ejscarfo

the left side lower bolt broke! Now what?

After removing the power steering pump, I was able to get to that bolt, it was the last one to break free, the other 3 were a real PITA,, but came loose with a breaker bar. After soaking it with PB Blaster and waiting overnight, I first tried my trusty 3/8 drive breaker bar, no joy. I used my 1/2 breaker bar, same thing. I tried my electric impact gun and all it did was round the bolt head. I hammered on a 9/16 socket and hooked up my 1/2 torque wrench which is like 2.5 feet long. I rocked it back and forth and it seemed to budge. I pushed it forward and it started to move, then just when I thought it was going too easy, snap!

So now the pump is off and I have this bolt, what's left of it, sticking out of the block. I tried to get a Vise-Grip on it, but it won't budge. I soaked in PB Blaster and will wait overnight and try again. Hopefully, I can get it out. Anyone ever experience this? How did you get the bolt out?

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robbiehorn

Have you tried soaking it in PB Blaster yet? It works pretty good for me, I would brush it with a steel brush, blow it off with compressed air. Then soak it real good with PB once every 30 minutes or so for a couple hours then try it with vice grips. I have a real small pipe wrench that I got from Snap On that works good in these situations. Good luck with it. If it breaks off any closer to the block you will have to drill it.

hcbph

Here's a trick learned working on rescuing old woodworking equipment. Make a 50-50 mix of acetone and ATF. Pour some onto the rusted on items, rap it with a hammer to set up some vibrations. Plan on doing it a few times over several days.
It's gotten things that PB Blaster, WD40, Kroil and others had been tried on and failed.

NuckinFutz93

Great tip! I'll file it away for later uses.

JackDidley

Heat the iron around the stud with a torch. The remains will come out with vice grips.

robbiehorn

I was going to mention heat also but you have got to be carefull & not get it too hot. Another process that works well is to weld a nut onto it as close to the block as possible and the heat from welding the nut on usually breaks it loose. Then you put a wrench on the nut that you welded on and screw it out. Welding a nut also works if it is broke flush off. Another thing if you clean it with brake cleaner then heat or weld it do not breathe the fumes as they are deadly.

ejscarfo

Thanks for the tips guys! I'm going to try the acetone/ATF mixture first and see what happens. If that doesn't work, I'm busting out the torch. First things first though, I'm going to thoroughly scrub the area clean. I will keep everyone updated.

ejscarfo

Well, its off! I tried the acetone/AFT mix and it didn't work. I took a screwdriver and with a hammer tapped all around the bolt threads closest to the block. Then I took a torch and heated the block for about 5 minutes. I put a pipe wrench on it and pushed, it moved. I heated it some more, let it cool and tried the acetone mix again. I was able to get it out with a little knuckle busting. I should of just torched it from the start. At least its out and I don't have to drill out and retap.

Thanks for the help guys.

HlhnEast

Gotta love a pipe wrench. That and a basin wrench. But then again I am a plumber.

Good job!

robbiehorn

Consider yourself very lucky that you didn't have to drill it out. A stinking broke bolt can turn a 2 hour job into a 2 week job very quickly. Good job!!

JackDidley

You did good. On my old c3 it broke flush. Had to drill that puppy out.

WW7

On some bolts you can try whatever you want and they still won't budge.. Very seldom does heat fail to get something loose,,, unless they twist off.......WW

ejscarfo

That was definitely the case with this job. At least the bolt is off and I can concentrate on removing the rest of the AIR pump piping, etc. (I purchased the pulley delete for the AIR pump as well as one for the A/C compressor). I may even dig into the timing chain if I can get the crankshaft bolt out without incident.

By the way, does anyone sell new water pump bolts for the short pump on the C4? I can get the left side ones easy, but the right side with the threaded tops for the A/C bracket I cannot locate. I would really not like the reuse those as those threads were rusted to the block as well and while I can clean them up, I'd feel better using new fasteners.

Joe C

- been there - done that...

Tom400CFI

As is the case in all these "I can't get it out" threads. Heat is the BEST and the FASTEST solution.

Jig A Low

I read on here once, that if you heat it up and while it's hot melt some candle wax on it so it wicks into the threads, then let it cool and see if you can turn it out from there, seems that the wax will get thin enough to weep into the tightest threads. I've never tried it myself but I hear it works pretty good.

Tom400CFI

^That MAY work....but if you've heated it up, why waste the time?? If you heat it, extract the bolt while it's hot and move on.

You son't see mechanics in shops, heating and playing with wax. They'll heat, remove, and keep going.