this. I can't fit long nose pliers in. I tried a 13mm on a bendy drill extension but it wouldn't grip it. Even trying to turn it with a screwdriver it feels solid. It definitely isn't loose. Probably cross-threaded. I feel like a 20mm hole saw would be good to grip the outside of the washer but there's no way to get in with a drill. Even if I took the bumper off the slam panel would still be in the way.

I don't desperately need it off. It was just to check the health of the injectors. But I'd rather sort it now rather than when I actually need it off urgently

Open to any suggestions!
 

Flat Eric

Sing Hosanna!!
ClioSport Club Member
  F31 35d, Berlingo Na
As above. I’ve got a spare in garage.

I’ve no idea how they’ve got the but back on!
 

Matt Cup

ClioSport Club Member
  Leon Cupra
This happened to mine, we put a load of blue tack on the end of a socket and undid it, fortunately it wasn’t on right so it came off easily.
 
Any chance you can hammer a socket onto it? Deep 13mm?
The nut is 13mm so to get around the washer it would have to be ~16mm which would be tight in that gap

Tomorrows plan is this but with a 20mm hole saw. If that doesn't work I'll try hammering a socket in. If that doesn't work I'll break out the dremel :LOL:

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Taking the slam panel off is easy. Remove the 2 bolts on each side and just loosen the 2 bolts in the middle (the centre panel is slotted) so it can just pull up. 10 mins max.
Good to know. Thanks!
 
Well things kind of went from bad to worse today.

I took the bumper off. Jesus what a mess. Bolts missing, heads rounded off, nutserts just spinning, the stupid freaking headlight washers pissing all over the place, one of the wheel arch covers pieces AWOL (the one with the grill in the bottom). Took the slam panel off, not realising at first I only need to loosen the bolt between the slam panel bracket and the radiator, rather than taking it all the way out :sneaky:

And the AC rad was just hanging in the breeze. Both bottom mounts have snapped off. Tie wraps sorted that for now. Suggestions?

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1414942


Oh and what is going on here? Am I missing something or is this just belt and braces?
1414944


Anyway I then had a go at the backwards nut. I put a flat head screwdriver in between the nut and the guard and turned it to coax the nut around. And it worked! What is interesting though is that the nut had lock tight on it, but the nut that was the right way around didn't. So now I'm thinking maybe someone pissed off a garage and they got their revenge by lock-tighting the nut in backwards! Who knows

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Oh and then when I was putting the bumper back on I scratched the s**t out of the wing ?

Anyone got an RB wing for sale?

1414950
 

Louis

I Park Like a C**t
ClioSport Club Member
The cable ties will be because it's not securing down onto the rail properly when it's been removed. Probably had new injectors at some point in its life? Definitely been a bodge by a garage threadlocking a nut backwards, or a friday!

Can get the hose connection from ktec if you want to replace it, might be leaking slightly? http://www.k-tecracing.com/show_product.asp?id=4022
 

Eddie555

ClioSport Club Member
  Q7 2018 & 172 Cup.
The air con bracket looks to be bolted to the bottom of the radiator. (I don’t have air con on my Cup) if it is and if it’s that rotten then I would be inclined to change the radiator and bolted it back up properly. I recently changed my radiator ,which was bought when Carspares had a discount, it cost me £38 for a new one.
 
The cable ties will be because it's not securing down onto the rail properly when it's been removed. Probably had new injectors at some point in its life? Definitely been a bodge by a garage threadlocking a nut backwards, or a friday!

Can get the hose connection from ktec if you want to replace it, might be leaking slightly? http://www.k-tecracing.com/show_product.asp?id=4022
Thanks for the link. Might get one. Are they easy to swap over?


The air con bracket looks to be bolted to the bottom of the radiator. (I don’t have air con on my Cup) if it is and if it’s that rotten then I would be inclined to change the radiator and bolted it back up properly. I recently changed my radiator ,which was bought when Carspares had a discount, it cost me £38 for a new one.
Can't really argue with that price! I was thinking of bolting a piece of metal across the damaged section to give the AC rad something to fix to. Not a very tidy solution though
 

Eddie555

ClioSport Club Member
  Q7 2018 & 172 Cup.
Thanks for the link. Might get one. Are they easy to swap over?



Can't really argue with that price! I was thinking of bolting a piece of metal across the damaged section to give the AC rad something to fix to. Not a very tidy solution though

It looks like the price has gone up but if I were you I’d just change it. You couldnt see that mine was rotten right in the corner as all the plaster cowling covers it all. It was only because I was fitting a Pms shifter and I felt a drip on my head which made me look up and see a leak. Btw don’t get one from Euro car parts because their one is wrong and the fan brackets and fittings are wrong. This is the one I bought. But saying that as I said earlier mine is a Cup without air con so you best check. F2D89F96-9CEB-4A51-8ADA-C47A37E6CA6F.png
 

Robbie Corbett

ClioSport Club Member
The nut was on backwards because all the threads look to be missing/stripped from the back so they probably couldn't get it started the correct was round and just though 'f**k it, only a Clio'.

My friend, that is a mess.

If it was mine, for piece of mind I would change the fuel rail (the clips are on the rail?) and replace the rad with a new one.

Do you live by the coast? or did a previous owner? Looks salty AF under there, would probably give everything a good jetwash and a scrub while it was in bits - glad your sorting it.
 

Amos91

Honorary Member
ClioSport Club Member
Thanks for the link. Might get one. Are they easy to swap over?



Can't really argue with that price! I was thinking of bolting a piece of metal across the damaged section to give the AC rad something to fix to. Not a very tidy solution though


I wouldn't bother trying to switch the rail end with a new one, it's really hard to push onto the plastic pipe.

There are two o-rings on the connector, one of them has probably broken off when removed previously. It's best just to take the o-rings off the new connector and slide them onto your current one.

Looks like you learnt the hard way on the bumper though, I'd recommend always masking the bumper and wing if you're putting it back on by yourself.
 


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