Dang, even if nothing else this thread has brought to light some interesting tool technologies.

Kurt

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- '79 240D - engine swap complete! Engine broken in! 28-31 mpg! Lovin' the ride!
- '86 190D (W201-126) - 2.5 NA engine, 5 speed, cloth interior, manual climate controls, 33-34 mpg (sold to forum member).

Well, sometimes it's nice to hear the ending to the story. I took Dan's advice and did the Dremel approach. Originally I started with a cut-off wheel, but later I used a tungsten carbide bit; when I read the application information on the back of the Dremel bit packages it seemed like the diamond bits were for glass and tile, while the tungsten carbide bits were for stainless steel and other hard metals. I just chucked it up, set the Dremel for max rpm, and then applied it to the side of the nut for short periods. Kind of like "Engage 1, 2, 3... wait 1, 2, 3, 4, 5... engage 1, 2, 3..." The point of doing it like that was to try and keep the bit cool, since it would lose its temper if I overheated it.

Once I got down to the threads, which didn't take long, a couple of minutes at most, I got out a chisel to try spreading it. It started to move readily, and all I had to do was chisel drive it around a few rotations before reaching in with a needle nose to finish turning it.

Thanks to all who gave advice.

Kurt

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__________________
- '79 240D - engine swap complete! Engine broken in! 28-31 mpg! Lovin' the ride!
- '86 190D (W201-126) - 2.5 NA engine, 5 speed, cloth interior, manual climate controls, 33-34 mpg (sold to forum member).

You need either a Dremel or Rotozip (the older ones, like an RZ 20), that you can attach a Flex Shaft to it, and a tiny cutting wheel. Works great, and has saved me many times while working on rental homes, too.