2013 Fit

Part 16 in the diagram is a belt fastener that tightens with a screw. It fastens a tube that connects the air cleaner to the throttle body. Part 16 cinches the tube onto the throttle body.

Problem Part A: The screw is stripped. It cannot be tightened or removed.

Problem Part B: The design is "fenced" so that the belt and screw sit in a protected groove. Impossible to remove the belt or even slide it along the tube. Impossible to get a pliers, needle nose or vise grips onto the head of the screw.

Question: How do I resolve this? I thought I might be able to cut the belt off with a nippers, but I am doubtful that there will be enough room to get the nippers on it. Also, this is a robust belt. It's going to take a 16-in nippers at least.

Thanks.

 

Any chance of drilling out the screw to release? (I have no idea, just a thought)

 

Are the threads stripped? If so you might be able to pull the clamp apart while turning the screw to get it to grab some fresh threads. That looks like a tough clamp.

 

Use a Dremel tool with a cutting disk and cut the collar.

 

This. Use a drill bit that's slightly larger than the threaded portion of the screw. Drill directly into the + of the screw, along the axis of the threaded portion. As soon as the cutting edges of the bit hit the threaded portion, the screw head will pop off. No screw head = no clamping force. Disassemble everything, remove the band, maybe try to salvage it with a new screw.

For those that deal with stuck fasteners often, reverse-twist (counter-clockwise, aka left-handed) drill bits are a thing. If you're in the US, Lowes hardware sells a 5-piece set by Irwin last I checked.

 

I wish you guys could see what this is, but I cannot get a cellphone picture without taking the cowling off.

It's a tiny screw with a thick head. A drill might work, but I think attacking the belt, rather than the screw, would be easier.

 

I thought about this problem today, and even looked at my car to try to visualize how the parts go together- but there's too much congestion of parts in that area on the car to see. Just wondering if parts 13, 15 and 16 in your exploded view could be removed as a unit still attached to the throttle body? Access to the problem area may improve with the removal that way. I picture the stripped screw running side to side through the upper area of part 16. If that's the case, it would help to drive a small flat bladed screw driver into the mating surface of where the screw threads through part 16 to put tension on the screw and then try to back out the screw while gently driving the screw driver further into the mating surface. Good luck Mister Coffee.

 

Here are some pics off the car that may help visualize. The screw also has a hex head. I'm guessing 5.5mm since a 5mm is too small and a 6mm is too large. A 7/32" seems to be "good enough" unless it is just seized in its threads.
This is a solid band clamp that one end goes inside the other to tighten on the hose. There is a molded piece of plastic that is sandwiched at the bolt to prevent the clamp from rotating (an advantage, all else being functioning properly)

Feel free to ask questions if these pics aren't worth 1000 words. LOL

 

My suggestion for removal if the previous pics don't help you "see" what is happening:

Use Dremel tool to cut plastic that is sandwiched between. Then use Dremel to cut bolt where the plastic you just cut once was. Replace cut parts with junkyard or new parts.

Mark

 

@zcargo Those pictures are worth about 2,000 words, Z. Thanks.

I do not have a socket that fits that bolt, and if I did, there would not be room to fit it on (in my experience with this problem so far). In addition, everyone can see how difficult it is to cut this thing off. I'm not a Dremel guy. I know that, in America, that's like saying "I don't breathe air." Sorry about that.

More work to do.

 

They're convenient, but over-rated. A 90's Black & Decker-style consumerized 1/2-size-1/8-power die grinder with a wide assortment of over-priced consumables. Useful for learning the many ways a rotary tool can hurt you, without the ER trips.

 

Use the dremel for 1 minute and done.

But hey, to each his own opinion!

 

Yeah. It works for very small stuff, or very slowly in situations where a real tool won't fit.

/DremelShade

 

This got me laughing pretty good, Thanks for that

 

Damn. What a thread. I can't add much more than maybe trying to bind the bolt and forcing it to back out. The Dremel would have been my first pick. You can borrow mine, if you're anywhere near Sacramento lol

Edit: does that keeper-tab on the airbox flex enough to spin the clamp out?

 

I'm not ideologically against Dremels, but it would be my first time using one, and I assume that you have to ruin a few nice things before you learn how to use a Dremel correctly. Not to mention having @bobski drive me to the ER.

 

Yep, that's the ticket.