Date:         Thu, 1 Jul 2004 11:45:12 -0400
Reply-To:     Tim Demarest <tim.demarest@POBOX.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Tim Demarest <tim.demarest@POBOX.COM>
Subject:      Re: Metal coolant bypass pipe
Comments: To: Daniel Erlandson <danoer1@ECLIPSE.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <FDC1D754-CB06-11D8-82B5-0050E425E112@eclipse.net>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

Dan,

         I didn't have a problem with those bolts, but had a similar
problem where the lower pipe attached to my driver's side head. I ended up
cutting off the pipe so I had enough room to get a vice grip on the bolt
and spin it (the pipes were bad enough that I was replacing 'em all anyway).

         Dunno if that will work for you, since you have the bad luck to be
working in an even less accessible area... I had to cut about a
quarter-inch off my allen wrench just to get in there.

         If you can point a big screwdriver at it, maybe cutting a slot in
the head with a dremel will let you get some leverage?

Good luck!

Tim


At 10:33 PM 6/30/2004 -0400, Daniel Erlandson wrote:
>Well... Tried to fix the pin hole leak, but it was on the corner of the
>pipe and maybe there was more than one, but for whatever the reason I
>couldn't stop the drip, so with the part arriving today from Ken and
>borrowing a car from a friend for my wife,  I decided to take the
>plunge.  Everything went fine... drained the coolant, detached all of
>the rubber hoses that attach to this beast, got the top hex bolt off,
>and then the bottom hex bolt which attaches this pipe to the water pump
>wouldn't come off.  The hex socket just spun...rounded corners inside
>the hex bolt... blame myself for not being more careful last year when
>I did a head gasket job and taking the time, spending the $ to replace
>this damn thing, (did the water pump, but no, I had to reuse this
>rusted pipe...smart...anyway...  I've pulled off the belts and pulley
>for the water pump to see if I could get a vise grip on the bolt, I can
>(barely) but can't move it.  Thinking I might try grinding the head
>off, but it looks like my 4 1/2 " angle grinder is too big.  Maybe
>drilling the head off from the side?  I did try knocking a 1/4" hex
>socket into the head of the 6mm (I think) allen bolt, but it just
>seemed to spin as well.  Any suggestions?  I'm done for the day and
>will make another attempt tomorrow after work.
>
>Dan Erlandson