El3ments

Hi guys,

I have a 2004 Coup with a manual.

I have a crank seal leak so I am going to remove the harmonic damper so I can put a new crank seal and harmonic damper on. I attempted to loosen a nut for the power steering line today and I am stripping (edit: rounded) it pretty badly. I haven't tired to loosen the other nut yet.

I was using a flared 18mm wrench. I ordered some crows feet flared wrenches hoping that will help.

My question is.... what do I do if I strip that nut? What are my options?

Thanks guys.

dadaroo

I assume you are not striping the threads but rounding the nut.

At this point, I think you just need to use a locking wrench like a Vise-Grip. I have had this issue with some old brake lines.

You can get a replacement line from some one like VetteNuts who is a Forum vendor here.

Before you remove the other one spray some penetrant on the threads and let it soak in for a few hours.

TOPCATHR

If you get your flare nut 18mm crows foot, remove the one nut and you will have enough room to get vise grips on the other rounded off nut. Once you break it loose it should not be that tight.

El3ments

Thanks for the replies.

Is it safe to heat the nut up with a torch if the lines still contain power steering fluid?

I already busted out the PB Blaster and I will keep that up while I wait for the crows feet.

dadaroo

Having fluid in the line will only draw the heat away quicker than if it was empty. I don't see any safety concerns but always use safety glasses with a torch. I assume you are going to use a small propane type torch like for working on copper tubing.

If you heat , cool, reheat etc. then you should be fine. Just don't over do the heating to where anything starts to change color. RED is a bad color. After each cooling spray some more penetrant. Don't try to remove it while it is hot since it will be expanded by the heat and make it even harder to remove.

cudamax

When using heat to loosen say ur line ur doing it backwards. Say for example u want to remove studs from a manifold. You would heat up the surrounding part of the manifold that the studs screwed into and not the stud, so as to heat and expand the metal that its screwed into and if u heat up the stud and then it will expand and try and take it off it just snaps off.
Cut the line flush at the nut and put a shorty socket on it only after spraying it and letting it sit for a while and keep the heat away from the line and pump. If u have to, take the pump off and lay it flat on a vice so the spray will get down into the treads. Right now its only a line u start torching **** ur gone need a pump and anything else that will get burned up

Marc@Vettenuts.net

We have both the lines in stock if you happen to round off the nut. You can lightly heat that area just be careful. A hand held small propane torch will work. Also you can loosen the cradle to drop it down an inch or so to help with clearance.

El3ments

If worse comes to worse I will cut the line and use a socket on it. I'm going to try one of those freeze penetrating oils first as well as drop cradle to get more room.

If possible Marc, PM me and let me know how much those lines cost.

Thanks guys.

Marc@Vettenuts.net

Which line is it?

El3ments

It's the lower line on the steering rack. I believe it goes to the power steering fluid cooler. You might as well quote me for the other line on the power steering rack since it will probably end up rounded as well.

cudamax

Damn it's not on the pump. I'd keep the heat a way from that Rack If I were u. Whats going on is steel/metal into Aluminum causes some kinda corrosive reaction that seize's the parts together. Soak those threads and it will come a part easily but u have to take ur time and spray every half hr. A hr or 2 of that will work and put that Silver Anti-Seize crap on the steel lines threads going back into the aluminum rack and anything in the future
Don't rush Keep going back and spraying it. It will come out
Also the best way is a long breaker bar and wack it with a hammer or bump it once or twice with ur hand. Light blows is better than applied pressure and will snap it loose

El3ments

I sprayed the nut many times with PB Blaster last night. My crows feet are coming in today. Wish me luck!

El3ments

I had to cut the lines. There was no way a wrench or vice grips was getting them off. At least not while the rack was in the car. I haven't tried a socket on them yet. Hopefully it won't be to hard to break them loose.

The steering rack turned a bit while I was trying to loosen the tie rod ends. I had already disconnected the steering rack from the steering wheel column and I did not realize the steering rack would turn so easily when it wasn't connected.

I had marked the way it came off so I lined it up but it's possible it's off by 360 degrees. I assume it will be easy to tell if the steering is not aligned in the car? What happens exactly if the steering is not aligned properly after everything is reinstalled?

Thank you.

dadaroo

It will disable Active Handling.

cudamax

You know ur going to have to drop it again or pull the Steering Column and center and restab it or pay the Alignment shop to do it

El3ments

I know that I will have to fix the alignment on my own but the steering wheel sensor is used for the active handling like dadaroo stated. Will I get codes if it is off? Is there any obvious way to tell it's off? Besides driving the car and hoping the alignment was good to begin with? lol

cudamax

My Bad I thought u were talking about centering the gear