I'm getting my '88 TA painted and I want to remove the front hood vents. Not only is it better to paint separately, but there is also a dent that I need to knock out. Anyway, there's 2 bolt w/ 16mm nuts holding each vent. There's 2 holes underneath the hood - 1 hole is big enough to allow a socket to fit in, but the other is too small. So how do I get the other nut out?? I searched, but I couldn't find any answers. Do I really have to pry up on the vent and slide the nut off the stud?

 

I had no problem getting a socket in there. I used a Craftsman socket and it fit right in. Try looking for a different socket.

 

I've tried several, including Craftman. I even took a junk socket and cut about 1/4" off the bottom so I could slide it in thru the latch opening. But I still couldn't get it to fit over the stud and I couldn't cut it any shorter becuz then it wouldn't be deep enough to reach the nut.

 

SOLVED! I took the socket I cut and cut it down the side -- kinda like an O2 sensor socket. I cut 1 of the 6 sides off the socket. That allowed a big enough gap in the side of the socket to allow it to slide past the stud. Once I did that, it went right over the nut and I connected an extension to the socket thru the hole. Couple twists and it was out