Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (August 2010, week 2)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Mon, 9 Aug 2010 18:57:27 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Well so far it's beat me. >:-(
Comments: To: Courtney Hook <courtneyhook@SHAW.CA>
In-Reply-To:  <B69E1E1527A345359B6D4DE451565CF1@MAINCOMPUTER>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 06:27 PM 8/9/2010 Monday, Courtney Hook wrote: >2) Vice Grips on outside - just spun around the bolt even though I >reefed them on there as hard as I could, and checked I had clearance >to spin the grips. No way. >3) Took a cold chisel and ridged the outside circumference to get >the vice grips to bite better instead of spinning. No way, still spun. :-(

On the bolt -- I think welding might be the best answer -- make sure that your ground doesn't go through any bearings, or at least any you're planning on keeping.

Your Visegrips didn't work because they're fairly soft, I expect. You might try the smaller of the two that are specifically designed to grasp hex nuts without marring them -- they have a vee on one jaw and a nub on the other. If you really reef them down they can apply remarkable pressure and just might succeed. Putting some tension on the bolt while tapping moderately with a light hammer will often succeed either immediately or after a wearying time. Putting tension on while freezing the bolt may very well succeed -- use "Dust-Off" type spray and hold the can upside down so it feeds liquid. Ultimate temp can get to -20F or better.

See if there's a Torx-series bit that you can drive into the hole. I've had surprisingly good luck with that sometimes.

On fluids -- PB Blaster has a much better reputation than WD40 as a penetrant. Many machinists swear by a mixture of acetone and ATF. Acetone is pretty nasty stuff -- very flammable, very volatile and will suck the oil right out of your hands. Heating the joint and applying paraffin wax is favored by some.

There exist sockets which are meant to remove mangled nuts -- sort of the inside out of an EZ-out. I used to own some -- larger than you need -- and they were very effective. Apparently someone else thought so too. Dunno if they come small enough, but check with your local Snap-On or Matco guy.

Any kind of shock loading is very effective on unsticking bolts. You might try grooving the head with a Dremel and using a hand impact wrench with a flat bit.

>4) Threw a temper tantrum and spoke in tongues I learned in the >Army. Wife not impressed. Me either.

Silly man. These are German bolts and only respond to German swearing, and only the highest quality of that.

Good luck, David


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.