I just destroyed my torx T-50 bit trying to remove the female ends of my seat belts where the strap connects to the body. None of the heads turned at all and it took a lot of strength to twist that bit. Is there some trick to getting these things out that I don't know?
Pen oil from underneath. Rust is awesome :-\ :P
2nd the penetrating oil, also could try some application of force in the tightening direction first, just a bit, to try and break the threads free, then back the loosening direction. Keep a lot of downward force on the breaker bar head to keep the bit as deep as possible in the bolt, like maybe get a helper to push down while you do the turning, and buy one better grade T-50 torx bit, somethin at least Husky er Crapsman(although I break them, too). If the bolt gets rounded out, you'll have weld a nut to the head of the bolt to be able to get it out, and welding that nut on will require a lot of prep to protect the rest of the interior for ten seconds of zap.
Quote from: txjeeptx on June 24, 2011, 11:41:51 PM
2nd the penetrating oil, also could try some application of force in the tightening direction first, just a bit, to try and break the threads free, then back the loosening direction. Keep a lot of downward force on the breaker bar head to keep the bit as deep as possible in the bolt, like maybe get a helper to push down while you do the turning, and buy one better grade T-50 torx bit, somethin at least Husky er Crapsman(although I break them, too). If the bolt gets rounded out, you'll have weld a nut to the head of the bolt to be able to get it out, and welding that nut on will require a lot of prep to protect the rest of the interior for ten seconds of zap.
x3 and eggcellent info there txjeeptx.
I too have one I can't get out. Someone suggested heating the nut but I didn't want to possibly burn the carpet. I considered grinding or cutting the nut but haven't been able to reach it with the tools I have. I have a nut splitter but it's too small. I would buy a larger one but don't know whether I could reach the nut even then.
When I did it, I destroyed two bits and several bolts. Penetrating oil and rocking the bolt back-and-forth. Hit it squarely and sideways with a small hammer too. Keep working at them and have more patients then I did.
The nut is welded on, so I don't know if splitting is a good idea.
Use an impact wrench.
The quality of the torx bit is what will get you through this. I have stripped more inexpensice bits than I can count, usually ruining the nut too. Penetrating oil is your friend. Of all of them on the market, I have not found anything better than a product called "Mouse Milk" It's in every tool bag I own. Aviation mechanics turned me on to it and I've never ooked back.
Mouse Milk has kept the welder dusty.
Again, try an impact wrench. I had one like this that I struggled with for days until trying an impact wrench and it came out with little difficulty. I may have sprayed it with penetrating oil, but it was the wrench that did it.
A couple rounds of penetrating oil followed be a short blast from an air hammer to help vibrate some of the fluid in there and get the dust out, then a tap of the impact and the bolt will seem to fall out.
As previously stated, IMPACT WRENCH. Sometimes brute force will strip or break bolts, the impact gun will do the trick. Another thing I've been using on rusted bolts is a 50/50 mixture of acetone and transmission fluid instead of Liquid Wrench or WD 40 like some use. This was posted on another car forum so I figured I'd give it a try. Worked way better than the two products listed above and is a whole lot cheaper in the long run. But be careful handling the acetone, it is highly flammable.