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Date:         Tue, 29 Dec 2009 17:00:25 -0800
Reply-To:     Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject:      Re: triple square axle bolts information for newbie
Comments: To: Bobby Brown <bobbybrown1@GMAIL.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=original

you lucked out with that cheap socket trick, and .....it might have been the beating on of the socket that enabled to bolt to turn.

always, always, take a nice solid punch or drift, and give each CV joint screw several firm sharp 'whacks' with a hammer on the punch or drift. This has a huge affect in getting the screws 'ready' to unscrew. It has such a big affect, that after giving a bolt 10 hard sharp whacks, and feeling that the allen part will strip if I turn to hard, I give it ten more whacks and try again. and if it still feels like it will strip, then ten more sharp whacks .... eventually it will unscrew very nicely.

the other trick I use is to unscrew them with a cold chisel hammered into the edge of the screw in an 'unscrew' direction. Need a not too sharp, but properly dull cold chisel, don't want to cut into the metal, just metal, just make a nice dent in it that the chisel can push against. This works really well too, but always give 'em lots of very sharp whacks ( not thuds, whacks ) firsts. for the outer cv joint screws, I have a 14 inch long cold chisel that works just great. For the inners, a regular length one. but whack whack whack first, always.

I read about late model GM head bolts breaking off in the block rather than unscrewing. The recommended trick was to first give them each several sharp hard whacks with a big drift and hammer. Huge affect, that trick.

Scott www.turbovans.com

----- Original Message ----- From: "Bobby Brown" <bobbybrown1@GMAIL.COM> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Tuesday, December 29, 2009 2:04 PM Subject: triple square axle bolts information for newbie

>I know I am probably rehashing known issues for old-timers, but for newbie > (like me), I just wanted to give me opinion about the triple square axle > bolts. > > Came time to swap out my drive axles, as they had started to make noise > and > I am (like many) restoring a unknown condition van. > > I had some new triple squares on hand, if needed. > > The 'outer' bolts were hex bolts, so I was glad I had the new triples to > replace. > > One (1) bolt stripped the head coming out. Last bolt (doesn't it always > work > like that?). > > My Vanagon expert buddy who let me borrow his lift to do this job was > really > concerned. He finally figured out the following trick to get it out, > because > the van would otherwise be stuck on his lift and he has paying customers > to > take care of or I would be "re-installing" a known bad axle. > > He put a 12pt, 12mm cheap chrome socket on the end of a 4 inch (or so) > extension and beat the socket onto the outside of the stripped bolt. We > said > a prayer and with a hand ratchet slowly backed that joker out. A couple of > high fives later, and the new axle was in. > > > > -- > Bobby Brown


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