Stubborn Bolt

Hey guys what do you use to remove a bolt that refuses to let go? So far I've shot it with both WD-40 and PB Blaster and I can't get it to even move. So the next best thing is to find out what everyone does in this situation and try out their methods. Thanks to all replies.

Depends on the bolt in question, but heat and shock are your friends. Heat the bolt (or the surrounding area) with a torch, the idea is to heat one or the other. If it's rusted together the expansion and contraction of one opposed to the other will break up the rust. Some bolts are Locktited at the factory and heat will also loosen that. If you can hold tension on it with a wrench while having someone else hit it with a hammer, that will also help break things loose. That's why impact drivers work so well. Main thing is to have a good fitting wrench/socket/screwdriver, once you round it off you're really in trouble.

The bolt in question happens to be the last one on the crankshaft pulley. The thing is that I don't really want to take that pulley off because I don't need an even bigger headache. So apart from that what can I do?

if your talking about one of the 4 or 5 small bolts make sure your using a 6 sided socket. use a long extension, put it on the end of the bolt and smack it a few times with a hammer, that will often break it loose. if its the big center bolt i usually pull the coil wire, put on a socket with a long breaker bar, brace it again't the lower control arm and bump the engine over with the starter

Easiest thing to do is remove the crank pulley bolt by blocking the wrench against something solid and using the starter to break the bolt free.

If all else fails, grind off the head of the bolt. once the tension is off the bolt and the pulley is removed, the rest of the bolt has no tension and it will be easy to remove with vise grips.

thought i just said that

Approx. how long should one heat the bolt or surrounding area in question?

thought i just said that

Sorry about that Crvett69... I guess I didn't read the preceeding post. great minds think alike!

I'd be cautious about applying heat to this bolt - there's both the timing belt cover and the crank seal in close proximity that could be damaged and need replacement as a side effect of attempting to apply heat. If you were going to do it I would think a heat gun would be a better choice rather than the typical torch.....

If I'm really carefull about doing it. Could I take a hacksaw blade and cut it in half between the crankshaft pulley and the timing belt cover? I'm just about ready to give up on this bolt and the headaches that its been giving me.

why not try the suggestions we gave you and do it right. and no you can't use a hacksaw to cut it off cause you will cut the snout of the crank off with it. if you can't get it off or don't want to try tow it to a shop and have them remove it or call a mobile mechanic. its really not that hard to get the bolt out of there

Go to your local tool supply and purchase an impact driver as mentioned by Woodie. Not to be confused with a pneumatic impact wrench, my impact driver is 3/8 drive and will attach to the 1/4in. drive 8mm socket with an adapter. Smack it hard with a soft face mallet or deadblow hammer and you'll be home free so long as it doesn't strip. As mentioned before... Don't let it strip or you'll really hate life. IOW - Make sure your 8mm socket fits snug and without play on that bolt, or buy a fresh one that's not worn out.

-MechanicMatt

This issue has been going on for almost a week! Flashlight, perhaps your best bet will be to tow this to someone who will uses the suggestions offered here to remove this bolt. This aint that hard of a problem.

Have you tried an impact wrench? If you don't have one get one. The cost of one and an air compressor would be cheaper than a tow job.
I see you live in Meridian, Id. I did some looking to see If theres a Harbor Freight store there. It looks like theres one in Boise. They're tools are not for a proffesional. They're for occasional use and they're cheap. Really cheap, but they do the job. If its the small bolts that your having trouble with start out with a low volume of air on the impact and work your way up. They also have electric impacts. PS, Don't do the wrench and bump the starter thing, you'll just have more problems.

Good Luck! If possible you may have to go to the extreme, drimmel the head off and drill it out. I was replacing my wheel bearing/wheels hubs and one hubs just refused to budge. I used every puller on the market even an electrical one and a hydraulic one, heated it with an acetylene torch, and beat it with a small sledge it still would break loose. After the second day of beating, I ended up just pulling the entire axle out and replacing the axel and the hub. I figured that even if I did manage to get the hub off, in one way or another I had damaged the axel. So good luck.

off topic but if you get a slide hammer, take the axle and the brake caliper mounting bracket off you can use the slide hammer and pull the hub off, bigger the slide hammer the better

If you onw a geo metro, sooner or later your going to need a slide hammer. I bought one last fall. It was about $80 but well worth it. I got tired of improvising.

Thanks to all who gave me advice on what to do. I ended up getting an impact hammer and beating the bolt until it loosened. Then I was able to take everything off and get it all back together with no problem. I will have to say that an impact hammer is a good tool to have in the toolbox as a just in case. Without it you will feel like beating your head against the wall and cursing at the part until you get it off.