Stuck Bolt/Frozen Thread

[icemangt71]

As you all may know i have attempted to do a v6 conversion well my question is a general question which applies to me and maybe manual guys too. Well here goes

As you all may know manual transmissions have both a drainage and a filler bolt well my filler bolt is stuck like there is no tommorrow. I have tried everything wd 40, pounding it like hell, unfortunatly the bolt is very weak so everytime i try to take it off it strippes more and more. Ok so some might say drill it out , however the tranny is made of aluminum and if i try to rethread it it may not work and then the tranny is trash so how can i take out the bolt and not damage the tread?

Maybe take it to a tranny shop?


Please help

[RallyBob]

Steel plug? I use this old trick, heat the plug/bolt with an oxy-acetylene torch (propane is not hot enough). Get it dull red, then touch a piece of wax to it, such as a candle. Let cool for at least 5 minutes, as the steel will have expanded in the case somewhat and tightened up. But, the wax will have turned to liquid, and through capillary action will run down all the threads. Should come right out with normal tools after cooling and contraction.

I use this method to remove steel coolant drain plugs from cast iron Opel blocks, and in 20 years of building Opels it has never failed me.

Bob

[houserc]

Bob,

I've got a stuck plug in a EFI thermostat housing. The housing is aluminum and the plug is steel. I have tried PJs penetrating oil, but have not had any success. I do know that the housing lived it's life on the Western coastal area of the UK. The housing was pretty pock marked from corrosion.

Will this help with the removal of this plug? (The heating and candle trick that is.) Or any other suggestions?

I had to drill out the steel bolts that held the casing together after they twisted off and I was not able to use an "easy out" to back them out. (It twisted off too) I then helicoiled them. So I know that they are pretty well fused to the housing.

Thanks in advance.

Chris

[ddoyle]

Bobs method works great. One note of caution just verify what metal your trans or anything else you may be heating with a torch is. Just received a report at our shop, many newer GM trucks are using magneisum for trans and transfer cases, they can catch on fire if exposed to flame, OUCH!!

DAN

[icemangt71]

Man thats scary.I think mine is aluminum ill see if that cande trick will work. But first i will try my last idea using massive pliers and steel bars for extra leverage hopefully this will work cause ill have to save money to rent the torch.

[show no go]

Don't worry about buying the torch. I use the same trick all the time and about 80% of the time just warming the bolt enough to suck the wax in will work just fine. A propane torch works great and in many cases you only have to have enough heat to make the wax melt.
People think I'm nuts because I have a whole drawer in my toolbox filled with old candles. I haven't lost the battle with a bolt yet when using wax.
Good luck

[Old Hippie]

If I may inject a word of caution. It may be safer to pop the tranny out and work on a bench. Depends on your point of view, but 30 mins worth of time to remove it. May be better than to chance a oil fire. Plus gives you abetter view of whats going on.
My 2c's.

[N61WP]

Another little tidbit....if propane isn't hot enough, get a bottle of MAP gas, about $5 a bottle. Same disposable size as the propane and a hotter flame.
Jc

[dsmith]

Help, my upper control arm bolt in my GT is rusted fast and won't budge. Heat, WD-40, and a BFH have been applied. Any ideas out there?

[West Coast GT]

Never tried the candle trick - but I will the next chance I get.

Method I've always used, going on to the next step until one of them works:
A. Use a 6 point socket, box-end wrench, or impact socket.
B. Try the good old grunt effort.
C. Open a beer, cogitate some
D. Tap the rachet handle or wrench with a mallet to produce an impact like stress.
E. Cogitate some more.
F. Set up a steady vibration by using a steel hammer with which to strike the rachet handle or wrench.
G. Beat bloody hell out of the thing with anything and everything at hand.
H. Finish the beer, go inside, take a nap.

I. Finally, after cooling off, I use penetrating oil and gently set up a vibration to work the oil down the threads.
J. After it's soaked overnight, it usually comes off.

