Advice needed to remove seized bolts.

What usually works for me is spraying it with some kind of penetrant ... liquid wrench used to be the best stuff for me ... now it's something called "p b blaster" or something like that. I personally think the stuff is awesome. Try turning the bolt out after letting it soak in for a few minutes.

If that doesn't work and you strip it, a punch will almost always work (if you can get it in there) with a hammer. You need a pointed punch. Make a small indentation in the bolt's head and then try using the hammer and punch on an angle to break the bolt loose. Once it's loose, put a set of vice grips on it and turn it the rest of the way out. Doing it this way will require you to buy a new bolt, but you were going to have to buy one, anyway.

If neither of those work, you might end up having to grind the head off the bolt and use an easy out .... and if that doesn't work, take it somewhere and let someone else deal with it. :)

I should have mentioned the bolt is fairly inaccessible (only through a small window of space), making grinding off the head very difficult (I doubt I could get even my 4.5" angle grinder on it). Maybe a drill or dremel with a grinding bit?

Exactly what I'm thinking, I just really hate admitting defeat on this.

Sometimes admitting defeat is the best thing you can do ... at least in terms of time and money. We'd all like to win every encounter, especially with a bolt or screw ... but if it's going to take 2 weeks, x number of broken tools, etc etc ... we may as well pay some garage (or the dealer) a few hundred bucks to take care of the problem (and have someone to blame if they don't do it right).

Walter wrote: "Sometimes admitting defeat is the best thing you can do ... at least in terms of time and money. We'd all like to win every encounter, especially with a bolt or screw ... but if it's going to take 2 weeks, x number of broken tools, etc etc ... we may as well pay some garage (or the dealer) a few hundred bucks to take care of the problem (and have someone to blame if they don't do it right)."

Boy mechanics just love people that try to repair something and can't. That is why I try not to admit defeat.

Sarge

This is true, too. I guess there are no easy answers. :(

OK, this is an instance where your going to have to drill out the bolt.

You see, the head was too deteriorated that even if you had exactly the right size torx, and used the correct breaker bar, the amount of force needed to break free the bolt is higher than the remaining steel in the head can take.

If you could get a grinder in there and there was enough clearance, you could grind the bolt head hexagontal, then use a standard 6 point socket.

Otherwise if it's recessed, you will have to drill it out. I would advise against an easy-out or other screw extractor, it will probably break off and leave behind a hardended biit of steel that you can't drill out.

Use a drill bit that is exactly the size of the diameter of the deep part of th threads and if your very careful you will end up drilling straight down the center of the bolt, then you can chase out the threads with a tap.

Otherwise you will not end up going straight down and will impact the threads the bolt is in, then have to drill oversize and install a helicoil.

Ted

Amen. Last fall I went to replace the thermostat in my 2.7L engine. I had heard it was a bear, but that's never prevented me from doing "the impossible" before. However, I did surrender on that one - started and realized I couldn't finish it - closed her up and took it to a shop I use. Ended up paying them over $350 - and that was with me supplying the parts. The shop told me they gave me a break on the price, and I believe them - and I was glad to pay the $350. I'm 54 years old. A 44 year old me *probably* would have persevered and got 'er done, but I did surrender on that one.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Great idea! I'll go at this again today. It's either the grinder or this idea.

Thanks for all of the responses.

KJ

Start by using a decent penetrating liquid, not liquid wrench or WD-40. I have had good results using P-Blaster.

------------- Alex

If you use a dremel, plan on spending a long time trying to grind off the bolt head.

If you have the time, you can try different methods. If you don't have the time, you should try to get someone else with a lot more experience to give it shot.

------------- Alex