[Shotimes] Rear strut pinch bolt jammed - any ideas?

[Leigh Smith]

Hooray!
Both the pinch bolts are out!
No heat either.
I just decided to abuse the reverse button on the air gun. (Duh)
It would turn 1/4-1/2 turn somewhat easy before it got tighter....
So I just kept reversing it where it spun easily, til it stuck, again &
again & again....
And adding penetrating oil.
Gradually it went a little further...and a little more.
After 20 min it came out with no danger of breaking!
10 min later I had the second one out!
I basically wore the threads off the bolt where it was rubbing the shoulder
part of the spindle.
There is no damage to the threads where they are needed on the end of the
bolt, or the threads on the spindle itself.
But the shoulder portion of the spindle is solid rust inside, you's never
know it from the outside.
Lee

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Leigh Smith" <leighsm@comcast.net>
To: "Dave Kegel" <d.kegel@comcast.net>; "'SHOTIMES'"
<shotimes@autox.team.net>; "Ron Porter" <ronporter@prodigy.net>
Sent: Monday, August 01, 2005 10:39 PM
Subject: Re: [Shotimes] Rear strut pinch bolt jammed - any ideas?


> Thanks Dave, Dave & Ron;
> The spindle came out rather easily.
> Propane didn't cut it.
> I will try MAPP or Acetylene.
> Lee
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Dave Kegel" <d.kegel@comcast.net>
> To: "'Leigh Smith'" <leighsm@comcast.net>; "'SHOTIMES'"
> <shotimes@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Monday, August 01, 2005 8:31 PM
> Subject: RE: [Shotimes] Rear strut pinch bolt jammed - any ideas?
>
>
> Get a MAPP gas torch and heat the crap out of it.  It will come out.
>
> If it snaps, you'll have to drill it out and use a nut and bolt.
>
> Dave
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net [mailto:shotimes-admin@autox.team.net]
> On Behalf Of Leigh Smith
> Sent: Monday, August 01, 2005 6:12 PM
> To: SHOTIMES
> Subject: [Shotimes] Rear strut pinch bolt jammed - any ideas?
>
>
> George or any other suspension gurus;
> HELP - SHO down!
> I'm doing a Koni strut install on my 100k mi '94 SHO
> It's not rusty underneath, but the pinch bolt is jammed so tight I'm
afraid
> I'll snap it. It is un-threading, but the sholder section is so tight:
> 1) it takes 150-180 lb of torque to turn it. Since the torque setting is
> like 60 ft-lbs I'm afraid it'll snap if I keep forcing it.
> 2) The shoulder part is jammed enough that it spread the knuckle open
7.5mm
> at the tab gap. I cut the tab off and now have the strut out but not the
> bolt. I have tried a 2-1/2 ft breaker bar, mopar rust penetrant, my
propane
> torch, and a new Craftsman 350 ft lb impact gun. Although I think the
impact
> gun may be choked down with the 1/4 in line, and I may need to go bigger.
> Recommendations? Should I fix the impact gun line and go for it? (If it
> spreads the knuckle much farther I am afraid that will crack.) Should I
pull
> the knuckle and take it to a shop?
> (PIA)
> Or just heat the *** out of it since the gas strut is now out of the way?
> (might get lucky) Or just tighten it back up? (and pray... or ... take it
to
> a shop for bolt removal) I've never had rust stop me til now... My 89
never
> did this with 4 strut installs. I believe there is some other difference
in
> the knuckle other than just ABS and rotor size. Lee
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