Ok. This is rediculous, but I spent 6 hours today to replace one (yes, ONE) strut. I spend most of my time fighting with siezed bolts. My 1991 CRX has so many rusted and seized bolts its not even funny.

So now after 2 days of work, (over 17 hours of work) I have the rear struts in, new rear brake pads, and the front left strut in. I almost got the front right strut out, but there is this one bolt that is sized. It is the bolt that is used to pinch and tighten the top of the strut fork (not sure of the exact term) to the bottom of my strut.

I put penetrating lube on it, and I used a breaker bar. Unfortuantly, it will not budge, and I dont want to risk stripping the bolt head with my wrenches.

Are the any tips or tricks that you people use for seized bolts? I am pulling my hair out here! If I **** up the bolt head, then it will never come out!

Thanks guys.

PS. For those of you who thought I messed up my break pistons by knocking them in with a hammer....well my emergency break works fine, so the calipers are still ok. I think my breaks are still a bit spongy because there is air in the lines.


[Modified by SoulflyCRXsi, 8:16 AM 3/31/2003]

 

you have a propane torch? try heating it.

I've had really good success with PB Blaster spray too.

sometime rest is the best thing

 

siezed bolts are a pain in the ***.

just get a huge breaker bar, use a lot of wd-40 and ky jelly (i'm playin on the ky jelly).

the breaker bar and little taps will get her loose.

 

I am soooo glad I swapped all my stuff when the car was new. A little anti-seize and everything comes apart fine 2 years later.

Anyway, if you have a trusted mechanic or a friend with air tools just loosen the bolts, spray with lube and re-torque. When you go to do the work everything should come apart easily. You can also try tightening the bolt a little. The slight movement will allow lube to get in there and help free it up. For whatever reason bolts will sometimes tighten even when they wont loosen. And invest in some anti-seize. Even if you don't plan on doing any more work it makes a huge difference in a few years.

Oh, yea, thats the damper fork pinch bolt


[Modified by MattG, 8:23 PM 3/30/2003]

 

Would somebody with air tools have a better chance of NOT rounding the bolt head?

Already, the bolt head is the slightest bit rounded off from me pulling on it. Its not to bad, but I don't want to make it worse, or I will be in big trouble.

I would use a flat wrench on it, and tap it with a hammer. That technique worked for the other bolts, but this bolt is harder. But I sprayed plenty of penetrating spray on it...perhaps if I try again this saturday it will of loosed up....but I doubt it.

How safe is the blowtorch method for freeing bolt? I dont want to make things worse...


[Modified by SoulflyCRXsi, 8:18 AM 3/31/2003]

 

Torch is very effective, heat it up then immeditly try getting it lose, or at the same time. The metal expands but the bolt doesn't.

 

Using an air gun can also break the little pain in the *** really fast. The best thing to do is to heat it up. You might mess up the bushings though while heating but you can replace most of them though.

 

Actually, this bolt at the top of the dampener fork does not have a bushing.

So perhaps I will take a blow torch to it. How long should I hit it with the heat for?
Should I do blowtorch + air tool, or blowtorch + flat wrench?

Sorry for being so paranoid...I just really dont want to **** this up.




[Modified by SoulflyCRXsi, 8:37 AM 3/31/2003]

 

what I do any time I know I'm going to be taking off an old part of a car, is hit it good with WD40 every night for about 1 week before hand. This can really help save time. Just an FYI.

 

PB Blaster is way better than WD-40 for getting bolts loose. If you don't have any, get it. AutoZone, Wal-Mart, etc., they all have it.

 

I'd hit it with the torch and make sure you are using a 6 point wrench so that it doesn't round. I found that the wrench with the hammer method you are using works great. Or you can get another wrench and put it on the end for more leverage. Good luck.

 

My friend and I broke the head of that exact same bolt. My friend was able to take it out with a torch.

Paul

 

i put 600lbs on that rear lca/shock bolt nothing i ended up cutting it on both sides and drilling the bolt out with many wasted bits but my best advice would be to get es hyperflex kit and press everything while its off alot nicer and very easy with a press of course

 

By the way...here was my reaction when I snapped the bolt on the rear LCA.

 

SoulflyCRXsi this is right up my ally. first you have to have an air impact, second you can try heating it up with a torch acet. is better and then jammin your impact back on while it's still hot and hopefully that works but it may not, if it doesn't you got to cut it off. I use a metabo w/ 6" cutting disc, what's happenin is the bushing is rust welded to the bolt, so try backin off the bolt a bit with impact to give you some room to cut and keep you angle grinder close to the lower control arm as possible so you have something left to grip( vise-grips) when your done cuttin and the replace all bolts with new and anti-sieze

 

Ya, I think I should try the torch. How long should I heat it? There are no bushings to melt, as this bolt is at the top of the dampener fork, and it piches the fork to the strut.

But an impact wrench is must huh? I will have to get one.

 

soulfly I would bet with a little heat and an impact that top bolt on your fork will come out, it may come out with just the impact, remember when your using an impact that it pulses and helps shake up anything that maybe rusted. alot of the info I gave you has more to do with the lower control arm bolts that go through a steel bushing surrounded by rubber, those are the real bitch esp here in detroit cuz of the amount of salt we use on the roads during the winter. that top one just goes into the threads on the other side. if you do end up having to heat it, a propane torch might take 5-10 min. , you can also try dousing it with cold water after your done heating it, an acetylene maybe 30 sec.

 

Will an impact wrench fit up there? Is there enough room to maneuver it?

 

that bolt i didn't have trouble with but i would try and get the hole thing out of the car with the fork on it im sure you already have it can definately be done and through the fork in a visethen it should be easy to get to if i remember correctly its a 10mm bolt so yes it can snap i would try the heat for a while you can get fo like 30 bucks at home depot or any store like it. also try going back and forth to avoid snapping the head off if this doesnt work go to the junk yard and find a new one they wouldn't be too costly there i assume your talking about
#20 is stuck in #15-16


well their about 50 bucks new try finding in a junkyard or try taking it off and taking it to a machine shop the fork itself is threaded and really cant be drill that easilly


[Modified by integra6650, 3:23 PM 3/31/2003]

 

same thing happened on my friends crx. what i ended up doing is taking the whole strut assembly out with that fork still attached. we were just installing coilovers, so that bolt wasnt important. but you might bet better access to it with the assembly in a vise or something. or u can drill it out and rethread if its nessesary. gluck

 

That's a good idea ^^. If you can pull the whole assembly out, you might be able to get better leverage. If you can't get the whole thing out, use the torch method. Just put the torch to the bolt for about 20-30 sec, then IMMEDIATELY get after it with your biggest, meanest ratchet (preferrably 1/2 drive, w/ a six point socket)

 

Ya, it is the # 20 bolt. Little bugger. I will try to find a 6 pt socket or flatwrench and then use the torch on it for 5 minutes. Then I will try to tap it off. I will try to keep spraying it with penetrating spray as well.

I dont really have an impact tool though. Perhaps I will need to borrow one...

 

Be carefull if you use a torch after using the lube. If you want to keep the strut be carefull as well. If you heat the strut you can ruin it. An impact does fit in there. So try that first.

USE A 6pt socket. 12 will probably round the head. An impact uses hundreds of blows to free a bolt. What usually strips a bolt head is constant pressure from a huge breaker bar and a 12pt socket. As you found out hitting a breaker bar works better than constant force.

 

The strut is blown, so its ok if I heat it. I am putting a Koni in after I get that bolt off.

 

take it to a machine shop or something use a 3/4 impact cannon hehe friend has a 1 inch at work 2000psi or so