Ok. This is probably not what you're thinking.

I went to change the brake rotors and pads on my wife's '06 C230. The little counter sunk torx screw was in there pretty tight and I stripped the torx "teeth" trying to get it out. No problem, I have some easy-outs just for such an occasion. I drilled the proper size hole, put in the little easy-out, it bit the screw. Then I put a small wrench on it and started to really turn on it. How hard could it be? Well hard enough to break the easy-out in the screw. Until I found a way to grind out the easy-out, I tried grinding a slot across the screw and put a large flat blade screw driver bit for my hand impact driver in a socket and tried to turn it with a ratchet... that screw just looked at me. I put some heat on it with the same effect. I soaked it in Kroil... it just laughed at me! I tried to hammer on the impact driver but I didn't get serious with it because I didn't want to damage the bearings in the hub. I finally got a Dremel tool with a grinding bit and ground out the little easy out. I drilled a 5/32 hole deep enough to use the larger easy-out I had. That bigger easy-out bit into the screw but it still wouldn't budge. I gave it a pretty hard twist and I could probably put more torque on it but I certainly didn't want to have to grind out that larger easy-out if it broke!

So I was ready to just drill the whole thing out and tap the hole again after I got the rotor off, but before I go buy a new tap (can I even get one in the right size - and does anybody know the size? - without ordering it?), I thought I'd ask advice from the peanut gallery.

What would your next move be? All suggestions will be considered.

Thanks!

 

Jim, that sounds crazy

Since I have yet to even touch my rotors, or brakes even that matter, I won't be much help. But, is it possible that is a left hand screw? Isn't the screw a flat head? If so can you just drill out the head, and slide off the rotor, and grab what is left of the screw with some vise grips and unscrew? Just thinking out loud. Good luck!

 

FWIW ...I had the similar break brake bolt issue on a pals BMW... truth is other than the PITA indexing the hub-rotor holes putting the wheel back on (have them step on the brake to hold or use the alignment stud) I don't think you will miss that bolt if you leave it out.

 

Thanks John & Flap,

I've already done the rotors on my car and I don't remember either of them being left hand threaded. I got a replacement screw and they didn't ask me which side. As far as needing it, I agree with you, Flap. It's not needed. I had to beat the rotors to death to get them off my car. The only reason I can think that they are even close to being needed is the initial assembly (the only reason I spent the $5 for a replacement) because once it's on, it's on.

The screw is 8mm x 1 and I don't have a tap that size and I may have to order one of them. I may just try to drill out the head of the bolt and get what I can out of the hub and reassemble without the screw, but then I may just wait for a tap. I just know if I try assembling it without the screw, I'll find out why they put it in. On the other hand, maybe I already have - to charge people like me $5 for a new one!

 

In case anybody's watching this saga, the problem's solved. I found an old (cheap) tap and die set that I had forgotten about. And it even had an 8mm x 1.0 tap! I looked up the drill size for it (9/32 if you don't have a J bit). I started drilling my hole to retap the threads and the head of the screw came out and the rest of the screw looks like it was pushed out the back since I can see the threads in the hub - even screwed the replacement screw in a little ways! It looks like tomorrow will be the big day! My baby, Mrs. NCMudbug, will have new rotors in the front and at least ceramic pads in the front. I'd like to get the rears, too, but we have things going on for Easter. Life is good again!

 

Congrats Jim
Happy Easter!

 

Thanks Stripe and Happy Easter to you and the rest of MBWorld!

 

Thanks MudBug :-)

Enjoying it rigggghhtt now

 

 

Glad to hear you got it Jim! Bet the misses is happy

 

Thanks, John! We're all happy! I think I know how it got unstuck, but I have no idea how it got so stuck in the first place... I guess it will just be one of those mysteries.

I have the ceramic pads on the fronts of both cars. Now I have to do the rears, flush the fluid in my wife's car, get the new radio installed in my car when it comes, get new lights in my wife's car... That doesn't count the work I have to do on my Lotus! I just never ends!

 

Ah Jim so you're going to put the Bi-X in your wife's car, too? How are you liking yours?

 

Hey Matt!

I've loved mine and my wife was so impressed by how bright they were she was convinced it was a safety issue. She initially didn't want to spend the money (she doesn't mine my spending money on my car - what a girl!) but she's looking forward to getting them installed. We may be able to get that done this week. I'm looking forward to it too!

You were certainly right about them. They are one of the best mods you can do for your car!

 

If you can change brake rotors you can align headlights, Jim.

I was so excited when I installed mine.. the car looked great. Then night fell and I was like "OMG I've wasted this $$" cause they were so bad. But then I aligned them and now they're superb.. though I do want to change the bulbs eventually. I want to go down to 5000k for more light and get a name brand bulb like Philips. My passenger side igniter has to strike several times to establish a good arc.

 

He he he...
I did adjust them myself after people kept flashing their lights at me! I had an indy do mine because I wanted him to set the computer and I just don't trust myself aiming headlights. I didn't even aim the headlights on the Lotus! Besides that, I know I wouldn't have thought about repositioning the ballast so I'm glad I gave it to the indy.

