a four sided nut

So I was almost done getting the last engine mount off in my 93 sentra. I'm changing the engine. This is a pain but let me try to explain. The linkage to the shifter is connected at the front to a bolt with thread thats not a hex bolt. Its just round and angled horizontal. The linkage has to be pushed to the side to slide off the threaded circluar bolt. I can't do this because the mount is right in the way. Ive taken the bar traveling underneath the engine off front to back with only the mount still holding on. The bolt holding the mount on turns pretty freely. Normally one would put their wrench on the bolt and another wrench on the nut on the other side. However the nut turns out to be a four sided nut. WTF! Why the hell would they put a four sided nut there? A 17mm wrench fits around it but slips. How can I hold it still? I don't care what happens to it because I'm going to get the nut sized and put a hex nut on when I put everything back together. I don't want to round it off too bad. Wal mart fails to carry gator grips anymore and I doubt there is enough room to cut the bolt off. I was going to attempt to pull the engine out with the bottom frame stil atached but I can't because the shift linkage is still attached.

The 4-sided nut design pre-dates the hex nut by at least, hundreds of years.

They are still used in manufacturing these days because it is very inexpensive and easy to use them with a small steel retainer. These retainers often hold a nut in place ans stop it from spinning when a bolt is inserted into them. It simply makes assembly line work quicker and easier.

Of course, these retainers love to get a bit rusty and often break when you try to loosen the bolt, allowing the nut to spin.
Sometimes, you can find a metric or standard size wrench to fit..... or use an adjustable (Crescent) wrench to fit, or just use Vice Grips.

I still say they put it in a point less spot.

As you work on cars more, you will find MANY instances where service/repairs seem to be made unnecessarily difficult due to vehicle design.

Usually its because ease-of-service is not on the minds of the designers and engineers. Their first priority is to design functional components that can be manufactured and assembled at the lowest reasonable cost.... so I expect the design made sense to them at the time.

As you work on cars more, you will find MANY instances where service/repairs seem to be made unnecessarily difficult due to vehicle design.

You have that right..:banghead:

I have a theory that at some point in time a mechanic pissed off a design engineer.

Anyone who fixes or works on cars ever since has been suffering for it.

I have a theory that at some point in time a mechanic pissed off a design engineer.

Anyone who fixes or works on cars ever since has been suffering for it.

Kenjiro Den probably was the one pissed off, demanding they put a square nut on the bottom mount on all sentra's, knowing someone would indeed be pissed when they went to take the engine out. haha. I suppose I could have made a video of it just for fun, haven't made any in a while.