Hi,

I am building a BEC MK Indy, started stripping things out now and well under way.

Some things just will not come off though, loads of rusty bolts etc keep rounding off. How have others overcome the problems, cause I dont really fancy grinding bolts off around all of this petrol etc...

I think you might need to be a little more specific with which bolts won't come undone. There's not really a generic fix- it's on a case by case basis as to which method would be more suitable.

If you're that worried about grinding then first thing to do is remove the tank!

Whilst you're waiting for replies though... go and soak the stiff ones with another attack of WD40 so it'll have a little more time to soak in.

Cheers,
James

[Edited on 5/8/05 by James]

I find there are several ways to free rusty bolts etc. The main thing is to have a decent socket set. The ones that grip the sides not the corners are best (six point not 12)

Sometimes a bit of persuasion with a hammer and cold chisel is the way forward - particularly if you are replacing the nuts and bolts anyway.

Penetrating oils are not great unless you have the patience to let them soak in for days

Heat is often a good helper but as you say if there is petrol about then go carefully!

HTH

Mark

if im having problems removing nuts i usually just get a suitably sized flat head screwdriver and hammer it into the head of the bolt and try turning that way, or for nuts just try and get the screwdriver a purchase on the side of the nut first then use this notch to try and tap it round with a hammer.

on the oposite scale to that apply some heat the whatever the female thread is in, this is a last resort for me though

Also you may like to try tightening the bolt up first to try to crack the seal. It doesn't need to move much but sometimes moves enough to free it off. Keep working it back and forth until it snaps... I mean undoes nicely!

There are special penetrating oils that work much better than WD40 - try Plus Gas or Lusol - these work well

If you can get in, wire brush the top where the thread shows before you apply plus gas or duck oil as the rust binds the thread when it starts to loosen and gets further up the bolt.

Plus Gas works for me, along with hammers and a good dose of f'ing and blinding

My best cock up when stripping my Sierra was trying to drive the last long bolt out of the diff/subframe with a long socket extension and a hammer - managed to get the socket extension well and truly stuck in the diff

The someone pointed out that whole subframe was only held on with 3 bolts - it was sooo much easier with the whole lot out from under the car

Nick

I think the best answer is an air impact wrench. They are not that expensive anymore, and they are very very handy!

i got a little hydraulic nut splitter, works a treat.
Mike

Can also use impact wrench sockets even if you don't have an air wrench. Best fit possible and VERY strong walls.

I often use my torque wrench as a breaker bar for getting stuff off.

A trick for screws with iffy heads is to use visegrips to turn the shaft of a screwdriver while leaning hard on it.

a 6 sided socket hammered on always works for me, and ive busted a lot of sierras recently Use a set of impact sockets even if you dont have an air wrench, they're nice and strong.

Skip the WD40 and get a good quality penetrating oil. They can be somewhat expensive compared to cheap oils, but it's amazing what they can do! Get recommendations from local mechanics if needed to see what they use. I use Kroil, and it's worth every penny.