Heating rusty bolts

Actually, for removing rusty bolts, you would want to heat the area around the rusty bolts.But brake caliper area? perhaps a bigger longer wrench and some penetrating fluid.Maybe somebody will come along and advise you better than I on that. cuhulin

MAPP gas is as about as good as you can do without an oxyacetylene rig.

You might be suprised how effective the manual impact drivers can be for removing stuck bolts. These are rather inexpensive, if you dont know about them. You use a socket or Torx bit or whatever on them, put them on the bolt to be removed, and strike them a sharp blow with a hammer. The sharp impact will often loosen stubborn bolts. Since the movement is small, your likelihood of shearing off a bolt is low.

Penetrating oil before using the tool can help too.

I have a number of these for sale and in stock. Here's a link that will get you to one of them.

Looking back on the archives, looks like heating the item to be removed is the most popular choice. A longer wrench with the car on the ground got the bolts loose, though. Will try an impact driver on some of the other bolts.

Thanks for all the tips from everyone.

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote in news:1193961597.150919.128110 @k79g2000hse.googlegroups.com:

You may wish to try a DeWalt electric impact wrench. These are rentable from industrial supply places for about $30 a day. No compressor needed, and it runs of normal 115VAC house current.

Mine is capable of 325 ft-lbs of force, and so far has not failed to move any bolt I've personally tried it on. This includes rusty suspension bolts and those notoriously difficult Honda crank pulley bolts.

I don't want to appear like a shill for DeWalt, but that damn thing is the home mechanic's best friend. I spent $200 on mine at Home Depot and have not regretted a single penny of it.

The only drawback to the electric impact wrench is its extreme bulk. It's about a foot long and weighs five pounds. It's useless inside a tight engine bay, but wherever you've got the room for it, it's great.

Not trying to spam for RICHB, but that's what HLS is talking about. And they work really well. Note the advantages he correctly mentioned. Bought mine at a flea mkt. 30+ years ago and where you got room to hammer, it is a necessary tool to have. (Be careful when hammering--good way to produce blood-blisters in the fork between thumb and forefinger!) My guess is no heat would be needed. The sharp rap/impact plus miniscule movement breaks loose bolts/nuts that an air impact might somehow ruin. Mine has worked where an air-imp. stripped the heads HTH, s

Rusted bolt > Heat > Torque? Not the best method.

Try heating the area so that through capillary action bees wax or just plain wax will wick into the thread.

Here is a good website with some tips on removing broken and rusted nuts and bolts.