Rusted bolts continue to plague me! (1 Viewer)

[sunrk]

Rusted bolts continue to plague me! I'm fitting an outback accessories (made here in oz) rear bar and twin wheel carrier and the side wings each have a bracket bolting to the rear-mount support point of a standard towing fixture. In my 80's case it's got a standard hayman reese one that's probably been on it for 20+ yrs.

In any case, the bolt in question (M12 x 1.25) on the RHS broke off as soon as I tried to make it move so I had the fun job of drilling out what was left late yesterday afternoon and luckily got it to work enough to make a new thread in what's left of the bolt and captive nut. Took 2+ hrs to do it. Hopefully when the new bolt gets tightened it'll be good.

The matching bolt on the other side is actually coming out but it keeps sticking (it's probably got loads of surface rust and dirt on the thread) though it's currently un-done half way and I found a hole in the side of the chassis that allows me to squirt penetrant directly on the thread past the captive nut.

A cpl of weeks ago I took off the two rear bump-stops and one bolt for each came out easy, while the other bolt for each snapped off, so that needs attention. I'll probably have to jack up the vehicle really high at the back, get the wheels off out of the way, and lower the rear axle down as far as I can to get room for a straight-line drill attack.

Old bolts just don't like playing ball.

 

[whaler]

Acetone/ATF 50-50 mix seems to work best. I have soaked bolts in that for days before removing. The key I have found is to go back and forth, loosen, tighten, spray penetrant, repeat. Getting heat on there helps in some cases as well. Gets stubborn rusted bolts out. If I ever feel like Im putting more than normal force on a bolt I stop.

 

[Pin_Head]

Get a welder. Any kind. Weld a nut on the remains and let it cool and it will twist right out. Makes short work of busted bolts.

 

[sunrk]

I don't have anything to do welding though that might have been a good thing to try if I did. Luckily the bolt on the opposite side did come out today but I was really careful to not break it and when it did come out it was very un-pretty. My plug tap re-formed the captive nut thread with Trefolex on it's cutting faces.

The bolt on the side that broke off must have been exposed to more 'environmentals' as I call them - salt air, dirt/mud, salt water, etc. though I might have damaged it with the hammer hits intended to 'shock' the thread bond to try loosening it. The smaller M8 broken-off bolts for the rear bumpstops should be much easier to sort out if I can get straight-line drill access to them.

There are some M6 bolts that broke off not long after I first got the 80 that I have never bothered to try and remove as they're in captive nuts fixed to body panels at the bottom rear corners of the front outer fender panels. Those panels both need to be replaced anyway - just not a high priority.

 

[Comet]

I feel your pain. I got rid of a '95 Jeep YJ just because of the bolts. Everything worked but the thought of having to drill out the nubs really bothered me. That and it is a Jeep instead of my cruiser. MAPP gas seems to work better than propane in the situations you need heat.

 

[Red Merle]

Soak everything underneath in Fluid Film or chainsaw bar oil a couple times per year. It will soak into the fasteners and even extremely rusty ones can be extracted with patience and usually heat. You can then soak the fasteners in acid to eat the rust off and then paint and grease everything with anti seize. As long as you keep applying the oil underneath, the fasteners you have treated will remain easy to remove in the future.

 

[Pin_Head]

Quit screwing around with drills and get a welder. It is just another tool that mechanics need. Even the HF $200 inverter will work and it will do so many more things.

 

[iCruiser]

Second on Fluid Film. Applied it this past weekend for the first time on the LX450. You will feel like an episode of Dirty Jobs spraying the underside on a creeper. Highly suggest doing this on a lift if possible. Also have had great success with Kroil to loosen rusty bolts on the 60. This was a life saver helping remove the socked in air rail and manifold bolts. Seems to work much better than PB.

 

[Proven]

OR...be like me and have an automatic fluid film generator known as pan arch seal failure.

 

[sunrk]

One thing I always do unless strictly specified otherwise (like a requirement to use Loctite, etc.) is install new (or used but re-usable) bolts with copper-grease anti-sieze. Not just stainless stuff, and I replace a *lot* of non-critical small bolts with m6 and m8 304 grade SS ones.

Never done welding personally, but something to consider.

 

[dan1554]

Another vote for heat 'n beat. The other benefit of welding is highly directed heat right into the bolt.

 

[Pin_Head]

It is not just heat. You need to heat it to a temperature above tha A1 phase transition temperature (red hot). The the metal will then shrink when it cools which helps a lot in getting it out.

 

[Proven]

What pin head said...just be sure that you look AROUND the bolt to be heated and ensure you shield anything that could be damaged by prolonged exposure to heat/flame.

 

[baldilocks]

Also made with a LH twist.

Broken screw extractor removal tool The Original Rescue Bit

 

[Tedward]

Another user of copper anti-sieze here. Not stuff that has a critical torque or loctite, but everything else. Makes life so better next time that bolt/nut comes off. Especially if its years down the road. Ih8rust said the guy from Cleveland Ohio.