Seriously, what was GM thinking. Put a freaking 8 or 10mm bolt back there next time.

THe torx screw was stripped when I got back there. Tried a T30 to no luck, it just slipps. Can't get a grip on it with pliers or anything else (even with the washer motor out of the way). Started beating on it as suggested in a few other threads trying to bend the plate a bit but it's not budging much at all and I'm afraid I'll break the screw then end up having to take the plate off anyway.

Still getting used to the feel here but hopefully there's a walkthrough or something on pulling the lower manifold.

 

year make model? and what exaclty are you removing/working on?

 

I'd say probably trying to take the plate off that's holding the nut kit. If I'm right, and the torx head is stripped, you're pretty well HAD.
And what were they thinking? The same thing they were thinking when they designed most of the stuff on the first generation of the blazer..I think what happened was, GM was furnishing day care for the employee's kids, and they were letting the kids do the designing.

 

Hrmf.. siggy didnt save. :doh:

Its. 94 s10 blazer 4.3 w 4x4. Short of taking the lower manifd off i am at a loss. Cant get plyers down there and needlenose ones dont grt a good grip on it. I have soaked it in pb blaster. Hopefully sat i can figure out wtf to do.

I have seen in other threads beating on the plate to bend it works to remove the lines and then turning the plate to remove screw.

 

After a few hours of steaming anger and thinking, I'm going to pick up a bolt remover. Even though its perfectly round I think it'll work how I want/hope it to.

 

Pull the intake and save yourself the headache. Torx are great, cept when they get stripped... Have you attemped to put a square bit into it? I have a specialty bit set that I got for $8 that is great. Its got about 100 different bits. Some have 3 sides, some are twisted to be turned backward, some really strange bits that I have never seen before. Another handy tool is screw extractors - basically they are left handed drill bits. You could also reach back there with your welder head if you have one, and tack a bolt to it that you have a wrench for...

 

I've tried the square bits (have a full set of metric and sae) as well as standard allen keys with the same results. Does anybody offhand know the size of the screw? I know it's a T30, but what's the outer diameter of it? 8mm, 10mm, etc?

 

Ok I just went and tried one I have. 11mm and a 7/16 will almost go on it but not quite..a 12mm is just a hair to big..So I would say it's probably 11.5mm

 

I had the same thing happen to me when replaceing the cpi. Here's what I did. I took the distributor out. That gives you the room you need for leverage. Went to Auto Zone and bought the 3/8" T30. (black one) Put the 3/8" ratchet w/T30 in place, put an closed end wrench on the handle of the ratchet, put the flat side of a 3' crow bar up against the back of the ratchet and lifted up (againts the firewall) to put pressure on the T30. Barely lifted up the wrench being used as leverage and the screw popped loose like it was finger tight. Turned towards the north, where GM is, and cussed them out for 5 mins. I did mark the distrib before removing it and it fell right back into place (also put a rag in the distrib hole to prevent a major disaster) Hope this might help, I know how pissed you are.

 

even if your sig had saved, it's always a good idea to mention what it is you're working on in your OP.

how do we know if you're working on your own truck or the neighbour's Lada.

aside from that, how have you managed with your repair?