CLK Cab (W208) 'hood cover' strut nut

[rowleyd3]

First of all - hello. I have been a member for a while, but until now have been content to be a lurker. However, now I have a probem with a nut on my CLK and am trying to find out how to tighten it !!??!!

Here are the pics/description:

1st pic - 'Merc-manual' - is showing the manual (where it is)
2nd pic - 'W208 nut and bolt' - is my rough diagram of what the problem is

On the first photo, bolt 7 has 2 ends. The right-hand end is a ball-joint attached to the bottom of the strut/cylinder, but it’s the other end I need to tighten.

The left-hand side of ‘bolt 7’ is pressed up to a plate and the whole of bolt 7 continues through the plate and is threaded - and presumably tightened by a nut the other side of that plate – that is the nut that’s loose.

Where the number 7 is, appears to be a solid piece of metal that stretches the width of the car. In the boot side appears to be another piece, again stretching the full width of the car. A third piece on the top appears to make those two pieces into a triangular box section with no way in !!! (to get a spanner on the bolt !!!)

Thanks for your help on this. The Mercedes tech who took a quick look at it was stumped and said I had to book it in but I'm not a numpty and can tighten a nut - IF !!! I know how to get to it.

Any ideas?

Darren.

 

[rowleyd3]

Resolved !!!

Just in case it happens to anyone, I have 'closure' now....

It turned out the nut was 'captive', meaning it was welded-in during production. It was this weld that had broken, meaning that over time the nut was getting looser and looser until it was interfering with the opening.

The mechanic managed to get the nut to 'stay' with a bit of tension on the strut, however there wasn't enough tension to tighten it. He decided to remove the nut completely, let it fall into the box section and tip a bit a glue/locite into it to stop it rattling around.

He then inserted a 'nutsert' which is like one of those metal rawplugs. Unfortunately he couldn't get his tightening gun into the gap, so had to try and tighten manually with a bolt. This still didn't have enough grip to catch, so he tried to put two small welds at the top/bottom of the nutsert collar in order to be able to tighten the bolt and collapse the nutsert (a la rawplugs). Unfortunately again, the weld wouldn't 'take' - so that idea didn't work.

He then recommended AutoCraft in Telford who eventually got round the problem by expanding an existing hole in the box section and inserting a magnetic pole with a magnetic/gripping nut on the end and positioning it immediately behind the hole. This DID give enough grip for the bolt to be tightened, so it all works now.

Sorry for the ramble, but if it saves someone else the hassle I thought it was well worth it.

Thanks for the suggestions (both here, on other forums and via email)

Darren.