Help my friend out. He has an itr so at least we're on topic:

Long story, but just like everyone with the exedy "street"/ stage 1 or whatever clutch - it broke at the spring retaining area and pieces were jumping around in his tranny... This is the second local guy to have this happen to him... and he has a BONE STOCK itr, not even an intake filter or exhaust, etc...

Anyway, I went and helped him drop his tranny on Saturday. He's decided to go with a more agressive final drive as a first mod - along with nice new clutch and light flywheel...

The problem? After he got back home he decided to have a go at the flywheel bolts... 17mm 12pt bolts with the short heads... They were on so damn tight that he couldn't get them off with a breaker bar. So he does what I would've done - gets an impact gun from Home Depot and goes to town on them after soaking in WD40. What happens next? He somehow rounded 3 of the bolt heads off.

So what should he do now? I've suggested the craftsman bolt extractor kit... by hand this time... or does anyone else have a better suggestion?

The car is currently up on jackstands in his garage and is his daily driver (or was until this incident).

 

usually when i had rounded off nuts it wasnt in that tight of a location but i used to get a pair of vise grip piles get them tight as possible and try to remove it from there.

 

Ken, have you/him tried heating up the bolts at all? I would try some heat to see if that will loosen them up a bit. Put the usual slit in it for removal. Then take a big flat head screw driver and back it out.

 

I don't know how he can get it off without heating with a torch or perhaps drilling it out.

Word of advice, DO NOT TRY TO FORCE A STUBBORN BOLT OFF WITH AN IMPACT! If you can not get it off with a normal breaker bar and some leverage do not resort to thinking an impact can make it easier. This is what happens.

Also, WD40 does not penetrate Locktite.

Goodluck, wish I could be more of help.

 

Did this happen because the screws were not torqued properly when the clutch was installed?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by len &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I don't know how he can get it off without heating with a torch or perhaps drilling it out.

Word of advice, DO NOT TRY TO FORCE A STUBBORN BOLT OFF WITH AN IMPACT! If you can not get it off with a normal breaker bar and some leverage do not resort to thinking an impact can make it easier. This is what happens.

Also, WD40 does not penetrate Locktite.

Goodluck, wish I could be more of help.</TD></TR></TABLE>


You have been more than enough help already.

I have had good success with using an impact gun - after having destroyed SEVERAL 1/2" breaker bars and being unable to find a 1" breaker bar in stock.....

1/2" impact gun at 250ft-lb+ worked for me.

I think his misfortune is due to the lack of available 12pt 17mm impact sockets in his area on short notice.....

 

You could try the "cloverleaf" things, I think they are called Bolt-grips, made by Irwin.
I had good success getting out a rounded drain plug from my wife's TL after shearing the head off a bolt extractor.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Black R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You have been more than enough help already.

I have had good success with using an impact gun - after having destroyed SEVERAL 1/2" breaker bars and being unable to find a 1" breaker bar in stock.....

1/2" impact gun at 250ft-lb+ worked for me.

I think his misfortune is due to the lack of available 12pt 17mm impact sockets in his area on short notice..... </TD></TR></TABLE>

With the proper sized breaker bar and enough leverage, you will be putting more than 250ft-lb or the strongest any Impact Gun can output. With that being said, the only thing an Impact Gun will do at that point is aggravate the bolt and if positioned incorrectly at the head of the bolt, round off the edges.

 

damn never thought about that, nice neo

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by len &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

With the proper sized breaker bar and enough leverage, you will be putting more than 250ft-lb or the strongest any Impact Gun can output. With that being said, the only thing an Impact Gun will do at that point is aggravate the bolt and if positioned incorrectly at the head of the bolt, round off the edges.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I just take the handle off our floor jack and use it. It's about 3.5-4 foot and takes care of it nicely. Plenty of torque, even from my scrawny ***.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Dave_B &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I just take the handle off our floor jack and use it. It's about 3.5-4 foot and takes care of it nicely. Plenty of torque, even from my scrawny ***. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Heh, I do that too, just make sure you use the "other" end so the jack'll go back together.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by len &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

With the proper sized breaker bar and enough leverage, you will be putting more than 250ft-lb or the strongest any Impact Gun can output. With that being said, the only thing an Impact Gun will do at that point is aggravate the bolt and if positioned incorrectly at the head of the bolt, round off the edges.</TD></TR></TABLE>


Hey, I only torque by hand with a torque wrench... but too bad the techs at Acura and Honda don't do the same.....

