How'd he do that?

[Tony Radford]

The guy who built my car mounted the remote oil filter adapter horizontally to the top surface of the frame cross member (4" square?) that runs in front of the engine. One of the two 3/8" bolts holding the adapter to the frame is loose. Well, I assumed the holes were tapped only to discover that there are nuts on the back side (inside the chassis tubing). I can't for the life of me figure out how he got a wrench on the inside to tighten the bolts. I suppose I will eventually have to remove the bolts and tap two new holes, but I guess the nuts and washers will be rolling around inside the chassis. What a deal!

[Naumoff]

Any pictures Tony?

[pgermond]

If I had to guess how it was done, it was through the hole in the cross member where the lower radiator hose is routed. Like I said, just a guess.

[Tony Radford]

Phil, that's the only place I could imagine, but that would be horribly difficult. It's easily 8-10" from the hole to the far bolt. I can't for the life of me understand why a tap wasn't used. Sure the material is thick enough.

[RJacobsen]

Tony, did you look for any holes in the bottom of the frame member that might have been drilled in? I would think you could use a hole saw through the bottom to get at the nuts.

[ralphscott]

I'd say he used nutserts. Ralph

[RJacobsen]

Ralph, I think you could be right.

[Tony Radford]

I pulled the bolt on out today. There's nothing in the hole, just a drilled hole. Fortunately, I was able to get the other one retorqued. I don't think the adapter is going anywhere. I just dropped the bolt back in the hole for cosmetics. Upon further inspection, I can't imagine how he got the nuts on the bolts, let alone hold the roll.

By the way, what's a nutsert?

[RJacobsen]

Tony, A nutsert is a special fastener installed into a hole with a tool similar to a large pop rivet gun. they are used in situations like you have with no access to put a wrench on the nut. you may have seen them on truck doors for mounting mirrors to the sheet metal.