The Bolts from Hell...
 

Pics will be up sooner or later, but I bought a pair of short tails from someone on the forum. They arrived last night, and my friend and I attempted to install them, seen a video, only the midpipe-rear section connection and exhaust hanger removal, then reverse for installation, done.

So I spy some rusted studs, clean nuts on the midpipe and rear section connection. Try to unbolt one. Doesn't work, rusted, makes sense.

Spray PB Blaster. Wait 5 minutes. Nothing. Mind you I'm still using hand tools.

Spray more PB Blaster. Wait 10 minutes. Tap the bolt a few times with the ratchet. Attempted, got nothing. Frustration builds, but still patient, having dealt with rust before.

Spray even more PB Blaster, on all the connections for the exhaust. 4 studs and nuts. 10 minutes later with constant tapping, I try again, to no avail. Even heated them with a lighter (not much heating going on there... lol).

Frustrated enough that I spent about 50 minutes trying to turn a single bolt, I thought about some research I did before I replied to a thread here. Someone did a homebrew of autotranny fluid and acetone, 50/50.

I went to Walmart, bought some ATF meant for pre2006 ATs. Not a big deal, I figure. Buy some acetone from the painting tools section.

I mix them half and half (it's really an odd looking concoction, almost like a strawberry smoothie or something; wouldn't recommend drinking). I saturate the bolts using half of a soda can. Still nothing following the next 30 minutes. I figure I'll try it later, so I properly heat them, drove about 20 minutes in decent weather (75 F) and went WOT a few times. You might call it spirited.

I haven't tried to turn a wrench on it since the drive. I am asking around for air tools later today and into the weekend. Who knew that installing short tails would be such a headache!?

Any suggestions from anyone? You know, besides finding air tools.

Galvanic corrosion my friend..an excited car enthusiast with some new hardwares worst enemy!

I ended up having to cut the bolt heads out and drill the body of the bolt out and just replace the bolt. I had a buddy who had great success with driving the heck out of the car for awhile to heat the bolts up and then trying.

*** Nevermind - I see you already tried driving the car to heat the bolts.

Since the driving around I haven't turned on them. I'm going to WOT like crazy on the way back. Maybe I can get them to crack.

Since the car has been stock for three years and 11.5K miles, I'm willing to bet the stud and the surrounding metal have become fused... essentially a solid piece of metal. There's still a good coating of the homebrew penetrant so maybe I can just bury the throttle and get lucky... otherwise I'm gonna have to find some advice about how to drill out the bolts.

I've got a weekend free before more work comes my way, so I might just continually soak the bolts in penetrant. 24 hour working time!

Also, 24 Heures du Mans. Yes.

Use some real heat, driving around or using a lighter will never work. Acetylene torch, propane or butane torch to heat until glowing will do wonders for rusted nuts/bolts.

Power tool :confused:

get a long regular wrench, not a socket. Put it on the bolt and precede to beat the **** out of it with a hammer. Thats how I got mine off. Make sure you use the closed side and dont strip it! WD 40 was all I needed.

low tech way is after you blast it with WD40 or the like, use a small hammer and tap at the bolt. that usually breaks the rust free.

then put a closed wrench on the nut, use a mallet (wear goggles) and tap at the wrench real good hitting it counter clockwise. should work just as good as a small capacity impact.

also i recommend you get a 18v impact driver. 150lbs/ft is more than plenty to do most work. for heavy duty you'll want a higher capacity unit, preferrably airtools as the wrench itself is much smaller and easier to access suspension bolts, etc. i dont have air tools (due to stupid HOA rules for noise) but no issue with the 18v and breaker bars.

Bigger wrenches or at least a torque multiplier.

I haven't met a bolt I couldn't break loose, or snap off, with some PB blaster and 1/2" sockets. Even with normal wrenches, it's not that hard.

the issue here is he needs burst power (impact), not so much torque.

and watch, the bolt head will break off. :rofl2: do at your own risk. :tup:

The torch idea seems like a last resort, which you have come to I'm afraid. Good luck.

