Darn specialty bolts!!

[gran racing]

I in the process of replacing the upper control arm on my civic. I was able to get the old one off and only have four bolts that need to be taken off the old piece and put onto the new one. As I look at the bolts, I've come to a screeching hault. The bolts use a star shapped tool instead of a regular socket. Nice. What is the purpose of using this type of end versus the standard bolt end? I don't get it. Hopefully the parts store will have a tool otherwise I'll be stuck going to Honda and buying the tool from them with their $4,000 mark-up price. Do they simply use these types of bolts to make people buy their special tool?

Now all I have to do is wait for my wife to get home later this afternoon before I can start my egg hunt for the tool. Too bad I can't just access the area with vice grips.

------------------
Dave Gran
NER ITB #13
'87 Honda Prelude si

[lateapex911]

Dave, Honda probably put that head on for a number of possible reasons.

It could be they don't want the average Joe taking it apart and replacing it without proper procedures and torque and such. Needing a special tool helps seperate the riff raff, so to speak.

Or, it is in a weird area and they needed a special head to torque it adequately.

I suspect the former, but it's a guess!

Find you neighborhood Snap On, or Matco tool truck and he might have one.

Or, there are guys here (like Joe Harlen) that might be able to help you source one online and have it quickly.

------------------
Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

[MadFrog]

I am trying to figure out which 4 bolts you are talking about. what year civic is that?

also, you say "star-shaped"
do you mean they are like allen head, but use 12 sides instead of 6? (called Torx)
or are they like hex bolts, but use 12 sides instead of 6? (use a 12 point socket) The bolts that hold the flywheel on the crankshaft were 12-point bolts, as I recall.

anyway, I hope this helps?

[MadFrog]

TORX:


12-point bolt:

[MadFrog]

better pic of a honda 12-point bolt:

[Chris Sawatsky]

most "cheap" socket sets include 12 point sockets. That said, when I needed to find one to take off my flywheel, I found I had replaced all of my "cheap" sockets with good 6 point ones! Couldn't find any in stores, had to bend over for the snap-on man

[Tom Donnelly]

You need torx sockets and a good local hardware store should have them, or a NAPA parts store if you don't want to wait for the Snap-On truck. There's lots of these on BMW's.

Tom

[Bill Miller]

The other thing it could be is a 12-pt female (also known as a triple-square). VW uses these in a few places. The bolts that hold the inner CV joint to the trans cups, head bolts, certain tranny bolts, etc.

I got a 4-pc set at the local Auto Zone for under $10. It had a 6, 8, 10, and 12 mm.

If it's the bolts that madfrog showed, a good 12pt socket will do the trick. If I had to guess, based on the picture, I'd say 13 - 15mm.

------------------
MARRS #25 ITB Rabbit GTI (sold) | MARRS #25 HProd Rabbit
SCCA 279608

[gran racing]

It was similar to the torex picture shown, but that looks like the socket end? This had it on the head. It is a '00 civic si. I know, it would have been a great SSC car!

I was able to find the part, but am still curious why that style was used versus a standard bold. Oh, after locating the tool the darn things stripped very easily. I got frustrated and cut the old suspension piece to a point where I could get vice grips on it. Nope. Then heated it way up, still nothing. Back to Pep Boys to have them do it.

I spoke to them about the wonderful bolt style, but the didn't know why they are used either.

------------------
Dave Gran
NER ITB #13
'87 Honda Prelude si

[Joe Harlan]

You have a male end of a torx type bolt. I don't remember the exact name but it is a 6 point star tyoe bolt. Suburu uses them in the rear axle flanges onto the diff. I got a set of leslie brand at carquest about 5 years ago. They are basicly a small headed large bolt alot of times where there is limited access around the head and require more torque than an allen. Try this http://store.yahoo.com/brandsplace/0246-sk-19761.html