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Am I the only one who hates these fasteners?


Don Ridley
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After removing the splash shield a couple of times, I grew to hate the fasteners. The rounded heads make it difficult to spin them on with oily fingers and the torx heads don't sit inside a socket like a normal hex head fastener. One half turn too many and the plastic insert will strip. I lost one of the screws because it would not tighten any more. I tried replacing the plastic inserts with some Amazon or eBay replacements but they did not work well.

 

I finally installed 6mm jack nuts. They installed easily and now I have I can hand tighten the bolts and snug them firmly without stripping the threads.

 

 

 

 

connector.jpg

jacknut.jpg

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I hear you having dealt with those type of fasteners with splash shields on several cars.  Good idea to replace with the jack nuts, I probably wont do that until I have taken the splash pan off a few times.  MY TC splash pan was the easiest to get off and on that I've seen.   Others have been on VW's.

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On 11/6/2018 at 10:31 PM, Don Ridley said:

After removing the splash shield a couple of times, I grew to hate the fasteners. The rounded heads make it difficult to spin them on with oily fingers and the torx heads don't sit inside a socket like a normal hex head fastener. One half turn too many and the plastic insert will strip.

 

For something that must be removed and reinstalled during every oil change for the life of the vehicle, it's hard to imagine why they chose to use such pi$$ poor fasteners.  Choices like this make me think they PLANNED it that way on purpose  so the dealer can jack up the cost of your oil changes by selling you a new set after every other oil change, otherwise the darned thing would probably fall off  . . . . . and that makes me think maybe buying another one of their vehicles in the future isn't really a good idea

 

C'mon Ford  -  A high school dropout could do better than your overpaid engineer did here!

 

Don

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5 hours ago, Beta Don said:

 

C'mon Ford  -  A high school dropout could do better than your overpaid engineer did here!

 

 

Again I'd like to mention that these cost-driven decisions are made by the bean counters.  The engineers on the project would LOVE to give you a billet aluminum plate anchored every other inch with stainless hex-head captive hardware, probably make it a load-bearing stiffener in the suspension design while they're at it.  NOBODY suffers through engineering school dreaming of designing crap like that plastic anchor.

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That explains every cheap part on the car......all that plastic, vinyl, loose parts that rattle, weather seal rubber strips held in place with cheap glue........  

 

I think that almost every car sold today could be, and should be, built better with better parts, fit, & finish.  It can be done.  Cost is the only factor.  If Transit Connect were manufactured to Lincoln standards......it would cost more than double.  I bought a minivan which cost $$$XXX.  I could have spent a lot more.  I could have spent twice as much......  What do you get for $40K+?  I have sort of accepted that I bought a car at the lower end of the price spectrum for new cars.  I know that @ $20K+, I'm not getting a Toyota Sienna, or Honda Odyssey.  I also feel that those vans are not twice as good, and even though nicer, not twice as nice.

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It has been my experience that the Lincolns and the Cadillac's have the same cheap stuff as the Fords and the Chevrolet's on the stuff that you do not see they just come with lots more stuff that you can see.

The splash shield screws are lost by the Jiffy Lube people one at a time until the whole shield disappears into the dark one night.   

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If a Jiffy Lube tech simply removed your screen, and "accidentally" forgot to install it after the oil change......most people would drive away and never know the difference.  Sure, it may effect the aerodynamics & mileage.  All the dirt, mud, water, and road debris would fly up in there.  All of the extra cold air could effect your car's computer trying to maintain a proper operating temperature.  But it certainly isn't a skid plate which offers protection from tree stumps, rocks, and curbs.  What about all of those cars of yesteryear which didn't have a lower splash guard?  I'm actually thinking of leaving it off the next time that I remove it.  

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 You are correct the shield is on there for the mileage and air flow.  

I am not sure that the rocks mud and stumps were much of a concern on this van.  The front air dam is there to let you know when you have pulled into the parking spot far enough.

You might have heard that someone asked Henry Ford what he would do to improve the cars one year, His answer was a pan to catch the bolts that fell off! It looks like they finally did it. 

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  • 1 month later...

I hate that belly pan.

 

Especially the time I dropped the engine oil fill cap onto it, seconds after screwing it back into place.

 

if it got ripped out from under the car going over a deer or the like I wouldn't replace it, but until he gets trashed I'll keep it in place to save the belts from road spray.

 

 

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On ‎11‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 12:25 AM, Fifty150 said:

 I'm actually thinking of leaving it off the next time that I remove it.  

 

I removed the one on my Outback. Never regretted it. I get the oil changed on the TC at the shop mostly because I don't want to deal with that pan and......well I've gotten a little lazy as I have gotten older. The first time I change the oil myself you can bet that pan will "disappear".

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I would leave it in place..i hit a huge puddle on i 93 in Boston after a deluge..my TC submarined briefly. I thought for sure i was going to crash or get hit from behind.After resurfacing TC stayed straight and running properly. I think the pan deflected most of the water away from the lower engine bay area. Without the pan i suspect i would have belt squeal ,engine stutter or a CEL at the very least.

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