I hope I do not encounter this type of problem next month when installing my exhaust and HFC. I do not have as much patience. I will break something.

Do all your mods in the first month of ownership! Avoid the problem! lol :stirthepot:

Get a set of grip-tite sockets and at least a 1/2" breaker bar. I used 3/4", but I know not everyone has a set that large. Find a pipe to go over the 1/2" breaker bar to extend the leverage of it.

:icon17:

:iagree: Same thing happened to me... I just cut the bolt heads off

As others stated, impact wrench... or you could try a breaker bar but you won't have much room in a driveway or garage.

All else fails take it to a shop... should take them 15 minutes to do the entire install.

Second on the take it to a shop recommendation. In my quest to own a Z, I am trying to sell my Eclipse, which needed to go back stock. The CBE had been on it almost a decade, so no way I was going to attempt that in my driveway. Worth every penny of the $50 a local shop charged to put the stock exhaust back on for me.

If I correctly added up the times you listed in the OP, you waited a total of 25 minutes or so for the PB to work. Try liberally spraying on the PB and let it soak in overnight. If that doesn't work, then move on to the more drastic measures that others have listed.

Oh, and you could always try driving the car to a local mechanic or muffler shop and have them crack the bolts for you with their air tools...

Good luck!

Whoa!

Good to see all the response from the community. I was expecting a few posts, but not this many. Maybe I'll have enough rep...

Well, the PB Blaster and ATF/Acetone mixture has been soaking for over 20 hours now, so maybe I can get it to crack tonight. Otherwise, I will look up getting a torch. I've already tried everything besides an impact tool, which included impact with my arm using a socket driver, rubber mallet with a closed head wrench, an 18" breaker bar, an 18" breaker bar with another foot long cheater bar, small ball peen hammer to tap at the bolt, and steady torque.

I have been weary to try anything since I have almost stripped one bolt. It isn't too bad but it's starting to round a bit. I've since used only a six point socket.

It has been quite a while since the PB Blaster and ATF/Acetone was applied, so on the drive back, I guess I will attempt to heat the car as much as possible. I will get myself a torch just in case it comes to that.

I could try my butane cigar lighter torch... I've used it to spark bricks before (on top of actually lighting a cigar).

You could also try a heat gun, I bought mine from Harbor Freight for about $15, and it heats up to 1500 degrees. Keep that on there for a few minutes and it might help you out. Otherwise everyone else's advice has been spot on.

The ultimate result:

I bought a torch and a tube of MAP/PRO fuel from Lowe's. Heated each nut and bolt repeatedly until they glowed red hot... repeated several cycles, then attached a wrench and hammered the wrench.

It took two hours to remove all the bolts but I was able to knock them all off, leaving me with a couple of blood blisters and a new axleback that sounds phenomenal. All said and done, three hours on the dot.

I am now convinced that when available, torch + hammer + wrench = results.

Heat it and beat it has never failed for my built wrangler 's' box. Northeast winters, salt and mud are a modders worst nightmare. Glad to hear slow and steady won the race.

If you use QUALITY tools you should only have to use a breaker bar with a pipe slid over it for the extra torque. Use a 6 point socket such as an impact socket. Make sure the socket is square on the bolt.

This is what I use

http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/...0233638893.jpg

http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/...0233611976.jpg

This is what I used for under $30 since you feel you have started to round off heads. These will work better than any 6pt socket. GRIP TITE socket set

http://www.the370z.com/attachment.ph...1&d=1339866954

I might as well revive this because only recently, my friend rounded off some head studs in his LGT motor. Being head studs, they're 12 point. Any recommendations? Since they are head studs, impact or lubrication won't matter much, just pure torque and actual grip on the head of the bolt.

ive not seen a 12 point... maybe something like this might work instead?

Craftsman Bolt-Out Damaged Bolt/Nut Remover Set Reviews - Craftsman Community