What did I break and what is it going to cost me?

[Go Horns!]

My plan today was to attack my rough idle by cleaning the MAF sensor, throttle body, and ICV, and replacing the DISA and intake boots. To do all of this I was going to need to remove the strut brace.

When I was removing one of the nuts holding down the strut brace it stopped backing off the bolt and started spinning freely. I cannot remove it or tighten it. In the picture below it is the nut without the cover on it.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8074/8255460866_ed5e570574.jpg

1. What did I break?
2. How much is it going to cost to get fixed at an indy?
3. Can I drive the car there or does it need to go on a flat bed?

I live in apartment complex so jacking up the car is not an option.

[Mtnman]

Dmn. Cant remember stock strut tower. Yu should be able to reach up.......wait. Crap. Can you jack it up a little on that side and just take off the tire?

[Go Horns!]

I don't even own a jack or jack-stands.

[az3579]

The car is definitely drivable, just don't go chucking it around turns too hard until you know how the car handles having a loose nut. Make sure the other two are tight.

Those studs that the nut tightens on to is part of I think the front struts, which I don't *think* are replaceable unless you swap the strut.

[Mtnman]

Thats what i cant remember either, bp. And OP, you have the jack that came with the car, right? Tis would be a simple jacking job

[danewilson77]

Nut attaches to FSM bolt. If you were to do it:

Jack car up and remove tire. reach up, underneath and hold stud with vice grips. remove nut.

If they charge you more than 1 hours labor, it's bullshit.

[Hornung418]

Should be able to weld the pin back to the FSM. It's pressed in initially and likely you just broke it free from its hold.

And you may want to invest in a set of jack and stands!

From a GS3, this was sent.

[danewilson77]

Should be able to weld the pin back to the FSM. It's pressed in initially and likely you just broke it free from its hold.

And you may want to invest in a set of jack and stands!

From a GS3, this was sent.

Welding shouldn't be necessary.

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

[wsmeyer]

I don't think you broke anything. I found this ebay listing so you can see what the part looks like:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/e46-Front-Strut-Shock-Mount-Pair-Mounts-/170919021584?item=170919021584&ViewItem=&vxp=mtr&nma=true&si=udsIuWi04pIqiozKxoRlweCboMo%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Those are just splined studs that are pressed in to the shock mount. I found this on a Google image search so you can see what one looks like:

http://www.evocorse.com/en/colonnetta-a-piantaggio-435.html

In the picture of your car it looks like the stud is pretty far down in the bolt so I think as you were loosening it it pushed itself down until the splines were out of the mount and then it just spins. With the tire off you should be able to get a long screwdriver up in there and tap it up so the splined part is back in the mount. To do this safely though you're going to have to get it up on a jack stand.

William.

[Go Horns!]

There are too many kids running around for me to feel comfortable jacking up the car. Looks like I'm paying for an hour of shop time. Thanks guys.

[danewilson77]

I don't think you broke anything. I found this ebay listing so you can see what the part looks like:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/e46-Front-Strut-Shock-Mount-Pair-Mounts-/170919021584?item=170919021584&ViewItem=&vxp=mtr&nma=true&si=udsIuWi04pIqiozKxoRlweCboMo%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Those are just splined studs that are pressed in to the shock mount. I found this on a Google image search so you can see what one looks like:

http://www.evocorse.com/en/colonnetta-a-piantaggio-435.html

In the picture of your car it looks like the stud is pretty far down in the bolt so I think as you were loosening it it pushed itself down until the splines were out of the mount and then it just spins. With the tire off you should be able to get a long screwdriver up in there and tap it up so the splined part is back in the mount. To do this safely though you're going to have to get it up on a jack stand.

William.

Yup. That's them. Nice find on the pics. Once the mechanic get it started...and those splines are drawn up a bit....he should be able to thread the self locking nut the rest of the way on.

[wsmeyer]

Now that I think about it some more I would try removing the other two bolts and use a piece of wood to pry up the aluminum end of the strut brace. It shouldn't take much to get the splines to bite and then tightening the bolt would pull it back up into place.

William.

[LivesNearCostco]

I had this happen to me when I first tried to change strut mounts. A stud fell out. Best case you just push it back up so the splines bite, as said above. Middle case the stud falls down into the wheel well when you remove the nut. Worst case is replacement stud won't stay in and you need a new strut mount, which is not expensive, but changing the strut mount means pulling the strut out and using a spring compressor.

One trick to try if you still want to remove the nut is use a pair of needle nose pliers to lift up the nut while you unscrew it with the 13mm socket. That might let the splines bite enough to finish removing the nut. But then after that there's still the risk the stud will fall out if you tap it by accident. This is kind of like what WSmeyer suggested.

[Go Horns!]

Strut mount was busted. Ordered a new one. Hope to be up and running by this weekend.