[s-cars] Belly Pan Blues

[Tom Green]

The list seems to have lots of trouble with the simple things.  Our  
engine
cover seems to be the equivalent of foam insulation on the Shuttle  
booster
tanks as far as engineers finding a simple solution is concerned.

I find that fasteners in good condition installed in a routine order  
allow the
pan to be removed and installed without much difficulty, while the  
impatient
and unfamiliar will abandon the job in frustration.

I can't help with finding a pan at a reasonable cost since shipping  
is the deal
killer.  There is one in Nashville if travels take you there.

I bought my last fasteners for my avant and neighbors sedan from
<www.worldimpex.com>  as they were more reasonable than the dealer with
ordering 10 each spreading the shipping cost.  My problem with ECS is  
they
don't include any retainer rubber washers for the metal pins, and  
that is a sure
recipe for losing fasteners.  The original metal pins had a loose  
metal washer on
the head.  The speed nut (dzus fastener) is a different size from the  
new pins with
the integrated washer head so buy all new metal hardware.  Nobody  
supplies the
captive washer for the plastic pins so you have to make them from  
some stiff but flexible
plastic.

Metal fasteners:  dowel pin 8D0 805 121  impex #69478 $2.14 each
                                 speed nut 8D0 805 960 impex #69477  
$1.52 each
rubber washers  lock washer       ??            impex #69482 $0.87 each
plastic pin                                         ??             
impex#55620 $3.01 each

I don't see the plastic nut part # since I didn't need any-put a  
little hot glue
around the back side to help retain the ones you have.  I used 4A0  
805 137 for the
rubber washers at the dealer but it doesn't cross at impex now but  
the impex part #
is on my invoice.  You need 5 each metal parts and 4 plastic pins.

On installing, I put the pan in the clips on the bottom of the bumper  
cover and slide into
place on each side approximately in place and fasten one corner metal  
pin at the rear
of the pan, then go the front metal pin on that side. Rotating the  
pan in a slight arc on the
rear fastener will allow you to find the clip with the captive pin.   
You have to push up to
get the pin in the captive nut above since the pan will move the  
bottom of the bumper
cover up slightly.  Then fasten the other front fastener before  
moving to the two remaining
rear metal pins and lastly fasten the two plastic pins in each wheel  
well.   Once the new
fasteners are aligned you can repeat this routine with ease.  A long  
arm can reach the
fasteners without having to slide under the car.

The front fasteners are essential to the security of the system.   
They retain the front of the
pan and move the bumper cover up out of harms way so it is less  
likely to catch on some
object when backing and ruin your whole day.  Your pan is a minor  
nuisance compared to
that catastrophe.

Randy McCall wrote:
>
> Speaking of belly pan blues, I'm missing two of the wheel well plastic
> fasteners, and one metal fastener as well as two of the capture  
> devices
> for the plastic fasteners in the WW that are attached to the belly pan
> (one in each wheel well).  Are these parts replaceable, and if so
> available from the dealer or other sources?  I saw that Blau sells the
> fastener kits, but hadn't checked in on the capture nuts...
>
> Thanks,
>
> Randy
> 95.5 S6 Avant (just startin' down that slippery slope with the snow
> fallin fast here in the upper elevations of the Willamette Valley!)
> '91 200 20V Avant
> '01 Allroad (also missing a couple belly pan fasteners...)