[Mk2] [NA] Rebuildable shocks, new gland nut stiff when replacing struts

[mk2too]

Hi,

I'm hoping someone can help, I've just got hold of some painted / cleaned NA struts and a pair of new front damper inserts.

All the guides online say put a little bit of oil in the bottom of the shock housing, drop the damper in and then hand tighten the gland nut down and finally lock it with a pipe wrench etc...

I am 100% sure it is not on cross threaded but the gland nut is just stiff solid when trying to just wind it down.

The housings look ok can't see how they could be wrong or broken, and the inserts were brand new?

Is this a trait of just being an old car or should this be easier!?

Thanks

[mk2too]

managed to get this sorted, turns out a vice and a breaker bar through the strut bolt holes is in order to turn the nut!

Well, in my case anyway...

Cheers

[SonicSW20]

You certainly wouldn't be the first to do it that way

[mk2too]

The joys of working on old cars eh, these people with their brand new M BMW's and the like have no idea...

[abovetherim]

If you put in ATF instead of oil then if it leaks you can tell if it is just the atf or the insert leaking

[raptor95GTS]

thread bump - are all UK n/a struts rebuildable and do they fit turbo models?

[HighwayStar]

I believe it's only the rev1 struts that are rebuildable… that may extend to some rev2s but I think by rev3 they were all 'one piece' units.

R.

[JohnnyC]

thread bump - are all UK n/a struts rebuildable and do they fit turbo models?

From memory, ALL revisions of UK cars had rebuildable struts.
I see no reason why they wouldn't fit turbo models

[SonicSW20]

Yep, suspension is interchangeable (in terms of fitment) between all revisions / aspiration.

[HighwayStar]

As has been said any MR2 strut will fit any rev MR2 but I'm still not convinced all UK cars whatever year got rebuidables…. was that common across all of Europe?

[SonicSW20]

I'm sure I hear different things every time this topic comes up! Looking at Japan-parts.eu, there are several different part numbers across the years / revisions. Not sure which ones are the rebuildable ones.

[JohnnyC]

From my 1999 UK rev5


Brand new ones bought from Toyota, around 2008 I think


Both look rebuildable to me

[raptor95GTS]

i'll put a wanted ad in the forum after Christmas silly season has passed