But you tell me how he's supposed to fit a breaker bar underneath the car on jackstands in his garage... and actually generate enough torque to break these bolts loose (seeing as how they were put on with the impact gun at the dealership).

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Black R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">


Hey, I only torque by hand with a torque wrench... but too bad the techs at Acura and Honda don't do the same.....

But you tell me how he's supposed to fit a breaker bar underneath the car on jackstands in his garage... and actually generate enough torque to break these bolts loose (seeing as how they were put on with the impact gun at the dealership). </TD></TR></TABLE>

Easy, Pop the hood, stand on said engine, put ratchet on the bolt, put jack handle on said rachet and push.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Dave_B &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Easy, Pop the hood, stand on said engine, put ratchet on the bolt, put jack handle on said rachet and push. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I was gonna say that Dave. You beat me to it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Dave_B &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Easy, Pop the hood, stand on said engine, put ratchet on the bolt, put jack handle on said rachet and push. </TD></TR></TABLE>


.....did that previously, broke two 1/2" ratchets and two 1/2" breaker bars.

I guess we'll try the "heat up the bolts" trick next.....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Black R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Long story, but just like everyone with the exedy "street"/ stage 1 or whatever clutch - it broke at the spring retaining area and pieces were jumping around in his tranny</TD></TR></TABLE>



Wait - this is common? I'm getting an Exedy organic clutch put in next week.

 

It's not uncommon for tech's to use threadlocker on the flywheel bolts. Loctite blue can be removed with hand tools. Loctite red can be removed with heat. Red takes a lot more torque to break loose if you don't heat it up. Definitely heat 'em up.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Black R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">


.....did that previously, broke two 1/2" ratchets and two 1/2" breaker bars.

I guess we'll try the "heat up the bolts" trick next..... </TD></TR></TABLE>

Quit going to harbor freight for your tools. My Snap-On tools have never let me down, besides if I do break one, I'll call up dude, he comes to the shop and replaces it free of charge, no questions asked.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nholmes &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">



Wait - this is common? I'm getting an Exedy organic clutch put in next week.

</TD></TR></TABLE>


Yes it is quite common. I know the exedy dealers won't be too happy with me making this comment, but I've seen it too many times firsthand. I hate to say it, but do a search for "exedy" in this forums archivesa nd you'll see what I'm talking about.

 

I have replaced more clutch kits than I care to admit, and best results so far (for me) are with ACT HD PP and full face disks. I have 3 cars complete 120K miles on them daily driven, and still going strong. Their spring design is slightly different and better then OEM/Exedy...

Also I always replace the whole thing, PP, FLY, clutch disk, pilot bearing, TO bearing...

Back to this topic weld on the bolt and get it off, make sure to let cool down or spray down with cold fluid to induce quick contraction.

Heat will do the job, and it is easy after that...

 

Use heat!! Whats all this stuff about torqueing **** down. I never torque down those bolts, good and tight has been working for me

 

weld a big nut on top of the stripped one, weld it from the inside,

or

you can grind off the heads and then shape the screw flat for a wrench to fit,

 

Thanks for all the suggestions. I tried the bolt extractor from Sears but that still didn't allow enough bite on the bolt head. I finally said f-- it and used the dremel. After I cut the heads off, the flywheel came right off. The headless bolt was turned by hand and came right out the crank.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by AntonioH &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Thanks for all the suggestions. I tried the bolt extractor from Sears but that still didn't allow enough bite on the bolt head. I finally said f-- it and used the dremel. After I cut the heads off, the flywheel came right off. The headless bolt was turned by hand and came right out the crank. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Sell your car to me and you wouldn't have to worry about problems like these ever!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Black R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Yes it is quite common. I know the exedy dealers won't be too happy with me making this comment, but I've seen it too many times firsthand. I hate to say it, but do a search for "exedy" in this forums archivesa nd you'll see what I'm talking about. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I've had a stock clutch die on me the same manner where the spring came out of the retaining housing after it failed. So I wouldn't think this type or problem is exclusive to exedy. Shrug.

FWIW I've have had two exedy clutches, one in my previous GSR and on in my current ITR without any issues.