I love every description I've read on removing the turbo. ".. AND DON'T STRIP THE ALLEN HEAD RETAINING BOLTS..." Well you know of course what I did. Stipped'm both .. mainly caused by current owner stupidity.

I'm now trying to think through my options on what to do next Anybody have any war stories they can share?

I'll have to replace both bolts. Do I have to pull the steering rack to get them out?

 

Not stupid...becoming fairly typical as these cars continue to age.

Cut'em
Replace 'em
...and cuss the entire time.

BTW...no you don't

 

I had to remove the steering rack from the mount in order to get the long bolt out of the mount. Is the hex completley toast? I have had luck sometimes hammering the allen hey in to insure as much engagement as possible even after i thought the hex was a goner.

If nothing works, i would drill the heads off the bolts, the turbo can then be removed with the studs still attached. You may be able to get a vice grip on the head of the long bolt and use that as leverage, but their is not much space around the top most bolt to do that. I would also remove both the sway bar and the steering rack to get the maximum amount of room to work.

Its a good idea to replace those bolts regardless.

 

Not necessary to remove the rack or unbolt it to unmount the turbo...however, removing the actual bolt may require it. I've found it to be very hard to get the long bolt out with the rack in place. Had anyone actually got both bolts out, without ever touching the steering rack?

 

it can be done with a wobble socket quite nicely

 

Also try hammering in a torx socket into the bolt. Ive had luck with that on other stripped allen bolts. Also see if you can get some heat on the bolt to try and get it to loosen up in the turbo. Some MAP gas heat for 20 min or so should do the trick.

 

you cant pull the bolt all the way out if the stearing rack in. order new ones there so much beter

 

Go with grade 12 bolts, you will thank me next time you have to take them out!

 

It's a frequent mishap, mostly because it's hard to get a straight shot at the bolts, the hex socket must be at a perfect 90 degree angle into the allen head otherwise it will strip. I also found that the four bolts securing the steering rack to the crossmember need to be taken out to move the rack forward a tiny bit, just enough to get a straight fit into the turbo bolts. Clarks Garage recommends tapping around the bolts and into the heads using a long screwdriver and hammer.

I removed one of these turbo bolts using a socket that cuts through the edges of the bolt to grab it tight, all automotive hardware stores carry these tool sets (designed for this specific purpose) and it's always useful to have a set in the garage when working on 20+ year old cars.

Regards,
Chris

 

On a manual rack you can get it out without touching the rack, but not power.

If you use a long extension and go between the tie rod and the crossmember it is a straight shot to the long bolt. If you do strip one, you can get it out with a craftsman bolt out kit.

Get a set of snap on allen socket bits and a set of snap on triple square/cheesehead bits, and you will never strip a bolt head again. Cheap bits cause major frustration later.

 

screw the wobbly allen heads - they will either snap off or round the bolt. use a good hardened allen head socket and a universal joint type drive.
Yes, as other posters have said - the rack will have to come off to remove the long bolt.

 

I snapped an allen socket off in one of my mounting bolts over the winter. Snapped off flush, couldn't get it out. A die grinder took care of it, not easy, but the job got done.

 

Here is what worked for me, the deflection on the ratchet was downright impressive before the bolts finally came loose. For the bottom bolt, it helped to rotate the steering wheel a little bit so the steering shaft u-joint was out of the way.

 

Resurrecting the thread for additional/important information.

Cutting/drilling off the bolt heads on the turbo mounting bolts doesn't quite completely work, and here's why: Yes, cutting/drilling off the allen head bolts will allow you to pull up the turbo, but only slightly (about a 1/2"-3/4"); the compressor housing bottom bolt will impact the mounting surface on the motor mount as the bolts (which are still attached) force you to pull the turbo straight up.

What you can do is use a pair of needle nose locking pliers and slowly unscrew the right-side bolt (as you face the turbo) from the turbo. Aside from a saint's dose of patience and dexterity, you will need to pull the turbo up as far as possible (again the bottom compressor housing bolt will impact the motor mount) and slowly 1/10th of a turn by 1/10th of a turn unscrew the bolt which will allow you to drop the bolt down through the mount, pop the turbo up, and bring the right side forward. Once you do this, you can pull the left side up and remove the sucker.

Just make sure you practically submerge the threads with PB blaster fluid before you begin - no matter how you approach the stripped bolts.

I've pulled and replaced entire motors in the time it took me to accomplish just the above task! It's a test of patience, but very gratifying once completed.

 

Hammer in a torx bit. Lart has probably pulled more old turbos than most of us and he swears by this trick. The steering rack should be loosened and pulled forward so you can get a straight shot at the long one.