TomB Posted August 4, 2002 Share Posted August 4, 2002 My RHS fog lamp housing has broken after I dropped a hammer on it. I am glad it hit the lamp rather than the paint work though. How do I replace it? I have a spare housing from a Landy Defender, but I cant get to any bolts on the other side of the rear panel cos the fuel tank & ally honeycomb is there. The bolts in the housing are recessed so i cant get a spanner to them. Dont tell me that you have to take out the fuel tank to fit the fogs? Cheers, Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjwb Posted August 4, 2002 Share Posted August 4, 2002 Tom, See below for a previous rant of mine. If you repair it as I did be VERY careful. Put a sheet of steel behind the fixing and be absolutely on the center of the screws. Picture this. A broken rear hi-intensity rear lamp. How to remove? Firstly detach the lens, but where are the body fixings? Oh, through from the inner (fuel tank) side of the rear panel. How in God’s name do they come out? Ah, remove the fuel tank to access two M6 screws, easy. The experts know the answer to that one I bet. Dare I say Avdel again? Of course I did not do the fuel tank thing, but the drilling down the center of the screws was very fraught – one slip and one punctured fuel tank. All that was required in the first place was appropriate fixings - AVDEL nuts. Steve B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomB Posted August 4, 2002 Author Share Posted August 4, 2002 Dont like the idea of that! Plus I have ali honeycomb stuff around the fuel tank, so that would make drilling harder. They surely cant have made the car so that you need to remove the tank to change the fogs? That is madness! If so, I might just cobble a repair out of lots of superglue & wait till it goes in for a service. There must be a less painful way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAUL MARRIOTT Posted August 5, 2002 Share Posted August 5, 2002 I have the same problem, except that mine seems to have expoloded in response to spilt petrol!! SWJB, what's an ADVEL nut? Paul M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Pearce Posted August 5, 2002 Share Posted August 5, 2002 Paul, is your car almost 3 years old? I and several others had this problem with the fog light. It appears that Caterhams supplier changed the type of plastic used which meant they turned grey and brittle if any fuel touched them and as they are immediately underneath the filler ... When I reported it to them, they immediately sent me a replacement, but... it was a complete pig to replace. I had to loosen the fuel tank straps which allowed the tank to move forwards an inch which gave me access to the bolts. I notice that some people have them mounted dangling below the bodywork - this would seem to be a more sensible location, but I don't want to have to fill the old holes. Do they do 'dangly fogs/reverse' to order on new cars? I didn't see it as an option on the order form! Ray Pearce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Flatters Posted August 5, 2002 Share Posted August 5, 2002 I had the same nightmare. Mine were secured with bolts going thru from the outside with nyloc nuts between the skin and fuel tank. I removed the boot floor, and then made a very long 10mm spanner by taping a piece of dowling to my normal spanner and inserting it down between the skin and tank to hold the nut still while I undid the bolt. What a pain in the a***e!. I vowed that I would never have to do this again and so I put in a pair of rivnuts each side so now they just undo and do up dead easy. <em>arrow</em><em>arrow</em>Harry Flatters<em>arrow</em><em>arrow</em> AKA Steve Mell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjwb Posted August 5, 2002 Share Posted August 5, 2002 Tom, You missed the point - it was the idiot who built the car that I was having a go at. Being an engineer by trade, my solution was perfectly sound. Paul, Same as a Rivnut. A deformable thin walled metal sleeve into which a machine thread is formed. Specifically designed for sheet metal. If your still stuck for a mirror I have one, email me. Steve B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAUL MARRIOTT Posted August 6, 2002 Share Posted August 6, 2002 Ray, may 2000 to be presice and yes the thing did go grey and brittle - nothing like sending out a recall / defect notice is there. Thanks for the tip. Ray / Harry, thanks for the advice. SJWB, rivnuts it is then, as long as you remember that an Engineer is a proffessional and not a Tradesman. Paul M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjwb Posted August 6, 2002 Share Posted August 6, 2002 Paul, So you don't need the mirror then 🤔 Quotes, OED. Professional (N) - a person working or performing for payment. Please note the spelling. Engineer (N) - a person who is skilled in a branch of engineering. Trade (N) - a skilled craft practised to earn a living. No, free of affectation, I are a engineer! Steve B Edited by - sjwb on 6 Aug 2002 14:43:02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAUL MARRIOTT Posted August 6, 2002 Share Posted August 6, 2002 No mirror but from the forecast I'll need a mac. Paul M. C.Eng.,B.Sc.,MCIBSE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonwelton Posted August 6, 2002 Share Posted August 6, 2002 Mine disolved recently due to petrol spillage. Solution after faffing around trying to remove fuel tank was simple, drill out holes in back of new light to same size as bolts on car (after smashing old light off), then although the new light is a fairly snug fit, use plenty of silicone to "glue" in place. Works a treat, no hassle and easily removeable again Si Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAUL MARRIOTT Posted August 8, 2002 Share Posted August 8, 2002 What a job, the joker who fitted my lamp did so with pan head bolts, head on the inside!!! No way to get a srewdriver in so had to break off housing totally pile on three layers of masking tap and hacksaw the little perishers. Still new housing looks nice. Paul M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now