The lower bolts on the rear dampers on my cappuccino are stuck solid. No amount of WD40 and persuasion with a hammer has loosened them. A long bar
on a ring spanner has just turned the nut on one side round. The damper lower bushing is rubber so I don't want to apply heat, certainly not
with a flame.
What else can I try to get them off? It is just a case of drilling out the bolt (can't get to the nut end other than with a spanner)
impact wrench?
Are you hoping to replace to the dampers? Or re-use them?
Stuff like that nearly always requires the Oxy/Acetylene torch here in Canada where they're quite fond of salting the roads in winter. What
happens is the bolt fuses itself quite comprehensively to the inner sleeve of the metalastic bush and no amount of mechanical persuasion is ever
adequate to free it off.
If you're lucky and the bolt is just stuck in the nut you might be able to free it off with a pair of vice grips on the rounded end after
whacking the nut a few times with a punch and a substantial hammer and giving it a good soak with penetrating oil. Also, if there are urethane bushes
and replacement sleeves available for your dampers you should be able to carefully burn the fastener and rubber out with a torch -- you'll need
to wrap the damper in wet rags to keep it cool and keep your fingers crossed that you don't cook it.
t
can you get stillsons on to the nut?
As a penetrating oil WD40 is crap! Use something like Plusgas or Deblock , The hot spanner always works (oxy acetalyne)
Angle grinder, cut of the bolt head and with the heat generated you may be able to drive the bolt out. If not do the same with the nut, and you should be able to spring the shocker out. Worth a try, Ray
tighten, loosen, repeatedly about 20-30 times it generates heat and that usually works, otherwise oxy acet
quote:
Originally posted by andkilde
Are you hoping to replace to the dampers? Or re-use them?
I had to replace a CVJ on my wifes A4 last month, a weeks soakng in plus gas did nothing, nor heat, nor brut force and ignorance.... in the end i
dremeled it across one of the exposed parts of the bolt (pinch type) which then allowed me to snap the bolt and get a chunk of it out, the rest came
out with slow drilling.... 4 hr job, then one hour to get to do the CVJ!.
That said if you have just rounded it of (note - never use ring spanners (double hex usually) for high torques!), there are some tools which act the
opposite of easy-outs, but work on the outer face - note I said they work, so not that simillar to easy-outs!
linky
Not the cheapest place to buy, but gives you the idea. Alternatively, if you got access to a welder then weld a bar to each end... just disconnect ECU
first!
yep...wd40 is crap as a penertrating oil....ive found brake fluid to be good
quote:
Originally posted by gregs
I had to replace a CVJ on my wifes A4 last month, a weeks soakng in plus gas did nothing, nor heat, nor brut force and ignorance.... in the end i dremeled it across one of the exposed parts of the bolt (pinch type) which then allowed me to snap the bolt and get a chunk of it out, the rest came out with slow drilling.... 4 hr job, then one hour to get to do the CVJ!.
Top pinch bolt? Easier to remove the drive shaft , you dont have to undo the top or the bottom pinch bolts just the drive shaft inner and outer bolts
dhutch - 23/8/09 at 10:34 AMWith one of the bolts on the westfeild it had rusted to the sleave of the rubber bush, so although could get the nut of the end i could get the bolt out.
- Ended up angle grinding the head off oneside, and cutting the bolt with a manual padsaw so i could just about slip it out of the holded.
Took 4tonnes of force to push the blighter out once it was on the hydrualic press and despight two days of wd40 (only thing i had to hand) it was dry right the way thought.
Daniel
MikeR - 23/8/09 at 10:38 AMI can throughly recommend plusgas. Its damned good and does what its designed for. WD40 isn't a penetrating fluid.
the_fbi - 23/8/09 at 10:51 AMIs the nut you can't get a spanner to, the one which is turning, supposed to be welded to the chassis and its welds have broken, hence its spinning?
If so, can you get an arc stick onto it and just re-tack it in a few places to stop it turning?
The heat from the weld may also help free it off, try tightening the bolt very slightly first too.
If you do go the weld route, give it plenty of time to cool down (use some water too) before applying force, else you'll be back to square again.
mad4x4 - 23/8/09 at 11:39 AMI must recommend these
SUPER BEST EVER TOOL
Bought them about 18months ago and since then alwas managed to remove rounded nuts
Other option would be to Tighten it up till it snaps. Saves trying to Screw the nut down a long fubar thread.
MikeRJ - 23/8/09 at 11:59 AMquote:
Originally posted by MikeR
I can throughly recommend plusgas. Its damned good and does what its designed for. WD40 isn't a penetrating fluid.
It is a penetrating oil, perhaps not the most effective but it's worked for me numerous times in the past.
No penetrating oil can break the bond created by corrosion however.
[Edited on 23/8/09 by MikeRJ]
BenB - 23/8/09 at 12:00 PMquote:
Originally posted by MikeR
I can throughly recommend plusgas. Its damned good and does what its designed for. WD40 isn't a penetrating fluid.
That's what I was just about to point outIt's a water dispersant not a penetrating oil.... (even if it's often used as one)...