Automotive Pro-Tip ~ Inserting a Bolt In Tight Spaces

I swear it’s like the automotive engineers build the whole vehicle around a small $50 part. No thought whatsoever as how to access it if and when it breaks. I will post up a video on what I am dealing with that really explains what I am talking about.

Sometimes it’s a miracle to be able to remove a bolt. Using your pointer and middle finger to barley grasp it and pull it out. Almost like using your fingers as a set of chop sticks. Okay the bolt is out, but getting it back in and started is sometimes even more difficult. So here is a little pro-tip that might help when you get into this type of situation.

I’ve been working inside the dash of my 2005 Lincoln Navigator changing out the heater/Air-conditioning blend door. Getting it out was a challenge in itself but getting it back in was even worse. The thickness of my fingers and the length of the bolt made it impossible to get the bolt in place. Maybe I could do it if my fingers bent backwards. If I drop it, I may never find it.

Anyone who has wrenched on vehicles knows that bolts don’t stay in the wrench. I only have enough room to sneak a ratcheting box end wrench into this bolt. A regular socket and ratchet are too tall. In order to get this bolt to stay in the wrench, grab a piece of electrical tape.

Take the head of the bolt and press it into the sticky side of the tape.

Then stuff the bolt with the tape into the ratcheting box end wrench

Now the bolt won’t fall out of the wrench when you try and sneak it in this really tight space

Try and have the wrench positioned in a way where you can rotate it in a clockwise direction. This will get the bolt started. Then simply pull the wrench out and reach in and take the tape off.

Now you can use your wrench and tighten it all the way down.

I used this same method on another bolt for this actuator. I mean I already had to cut an access hole in the metal plate just in order to see it. The whole couldn’t be cut any bigger because of all the wires behind it and brackets.

I mean this is ridiculous!!