[Etnier]

I am dealing with a difficult foglight assembly. Not sure what sort of captive nut is used for the outboard bolt which holds the light into the nose, but it's come loose and turns as I turn the bolt head. It looks like I'm going to have to go inside and try to hold the nut that way. What's the simplest way to gain access to this area?

   

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[Greimann]

What is behind there is in the picture below. Most likely you will have to pull the bumper cover to grab ahold of it.



   

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[Etnier]

Thanks. It looks as though the nut is brazed to the metal, and that I'll have to replace the entire part?



Is removing the front bumper risky or complicated?



Thanks....

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[Greimann]

It is probably a riv-nut, or some kind of deformable fastener. You might be able to smack it with a drift punch and hammer, and get it to crimp down again.

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[Anchorman]

For Flash, the bumper cover removal is as easy as changing a tire. For the rest of us, it's a little more challenging, but really pretty manageable. I recall seeing instructions somewhere - if I find them, I'll let you know, but someone will probably pick up on this with the specifics.

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[Etnier]

I think the reason I'm having so much trouble with this is that the riv-nut went unused for years: AFAIK on USA vehicles it is only used when the bumperette is replaced with a ROW indicator lens. So my hardware had 10 years to corrode before I ever screwed anything into it.



It's actually possible to remove the bolt by using a small (#4LN) needlenose Vise-Grip to hold the riv-nut by the edge. On one side of the car I could screw the assembly back into place 100% if I used a cordless drill as the driver and applied a lot of pressure. The other side won't tighten up. I think I'll rig a metal plate to serve the function of the bumperette as a stop-gap measure.

   



If anyone has tips for removing the nose I'd love to hear them- some day when I have the time I'll rip into this and see if my rivet-tool can replace those nuts.

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[Etnier]

FOLLOWUP: Attached shows the quick-and-dirty fix, made of aluminum so as to deform around the light bracket and secure it in all three axes:

   

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[George]

I have R&R'd the front bumper cover a couple of times. Not bad really.



1. Jack up the front of the car.

2. Remove the chin spoiler from underneath the car. This will free the bottom edge of the bumper cover.

3. You need to take off the front wheels and then take out the front wheel well liners which are held in by a half dozen plastic nuts and a few others at the leading and trailing edges. (Good time to check and change any needed brake parts.)

4. Once the wheel well liners are out, you can get to several( 3 as I recall) small screws/bolts that mate the bumper cover upper side flanges to the lower edge flange of the front fender by the headlight just forward of the wheel well. This will free the sides and the sides of the upper edge of the bumper cover.

4. Take off the fog lights, unplug the directionals and take off the bumperettes.

5. The last fasteners are along the top just in the hood opening. This will free the upper middle edge of the bumper cover.

6. Now you can carefully slide the bumper cover forward and off. Make sure you have a good place to set it down without getting damaged, cracked or scratched. This is a good time for inspection of parts and getting the bumper cover repaired and/or painted, if needed. If you have headlight washers, you will need to carefully disconnect the washers as you slide the bumper cover forward and off. This is a little tricky with one person - holding and supporting the bumper cover while disconnecting the washer hoses - better with two people. I've done it both ways.

7. Installation is just the opposite.

8. Have a beer or two with a couple of Porsche buddies.

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[flash]

it's even easier than that



if you've got small hands, or an 8mm swivel socket, you don't need to remove the wheels (though it does make access to the fist 8mm hex head easier)



you don't have to remove the wheel well liners at all - you can just remove the one screw that goes forward through it and into a bracket in the very front lower area of the liner - then you can just bend the liner back to access the 3 8mm hex heads the go upward through the bumper cover into the fender



also, you don't have to remove any of the lights front the bumper cover - merely disconnect the wires from the back of each of the fog and turn signal lights - no need to mark them - they hang in the right spots to easily know which is which



it is indeed easier to remove the bumper cover with 2 people, but it can be done with one - take care not to snag the rubber gaskets - once off, you can work on the lights or whatever you need very easily



this entire process should not take more than 15 minutes



i do recommend installing with 2 people - this will help prevent any paint damage - reinstallation will take about 30 minutes due to fitting and gap checking

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[dlearl476]

[quote name='George' date='Mar 25 2005, 06:52 PM']I have R&R'd the front bumper cover a couple of times.  Not bad really.

[right][post="2372"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]



I'll second that. I just did the same to install my grills from 968Engineering and splitter. I didn't remove the wheels or fender liners. If I had to do it all again ( I may as I got the passenger side fender-2-cover joint a bit off) I'd take off the wheels. But my '92 had some small access panels in the inner fender well which worked fine for me with the right combination of extensions and U-joint sockets. (But then I grew up on British Leyland/BMC cars <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/ohmy.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> )

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[Etnier]

Thanks, gentlemen.

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[jaap]

I also just removed the front cover and used the small access panels in the inner fender well to acces the 3 screws. My car is a 92 as well. Is this specific for the 92 model?



Jaap

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[George]

As mentioned, you can take the bumper cover off without taking off the wheels and the wheel well liners. But for me, it is a pain working in small tight spaces especially when there is an easier way. With the wheels and wheel well covers off, you have much better access and visiblility. You can do the job in about the same time in a more relaxed, orderly environment. This helps a lot when you go to reinstall everything and line things up correctly. Struggling and straining with numerous extensions in ackward positions with poor visibility is not something I prefer unless it is an absolute necessity. Bending/peeling back the wheel well cover and loosening bolts at the same time? Been there. Done that. Not fun. Each to his own. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/rolleyes.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[dlearl476]

> Bending/peeling back the wheel well cover and loosening bolts at the same time? Been there. Done that. Not fun. Each to his own.



Actually my cover just bent up against the tire and stayed there, not to much trouble for me. But based on the info here and in my grill install instructions from 968ENG, I'm wondering if the our 92's had a different inner fender design. I looked at it and it looked significantly more involved than removing a couple of screws. Maybe I'm wrong, I did this all at >12:00pm at night and the access cover looked WAY more simple to me.

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[WYLDCTZ]

No idea if you can or not, but did you fold the headlight out and see if you can just reach down in there to the bolt? (Can't remember if its an open pass through under the light. Only been in there once...)



Mark

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[flash]

i only had to bend the cover back enough to slip my hand up there - pretty easy - didn't have to hold it or anything like that - no circus stunts



my 718 94 has the access panel too



removing the wheels does make it easier, and i usually do that, but that's primarily because i take that opportunity to wax the inside of my wheels and clean and polish my suspension

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[Etnier]

[quote name='WYLDCTZ' date='Mar 28 2005, 08:31 PM']...did you fold the headlight out and see if you can just reach down in there to the bolt? (Can't remember if its an open pass through under the light. )[/quote]



If you are speaking of access to the nut and bolt I mentioned at the top of the post, I tried that but there's no access. Perhaps if I removed the whole light assy and the metal pan beneath it, but otherwise no. My temporary metal plates will serve me for quite q while, I think!

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