300tdi thermostat housing bolt

Hello

Hope you're all keeping safe.

Can someone please advise what size socket I need in order to remove the two bolts holding the thermostat housing in place?

10mm is a bit loose and a 9 won't go near it.

The bolts are very tight and I just know my 10mm will round it.

I don't have any imperial sockets small enough to help.

My parts catalogue suggests the screws are FS108257L M8 x 25

Just checked.

Mine is 10mm AF.

Cheers

the head is indeed 10mm its a m8 flange bolt,if your worried it will round give the head some hard direct hits with hammer and punch first

discool said:

My parts catalogue suggests the screws are FS108257L M8 x 25

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Thanks. I saw that sizing in my parts book so ordered some m8 x 25 flange bolts as a precaution but the heads on them are 13mm and the existing are more likely 10mm (which I now see a couple of others have confirmed ).

I'm wondering if my cheap socket set is the problem and a good quality 10mm would do the job.

neilly said:

Just checked.

Mine is 10mm AF.

Cheers

Click to expand...

Thanks

jamesmartin said:

the head is indeed 10mm its a m8 flange bolt,if your worried it will round give the head some hard direct hits with hammer and punch first

Click to expand...

Thanks

darland said:

I'm wondering if my cheap socket set is the problem and a good quality 10mm would do the job.

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A decent socket set is a must if you are planning on playing with the car. Preferable with 6 sided scoket if possible.

I recommend the Halfords sets as they cover most eventualites.

Cheers

neilly said:

A decent socket set is a must if you are planning on playing with the car. Preferable with 6 sided scoket if possible.

I recommend the Halfords sets as they cover most eventualites.

Cheers

Click to expand...

Noted. Thanks.

As a postscript to this...

Today I received my £5 10mm socket in the post and with a bit of a struggle I finally got the bolt out (I moved the aircon compressor out the way to gain a bit more room).

I've replaced the bolts with standard m8 x 25 flange head bolts (as opposed to the LR items) as they have 13mm rather than 10mm heads so hopefully easier to remove in future.

darland said:

rather than 10mm heads so hopefully easier to remove in future.

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Good job, they were well butchered, did you do that?...LOL
Bloody expensive socket though.

Cheers

Yes but if someone had said they would get the bolt out for a fiver I'd gladly have paid it so money well spent.

It was me m'lud I am guilty as charged. Top one came out without a fight, the bottom one nearly stayed there.