Technical Airbox Removal

[ClassicZoo]

Hi,

I had a look at a Punto Cabriolet with the 1.2 8v today and, amongst other issues including it not starting, these two fasteners on the top of the airbox are really badly corroded. In fact the head of the one on the left has been snapped off presumably by somebody trying to undo it.

Does anybody know how easy these are to drill out and replace? Looking into the airbox with the filter removed it looks like they could be very long bolts which wouldn't be easy to drill out.

Note - the picture is from Google, it isn't the car in question.

Thank you,

Matt.

 

[ClassicZoo]

To ask this a different way, do the bolts from the top screw into the long inserts below or are the bolts part of the inserts which screw into the sides of the throttle body?

I am trying to work out if the bolt heads just snap from the top will the airbox just lift off over the inserts, or do I need to turn the inserts to release them from the throttle body?

 

[Ralf S.]

They are 10mm (M6) nuts, screwed onto a 8-10cm long stud that is screwed into the throttle body.

The studs have a flat "hex" flange moulded to them right under the arbox (I think the airbox may rest on the flanges) so that you can unscrew them, once you have the airbox off.

I'd guess they are Loctited in so that that they don't unscrew before the nut does.. but on one occasion unscrewing my "nut" unscrewed the whole stud instead. That's no help to you if the nut is all rounded off, obviously.

Soak the beast in WD40/penetrating oil... fill up the little well it sits in and leave it to soak. Unfortunately the airbox is plastic so you can use heat on the nut.


Ralf S.