Please help me remove this bolt GRM :(

So...

Long story short, this is the bolt from hell. After putting 500tqs to it, I stripped the head. Subaru was kind enough to design the bolt so there was one way, and one way only it could go in and out of the strut (obviously, rust isn't an issue in Japan ).

I finally was able to cut the old head off. I have a sawzall, but I can't get it in the wheel well to cut the strut off the knuckle. To add insult to injury, the car was definitely curbed at somepoint, which may be why even with the head cut off flush, I still can't pound the bolt out after soaking it in WD40 for a week (I also can't turn it with two 19mm wrenches combined into a 2 foot lever arm).

Am I stuck needing an air hammer? I don't have a compressor, but there is a sale at Canadian Tire on a compressor that does enough CFM @ 90psi to run one. I haven't tried that "super cold" stuff yet to see if it'll break the bolt loose, but I don't think I'll be able to buy any on Sunday. I am quite confident the air hammer will do it, just didn't want to spend $200.

Can you apply proper heat? That might help.

You probably need a fairly hefty air hammer to get that thing to move and I'm not sure if most consumer-grade compressors can supply enough air for one.

Super Cold on the cheap: buy a can of keyboard dust remover in the computer section at wally world. Hold it upside down so it will spray the liquid propellent out instead of the gas.

Be careful. The stuff is cold enough to cause frost bite
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N54sRalyBF4

You live in rust country, frequent Grassroots, and still think WD-40 is an acceptable penetrating oil? Kroil, PB Blaster, Liquid Wrench. Or that crazy acetone/atf combo. Use those.

Have you tried putting the other bolt back in at the top of the knuckle there? It looks like the strut and knuckle have shifted relative to each other, that misalignment may be causing some binding on the lower, impossible bolt.

Have you tried turning the bolt in both directions? Sometimes clockwise/counterclockwise/clockwise/etc helps. I often forget this because I'm fixated on getting it OUT.

Otherwise, there's heat. heat the sucker up, spray it down, or I hear even melting a candle on it will help.

I had a similar problem on my rusty Miata. Wound up fixing the problem by getting a used LCA and spindle.

Can you get a chisel between the bracket and the nut?

Looks like you may have to lower the spindle and all to get to it from under the car.

FranktheTank wrote: Can you get a chisel between the bracket and the nut? Looks like you may have to lower the spindle and all to get to it from under the car.

Yes to the chisel/nut, no, it didn't budge the bolt

The spindle is drooped as much as it can. Unless you are referring to removing the whole assembly. F that noise (I am selling the car once I get this strut replaced), I'll PAY my Subaru mechanic buddy to bring some of his whizbangy toys by at that point to get it out

Unfortunately the current shop is lacking in amenities, so some of the tools I'd like to have I don't. But I have saw air hammers (even small ones) work miracles, it's amazing what some high frequency vibration can do for ya (abudumtsh). Killing it with fire may also be in the works as well I guess (plus apparently using something better than WD40 because EXCCCCUUUUUUSE ME! )

If you can't get heat on it, get a nut splitter on it and crack the nut open. You should be able to turn it off after it's split or hit it in two places and break it off completely.

Then pound the bolt out.

I take it that you haven't got a smoke wrench handy to melt if off?

Every man serious about his air tools should have a Chicago Pneumatic model 714 "Zip Gun", there are a couple slightly stronger .401 shank guns, but nothing so controllable. I actually removed two rounded off M8 o2 sensor flange nuts with one the other day with the dial set on 1, the sensor still worked after. Cranked up all the way and fed ~120psi, it will blow though/move near anything.

Kenny_McCormic wrote: Every man serious about his air tools should have a Chicago Pneumatic model 714 "Zip Gun", there are a couple slightly stronger .401 shank guns, but nothing so controllable. I actually removed two rounded off M8 o2 sensor flange nuts with one the other day with the dial set on 1, the sensor still worked after. Cranked up all the way and fed ~120psi, it will blow though/move near anything.

A $330 air hammer! I've never heard of such a thing. Sounds awesome but I doubt I'll ever buy one.

Also for a few minutes I was confused between "Chicago Pneumatic" and "Central Pneumatic." I was thinking, a $330 Harbor Freight air hammer? I am guessing that's why they picked the Central Pneumatic name.

If it makes you feel better I just spent the better part of a day fighting a lock lug with a key that stripped out.

Any shot at getting a socket on there with a breaker bar and about 4-5 feet of pipe over the end of the breaker bar? <--- if you can, do this first. (This is what solves most of my problems, its coming out or something is gonna break) Doesn't look assessable from the pics.. but try a wayyy overkill lever arm, like the afore mentioned 4-5foot long. Cut down a wrench so you can fit a pipe over it if you need to.

Do you have a good drill / drill bits?

Drill down the center of the shaft of the bolt along the main axis.(start smaller and go progressively larger)

Hotwrench is an option.