[icemangt71]

I have tried everything its also on my work bench which i think is the problem slides around kinda hard to hold havent tried the wax thing yet but will soon i have beat the heall out of it tried soaking it in wd 40 the seal is so tight even that cant get in i have tried so much that the bolt size was originaly a 15mm nows its a 14mm thats how much i have stripped it gonna try the wax thing soon ill try propane first my buddy has that so hope it works


Thanks guys

[kmon]

Impact hammer! One of the best buys I've ever made. Rent or borrow one from a friend, I've almost always had them work like a charm (on a rare occasion it will twist the head off then you need to drill and tap it out). Size can be an issue in some tight spots, hopefully you can get it in there. Their are also impact hammers that are driven by beating on the end of them with a regual hammer, I sure like mine (both kinds)! Worse case you can take a chizel, beat the head off, and drill and tap a new bolt. Serious pain in the rump, hopefully you dont have to resort to that. Good luck to you.



--Did we lose some posts in this thread? Maybe I'm just tired...

[dsmith]

Hey, I should have mentioned I had an impact hammer on it too. The problem is that bolt is 10 to 12 inches long and you can't get any heat on the center section where it goes through the frame member. I'm beginning to think I don't need to change the bushings as bad as I thought. I have the front end out of the car, maybe I'll give Rally Bob's candle trick a try. If that works, it'll put him a little closer to saint hood with me!

[icemangt71]

Thank you very much to who ever suggested the candle trick.
It worked like a charrm

At first i thought i was still stripping the bolt however after the candle trick it actually started to turn i was so excited. Now i can put my tranny up like namba suggested i also found a neighbor who welds for a living great
Thanks again
I ll let you know how it goes

[BQS4]

Webster;
That is indeed a sprint manifold, but, as I an see from the pics, that they cut off the head pipe to save them from having to deal with the 6 attaching bolts, which majority of the time break off. But, there are a few tricks you can try to get these out, since it is off the car. One trick is the candle wax trick. Heating the bolts then wicking in candle wax to help the bolts ease out. $75 is still a bit much, it would be worth that much if it already had the bolts out clean.

[jimsky]

Personally I've never done the "wax trick". I believe the seized item is heated with a torch and the solid wax is touched to the rusted nut/bolt/stud. The wax melts and the capillary action of the liquid wax and the interface between the two metal items draws the liquid wax up. The heat/cool cycle assists in breaking the rust bonded items while the wax provides lubrication. People here swear by this technique.

[BQS4]

Webster;
If that is an original head pipe attached to that manifold, those are bolts holding the remaining bit of head pipe on there, VERY rusty bolts.
Be careful!

[opelgt73]

That is a sprint manifold but I believe that you need to grind off that little nub that is sticking up on the middle pipe.

As far as getting rusted bolts out I use a product called Kroil by Krano labs. I am not sure where you get it from, my late father left me with three cans of it so when I run out I dont know what to do! You just let it soak for about an hour and it will get about any bolt off, and for the really tough ones I get out a propane torch.

They are kinda rare so I don't think $75 is too much to ask for it, considering that the S/H is included.

[GTJIM]

Lucy thing - it looks reasonably sound from the pics.

When you get it see if there are studs and nuts or bolts holding the flange stub on - it looks like studs and nuts. If so gently remove the nuts by splitting them across a flat, parrallel to the stud, with a sharp cold chisel. This will let the flange/pipe stub come off and give you access to the threads for "waxing" and soaking in penetrating oil and leaving in a bucket of Coke (tm) - yep! The stuff you drink. Then you have a stud sticking out to try to hold and screw out.

If you try to take the nuts off the studs will just shear off.

If there are bolts - just soak the whole flange in a bucket of Coke (tm) for a week or two to loosen the rust. tHen heat and "wax" the ends you can see from above - might get five of the six out

[GopelT]

opelgt73,

Kroil is what we use in the steel mills to break nuts and bolts free every day of the week. Its great stuff. I'll help you out if you run out. Makes a great steak sauce too. LOL

Happying opeling