Arrrrrghhhhh!!!!! It was supposed to be a quick job.

garboui · Sep 12, 2012

Today I leave work hoping to get 2 things done on the car before the sun sets. That was rear sway bar body mount bushings, endlink and both front endlins along with the belt tensioner assembly.

So get started on the rear end. first sway bar body mount bolt, comes out no problem. The second, SNAP! the head snaps off flush with the welded nut on the backside of the mount. The other two surprisingly not much grief.

Now the problem, my easy outs are at work (20min drive) screw it ill try the 'gra-bit' extrators. After some heating and such the screw extractors only manage to get about two turns out. Now go down to crappy_T and pick of another set of easy outs. Well that solution came to a grind real quick as i managed to snap the cheap fooking **** eating MasterCrap asstool easy out in the bolt real quick.

So now what? Im a little stumped as i cant drill at the extractor any and theres not enough clearance to get at the other side of the nut to try and twist the bolt through (i kinda wish i had a set of right hand easy outs).

Any suggestions on how I can go about fixing this? Pics below of the f-up.

garboui · Sep 12, 2012

just tried plug welding a nut, well see how that works out when it cools a bit

garboui · Sep 12, 2012

well ill be. its actually worked!

jkeyser14 · Sep 12, 2012

Do this, but instead of it being a tap it's your broken bolt:

http://www.engineeringhobbyist.com/projects/completed/broken_tap_removal/index.html

jkeyser14 · Sep 12, 2012

garboui said:
well ill be. its actually worked!

You beat me by a few seconds. I've used this trick many times before.

garboui · Sep 12, 2012

lol except mine wasnt so pretty, well back to work!

Piper · Sep 12, 2012

One of the other things I think that helps this situation is the fact that the welding process causes a fair amount of heat to be created. The heat, by my way of thinking, also helps to break the rust seal as well. I've used this trick and just after welding the nut to the top of the broken part immediately cooled the whole area with cold water. This method of part removal works well but you just have to make sure you don't weld the broken part to the rest of the area..ask me how I know about THAT!

skyking · Sep 12, 2012

I have done this many times myself. The heat helps loosen it .I also spray it immediatly after welding with wd-40 , the capillary action will **** the penetrant into the threads.

garboui · Sep 12, 2012

ok, now for another. After getting the rear buttoned back up the front links gave me some problems. The top nuts came off fine though the bottoms both rounded in the 5mm allen that holds the stud from turning. The allen key was even seated completely.

I have tried to drill them off though not enough clearance, even with a short bit. my only thought right now if to lop them off via angle grinder from the back sides of the mount. Unfortunately ill have to wait till tomorrow to make that much noise.

jetmech09 · Sep 13, 2012

get a 90 degree drill. heat up your allen key a bit before using it. Use kroil. try an american size slightly bigger. get a bolt, stick head into allen key, use vise grips. or two nuts, or weld the bolt into the allen and use vise grips, or 2 nuts, or weld a nut. etc. etc. USE VALVE GRINDING COMPOUND ON YOUR ALLEN KEY.

garboui · Sep 13, 2012

Well, no amount of kroil would have gotten it off. I ended cutting off the endlink oin the backside then grinding off the flange till i could pry it out. Pic of the offender below.

When installing the new links it became apparent why any penetrant would have stood a chance. Honda ships the set of endlinks and the 4 nuts that hold them on. Not all 4 nuts are equal though, two are interference locking and the other two are normal. It still strikes me as something odd that they would only put the locking nut on the LCA connection and not the SB.

Professur · Sep 13, 2012

heat is always the right answer. If you're going to splash cold water on hot steel tho ... wear a face shield. If hot steam doesn't scare you, spalling shards of rust and metal should.

Zeke · Sep 13, 2012

There is really no reason to spray water on a red hot bolt. ATF is much better. Personally, I use PB Blaster but only because I always seem to have some around.

ra42mario · Sep 13, 2012

don't get to frustrated. Even in a professional setting with all the goodies we still have to hit the nuts with mapp gas torch (takes to long too roll out the torch cart) then put in the allen/torx key and turn the nut with a wrench. 75% of the time we end up having to grind them off anyways.

ra42mario · Sep 13, 2012

PB blaster just dissolves on a hot bolt/nut. I've never seen it "loosen" up a really stuck bolt in all my years. But then again, I live in the Great Lakes area. Our rust and the rest of the countries rust are two different things

gpalmer77 · Sep 13, 2012

Use Aerokroil. Way better than PB Blaster.

garboui · Sep 13, 2012

ra42mario said:
75% of the time we end up having to grind them off anyways.

I skipped straight to this route, I figured I had a 70% change of getting it off in a less destructive manner but i figured jumping straight to the angle grinder was some good time mitigation.

On the other hand, ive always contemplated picking up a set of nut-busters for times like these. Do these even work all that well?

http://www.princessauto.com/pal/product/2919587/Nut-Splitters/2-pc-Nut-Splitter-Set

volvo · Sep 13, 2012

..
I am assuming you are using air impact tools?

CaseyJoes. · Sep 14, 2012

garboui said:
On the other hand, ive always contemplated picking up a set of nut-busters for times like these. Do these even work all that well?

http://www.princessauto.com/pal/product/2919587/Nut-Splitters/2-pc-Nut-Splitter-Set

Yes, I even just used one tonight. In some situation its a very good option and does not take very long. This is especially true if you not worried about hurting the threads of the bolt/stud.

garboui · Sep 14, 2012

volvo said:
..
I am assuming you are using air impact tools?

Not possible with endlinks since the studs need to be held with an allen key in tne center.

Kevin54 · Sep 14, 2012

I agree with Zeke, use some ****** fluid instead of WD or PB. Besides that, PB Blaster smells too bad. If I use that in the garage, it will stink for days.

Dmaxman · Sep 14, 2012

Links are pain in the ****. At the shop i just put a slice or two down each nut with the torch and then hit with the air hammer and they fall right off. Sometimes there is enough meat to grab between the mount and the link boot with vice grips to hold it from turning and since they are being changed you don't care about tearing the rubber.

purplezr2 · Sep 14, 2012

garboui said:
Not possible with endlinks since the studs need to be held with an allen key in tne center.

Some times if you hit it with a gun they come right off. No need to hold the center.

Another trick is to pound a pickle fork between the joint and the mount to create friction on the ball. Then hit it with the impact and they will come right apart.

ourkid2000 · Sep 14, 2012

I live in the salt capital of the world.....they actually pre-salt the roads here in anticipation of snow. It's so messy.

Did my stab links a few months ago (6yr old car) and I actually didn't have any trouble. I sprayed them down with Kroil and let it sit for about 20 mins. Then after I got the car up and wheels off, before I did anything, I got my MAPP torch out and heated the be-jesus out of the nut. Then sprayed with Kroil again and started removing. It would start to back off and then seize up as it cooled. I just hit it again with heat and Kroil. The ol' Allen key was getting pretty hot even through my gloves!

Took about 3 applications of this technique and it all came apart no problem. Anti seize on everything with the re-install. Hopefully next time it won't be difficult.

Capt Chrysler · Sep 14, 2012

Had the same problem on the wifes Trailblazer a couple of weeks ago. Die grinder and a cut off wheel, cut the joint side off and tapped the rest out the hole. Son looks at me like what the hell are you doing? End of link problem.

Capt. Chrysler

Arrrrrghhhhh!!!!! It was supposed to be a quick job.

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