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I thought I would share my method for successfully removing 3 stripped bolts that attach the CV joint to the transmission. As you know, there are 6 bolts that have internal Torx threads. If the Torx driver isn't exactly square on the bolt, it will strip the bolt and at that point, you are screwed. Even if you are square and do everything right, it will still strip sometimes.
I read about using vice grips and bolt extractors. However none of those worked for me. If those work for you, GREAT! Here is what I did.
1. I rotated the rear torsion bar down, by removing each but on each side next to the rear wheels. This will give you room to carry out the next steps.
2. Put the car in neutral and rotate the CV bolt in question to about the 5 o'clock position for the left side, 7 o'clock for
The right side.
3. Put on Parking brake.
4. Take a 15mm closed end wrench and hammer it on the bolt. You will need to use a BFH, a socket and extension to drive it all the way on.
Drive 15mm closed end wrench onto the round head.
5. Now take a wrench and attach it as shown for leverage.
6. Use considerable force and loosen the bolt a little. You will have to release the parking brake, rotate the wheel so the bolt moves toward the bottom a little and reapply the parking brake.
7. Pull the wrenches again to loosen a little more. Repeat until the bolt is loose.
8. Now you need to get the wrench off. You have just swapped one problem for another, because it should be on there real good. You will need vice grips for the next step.
9. The only way I could find to remove the wrench is to take a pair of vice grips and attach as shown, and twist back and forth. Ya know..."wiggle" it off. You might have to get a little violent here.
10. This may take a while, but soon you will have the satisfaction of a "job well done!"
I don't understand why, if you were able to hammer a wrench on there, you couldn't get an exterior bolt extractor on it? In any case, your perseverance ended in a positive result - good job!
They're not torx they're metric triple square, in 27 year wenching I've never stripped one that wasn't already damaged. Well that's not totally true, I've taken apart some pretty nasty stuff from 45 yr/old rusty/crusty VW beetles. Same metric triple square CV bolt in M8.
Big trick is to dig the crap out of the hole before you put the correct metric triple square socket bit in. When you take the time to dig them out the bit will go in deep and shouldn't **** in the hole ever. Then use two hands to be sure you ratchet doesn't ****.
Damaged or totally seized ones the absolute fastest method is vice grips and a MIG welder. Figure out where you're clamping on and weld a little tit to the side of the bolt head, so it hits/grips the VG teeth. For added leverage you can use the VG and the ratchet and turn both at the same time.
Weld just a small bump, not Mt. Everest, because usually too big of a bump will hit the CV boot flange and you'll have to grind it off to spin out the bolt.
Sorry for using the wrong terminology. Sounds like you have been lucky over the past 27 years. As a reference, these were clean. As far as the bolt extractors, the 15mm just fit over the head of the bolts, but just couldn't get them to "dig" in. As soon as they would bite a little, it would give way and slip. Maybe a different set from another. End of would have worked, but I didn't like the idea of spending $35-50 for another set that might not work.
As far as vice grips, I couldn't get enough on the bolt and find the right angle to twist and have them bite enough. They kept slipping. Could be my vice grips were too worn, who knows.
My point of the post wasn't to try and say this is the "right" way. Just the way I ended up having to do it. Necessity is the mother of invention. I didn't want to buy new vice grips, did not want to dig out the welder, get another set of extractors, but wanted to get the nub done fairly quickly and move on. Once I get the process down, each took about 5 min.
If the other ways work for other folks, that is great. This is just another method, should one find themselves in my position.
It becomes incredibly important to purchase the right tools when you're dealing with some of the larger fasteners and/or the ones that require a butt-ton of torque (e.g. the axle nut on the 996 front wheel is a fairly monstrous 340 pound-feet).
Of course, the mother of all 996 parts that love to strip would be the rotor set screws. Hate those little suckers. Runner-up are the caliper bolts, only because Porsche changed the bit from hex to Torx, and I never really know which I'm going to get until the parts shipment arrives.
It becomes incredibly important to purchase the right tools when you're dealing with some of the larger fasteners and/or the ones that require a butt-ton of torque (e.g. the axle nut on the 996 front wheel is a fairly monstrous 340 pound-feet).
Of course, the mother of all 996 parts that love to strip would be the rotor set screws. Hate those little suckers. Runner-up are the caliper bolts, only because Porsche changed the bit from hex to Torx, and I never really know which I'm going to get until the parts shipment arrives.
+1
I always use snapon bits/sockets for those tough or look tough/east to strip fasteners. I bought a snapon hex socket just for the 996 brake caliper bolt because I heard it could strip.
It's really a very small premium to pay compared to the potential headache.
As far as vice grips, I couldn't get enough on the bolt and find the right angle to twist and have them bite enough. They kept slipping. Could be my vice grips were too worn, who knows.
With my tit method you just need the tip of the VG, they slip because they have nothing to stop them from going round . I've even welded on two tit's.
Of course I do have very strong 'old man hands' to clamp them on.
They're not torx they're metric triple square, in 27 year wenching I've never stripped one that wasn't already damaged. Well that's not totally true, I've taken apart some pretty nasty stuff from 45 yr/old rusty/crusty VW beetles. Same metric triple square CV bolt in M8.
Big trick is to dig the crap out of the hole before you put the correct metric triple square socket bit in. When you take the time to dig them out the bit will go in deep and shouldn't **** in the hole ever. Then use two hands to be sure you ratchet doesn't ****.
Damaged or totally seized ones the absolute fastest method is vice grips and a MIG welder. Figure out where you're clamping on and weld a little tit to the side of the bolt head, so it hits/grips the VG teeth. For added leverage you can use the VG and the ratchet and turn both at the same time.
Weld just a small bump, not Mt. Everest, because usually too big of a bump will hit the CV boot flange and you'll have to grind it off to spin out the bolt.
ok. Mine are stripped from previous owner or dealer. I was going to use TORX but Bentley and 101 guide say Hex. No mention of "metric triple square". I have 8mm and it is slipping. Not much crud to dig out. Finding it difficult to get socket took on square as rubbing against boot. Shock is in the way to get straight on. Remove shock? Remove all hardware to get on it square and tight?
Go to Harbor Freight and get a set of triple square, L shaped wrenches. The shape is the same as a conventional alan key but has triple square ends. Then use a small pipe if you have to. That might work. The other option is to use a ratchet and a triple square socket. You might have to rotate the CV joint until you find a spot that lets you use it. I removed mine without disconnecting the shocks.
I always use snapon bits/sockets for those tough or look tough/east to strip fasteners. I bought a snapon hex socket just for the 996 brake caliper bolt because I heard it could strip.
It's really a very small premium to pay compared to the potential headache.
03-14-2017, 12:28 AM
How to remove stripped CV bolt on 996
