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Help I need a contraption...

539 views 14 replies 3 participants last post by  Robert87yj 
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#1 ·
I took my gas tank off this weekend in preperation for the MPI install. In the process, I had to take my tow hitch off. I snapped both of the bolt heads off of the bolts that thread up into the frame ends. My dad says to drill and re-tap the holes, but I want to get around that if I can. I don't like the idea of heating the bolts with a torch, but I will as a last resort. I have thought about welding a nut on the end of the exposed bolt, but I'm worried that it will just snap off again next to the frame, then drilling it out will be a necessity. Normaly I would spray some penetrating oil on it and then let it soak in over night. Usualy, the next day the bolt would come off with vice-grips and a little umph. The problem I am running into is that the exposed bolt is comming out of the bottom of the frame. Is there a way to get that oil to penetrate with out constantly spraying it, or turning the jeep on its top(just kidding).

Robert87yj/wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif
engine rebuild w/4.0 head done, now for the MPI
 
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#3 ·
/wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif I would send my best welder-moonguy/wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif over to help, but he's busy welding up a broken tanker in the Persian Gulf. You can do this yourself using stick electrode OR wire. Weld an oversized nut on...really burn that sucker in there...getting the whole bolt good and hot....then GO AWAY.....go watch the latest video of NASCAR racing or something...and don't come back till the bolt has reached ambient temp again. THEN...put a socket on it and go back and forth...carefully at first...till you get a rotation and then presto! spin it on out! Of course you have burns on your forearms which will be with you for LIFE, but hey, that's weldin' kid!/wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif

CJDave
I never believe any statistics unless my moonguys /wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif made 'em up themselves.
 
#4 ·
Guess what man, I did the exact same thing!!!
The first thing I did was the most logical, drill a hole in the bolt and use an extractor, seems easy right. Well, needless to say, I broke the extractor off inside bolt, oops! Then I drilled several small holes around extractor to get it out, some of these small holes probably went into the nut on the frame since I was running out of room. I After I got the extractor out, I used a bigger extractor, now that I had a bigger hole. I commenced to cranking, now I broke the nut loose from the frame, surprise! Anyhow, I got it out and was left with a hole in the bottom of my frame with no nut welded to it.
Here's what I did. I brazed (didn't have a wleder at the time!) a bent up coat hannger to the end of a nut and fed it down into the frame through a hole in the bottom of the frame a foot or so from the back end (I got the old nut out through this same hole using a magnet BTW). I was able to position the nut over the hole and get the bolt started. Since I brazed the living hell out of the coat hanger and nut, the coat hanger kept the nut from spinning and held up to the torque required to bolt the hitch on. Now that's a contraption! Email me if I can help any, I feel your pain! The coat hanger is still in my jeep!

/wwwthreads_images/icons/cool.gif Big Ed
'88 YJ, 4" susp,3" body,33's,283 Chevy V8,TH350,4.11's,D30,D35c
 
#5 ·
I have never tried this, but my uncle swears it works. He rebuilds on cars into street rods, and uses this method to get the old bolts off without damaging the metal or the bolt. He says to use a propane torch, hand held, not a cutting torch. Get the bolt hot, but not cherry red. The he puts a candle (regular wax candle) on the edge of the bolt, supposedly the wax travels up the threads and allows the bolt to be unthreaded. I guess he lets the bolt cool down before he removes it. Like I said, I have never tried it, but he swears it works. Good luck in any case.

JEEPN
'81 CJ-8 Scrambled!
GM151/SM465/NP205 twinstick/7"Lift/33"TSL's/IHC D44's 4.10's Lock'd
 
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#6 ·
OH MY GOSH! BOTH MY JEEPS DID THAT WHEN I TRIED TO GET THOSE STUPID BOLTS OFF!! i wonder if its a factory recall?? anyway good luck if you can find a really really easy way let me know, i don't need the bolts holes yet until i finish my custom bumper sometime within the next month or so, but when i do it'll be time to get the drill out, good luck, and if u get yours out u can come over and do mine if u'd like :)
have a good one!


(\/)ikey
1988 Wrangler Laredo 4.2L w/5spd Manual
1995 Wrangler 2.5L w/ 5spd Manual-dixie horn
 
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#7 ·
i had the same problem, here is what i did:
drill a hole just large enough to fit a jigsaw blade into directly into the crossmember where it caps off the frame...use your jigsaw and cut 2 slits from top to bottom and across the top or bottom....bend the now formed flap in the crossmember to reveal both nuts...chisel them out and weld 2 brand new nuts in the frame, if you want, you can even add a piece of flat iron inside the frame for more support, (depends on how much stuff is attached to the bumber)...bend the flaps back down and weld shut. Make sure you cut into the crossmember and NOT the frame itself!

