willirvb Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 Hey guys I have had a horrible time of idiotic, preventable incidents with the car. It has come to me buying a new fuse and once I put in the new fuse I didn't think about bolt snapping which indeed happened. One of the bolts has snapped clean off at the nut. I tried to remove the bolt by taking the fuse box out and trying to remove the entire bolt but it looks pretty solid in there... how do I take it out or am I looking at a new fuse box? Thanks guys any help is needed and appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
relative4 Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 Can you please provide a picture? I feel like I'm missing something - I don't understand how replacing a fuse could break a bolt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesA Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 You didn't say which fusebox, there is one inside the passenger compartment and one close by the engine. Assuming it's the outside box, if you have the tools, it's usually not too difficult to extract a broken bolt. There are quite a few different general techniques. 1) Apply penetrating oil to the stuck bolt (PB Blaster or similar). Tap it gently with a hammer a few times. 2) If there is any part of the bolt protruding above the surface, you might be able to grab it with Vise-Grips and twist it out that way. 3) If that won't work - You can try a center punch and a left-handed drill bit sized slightly smaller than the bolt. Punch a center mark for your drill bit, and set your drill to rotate counter-clockwise. Now, try to slowly drill out the center of the bolt. With luck, since the bit is turning opposite the usual way, it will grab hold of the bolt and twist it out. 4) If that doesn't work - there are special tools called EZ-outs or screw extractors. These are very hard steel left handed thread tools that you insert into a hole that has been drilled through a broken bolt. You slowly turn the EZ-out counter-clockwise and it will usually, but not always, grab hold and twist the bolt out. 5) If that doesn't work - you can drill out the bolt completely and tap a new set of threads slightly larger. Use a new bolt in the larger size. As I said, if you have the tools... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willirvb Posted January 6, 2017 Author Share Posted January 6, 2017 Hey sorry I forgot to mention it is the main fuse, with the two nuts and bolts, I snapped the left bolt by over tigethening. Thanks for the many ways to remove a broken bolt, I will have a look at it tonight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehsnils Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 As far as I know the bolt in the main fuse box under the hood is riveted or welded in place, so replacing it means that you probably need to drill out the remains and then get a new replacement bolt in place some way. This may be a really tough one to fix considering all wiring that's connected to the box. A welding or soldering of a new bolt in place isn't a good idea. Welding because it would push currents into everything with the risk of burning every ECU, soldering because the amount of heat needed may melt the box. Mu suggestion is to get an external fuse holder for the fuse type in question and connect it between the battery wire and the alternator wire as depicted in red below. http://www.bedug.com/pics/Subaru/MainFuse.png Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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