Silvertarga

Changing out the calipers today (or so I thought)..Started at the left rear and the top was no problem, put my extended 10mm hex socket in the lower and I can tell its stripped

Hit it with PBlast and heat but I think that its beyond using the allen socket in it

Any other tips for removal, I would just saw the head off but dont know how I would get the caliper off after that!

Did do a search and Pblast, WD40 and heat were all I found..

jpar

There should be enough room for small vise grips or pipe wrench. Just make sure you heat it first and then replace the bolt.

Silvertarga

I did try vise grips but they didnt take, I have soaked it in PBlast and let it sit until tomorrow

I will try and secure a small pipe wrench, thanks didnt think of that. I havent tried the other side but I fear that it is the same so it is soaking and I did clean out the heads of the bolts

Open to any other suggestions!!!!

Rocket Rob

Heat is the key. I was helping a friend change his brake rotors and we struggled to get one of the lower bolts off one of the rear calipers. It wouldn't budge even with my impact gun. But when we put my MAPP gas torch on it for 10 minutes, we were able to loosen it. Good luck. Doesn't sound fun.

jpar

Like rob says, you need heat in this situation, its not rusted in, it's just tight. If you don't have one, buy a mapp gas torch at home depot, it comes in very handy.

Rocket Rob

Agreed. I tried using my old propane torch and it didn't provide enough BTUs. I tried heating for 20 minutes without any movement. I then bought a new Bernzomatic TS8000 MAPP torch and tried heating for 10 minutes and it moved.

Be sure to get the TS8000 model not the TS4000. The 8000 costs just a few $$$ more but puts out more BTUs which is what we need in these situations. Mine costs $60 at my local Lowes.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_387416-13877-332497_0__



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Silvertarga

Any tips/cautions/protective measures before I take a torch to this thing?

Rocket Rob

Precautions? Be sure not to aim the flame at any rubber bits like the brake hose. I aimed the flame at the bolt head pointing my flame towards the rear of the car. This put the majority of the heat on the bolt. If the bolt doesn't turn the first time, put more heat on it. This will expand the metal and loosen the threads.

Note: Any PB-Blaster or other penetrating oil that you have sprayed will smoke.

Silvertarga

So far...no good

Despite heating it just wont budge, am giving it copious amounts of PBlast over the next day or so, will heat it up again Monday and see if it wants to break free,,

Jacke2c

I worked in the oil field for several years. He-men had to prove how strong they were by tightening everything _____ _______ tight. PB Blast is great, heat is great, but one thing we always used to do if we found there were some hard bolts would be to put a punch into the center of the bolt and knock the "hello" out of it. Now that you have nearly incapacitated it by turning the right size allen wrench, find the next nearest size up, maybe even SAE, and very lightly grind each of the six sides ever so slightly. The reheat the head of the allen bolt and then drive your newly made ever so slightly oversized allen it into the hex socket. This is usually a last case measure. Do not underestimate the loosening effect of driving hard on the head of the allen several times. The continual heating and cooling cycle that you are engaging in helps and sometimes it will draw the PB blaster in...but you have to remember, you are probably getting little to where it is actually threaded....You will need to spray it from both sides if you can see it. Good luck, I know your frustration. Been there, done that.

Silvertarga

Thanks for all the assistance, problem solved by taking to local garage, put on lift, hammered allen wrench into head of bolt and "poof" its out
I really think the trick is having it on a lift!
'While there I also had the rear shock bottom bolts free'd up as new billies are going on

Vandit

I'm so glad to hear you got this sorted. Stripped/broken bolts and threads are my biggest fear when wrenching.

+1 on the lift. Even jacking my car really high on ESCO jack stands, it is still difficult to get good leverage on many of these super tight fasteners while laying on my back.

One of my lower shock bolts loosened after a minute or two w/ a 350lb electric impact. The other wouldn't budge even after 10 minutes w/ the impact. I ended up putting the breaker bar on the fastener, then using my floorjack to put upward pressure on the bar until the fastener broke loose. I had my wife help pump the jack while I held the socket on the fastener to make sure it didn't slip out.

BigMikeATL

A trick that we used to use in the shop when I was a heavy equipment mechanic in another life .....

Broken bolt or stripped out head: Place a nut on top and weld the center of it to the stud or other head. Poof, brand new head to turn the bolt out. That was also before wire welders with a tiny arc welder rod.

Rocket Rob

Glad you were able to get it out. Its always a big relief to overcome such an obstacle.

Silvertarga

I am pretty sure that the oils, heat and pounding helped as once on the lift it didnt take much to spin them off, after reading all the threads and knowing the rear shock bolts are notorious I decided to get it all done at once

Eagerly awaiting the new hardware (already have anti seize) for new calipers, suspension (lowering it after all these years)
Also doing the slave cylinder and hose, valve adjust etc..

Once I am done I will have a few empty shelves as I have been accumulating replacements for the past few years as I could budget them ..then at the last minute I decided (with the help of the caliper bolt) to use all new hardware.