[Vwdiesel] Any tips for fused/rusted strut bolt?

[Val Christian]

Living in a NY snow belt, we get lots of rusted cars.  Your friends in 
this care are an oxyacetylene torch and an air impact hammer.  You have 
neither.  If you have time, you can get it out.

Your drilling approach will work, and if you're careful, you won't do any 
damage.   The trick will be s solid start in the center of the bolt.

You can also try the mild heat with the propane.  Tow orders of magnitude
less useful than a oxy torch, but it's still a tool.  Put the heat up 
full, and center it on the broken bolt.  Hit both sides.  Don't heat the
whole assembly. Bu heating the bolt, that increases it's dimensions, 
and crushes the oxides, which are likely your problem.  As the bolt
stub cools, douse it with penetrant.  Parafin wax, if you wish.  

Then try drifting it out with a punch.  If that doesn't work, either do it
again, or let it soak overnight.  Some people are having good luck with
PB Blaster, others like WD-40.  I like lighter bodied oils like the 
regular Liquid Wrench or PB Blaster, because they flow into small places
faster.

I can tell you that my experience is that eventually these things come apart.
Sometimes, I just spend 30 minutes a day on it, and after one day or a 
week, it will come apart.  If you're in a hurry, and heat and hammering 
don't work, then see if you can get a punch mark in the middle of the 
bolt, and drill straight.

When you put the new one in, slob it up real good with Never-sieze.  If
you don't have a big bottle of that, at least use some grease. 

Remember, thermal shock, and impact fracture the brittle oxides, which 
allows the bolt to turn.  Penetrating oil helps the oxides slurry 
around each other easier.

Val





> 
> Doug Presny wrote:
> > (1982 Rabbit Car) The top adjusting front strut bolt twisted off when
> > removing the nut.  After purchasing replacement specialty bolt, spent 2
> > hours attempting to rotate head off remaining bolt, using a punch from
> > the broken side, tapping with a hammer.  Finally twisted off the head of
> > the bolt.  Removed the old strut.  I am assuming the only approach I
> > have to remove the section of the bolt fused/rusted in the hole is to
> > drill it out with progressively larger bits.  If anyone has alternate
> > method to try, I would appreciate the tip.  I have only a hand propane
> > torch, but have not used it for fear I will create another unknown
> > problem. 
> 
> This is the eccentric bolt, I assume?  Might try some good penetrating oil on it, or heat 
> up with the propane torch then apply some candle wax and let that melt and wick into the 
> gap.  Repeat that a few times and see if it loosens up.  Might also be a burr from the 
> break that is preventing the bolt from going through the hole.
> 
> -- 
> 
>    Roger
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