Square Bolt Head On Positive Battery Terminal

[JeffFerguson]

Hi all,

This is a dumb question, but I'm apparently too dumb to figure this out on my own ...

I need to replace the battery in my 2002 Camry. The positive terminal features a bolt on the positive clamps. The bolt has a square head, and one edge of the head pumps up against the straight edge of the straight edge of the clamp. Because of this, the bolt head won't turn, and I can't remove the positive clamp from the dead battery. I have removed the nut and square washer from the other end (and the negative clamp came off without a problem), but there's just no way to turn a bolt with a square head when its flush against the straight edge of the terminal clamp.

Any ideas? Is this common, or am I as dumb as I appear to be?

With thanks,
Jeff

[camryGen3]

if the square head side is open(nothing blocking you from using a open side of a wrench), you should be able to find a wrench that is the right size to slip over and just unloosen it like a regular bolt.

[JeffFerguson]

Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately, that's the problem -- since the bold head is square, and, since one edge of the head is up against the straight edge of the terminal clamp, there's no way to turn the bolt to unloosen it. It's not round -- it's square.

[LE05]

if you have already removed the nut and washer... why are you attempting to turn the bolt? just take a hammer, and tap the bolt out. The only thing that should be holding it in was the nut... which you removed already.

[JeffFerguson]

See? I told you it was a dumb question!

I saw that the edge of the bolt was threaded, and I assumed that the entire bolt was threaded, and tapping it out with a hammer would strip the threads.

Anyway -- problem solved. Thanks to all for helping a dummy!