rusted bolt on front brake rotor

[WmWatt]

Slowly rebuilding a pair of front wheels and currently stuck by a rusted bolt holding on one of the brake rotors. It's had many applications of penetrating oil. The head has been rounded off. Yesterday tried heating the bolt with propane torch and twisting out with locking pliers (aka vise grips) but can't get a grip due to recessed nature of bolt head. Lots of advice on Internet on removing rusted bolts. Wondering what people have used on this one. I'm leaning to trying to pound on an impact socket and twist with T-bar. I rounded off the head in the first place tapping an impact-socket-and-T-bar with a large hammer. Something tells me my new idea may not work and it's starting to sound like a definition of insanity.

[getnpsi]

You can use an easy-out. if not available, take off the whole spindle and buy the shop guys a pizza

[Pu241]

.... take off the whole spindle and buy the shop guys a pizza

Hubs are on front of festiva

Spindles are on rear.

Advise is still good, machine shop has seen this a thousand times!

[Click_It]

I had the same problem yesterday. Took me 2+ hours to get 1 bolt off. Almost stripped it entirely. Maybe get some Rust-Eater. I was just too stubborn

[Nerd Racing]

I wouldn't use an easy out, if you snap that in there you are going to have an almost impossible time drilling that thing out of there.

[JohnGunn]

Yesterday tried heating the bolt with propane torch and twisting out with locking pliers (aka vise grips) but can't get a grip due to recessed nature of bolt head.

Maybe you misspoke but, from my understanding, you shouldn't be heating the bolt, but the metal that it screws into.

If you don't have enough of a bolt head to grab, you'll have to treat it like a stud. I don't know how likely it is that an easy out would break off. If you drill out the bolt with a large enough bit the hold on the threads will be greatly weakened. If worried, buy the easy out from a well known and respected tool company.

John Gunn
Coronado, CA

[Levitan]

Use a giant pipe wrench, since you've rounded the bolt head.

I'm guessing a propane torch is not getting it hot enough. I think MAPP (sp?) gas gets hotter. Can be bought at McAutoParts Store. If you knew somebody that had propane and oxygen, that will definately get hot enough.

I'm still thinking a pipe wrench with maybe a hydraulic jack handle used as a torque multiplier, will probably do the trick.

[festiva351w]

go to sears and buy a set of BOLT-OUT damaged bolt/nut remover set, they have worked every time i used them, i even took them to work to get out a bolt on the belly pan of a bull dozer, one of the best tools i ever bought

[bomdoutscort]

Use a giant pipe wrench, since you've rounded the bolt head.

I'm guessing a propane torch is not getting it hot enough. I think MAPP (sp?) gas gets hotter. Can be bought at McAutoParts Store. If you knew somebody that had propane and oxygen, that will definately get hot enough.

I'm still thinking a pipe wrench with maybe a hydraulic jack handle used as a torque multiplier, will probably do the trick.

Plus 2 on the pipe wrench. Mapp gas sucks also. I had to use a pipe wrench on some egt brakes. I had to cut that rubber off that goes over the bolt to get it off though.

[lessersivad]

Use MAPP gas as suggested. It does get hotter. I've even used it to braze exhaust when I was out of oxygen on my torch set. I've had success in heating the area around a rusted bolt, take away the heat, while the area/bolt is cooling down apply PB Blaster so the cooling helps to "pull" the PB down into the threads. It's gonna smoke. Do that a couple of cycles along with tapping the bolt head and the majority of the time extraction has been successful. Patience is the key. Let the heat and PB do their job so you can do yours.

Hope this helps.

[baltzersen82]

They hAve these bolt extractors at autozone they r made by Irwin I used them to take out a rounded off bolt.. They slide on the bolt and the have a groove in them that cuts I to the bolt And the work great! ... Maybe try some pb blast

[sc72]

rusted nuts

Weather the head is rounded or not, smack the head of the bolt with a large hammer several times this will shock the bolt and the rust,then buy and apply a rust eater as Click it said such as AC Delco Heat riser penatrant or Mopar parts penatrant,repeat process several times smack and spray also shake can vigorously!!! the spray should come out gray,you will not need to spray it like PB a little goes a long way,store can upside down. Hope this helps.

[1988redfordfestiva]

Some liquid wrench Pb blaster and a map gas torch that's what I use for most of my work for re-installation i use anti seize and a new stainless steel nut and bolt depending on the spot...

[WmWatt]

Followup: I got the rusted bolt out yesterday. Bicycled around the industrial area with the hub and rotor looking for a shop to remove the bolt and the pressed on bearing. Half couldn't do it, the other half wanted to charge 1-2 hours labour. Finally came across a 1-man shop who took the bolt out by hammering the head flat, hammering on a socket, and using a pneumatic impact wrench. Got it off in less than 5 minutes. He had to try twice to get it off and said to give him what I wanted in cash, $10. He couldn't remove the bearings without breaking the cage so I left them on for now.

[Pu241]

Congrats!

He couldn't remove the bearings without breaking the cage so I left them on for now.

I don't understand this?
Did he have a press?