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[addy]

Hello

Can anyone tell me how to get to the back bolts inside the engine bay, on a 2ltr 1995 Omega?  I have looked on my 2002 2.6 Omega and found them, just next to where the top of the strut is bolted. But on the 1995 one, where the hole is for the bolt on passenger side, it is covered by a large part, with a heat sheild in front of it sitting above the area of the bolt access. On the drivers side, there are 3 hoses covering the access hole.

I have enclosed photos to show what I mean. Thanks in advance, for any help.

[Nick W]

Two long, wobble drive extensions.

[Doctor Gollum]

Two long, wobble drive extensions.

Or from underneath.

Each of those is a nut and a bolt. You only need to stop one from turning in order to release/tighten the other.

If it was put together correctly, the nut is underneath, with the bolt dropped in from above. A 3/8 or 1/2" short breaker and 24mm socket will suffice for the top of the bolt. Then simply turn the nut. 

[addy]

Thanks for the replies.  I cannot see the hole on passengers side, because of the part in the photo, above the bolt hole. Would this have to be removed, or am I looking in the wrong area? Do the pipes on drivers side unclip and move enough to allow access to the bolt? The nuts are under the car, as the wishbones look like they are the original ones, from when the car was made.

Sorry for asking, it probably is a simple job. But my brain still has bad days, since the stroke.

Addy

[Doctor Gollum]

Look from underneath 

That's to say drive the car up onto ramps and have a look from below, should be loads of space low down on four pot. Once you have the lay of the land clear, then you can decide how best to approach it

[addy]

Thanks for the reply. Will do as you say DG and look from underneath. 

Addy

[Enceladus]

Two long, wobble drive extensions.

Or from underneath.

Each of those is a nut and a bolt. You only need to stop one from turning in order to release/tighten the other.

If it was put together correctly, the nut is underneath, with the bolt dropped in from above. A 3/8 or 1/2" short breaker and 24mm socket will suffice for the top of the bolt. Then simply turn the nut. 

Don't think they're 24mm. 21mm as I recall. A deep socket is useful, at least for getting it back on.

[terry paget]

When you have supported the front of the car securely, and removed a front wheel, crawl under the car, find the nut on the bottom of the bolt. Put a light beneath it and you will find you can see it from above, bonnet open. As Nick says, manoeuvre a socket spanner on 2 long wobbly extension rods on to the head of the bolt, have SWMBO hold it from turning, then crawl underneath and undo the nut.

The fun job is aligning the hole in the new wishbone with the holes in the subframe, to facilitate dropping in the bolt. Once it is peeping through, turning the bolt from above will ease it all the way down.

[johnnydog]

The head of the rear most bolt is easily accessible from under the car, although finding the head is initially done by feel as it isn't easily visible from under the car. Once located, a socket on a ratchet will be sufficient to hold it whilst slackening it. Once the nut is off, don't be tempted to just knock it upwards without keeping hold of it - there are some holes in the chassis rail near to it, and it can easily fall into one and never be seen again. Same applies when replacing the bolt - it is easily done from underneath but be careful that you don't drop it into the 'wrong' hole i.e. into the chassis rail. A thin bit of wire round the head until located in the correct position may just avoid the frustration of then trying to use a magnetic pick up tool to retrieve it (having made that error years ago ) if you inadvertently drop it into the chassis rail....! I'm not the only person to have done it either....!

[Shackeng]

There should be a badge (for incompetence) for us. 

[johnnydog]

Fortunately, when it happened to me a good number of years ago, it was in a scrapyard where I was eagerly removing a pair of near brand new genuine VX wishbones that had obviously been recently fitted to a V6 estate - an opportunity I couldn't let go! I wasn't unduly worried when I lost the rear bolt, but luckily I managed to retrieve it, and they, like the wishbones, were obviously nearly new.
Why they had been fitted on the car, and then it was csrapped within a very short space of time with the VX wishbones still on it, I don't know (or didn't really care), but for a tenner each, I left the scrap yard with a smile on my face... (plus all four bolts / nuts!!) 

[Doctor Gollum]

I had a spare bolt. Although it took half an hour of frustrated rummaging before I remembered 

Another very good reason for putting the nut underneath 

[terry paget]

Thanks for the replies.  I cannot see the hole on passengers side, because of the part in the photo, above the bolt hole. Would this have to be removed, or am I looking in the wrong area? Do the pipes on drivers side unclip and move enough to allow access to the bolt? The nuts are under the car, as the wishbones look like they are the original ones, from when the car was made.

Sorry for asking, it probably is a simple job. But my brain still has bad days, since the stroke.

Addy

Don't apologise, I reckon it's challenging. Haynes treats it lightly. I know he has to be concise, but he talks of the vertical front mounting bolt and the horizontal rear mounting bolt. I reckon the front bolt is horizontal and the rear bolt vertical.

He says always use new nuts and bolts. Good to have them available in case you drop one in the sub frame.

 

[addy]

Thanks for all the replies. Just one more question. Are the bolts for the arms, from dealer only? I have looked online and only found a place in USA, but they don't ship to uk.

Found part nos.
90468501 SCREW,HEX.HD.,M14 X 1.5 X 77,CONTROL ARM TO CROSSMEMBER Back bolt
90468500 SCREW,HEX.HD.,M14 X 1.5 X 88,CONTROL ARM TO CROSSMEMBER Front bolt
90468502 NUT,HEX.,M14,CONTROL ARM TO CROSSMEMBER (NLS.- USE 90538056)

Looking online at the pictures of the bolts, they say on the head 8.8 which is high tensile. Just wandering would part threaded bolts same size and tensile (8. work, if unable to get genuine ones? I would like a spare set, incase of vanishing into chassis, which would be my luck, even after taking all precautions.

Thanks
Addy

[johnnydog]

Most decent replacement wishbones actually come with replacement bolts / nuts.
As far as I am aware, the original bolts are not stretch bolts, so the old ones could be reused if the new wishbones don't come with replacements (although personally I would prefer to fit new ones...)