Weak girly hands...

ProDarwin wrote: Not sure if its been said.... Oxy torch. A f@#$ ton of heat will make almost any bolt easier to extract.

mndsm wrote: Also, in a pinch, I have been known to hork the handle out of my floor jack and use that. it's 4 feet long, it works well.

Really great suggestions!

I liquid wrenched the heck out of the bolts and sliders...found that I could actually slide the seats about four more inches forward than before...between trusty LW and the breaker bar, the RX7 bolts and seats are free!

Also, I have no more excuses...I need to finally bolt in my daily GTX's passenger seat... ;)

Be careful using your floor jack handle as a cheater. You will hate life if you bend it.

93gsxturbo wrote: Be careful using your floor jack handle as a cheater. You will hate life if you bend it.

Dude - how cheap is your floor jack? I've never even gotten close!

Keith wrote: Every single mechanic who's performed that trick in front of me always says "you shouldn't do this, but..." I do the same

Same here. Same... exact... thing...

tuna55 wrote:

Keith wrote: Every single mechanic who's performed that trick in front of me always says "you shouldn't do this, but..." I do the same

Same here. Same... exact... thing...

I double wrench all the time.

ya ummm i do not see me bending my floorjack handle..... this is probably 10g steel....... and double wrenching i think everyone does. but ya when customers saw me do it i would also say dont do this.

KATYB wrote: ya ummm i do not see me bending my floorjack handle..... this is probably 10g steel....... and double wrenching i think everyone does. but ya when customers saw me do it i would also say dont do this.

Yup, it all depends on who's watching.

And anything torqued/rusted enough that I'd bend the floorjack handle..I'd probably break out the cutting wheel long before it got to that point. Yes, I have anger problems..cutting that BMW E3 M36 off helps solve them.

First decide if the offending bolt or nut must be reused. If you really need to keep them, all or the previous applies.

When you don't need the bolt or nut then the real WMD can be used. A cutting torch is obvious as well as the arc attachment for a stick welder. You can also drill out the flat of a nut and crack it with a cold chisel. Drill opposite flats and it comes off in two pieces. When I could not drill from the side I used a small drill along the bolt to remove the side of the nut.

Once I had to take the cap off a very large bearing and didn't have my real tools along. I went to the local dollar store and bought a set of 1" to 2 ½” box/open wrenches for $10 or so. I put the 1 ½” box end on the nut and pulled as hard as I could. The wrench moved but the nut did not. I had turned a straight box/open wrench into an offset box/open. I laughed and went and got the real tools. The 1 1/2 slugging wrench loosened the nut without a problem.

FWIW - Lyme disease has forced me into the weak girly hands club. My female friend and massuse has stronger hands than me.

car crash did it for me... broke both wrists ... ( 1998 ) still don't have much in the way of grip.... ( yeah go ahead and think of all the things you can't do if you have 2 broken wrists.... )

Lots of good suggestions! One trick I have used a few times (you need good access to do this): put a box end wrench over the bolt head, pull on the wrench in the direction of removal, then hit the top of the fastener with a hammer. Obviously do not use this on a stud/nut combination since it will mushroom the stud tip, thus multiplying your problems.

I had a bud who was an air cooled VW freak, he introduced me to the Torquemeister.

The tool:

How it works:

There are other versions out there, mostly used on heavy equipment.

looks similar to this lug nut removal tool

http://www.sears.com:80/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM737203501P?blockNo=2&blockType=G2&prdNo=2&i_cntr=1309622378651

Curmudgeon wrote: Lots of good suggestions! One trick I have used a few times (you need good access to do this): put a box end wrench over the bolt head, pull on the wrench in the direction of removal, then hit the top of the fastener with a hammer. Obviously do not use this on a stud/nut combination since it will mushroom the stud tip, thus multiplying your problems.

The "short sharp shock" trick is key to getting the halfshafts out of a Miata diff Get some pressure one with two prybars and just tap the side of the shaft with a hammer. The shockwave through the metal is what pops it free, I think. Whatever, it's pretty cool. You'll never get the shafts out of an aftermarket GURU diff any other way. I can see this working elsewhere, that's a good one to try. You usually don't have to hit the parts hard.

If you want a masterclass in removing crusty fasteners without damage, get an old Land Rover. Not only do you have the usual rust, but you also get galvanic corrosion, lots of mud buildup and the odd Whitworth to keep you on your toes. And you soon discover that massive leverage is rarely the answer, as then you find yourself looking for some oddball British fastener after you've ripped the old one apart.