Dan, those wouldn't work because they require a air compressor.

It appears to me that with the air box removed there would be no issue with using a hack saw in that location. It'd be a pain but certainly doable.

 

X2 look for a mini hacksaw.

 

Oops forgot.

Yea there should be plenty of room for an hacksaw.

 

Ok went outside again.. Got a friend with a sawzaw? It fits in there pretty dam easy with a lift and cut fenders. But should still be doable with factory flares.

 

Perhaps when I get home I'll demonstrate another idea that I have.

 

Or use a nut splitter.

 

Thanks to Dan for taking the time out of his day to show some alternatives, and take some photos. Good work. No sawzall here, just basic politician/lawyer tools (sockets, wrenches, etc)

But, I am now tempted to remove the air box and see what sort of access I can get from the front. I recall the issue being the master cyl being directly above the bolt, so even if I were to have room in the front, it might not matter. I will have to try for myself in the next few days. After my 10 hour valve cover job and the stripped bolt, I am not touching a wrench for a few days, at least.

 

Are you sure you can reach the bolt? The photo looks deceptive. Maybe I don't know how to cut a bolt, b/c I never have, but, I don't think you can get flush/horizontal with the wheel. And just b/c space is open in front, you might not be able to get a dremel onto the bolt b/c of the blockage from ABOVE. I do think the 90 degree dremel fitting would be a solution from the front area. Is this a universal fit?

 

Yes. Pull the airbox and go at it from the top with a $30 grinder and cut off wheel.

 

You need to remove "Dremel" from your vocabulary. Dremel tools are for working on plastic model cars. You need a real grinder... The man version of a dremel. Keep in mind, you only need to cut the nut.

I'm blown away that you haven't removed the airbox yet. That's one thing that I think even you would think is easy to accomplish.

No, you don't have to remove the throttle body to get the intake duct loose from the top half of the air box.

 

The MAN version of a Dremal... Lmao!

 

A dremel doesn't even fit in there. So, using a huge grinder did not even cross my mind. Grinder doesn't even come close to fitting in that space. Not in a 1998, anyway.

As far as removing the air box, aren't you also blown away that only ONE person suggested actually removing the airbox in the first 212 posts of this thread? Instead, I mostly got 200 posts of "It's so f'cking easy", "No tools required! Just use your hands!" and "Just remove the bolt, bro!" So, removing the airbox was overlooked by everyone during the channel lock stage of this clusterf/ck project and still attempting to remove the bolt.

Ironincally, removing the air box was suggested in this brilliant waste of time trolling:

I am still not convinced removing the airbox will give you room to get at the bolt with the master cyl. in the way, but I will check myself later this week.

 

I must say this is one funny thread, best I have seen in a while! I'm dieing over here

 

Yes you'll have plenty of room on the drivers side with the air box off.

On the passenger, hammer on which ever size socket fits and use a breaker bar to break the nut and stud

 

It was never suggested because most people take for granted that if you see a plastic box in your way that's easily removed then it's already been removed.

Everything I suggested removing is certainly doable and would make the job easier. I suggested it because you seem to make everything more difficult than it needs to be. Nothing I said was near as outlandish as the effort you have (or haven't) put into this.

I'd love more than anything to be financially able to drive to New York when I get off of work today to remove that nut for you with the following items:

One wrench that fits whatever size nut is on the shock stem
One deep well 13mm socket, extension and ratchet
and a can of WD40.