The two bolts to get to my thermostat are stuck.
Been through some wd-40. Steel wool.
And broke a wrench.... suckers are on there.
Anybody have some good bolt unsticking methods?

 

Smack the head of the bolts with a hammer and drift straight down, dont over do it just a couple of whacks. If you got a impact wrench put it on the lowest setting, the jaring affect cam also loosen the botls. Care full not to over stress or you will be drilling and tapping.

 

you can try melting candle wax into the bolt holes

 

Matt, are you smoking crack again ?

Get some decent penetrating oil like Moovit soak the best ya can, leave it for a few hours. Can you get at the housing with some heat, if so just gently heat the housing not the bolts. Try that. Try not to get impatient or things will get ugly.

 

or maybe turn the wrench the right way?..(or you can do what matt said and take the stuck bolts out and drip some candle wax in the holes then try to break them loose after you tightn them down again???????) what the hell? hehe sry matt just funin' or use a hammer style impact.

 

heat it up with a torch lol

 

Actually, Matt's not crazy. Heat the bolt, hold a candle against it, and let the melted wax penetrate. It works better than anyone would expect. It doesn't work in every case, but it does work. I've used it on cast iron/pipe thread plugs that were stuck in the block when nothing else would work.

 

I have also heard of this but in this case it would not work. Keep in mind that the head of the bolt is either shouldered or using a washer either flat or lock. Also using a penetrant (actually JB9 is the best) more than likely wont work either because of the washer. If you have metal torqued to metal it dont matter what kind of penetrant you are using it wont absord into the metal, pipe plugs are usually raised somewhat and its a combination of hox wax and cooling quickly. If you try heat you have to heat around the bolt and not the bolt itself or your defeating the purpose of the heat. Also, you have to use a minumin of oxy/acteline, propane wont get hot enough (if the bolts are really stuck) I have used my above method many times with no problem.

 

Believe it or not this may work also, going the wrong way that is. Place a box end wrench on the bolt and go slightly tighter with the bolt only untill you hear a crack (not the crack of a broken bolt, that would be to tight) then with the palm of your hand bump the (open end part of the) wrench counter clockwise to loosen.

 

ye i hear that i have had to do that a couple of times tightn it to break it loose.

 

Thanks


take that everyone else

 

no matt is crazy...he just taking a vacation from the "farm"

 

Thanks for all the potential solutions everyone. Much appreciated.

 

Sooooo..... did u break it?????????? (LOL) sorry dude had to ask

 

I am hurt

 

if this is a cast alum water neck your prob may not be in the manifold threads; but rather the dissimilar steel in the bolt corroding to the alum of the water neck. I've seen this so bad that nothing else works, the bolt head snaps anyway since the bolt corrodes thru; but the good news is that if that's your situation they usually snap above the manifold face so once the bolt heads are outta the way you can knock the T stat housing on the side (and loose) and you will find enough stub hanging over the manifold to get onto with Vise Grips, at which point they will usually come right loose. No drill/tap needed.

 

Give this man a cigar, just read the whole thread you must have mechanics run in the family or some old guy showed you the way, that is what we use to do 3 life times ago and most times yes it worked - I must say I like this forum for the fact everyone seems to have it all covered one way or another and no lack of new things to try that is for certain candlewax my god flashback from the past