 
G
#8 ·
thanks for all of the suggestions and stories. I feel a little better about having snapped them off after the smilar testimonials. It's raining this afternoon so I won't be able to get much done. But when the weather is gone tomorrow, cross my fingers, I'll get out the ol' propane torch and heat it 'um up. If that doesn't work , then I'll get out dad's mig welder and put a good nut on the ends and then apply some umph! Not all at once though, slowly so I feel better about it if they snap off again.

Thans again for all of the support.

Robert87yj/wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif
engine rebuild w/4.0 head done, now for the MPI
 
#9 ·
I have heard of that wax trick before, some people swear by it! I'll be trying it on my next broken bolt.

/wwwthreads_images/icons/cool.gif Big Ed
'88 YJ, 4" susp,3" body,33's,283 Chevy V8,TH350,4.11's,D30,D35c
 
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#10 ·
Maybe I'll try the wax trick first. I guess it couldn't hurt. If it doesn't work it will end up burning off if I heat the bolt up enough any way. The sun has come out afterall and it is drying up out side. I might get a chance to go out and try it before the sun goes down. If it works I'll be sure to keep you guys/gals(if you are out there) posted.

Robert87yj/wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif
engine rebuild w/4.0 head done, now for the MPI
 
G
#11 ·
Get a can of PB-Blaster!!! I would do a commercial for this stuff it works so well. Don't bother with liquid wrench or any of the others. The smell is a bit stronger, and might irritate your moonguy team/wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif, but it works great--it seems to just dissolve the rust. Spray it on and tap-tap-tap it with a hammer, then spray it again. Repeat this a couple of times and let it soak overnight before trying to remove the bolt. As for the bolt being upside down--it doesn't matter, as any of the penetrating oils travel along the threads relying not on gravity, but on capillary action.
 
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#12 ·
I just got done heating, waxing, and failing to remove the broken bolts. I got them red hot twice, added wax, and then allowed them to cool for a while. When I tried to get the first one out, all I did was mutilate it. That bolt was so soft. No wonder the head twisted off. I bought the Jeep used with the "Dealer installed hitch." It makes me wonder if they used a grade 3 bolt to attach the hitch... PB-Blaster sounds good to me. Where do you get it?

Robert87yj/wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif
engine rebuild w/4.0 head done, now for the MPI
 
G
#13 ·
If the bolt is that soft then do this...
1. Using progressively larger drill bits, drill out the center of the bolt untill you are just about to the thread of the nut. If you started off in the exact center then you will just about have the bolt drilled out.
2. Use a tappered tap the same size as the nut and start tapping the hole. Evently you will tap out all of the old bolt.

John......southern CA
84CJ7, 3"lift, 32"BFG, 4.10's, ARB Locker, Solid Axle's, Durabak
 
#14 ·
Sorry the wax trick didn't work. My uncle said to not get the bolt red hot before applying the wax, just hot, which is why he suggested using a propane torch and not a cutting torch.

PB Blaster is indeed some awesome stuff, I use it all the time, highly recommend it. it can be found at the same places as Liquid Wrench, automotive stores, hardware, marine, etc. Due to my line of work I have access to all kinds of funky chemicals, so I have tried a lot of the industrial "oils" not accessable to the public. From personal experience I can tell you PB Blaster blows them all away. Surprised me as well, being so accessable over the counter, and you don't even need to wear a respirator when using it.

Oh yeah, BEFORE you take a drill bit to the bolt, grind it down smooth with a grinder and center punch the middle. This will keep the drill bit from walking around. I had to do this to all my skid plate bolts when I put the new tranny in. It didn't take much time, and all turned out great. Use Loctite to install the new bolts again (grade 8), not Anti-Sieze, you don't want them loosening on you.

JEEPN
'81 CJ-8 Scrambled!
GM151/SM465/NP205 twinstick/7" Lift/33" TSL's/IHC Scout II D44's 4.10's & Lockrights
 
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#15 ·
I melted wax on to the bolt until it was cool enough not to melt the candle. It probably would have worked if the bolts weren't so soft. After much frustration last night. I told my dad what I was doing and that I wanted to weld a nut on the end of it. He immediately wanted to drill it out because, and I quote, "you'll just snap it off again and create more work for me." I didn't like that idea so he went down there with some sort of penlight/stick thingy and some Liquid Wrench and WD40. He used a straw to direct the WD40 and Liquid Wrench in through the 4 holes in the back of the rear crossmember and used that penlight/stick thingy to provide light so he would hit the end of the bolt. I am waiting until I get home from work today to try it again. I figure I can always grind the mutilated part off flat and drill it out as a last resort/wwwthreads_images/icons/frown.gif.

Thanks for all the help so far...

Robert87yj/wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif
engine rebuild w/4.0 head done, now for the MPI
 
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