Propane or MAPP

[Burnerman]

I guess it depends on the skill of the welder.....I’d go for a 12mm nut I think, looking at what’s left of the bolt head, weld it on with plenty of current and then tackle it with a 19mm socket.
John

 

[Rekusu]

Again, many thanks for all the suggestions. Yes, will be going to the mobile guy myself, not calling him out. And yes, drilling is the last resort.

I'm almost certain that once it is out, the threads will be like new, as has been the case of virtually every bolt I have removed from the car.

 

[Burnerman]

I think we’ve exhausted all suggestions now, so we look forward to the outcome!
Regards
John

 

[Rekusu]

Gentlemen.
Thanks for all the advice. Been to a local mobile welder today; he put a large nut onto the bolt head and use oxy on both sides of the pinch, followed by water. Breaker bar and it just came loose with in seconds.

Will work them gently tomorrow but job done without drilling. So easy when one has the right tools!

 

[Burnerman]

Brilliant news and congratulations!
Plenty of grease on the new bolts and they’ll be good for life.
John

 

[Rekusu]

Thanks for the advice. Took the struts to a local mobile welder who welded on a large nut and used oxy on both sides of the pinch. Quenched with water and within a few seconds, the rust 'weld' had been broken.

Will work back and forth tomorrow but essentially, job done.

 

[carmanmemoranda]

Gentlemen.
Thanks for all the advice. Been to a local mobile welder today; he put a large nut onto the bolt head and use oxy on both sides of the pinch, followed by water. Breaker bar and it just came loose with in seconds.

Will work them gently tomorrow but job done without drilling. So easy when one has the right tools!

It might not have looked it to you, but it was a fairly common problem. Encountered weekly, if not daily, for many of us.

But good result.

 

[Rekusu]

Yes, I do know it is a common problem but the first time I have encountered it big time. Plus, I don' t have a welder or oxy.

I will grind a slot in one of the old bolts and use it to attempt to clear out the thread a little.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Use Mapp, heat the bolt but keep the heat away from the bottom of the strut.
Take your time, you don’t want to snap it!
Use a full hexagon socket and heave away.....but replace the bolt with a new one once you’re done.

I always buy MAPP, for both plumbing and general use.

If all else fails, the way to release it without damaging the strut, is to use an angle grinder, with a thin cutting disk to chop through the middle of the bolt, in the middle of the clamp. Once released, you can safely apply as much heat as necessary, to get the bolt remains out, with risking damaging the strut.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

That is a definitely, not a chance in hell suggestion. It is unfortunately, not a through bolt with a nut on the other side; it's a Ford Mondeo design and that would be too easy.
I
The image shows the problem; on the plus side, I have found that my Irwin bolt extractors are very good at turning a hex head into a circular head! And I have rounded the cutting edge of the extractor.

Have tried heating with a propane/butane torch and all I managed to do was shear the socket adaptor.

Cut the bolt, where the gap is, using an angle grinder, fitted with a cutting disc. You can then apply as much heat as you need, without damage.

 

[Rekusu]

As I said above, that cannot work. The bolt is threaded into the knuckle; if cut in half, there is nothing to unscrew the threaded part.

As it happens, my mobile welding guy not only welded a larger nut but also used oxy to heat the knuckle and it bolt came out easily, All reassembled now and back on the car.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

As I said above, that cannot work. The bolt is threaded into the knuckle; if cut in half, there is nothing to unscrew the threaded part.

It does work, absolutely. Once the tension comes off the thread, the remnants of the thread comes out quite easily. Those bolts seize in place, for two reasons..
First the hole it passes through, is only just big enough for the bolt, so any rust welds it in place. Second, as the bolt is tightened, it is forced to bend as the clamp closes, so it jambs itself further. Cutting it in the middle, solves all of this.

 

[Rekusu]

I hear what you are saying and the unthreaded section with the bolt head would come out easily, but what about the threaded part, which now, has nothing to apply anti-clock rotation? See my post 22 for a poor photo of the clamp

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I hear what you are saying and the unthreaded section with the bolt head would come out easily, but what about the threaded part, which now, has nothing to apply anti-clock rotation? See my post 22 for a poor photo of the clamp

As said, and I ended up doing it - once cut, you have no restriction on the heat you can apply, you can cut the bolt leaving some thread protruding, then grip it with a Mole grip, or grind a slot into the end, and use a screwdriver. The threaded section of the bolt, really does come out easily, once proper heat can be applied, and the tension is removed.

Those bolts are high tensile, so near impossible to drill.

 

[Burnerman]

I would agree, once the head is off the bolt it's no longer under tension - but it may be still heavily rusted in......depends on the luck of the day.
Sometimes you can screw the threaded part further in, until it drops out, if you can see what I mean.
This used to be a big issue on the early Fiestas - I don't know what system they use today.
I've drilled these bolts in the past, without issues.
John