I got the 6000K bulbs for my wife (I was a little on autopilot since that's what I did with mine) but when they need to be changed, I'll get the "cooler" bulbs as you are.

So far I have had zero problems with reliability (I set them to auto rather than continuous).

 

You have the 6000k on yours, as well, no? I control mine manually as I am never satisfied with how the car handles it.

 

Yeah, Matt. I got the 6000K at your suggestion. I'm not at all unhappy with them. It could be that the cooler ones are better. I'll find out when these go out. At least they're not that blue some people have!

I haven't had a problem with auto mode. Continuous was somewhat of a problem but I don't miss continuous mode head lights.

Do you have any other plans for your car?

 

My plan right now consists of making it drive like a Mercedes again and not like an $800 Civic. It pisses me off every time I get in it and I've barely driven it in the past three weeks.

First, it was time for a routine brake job. So I had the rotors and pads replaced up front. I ended up with defective pads that messed up the rotors. The car started shaking when I would press the brakes. I tried bedding them in but that just made it worse. So I ordered new pads. As I waited for them to arrive the shaking got progressively worse and apparently finished off the control arm bushings that were well past their prime anyway.

So I got the new pads put on and the rotors resurfaced, but the car just still didn't drive right. I asked my indy to take a look at the front suspension. The tires are also extremely crappy so I ordered new tires. My indy took the car out for a drive and noticed it drifts to the right (as they all do if you don't have the fluted bolts to do a proper alignment). Well, they put it on a rack and tried to get the pull out of it with just toe adjustment. It's not possible, and I could have told them that but they didn't ask. What I ended up with was a car that still drifts right, a steering wheel off centered, and a front end that feels extremely loose. They tried re-centering the wheel but it ended up off center the other direction and they said with the bushings so shot it was proving impossible.

So having spent literally thousands of dollars on the car in the first quarter of this year, my Benz fund was lower than I wanted. The ball joints seem OK and I ended up just ordering bushings for the front control arms to be put in today along with the fluted bolts for a proper alignment and followed by new DWS tires. Here's to hoping it drives right again by the weekend.

I've been going back and forth for about 6 months now on whether or not I'm sticking with this car for the long haul. The past month has tested my patience, granted the problems aren't serious - but I have a very demanding job and am also a full time student again. I don't have the time for this kind of thing anymore. I need a car I don't have to think about, and I don't really think that will ever be the case for this one. Financially though it doesn't make sense to dump it before the first of next year. So we'll see where we stand then.

 

I feel the same way sometimes matt and I have gone as far as test driving "cheap cars" and can't find anything I like as much as the car I already own. I drove a civic, accord, Camary, corolla, scions, golf tdi the list goes on and on and the only cars I would actually consider buying is the c55 I drove the other day, a 2012 w204, or a g37. Sadly all those cars would put me with a car payment and since I am about to go back to school full time and cut back my full time job to a few hours a week is not a good move financially.


BTW my Pagid pads that I have that I thought were bad ended up being fine just need some more lube on the pads to fix them.

 

Hey Matt,

I was reading about your saga. It is a lot of hassle and cost that you shouldn't have to go through. Hopefully you get it straightened out with the new parts and tires. The bushings sound like a reasonable suspect. If not it might be a good time to make a change (though unfortunately after spending a lot of $$).

I look forward to finding out how it goes. Good luck!

 

I think I know how it got unstuck, but I have no idea how it got so stuck in the first place

 

What's your theory?

 

I'm considering an 08 TSX.. but really what I need is for this one to last until I finish law school. That's several more years.. I'm just not sure anymore.

Edit: I've got this wrong. The car will last many more years, my problem is that I try to keep it new. I still think of it as the 25k mile barely broken in car it was the day I got it. That was 4 years and 108k miles ago, not realistic anymore.

Sorry to hijack your thread, Jim!

 

Well, I think it's unreasonable to expect it to feel and look like new after 130K miles, but on the other hand, the chassis should be robust enough to form a solid foundation for long past when you expect to get rid of it. At that point it becomes a question of how much are you willing to put in to the car for it to be the car it can be as opposed to how much are you willing to pay for another car.

I used to own a Ford Probe that I loved. When the A/C went out and was going to cost $2000 to fix, I figured that was a lot of money for a car with so many miles on it (don't remember the mileage but likely over 150K). At the time, I was also working 2 1/2 hours from home so a reliable car was important. I sold my Probe and got a really good deal on a Chevy Malibu (is there really such a thing? ). The Chevy was still under warranty and cost $7000. I think even for a crappy car like a Chevy Malibu, that was a pretty good deal (I also thought it made a good car for my daughter to learn to drive in). Every day I drove that car, till I got my C230, I wished I had spent the money to fix the A/C.

I know Acuras more than to know they are generally very reliable, well-made cars so that could make a good replacement.

I guess this is the long way of saying that if you like your C230, don't be afraid to keep it. On the other hand, if you're ready for a change you can afford, it might be time. Of course, you may have to get it squared away before you sell it.

I think I made a mistake thinking more about what I "should" get than what I wanted.

Can I hijack my own thread?

 

One time I purchased what I "should" get. Had it sold within 6 months. Never again!