Date:         Fri, 8 Dec 2006 16:41:57 -0600
Reply-To:     John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Subject:      Re: Help removing stripped CV joint bolts
Comments: To: chris <chris@MCCLURKEN.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <1165597166.10752.7.camel@chris-desktop>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

You have gotten some good advice on means to try and get those out.
Here's a more violent approach.

Before all else, however, practice the G.M. Bulley rule - tap the bolt
head with a hammer - or a hammer and drift  - as if to drive a nail -
200 times. Don't strike so hard as to damage the metal, but hit it. Then
attempt to back it out. If it doesn't move - hit it another 200 times,
then try again. If it still doesn't move, then it is time to move on to
the next method.

If you can't turn the bolt  - it simply won't come out - then  get a bit
one size larger than the bolt and drill down through the bolt head..
This will snap the bolt head off. Once the offending bolt(s) is/are
headless, there should be enough wiggle to allow the axle to be moved
and the CV pulled back over the bolt stubs.  There should be enough of a
stub sticking out to get on it with vice grips or stud removal tool.

If that doesn't work, get yourself a set of "Ez-outs". By the
instructions, drill down through the bolt, insert the "Ez-Out" bit and
back the bolt out.

If that fails, you are down to drilling out the bolt with a slightly
undersized bit and then rethreading the hole.

These latter methods are  pretty extreme measures but are the last
resort. kinds of efforts.

Regards,

John Rodgers
88 GL Driver


chris wrote:
> Anyone out there know of a tool for stuck/stripped/rounded out CV Joint
> bolt? I'm swapping the transmission on my 85 GL and I've found a
> nightmare or stripped bolts. The outside of the bolts look kind of
> threaded which makes me think whoever messed with them last used a
> tool...but I have no idea what.
>
> Suggestions appreciated...
>
> Thanks,
> Chris
> Nashville, TN
> 85 Vanagon GL manual
>
>