4 of the best ways to remove stuck bolts

https://www.youtube.com/embed/J4u928H_qgw

What is the best way to remove rusted hardware?

Grassroots Motorsports Publisher Tim Suddard shows us a few easy techniques to get those bolts loose.

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I have to deal with similarly stuck fasteners daily for work, though for most of them rust is not the issue and some are much bigger than anything on a car.

Some of my favorites not mentioned:

Weld a nut or a bolt to the fastener. One it gives you heat, two it gives you a good purchase for a real wrench.

If it is a stud, I have pairs of vice grips that I welded a nut (various sizes as needed) to, then split the nut. This way you can adjust the vice grips to clamp on the stud without ruining the threads and twist it out (ok, ok...or snap it off).

For the easy out, some times you need to shock the fastener/tool with a hammer as you turn CCW. Tap/whack the end for the easy out while trying to turn it.

Not one of my favorite ways to do it:

Progressively drill the center of the fastener to the root of the threads, you may need a 1/8" end mill in your dremel tool to get there. Then you peel the threads out of the hole with an pick and pliers or start with a GL (ground low) tap and progress to a GH. It works but it berkeleying sucks.

Anyway, we all will get this at some point. Embrace the suck and just do it.

In reply to STM317 :

I just crawled under my car to do endlinks and decided I need an angle grinder.

I was unbolting the brake caliper from the hub on our W123. Can't get an impact on it so I had a long breaker bar. I felt it turn easier then it snapped off. So I finagle a drill with a reverse drill bit in there and to nobody's surprise snap it off. Hardened steel in the middle of the snapped off bolt in the caliper. After hours and many attempts I gave up and went hunting for a junkyard with a w123. Turns out that was easier than removing the bolt.

Could not get the vid to play. For nuts and bolts, I heat and thenpress a candle to the fastener. The wax wicks down the threads and adds some lube to the rusted threads, never failed me yet. 

Best way to get a stuck bolt out? Sell it to someone else.

I watched the video.  When I saw the impact driver come out for this windshield frame my first thought was, "here comes the part where he breaks the glass.". 

I guess that's why I'm an amateur and you are a professional.  

I've found another technique before I use the EZ-out...drill the appropriate size hole with left-handed drill bits, as they drill they are turning the direction the screw needs to come out...often the drill will bite enough into the screw to turn it loose.  

husky450cr said:

I've found another technique before I use the EZ-out...drill the appropriate size hole with left-handed drill bits, as they drill they are turning the direction the screw needs to come out...often the drill will bite enough into the screw to turn it loose.  

I most often get success with the left handed drill bits after penetrating oil and heat have failed me. Oddly the more recent issues I have had on my 20 year old car are more that the heads of the bolts are already unwilling to hold on to the rest of the bolt. With almost no torque they just fall off. I don't even feel any torque rise up to a point to yield. So I have to make grind the remaining shaft flat then make a center point with a dremel bit, penetrating oil, MAP flame, Freeze Off (which has been great as I can hear the parts click and groan), then finally left hand drill and so far they come out. 

I gave up on EZ-outs, as despite watching numerous youtube videos with people getting them to work. I never have had it work for me but once, a loooong time ago. 

Seems to me all an ez-out does is expand the remains tighter into the hole.

I've had some good luck with left handed drill bits, but mostly I get out the oxy-acetylene torch and get it cherry red - haven't had one that would release doing that.

My absolute favorite way is to snap it off and then give a little extra snugga on the other both nearby.

my $0.02

IMO, most people "wait" or "save" the blue wrench for fasteners that fail to come out with other methods.  I  favor using it first.   some metal shielding as needed for overspray.   when wearing my plumber hat, I use a propane torch and IR gun, heat threaded pipe that's near a soldered fitting and nicely corroded if not rusted, to about 200F, cool to 100F, then pipe wrench.

the common denominator here is that heating and cooling parts weakens or breaks the bonds between the parts.  this also works for brake drums or rotors that are rusted to hubs...just heat it stop wasting time/getting frustrated.

if you want to change a ring gear on a flywheel, ver little heat and it will fall right off, as will other press-fit parts.

the blue wrench is the mechanic's scalpel.  (note: I'm a retired surgeon.)

My new induction heater showed up a couple days ago.

I used it on two seized bolts on my neighbors snowmobile last night.

Very, very impressed. This thing is going to pay for itself quickly.

Induction heater makes quick work of semi frame bolts....

I saw an induction heater at SEMA. It was costly. I used it once. I don't care what it cost, it's berkeleying glorious. 

glueguy (Forum Supporter) said:

I saw an induction heater at SEMA. It was costly. I used it once. I don't care what it cost, it's berkeleying glorious. 

Mine was a $300 Amazon unit. We'll see how long it lasts. 

ShawnG said:

glueguy (Forum Supporter) said:

I saw an induction heater at SEMA. It was costly. I used it once. I don't care what it cost, it's berkeleying glorious. 

Mine was a $300 Amazon unit. We'll see how long it lasts. 

I'm on the fence for one of those. 300 is still a chunk of change for something like that. Mainly because it could go towards a TIG setup where I could strike an arc on a nut and achieve the same thing 

This spring I'm refurbishing the suspension on my wife's 2015 allroad with 100k Michigan miles.  Shocks, control arms, etc.  I'm dreading the pinch bolts for the upper ball joints. Everytime I touch the car now I'm spraying penetrating lube on them. I'm going to try the heat first method as well.  

Mine came right out.....but I used an impact wrenc to spin them first!  

ShawnG said:

glueguy (Forum Supporter) said:

I saw an induction heater at SEMA. It was costly. I used it once. I don't care what it cost, it's berkeleying glorious. 

Mine was a $300 Amazon unit. We'll see how long it lasts. 

I am deeply interested. This seems like a tool that, similar to oscillating multi tools, may have more than one use. I can see the hours of time spent setting the "not really hexagonal anymore rust blooming" exhaust manifold nuts off as worth trying this tool, if it cuts that time even in half. 

I see one on Amazon for $180 vs 3 hours of my life. Hmmm

WRT chemistry solutions- has anyone started by clearing the rust out with Evaporust or something similar?  I'm planning on trying that to start with, after wire brushing off the loose stuff.

Trying it out, the induction heater gets a nut on a bolt red hot in less time than it would take to drag the torch, bottles and fire extinguisher over and light it.

No collateral damage is a big plus for me.

A lot of places, I wouldn't be able to get my head with a helmet on and a tig torch into.

ShawnG said:

My new induction heater showed up a couple days ago.

I used it on two seized bolts on my neighbors snowmobile last night.

Very, very impressed. This thing is going to pay for itself quickly.

How much you charging neighbors??

ShawnG said:

Trying it out, the induction heater gets a nut on a bolt red hot in less time than it would take to drag the torch, bottles and fire extinguisher over and light it.

No collateral damage is a big plus for me.

A lot of places, I wouldn't be able to get my head with a helmet on and a tig torch into.

I usually don't drag the fire extinguisher over until the fire starts!