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I have a rusting screw secured with a U-style spring nut in a very tight and difficult place. The screw secures one of the fog light assemblies to the bottom of my Forester's bumper. Here's front and side views:

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Trying to unscrew the screw using just a 10-mm wrench makes the whole thing rotate, bending the plastic. It is impossible to grip the nut, as the space is too tight for a standard pliers. Applying too much torque will surely crack the plastic. I sprayed with generous amounts of oil (WD40 style), but to no avail.

Is there a tool I can use to remove this stubborn screw?

ysap
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1 Answers1

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Actually, see if you can tighten it ever so slightly first, then hit it with the penetrant/rust agent. Let it sit for the couple of hours, then hit it with some type of thicker lubricating oil. When that's on there, then squeak it back and forth to work in the oil a little bit. You should be able to work it out that way. Heat isn't going to work very well due to the plastic, but I'm sure you've already figured this out. You can also through some type of pliers on the J-nut (yah, that's what it's called) to hold it and support/protect the plastic.

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2
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