Author Topic: HELP removing front valence (Read 8386 times)

e30Andym42 · « **on:** April 15, 2008, 02:14:00 PM »

i am currently attempting to remove the front valence on my 318is, and i don't want to take out extra bolts, not to mention the fact that i can't seem to guess my way through it by looking at what bolts seem to need removal to get the thing off. i have the fog lights and brake cooling ducts out, and currently have 4 bolts out:

-the ones that connect the valence to the plastic shield in the wheel well
-the ones behind the brake cooling ducts

where do i go from here?

oh right, the lip was never on...so i dnt need to remove it, even if i didn't have to. the valence is dented and the lip broke off and is in the trunk.

r0ckrat · « **Reply #1 on:** April 15, 2008, 02:43:51 PM »

Looking at this picture, it appears that there are loops of material that go over the bumper mounts...

I realize that's not what you wanted to hear...

e30Andym42 · « **Reply #2 on:** April 15, 2008, 02:58:10 PM »

does that mean i have to take the bumper off?.....*sigh*....hmmm i only see 2...screw bolt allan wrench kinda things, is that all thats holding it on? ill try to find some freakin batteries for the only camera i have at the moment and cap some pics.

e30Andym42 · « **Reply #3 on:** April 15, 2008, 03:40:48 PM »

these pictures suck and the camera is a piece of worthless plastic crap. it is about 6'' X 5'', and it has no screen. excuse the horrible quality, and one of the pictures looked so bad nobody would understand it, it was the picture of the bolt i removed from the plastic shield in the wheel well, bottom corner of the shield, the corner closest to the exterior of the wheel well.

front view of the valence with the passenger side fog and brake ducts removed

view through where the passenger side brake cooling duct would be of a bolt i removed

view of under the passenger side of the car, of a bolt i removed, and one i'm not sure about (the one, if you can see it, that is higher up). i took this with my legs pointing towards the front of the car, and my head towards the exhaust

same thing on the driver side of the car

ak96ss · « **Reply #4 on:** April 15, 2008, 05:38:43 PM »

Bumper has to come off, as does the grill. There are two large torx bolts that hold the bumper on, they come up from the bottom.

The valance then has 4 bolts that hold it to the radiator surround, two each on the fender corners, then two on each side that hold the bumper end rails in place.

I thought I had a picture of the valance off, showing the mounting points, but I am having a deuce of a time finding it.

e30Andym42 · « **Reply #5 on:** April 15, 2008, 05:44:29 PM »

wow, how unbelievable helpful, thank you soooo much. u've made my day

e30Andym42 · « **Reply #6 on:** April 15, 2008, 08:22:04 PM »

wait wait wait, is the valence not trapped between two fender connections?

look:

(i didn't remove the bolt yet because i wasn't sure if it was pointless)

e30Andym42 · « **Reply #7 on:** April 16, 2008, 01:07:18 AM »

woops, got it figured out....but how convenient that the last bolt i needed to remove the valence is giving me trouble. also how convenient that I STRIPPED IT!!!! :mad: ^$*&%$%^$&#%$%#^%#%$^ what in the wide world do i do now? WHAT!? i can't get in there with a straight angle to drill it out. i removed the driver side headlights and the plastic cover where the air intake is. i can see the little.....screw BUT I CANT DO ANYTHING TO IT! HELPPPP!

Edit: what i am trying to remove is: (the pictures STILL suck and i'm sry)

(it is a torx screw on the underside of where that bolt is in picture number 2 of my last post)

picture of the one i got out:

and here it is:

D. Clay · « **Reply #8 on:** April 16, 2008, 01:22:49 AM »

If it's the one in the last picture, just grind the head off and then exercise your vocabulary.

e30Andym42 · « **Reply #9 on:** April 16, 2008, 01:29:43 AM »

the head is super thin and i am so screwed. gripping its head from the side seems impossible. i can get at its threads, i tried needle nose gripping them and turning to no avail. what on earth am i supposed to do?

e30Andym42 · « **Reply #10 on:** April 16, 2008, 01:32:37 AM »

lol, hehehehe, i'll see what my dad thinks of that when its not 2:28 a.m. is this part replaceable through the local hardware shop, or dealer only?

e30Andym42 · « **Reply #11 on:** April 16, 2008, 12:06:11 PM »

isn't there then the problem of still removing it? sure the head will come off, but it would still be screwed into the hole impossibly tight. and if i was able to rip the screw out by grabbing its threads and twisting and pulling, would a new screw even be able to screw in that hole? what i'm saying is wouldn't the threads get trashed?

gearheadE30 · « **Reply #12 on:** April 16, 2008, 02:47:43 PM »

Well, I'd try to drill it out and tap new threads. A dremel tool would work great fro grinding off the head, or use a cutoff wheel and slot it so that you can use a flatblade screwdriver to get it out. This is probably the best way. If you have a pair of vice grips, try using those. good ones have an amazing amount of gripping power. If you don't have any, I strongly reccommed buying some. Channel-lock pliers also work pretty well.

e30Andym42 · « **Reply #13 on:** April 16, 2008, 03:43:07 PM »

i do have some, but that darn head is so unbelievably flat. i gripped at the head last night with a Craftsman RoboGrip pliers, and a pipe wrench, but both slipped right off the edges of the head. i didn't bother with the vicegrips because i figured it would be the same outcome. in my effort to try everything possible, i will most likely try them anyway. like i said before, drilling is kinda out of the question. the lower valence, the part under the bumper, sticks out and prevents getting a good angle with the drill, so i would end up drilling through some of the screw, and then drilling into the car, YIKES! thanks for the options, ill attempt them all and with any luck, it will come off, ill update later with the results.

e30Andym42 · « **Reply #14 on:** April 18, 2008, 01:58:04 PM »

haven't removed the stripped screw yet because i was waiting for an estimate on the dent from a collision place. if they were cheaper than replacing the front valence, then i would either remove the valence to get it immediately repaired, or put the car back together and wait to get it repaired when its legal to drive on the road. and i called and they FINALLY picked up after 2 days, and he said it's hard to tell without looking, but it will probably be in the $150-200 range. so now i dnt know what to do, my car is already disassembled, except for that freakin screw. if i take the valence off now, i will need a new screw, AND i run the risk that it will cost more than he estimated, exceeding the $287 to get a new valence (without paint). but i really want that dent gone NOW. if i get it repaired now though, i'll be down around $200, and come maybe july when i have to pay for those tickets, i'll be down another some odd $200. now that i think about it, if my dad doesn't shoot the idea down, i'm pushing for removing it and dropping it off at the collision place. thats the best choice....right?