Battery Side-Post Nut Rounded Over

[wherewasi]

HI All,
So I have this 2004 Buick Rendevous (stop laughing please)… and I just fixed the check engine light(EVAP codes/C305 bypass etc) Literally days after this repair, the battery died. I recharged it , jumped it etc…it will not hold a charge.

Then I bought a new battery and went to replace the dead one. Soaked the bolts in penetrating oil (Kroil) for several days. It’s tight in there, but I got a ratchet on the negative post-nut and voila! it’s rounded over.

I thought about using a chisel (if I could fine one long enough to get down there (the battery is tight to the w.w. fluid tank and above that is the fuse box) Or maybe I could use a sawzall. I’m willing to try just about anything. Suggestions?

Thanks,
Tom (wherewasi)

Topic

[Ty]

I would just replace the cable.

[Richard Kirshy]

+1 … save yourself the grief

[Mike]

Is there room for vise grips? The curved-jaw models are ideal for rounded fasteners.

[wherewasi]

Never even considered it… I’m kinda new to a lot of this.

Thanks very much…

[wherewasi]

I wish there was more room … I have a pair of needle nose vise grips… couldn’t get a grip.. too tight in there… thanks… I’m gonna try to disconnect the ground cable farther down-line (as suggested) and then I can (more safely) remove the positive side.

Then I can work on that nut with room to spare.

Thanks for the response.

[steve]

are you using 6 sided sockets ? theyre much better for not rounding stuff off

[wherewasi]

Yes, the sockets I used are 6 sided. I tried a ratcheting wrench first, though. Couldn’t find the 1/4″ ratchet handle. That’s where I might have screwed this up… It’s so tight in there that little ratcheting wrench was about all I could manage to get in there.

Anyway, you guys gave me a good work-around. I’ll pull the negative cable off with the battery and then I’ll be able to pull the old battery out and get that nut off…

It’s never easy… and I make it harder sometimes.

:ohmy:

[James]

I have a 99 monte with the 3.1L . From what I have read, I have the same battery under W.W fluid lay out and I have changed the battery. The 1st time, what a pain in the … After knowing what to do, it was pretty quick the second time and took about 30 min. If yours is the same as mine, you will have to do all this just to get the battery swapped anyways.

Take of the sway bar by the 3 bolts. Pull the fuse box of the sub frame by its side clip but no need to undo wires from fuse box. Just leave it close, obvious Pull window washer tank out by pulling the push in retainers and pulling off the hose. be prepared for fluid to spill out with towel until you can turn it up side down. Next if like mine you have to take the air box out with the bolts at the bottom and away from the throttle body with appropriate clamps, connectors and vacuum hoses because the battery hold down runs under the air box for the final bolt. After that you will see the complete hold down and be able to access cables with vice grips and take out battery. If things go south, yours is like mine and you have to get out battery anyway, I would try that before rounding another fastener. If yours is a few less steps be happy and your should see what you have to do with above. Hope this helps. It stinks and is not as bad after the first time. As some of these guys know and as I have poster. It is difficult for battery, intake, fuel rail etc. I believe these advertise as W body, I forget. There not hard to work on difficulty wise but as tediousness it all stinks.

[Jake F]

[quote=”Evil-i” post=175812]Is there room for vise grips? The curved-jaw models are ideal for rounded fasteners.

this type of vice grip saved my day way too many times to back up a bolt.

[Author]

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