Top Latch Nutplate replacement - '99

[DMadigan]

Is there an easy way to pull out the nutplates for the top latches on both sides and the middle? The two inside nutplates on the outer latches and both nutplates in the middle latch are broken.
Someone must have took a breaker bar to them.
worst alternative is to drill the hole slightly and weld in tube nuts.


There is a hole to the left of the middle latch. Are they snaked in through there?
I do not have pillar covers off yet to see if there is access on the ends. Any idea of how to remove the plastic covers on the pillars?
Thanks.

[maxnine11]

I believe the only way to replace the factory part with the factory part is by removing the windshield.
A lot of guys put in rivnuts or nutserts.

http://986forum.com/forums/attachments/performance-technical-chat/13799d1298241033-visor-attachment-issue-nutsert-install-upload.pdf

[DMadigan]

Thanks. Someone used 10mm bolts in the middle latch, presumably to catch on whatever was left of the T-nuts. I do not know if they drilled out the latch frame for the 10mm bolts. They saw cut slots in the heads of the bolts to turn them as there is no room for a 10mm socket. Garage engineering at it's best.
I was in a hurry so I machined new T-nuts from 9/16" hex steel bar. The shank was 0.45" diameter, 1/4" long, overall 1/2" long. I had to machine opposite flats down 1/16" to get them through the small slot to the left. I drilled and tapped for 8 x 1.25mm bolts. I did not check the parts fiche to see they were originally 6mm but I had 8mm washer head bolts on hand.
Using a piece of 14 ga. copper wire I pulled them through and down into the holes from the top. Of course, when installing the bolts one has to carefully thread them into the T-nuts without pushing them up into the frame since nothing holds them in place except the hole. Friction of the shoulder was enough to be able to tighten the bolts properly.
When I have time I will address the outer broken T-nuts.