removing hatch

Anybody know wat tools are needed to remove an s13 hatch?
locations on the nuts/bolts would be helpful as well…I’m going to remove a hatch from a seller but I gotta bring my own tools…just need to know what I should bring

14mm socket + rachet, side cutters.

wat are side cutters?

to cut the wiring harness, wire cutters, side cutters, what ever you wanna call them.
You have to pull out a piece of trim going across the car at the back, that will give you acess to the bolts holding the hatch, undo those cut the harness and your on your way.

coolness, thanks

i’ve removed/replaced a few of them and just did one today actually, if you want to remove it correctly there is more to it.

the struts that mount by the quarter windows are either a phillips screw driver or a 12mm socket/wrench, the bolt accepts both.

there are 4 13mm nuts behind the head liner that hold the hinges at the top.

there is a wiring harness on both sides of the hatch, the drivers side is a 10mm bolt holding a ground in place and a single wire that plugs in like an antenna connector, both are on the roof behind the head liner. the passenger side goes down below the quarter window and there are 3 plugs to remove.

to get to the plugs to disconnect them you have to remove the interior panels, they are just phillips screws and the rest snaps into place, if you have a 91+ you have to remove the rear seat belt retractor off the C pillar to get that panel off, 89-90s don’t have retracting shoulder belts. to get the dome light off to lower the head liner you pop the plastic cover off with a flat head screw driver then there are 2 phillips screws inside it.

good luck, don’t cut the wiring harness, you’ll regret it. doing it correctly isn’t actually as hard as it sounds, it takes maybe 10 extra minutes and it well worth it.

Here we go:


so after removing the upper and side interior panels (including the seatbelt retractor, which I don’t know howto), I can get easier access to the wiring harnesses right?

so thing to bring are:
-12mm socket
-13mm socket
-philips screw driver

that’s it?

to remove the seat belt retractors there are two little pins i guess you’d call them that are on the bottom that hold the cover on, pop them off with a flat head screw driver, pull the cover off then there is a 14mm bolt in each one that hold it to the C pillar.

you’ll need:
-14mm wrench
-13mm socket
-12mm wrench
-10mm socket
-phillips screw driver
-flat head screw driver
-and a buddy to help pull the hatch off, its far too awkward for one person to do easily.

Anybody know wat tools are needed to remove an s13 hatch?
locations on the nuts/bolts would be helpful as well…I’m going to remove a hatch from a seller but I gotta bring my own tools…just need to know what I should bring

14mm socket + rachet, side cutters.

wat are side cutters?

to cut the wiring harness, wire cutters, side cutters, what ever you wanna call them.
You have to pull out a piece of trim going across the car at the back, that will give you acess to the bolts holding the hatch, undo those cut the harness and your on your way.

coolness, thanks

i’ve removed/replaced a few of them and just did one today actually, if you want to remove it correctly there is more to it.

the struts that mount by the quarter windows are either a phillips screw driver or a 12mm socket/wrench, the bolt accepts both.

there are 4 13mm nuts behind the head liner that hold the hinges at the top.

there is a wiring harness on both sides of the hatch, the drivers side is a 10mm bolt holding a ground in place and a single wire that plugs in like an antenna connector, both are on the roof behind the head liner. the passenger side goes down below the quarter window and there are 3 plugs to remove.

to get to the plugs to disconnect them you have to remove the interior panels, they are just phillips screws and the rest snaps into place, if you have a 91+ you have to remove the rear seat belt retractor off the C pillar to get that panel off, 89-90s don’t have retracting shoulder belts. to get the dome light off to lower the head liner you pop the plastic cover off with a flat head screw driver then there are 2 phillips screws inside it.

good luck, don’t cut the wiring harness, you’ll regret it. doing it correctly isn’t actually as hard as it sounds, it takes maybe 10 extra minutes and it well worth it.

Here we go:


so after removing the upper and side interior panels (including the seatbelt retractor, which I don’t know howto), I can get easier access to the wiring harnesses right?

so thing to bring are:
-12mm socket
-13mm socket
-philips screw driver

that’s it?

to remove the seat belt retractors there are two little pins i guess you’d call them that are on the bottom that hold the cover on, pop them off with a flat head screw driver, pull the cover off then there is a 14mm bolt in each one that hold it to the C pillar.

you’ll need:
-14mm wrench
-13mm socket
-12mm wrench
-10mm socket
-phillips screw driver
-flat head screw driver
-and a buddy to help pull the hatch off, its far too awkward for one person to do easily.

DONT cut the wiring harness … its a bitch to wire up again…

Uhh oh, looks like im gunna have fun then…

sorry for the lack of good directions lol, its been close to 6 months since i took it off :?