If it's any consolation, I can go into my garage and throw tools around in a fit of rage, to save you the time.

Been there enough times that your pics alone have me FUMING.

Go rent or borrow one of these.

It might do the trick and save you the cost of an air compressor and air hammer.

It's a rotary hammer drill. The Bosch version will hammer only and they make chisels and punches that go in them. It might be too big to fit where you need it though. They work pretty well if you can get it on the end of the bolt and push it out of the hole.

Apexcarver wrote: Drill down the center of the shaft of the bolt along the main axis.(start smaller and go progressively larger)

As I opened this thread, I LITERALLY JUST THOUGHT OF THIS!

Luckily for me, I may have access to some... uh... very expensive drill bits where I work. I "may" have to "procure" them for the day. (This is where we make a government employee joke. Fear not my 'merikan friends, I'm in Canada so it ain't y0 money ).

But there is no way a breaker bar will fit. A socket won't even fit because the bolt is so long (THREE THREADS IS ALL THAT IS NEEDED berkeleyING ENGINEERS!) that it sticks out quite far past the nut, so the cv axle boot gets in the way (I absolutely do NOT want to tear the boot).

Toyman, I looked at those, no way it'll fit.

I really SHOULD buy the air compressor and air hammer though, I need them realistically (should have had them two years ago). For a $200 outlay, I can't complain too much.

I use a half inch drive Dewalt battery powered impact. I have a beastly air drive one that's older than I am that will break any bolt off but the 18volt is what I usually reach for.

On my GF strut change I broke 2 swivels and a half in to 3/8 adapter getting the strut bolts out but it was a small price to pay. Acetone and ATF in a water bottle with a hole drilled in the cap (cheap spray bottle) really does work just don't smoke around it. Also I'd you can heat it cherry red melt a non cented candle or some tallow into it. As it cools it will draw the wax into the threads.

Before you put too much effort into it, can you get the CV out of the hub? Being thats its a rusty subaru, the whole spindle may be junk if the CV needs replacing and it wont come out.

In reply to dculberson:

When time is a factor, such a tool pays for itself rapidly. Used you can get one for $150 running, and never need another air hammer.

How much is your time worth? Maybeput it back together, take itto a shop and just pay the $100 to have a professional do it. A much caper alternative than buyin hundreds of dollars in tools. And you help the economy!

Kenny_McCormic wrote: In reply to dculberson: When time is a factor, such a tool pays for itself rapidly. Used you can get one for $150 running, and never need another air hammer.

I have no doubt it's worth every penny, I just didn't know it existed.

Travis_K wrote: Before you put too much effort into it, can you get the CV out of the hub? Being thats its a rusty subaru, the whole spindle may be junk if the CV needs replacing and it wont come out.

Exactly why I wanted to take the minimal amount of stuff apart considering I just need it gone. The more I took apart, the unhappier I was going to be.

But success! I bought a propane torch, a can of WD40 "special" rust penetrator, and brought the cobalt drill bits along for good measure.

Initially tried drilling, it just wasn't going to happen. Not enough clearance to get a good "push" behind the drill so the bit would bite.

Soaked er' down, let it sit for 20 minutes. Flambayed it. Got the 19mm wrench backed up with a stubby (only enough clearance for the extra 5" a budumtsh) and SLOWLY got it moving 1/8" at a time. Kept dousing it, flambaying it, and hammering the one end and continued to turn it.

Things were looking grim for a while when I hammered the chisel in between the strut flange and the bolt (trying to get some force put on the bolt to help it along in threading out). I guess I was feeling like a macho man today, cause not only did I hammer that sucker in, I banana'd it

Destroyed a screw driver getting it out. After 3 hours of this, I got the bolt 75% of the way out. Using the sledge "sideways", I had enough room to wail on the punch and get the bolt 95% of the way out. Of course, the bolt hit the cv axle before it could get all the way. Spent the next hour with the sawzall (and like 5 blades) working at "just" the right angle to cut through the bolt.

Came apart, bolted the new strut in. Yeesh, NEVER AGAIN. And no pictures cause my phone died. Took the car for a spin (battery was dead of course) and felt very relieved. Now to pertty her up and kijiji that E36 M3!

I think it was just the weekend for this kind of thing. I was going to do pads/rotors and a brake bleed on my miata. First the locklug key stripped, then the sliders on the rears are so frozen I cant get them apart, even off the car heated up to smoking and wailing on with a hammer. One rear caliper is so frozen that the caliper came off with the rotor.

Now I need to buy $300+ of new rear calipers and brackets.

Happens to all of us at some times.

Glad to hear that it came out eventually.

problem was that you used the wrong 500 tqs.

AngryCorvair wrote: problem was that you used the wrong 500 tqs.

inch-pounds gets me everytime, you silly americans and your nonsense units of measure!

ok, so use N-m, i'm OK with that. but what the berkeley is a tq?