Removing Soft-top hinge

[Mollydog]

This afternoon in preparation of fitting my DVR camera on the windscreen I was attempting  to take off the two roof hinges that also hold the plastic screen surround


The lower of the two bolts came off OK with the help of an extension bar, but the top one would not budge and  I managed tov round off the Torx head

Thinking it maybe was me I decided to attempt this on the driver side, same thing, the bottom of the two came out OK but the top didn't want to and started to slip

I managed to cut a slot on one of the bolts and with a long screwdriver I attempted to turn the bolt but no such luck so back on the driver side I hammered in the Torx and with the impact wrench I attempted to unscrew the bolt but all this did was round off the head


Any solutions or opinions how to take the rounded head one off?













My Torx were the right size and fitted in snugly with no play





Any help will be most welcome

[Carolyn]

This, unfortunately is quite usual with these bolts.  They are very poor quality metal. Time to get the drill on them.  They have a kind of thread -lock on them too!  (The blue stuff on the threads.)  Drill out, re-tap and then use a better machine screw. 

These latching mechanisms are not Toyota's finest.

[Topdownman]

Yes, as said, you have to be very lucky to get them out ok.

Good luck!

[1979scotte]

The usual advice is too leave well alone.
A bit late with that nugget sorry

[Joesson]

@Mollydog
My understanding of this item is all as above, that's why I have mentioned previously on here that it's not necessary to remove those catches to install wiring for a dash cam.
With the aid of a trim tool or similar the wiring can be slipped under the trim adjacent to the screen.
I removed the passenger dash cubby to fit the necessary piggyback fuse and converter and passed the wiring up inside the A pillar trim (I may have partially unfastened the A pillar trim ) and across the top of the windscreen to the camera mount bracket.
The same method worked for me on my daily, for which I bought a second mount bracket and swop the camera between the two cars as necessary.

[Mollydog]

I can live with the bolts looking a bit mangled, so I'll try to see if I can make some space between the glass and plastic cover to hide the cable behind

If not then out come my HSS drill bits, I am starting to see a pattern here with mods on the MR2, anything that might look easy and not take long  could quite easily turn in to a (few) days work

[Mollydog]

I decided to have a go at drilling out the bolts, in the back of my shed I came across these things that help getting out drilled bolts, as you can see these haven't seen the light of day for years



So I  got out my drills and HSS drill bits and started, I managed to drill out the bolts but there is still refinance on the bolt held in by the thread & thread lock

I don't want to do any more damage if I can help it so tomorrow I'll see if anywhere local can do the final extraction and re tap the threads I have a tap set but I think I'll let (hopefully) someone who knows better than me

Here are a few images

















I managed to take off the side plastic

[Mollydog]

Anyone know the thread size and pitch of the bolt?

[normanh]

Those screw extractors worked perfectly for me years back, drill the first one off was a sweat. The extractors work perfectly but you must have a high torque drill, those cheap cordless just wontdo it. I took the opportunity to by myself a DeWalt perfect.

Norman

[TheTigerUK]

That really does look like one of those jobs that half way through we wish we hadent started, hopefully all will be back to normal soon.

[Ardent]

That really does look like one of those jobs that half way through we wish we hadent started, hopefully all will be back to normal soon.

Saying nothing.

[Mollydog]

Friday afternoon I popped over to a local garage, I explained and showed him what I had done and see if he could extract what was left of the bolt and to rethread them,  I'm booked in for 10am this Wednesday, I'm thinking of getting him to do both sides while at it

I think I've done the right thing (now ending up not being a cheap way) in choosing to hide the DVR cable behind the trim, last time I had a DVR in the car I had the cable run all the way round the screen, I never liked the look of that, looked a Heath Robinson affair