The other night I went to pull a posi out of a 96 Impala SS diff that I have. Of course the bolt was way too tight and wouldn't budge when I went to remove the pin to remove the clips to remove the axles to remove the center section!
I rounded off the head and said "shove it" for that night. Last night I was feeling tough and gave it another shot, rounding it off more with a 5/16" box end and vice grips etc. Finally in desperation I took a 5/16" coarse nut, drilled out the center of it until it slid over the rounded off head and got out my little mig welder. I cranked the mig right up and welded the nut on the best I could. Of course some of the weld ran down the nut and I had to hammer on a 1/2" socket, but I was VICTORIOUS!!! Moral of the story is, never give up and don't overtighten those stupid little bolts. They don't need to be torqued to 35 lbs to stay in!
-- Edited by Carl Stevenson at 23:34, 2008-11-19
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars (now converted to a "factory" 4 speed)
I started off with a 6 point socket but it is an older one and likely not in new condition anymore (worn a bit inside). Next time I will use a top quality newer 6 point to start with. And you're right, that Loctite can make it miserable...
No, I sold the center section to a friend of mine. I really had no use for this diff even though it's unique to the SS's. Both SS cars we own have the proper diff, so no need to keep it. This is leftover from an insurance auction SS that I bought to get the nice Suncoast hood.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars (now converted to a "factory" 4 speed)
Good save Carl!. I had one of these break off once...talk about a bastard to get out!. Yep, always best to start w/ a Snappy 6-Point which have the corners rounded to put the force on the sides.. When something has a rounded head, better than Vise-Grips is a Snappy or good quality set of Battery Pliers.. These things really grab and are great for door pins or anything you need to get a good grip on...necessary in everyone's tool box once you get used to having them around!.
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I like real cars best...especially the REAL real ones! ----------------------------------------------------------------
I'm impressed. When things go that bad I can't think straight. The right tool makes the differance as well. I had a seatbelt bolt that I started to round with a Craftsman. Got a buddies Snap-on and out it came.
congrats. that the type of imagination that i like to use. i was working on a old set of carbs for a 73 kawasaki and the screw had rounded on the inside. normally a good old set of vicegrips can get the head. not so in this case. i welded a old set screw to the end and as they say bobs your uncle. i keep old sockets for the locking lug nuts that everybody loses the key for, and pound them on. if you are at this states you don't care if it can be saved. congrats again on your quick thinking.
Lucky the pin didn't snap inside the diff. I seen that happen before. As for seat belt bolts with the recess stars inside, when I rounded it off, I just use a big drill bit same size as that hole and drilled the head off, then popped it with a chizel, mind you that was my parts car 1975 Grandprix.
I've used the Weld a nut on it trick more than a few times,on different jobs.
Yes, I can't take the credit for the idea. I see it at work occasionally.
At work we have a much better 220 Mig for welding. I wasn't sure this little welder I use here would make enough heat to get a good bite. Drilling the nut out so it would fit was an original idea though. I had to because a 3/8" thread (9/16" head nut) was so big a socket wouldn't fit in the channel in the carrier where the bolt is. I had no choice, it had to be 1/2" socket. At any rate, I am always thrilled for those little victories like this. Same goes for the ones at wrecking yards where you can see someone else has tried to get something off and abandoned it. Just makes me want to get the part removed even more when I see that!!!
At any rate, I now really understand the need to tighten the bolt but not overtighten it!
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars (now converted to a "factory" 4 speed)
ive done stuff like that too but dont do it on a Honda!! Every time i tried to fix something on the wifes civic something would just break and if you try to weld or get imaginative it would just break more!! I was sooo happy when she sold that thing. I even dented the lower front fender with my finger somehow!!
I can't tell you how many of those I've tried to remove only to have the threaded part come out ok, leaving the bolt cracked with the pin part impacted in the diff. Once I thought I was going to be lucky with a gearset in an abandoned 75 Biscayne police car. Bolt came out easy enough, but you know the rest - the pin stayed in and I didn't have anything with me that I could use to remove it in the time I had to do the job. So it had to be left there, and all I scored were the front and rear sway bars. If I had my time back I would have pulled the steering box too ...
I believe there is an actual torque spec for those. If you have the manual, check it out. If not, I am sure I can get you the spec.
Did you install a new bolt? I always sell a new bolt to a customer (when he will listen to me) if he is doing rear axle seals. Bolts are cheap and removing a broken one is grief.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars (now converted to a "factory" 4 speed)