That one bolt that just won't let go

[Ant-Knee]

I am trying to rebuild an engine for a '97 Kawasaki Prairie that I recently picked up. There is one head bold that just won't let go. Nothing I do seems to make a difference. I have been putting penetrating lube on it for two days straight and I am afraid it is going to break on me. What is your best advice for getting the sucker out? I have tried a rechargeable impact, a pneumatic impact and penetrating lube.

 

[Gwbarm]

Im a little surprized the impact didnt break the bolt, at this point you need to be very careful as tight as it is if your break the bolt probably wont be able to get it out without drilling. I suspect the head got so hot looking at the wear on your rocker arms that the bolt has welded itself to the cylinder, lets hope that is not what happened. The problem with penetrating oil on the head bolt is that you cant get the oil down where it needs to be where it goes into the cylinder to hold the head on. If you spray it down where the head meets the cylinder abundantly some may get in there and also put some heat on it. Start turning the bolt back and forth tighten and loosen tighten and loosen until you get some movement keep doing that sparingly dont try to gorilla it out or the bolt will break. Been there done that! Hopefully it will eventually let go. The heat will expand the metal and let penetrating oil seep down into the threads.

[Ant-Knee]

Yeah, it is one of the two very long bolts that are giving me the issue. I am not sure that it is going to come out. I have used heat a few times. I guess I will keep trying to slowly get it moving with penetrating lube and heat but it has been a while now that I have been trying. I really hope this bolt isn't the thing that throws this whole project off!

[Gwbarm]

There is one other thing you may try keep doing what you are doing when you get it good and hot hit the top of the bolt with an air hammer if you have one if not i wouldnt buy one for that but i have had that work before.

[Ant-Knee]

I don't have an air hammer but can I hit it with something else? I have a long 1/2" ratchet extension that I can use. 

[Gwbarm]

You can try that dont have to hit very hard just gentle taps.

[Ant-Knee]

Will do. I will try not to let my frustration out when I hit it! I will let you know what happens either way. If I can't get it off without breaking it, that means that I then have to take the rest of the motor out to drill it out. Right?

[Gwbarm]

Not necessarily, that depends on where it breaks, they typically break fairly flush with the cylinder but no matter where it breaks you can then lift up the head and get some penetrating oil where it needs to go, and best case senario is there will still be enough bolt sticking up that you can get vice grips on and keep working it to try to get it out. but dont give up on it just yet, keep trying it may take a few days with penetrating oil.

[Mech]

Yeah I was going to suggest hitting the top of the bolt..  But Gw has covered it well..

And like he says, if you can get it to move, even the smallest amount of rotation, only five degrees even, then tighten it down that five degrees and then try undoing it by five degrees again, keep working that five degrees till if feels a bit freer then try for eight degrees, work that eight degrees.. Keep doing that, a lot of small gains. Even if it takes an hour to get it free before you can start winding it up, it will be better than breaking the bolt off. And when you are winding it out, keep winding it back down again by at least a half turn every full turn or the bolt will cause galling and wreck the threads..

Oh.. and only wind it slowly by hand. Power tools will wind it too fast and can cause galling even on good threads. Impact tools should only be used to loosen bolts, not wind them off.

[Ant-Knee]

Thank you both. I have been at it for a few days now and it doesn't seem to want to budge. I don't think my penetrating lube is getting down to where the actual threads are. As tough as it is, I am being very patient. I would love to get this sucker out without breaking it. I can feel a slight movement but it feels more like twisting of the bolt as opposed to a loosening of the treads. I am going to stick with it and see what I can do. I really don't want to have a broken bolt but in the back of my mind I feel like this is where this is headed.

[shorty]

Try heating with a common propane torch. The heat will travel down the bolt and might help the penetrating oil seep down to the threads. Don't try to turn the bolt while it's hot, just heat, cool, repeat. Use a penetrating oil like Kroil not wd40

[Ejwill]

I had to grind the bolt head off and then use vice grips to remove the bolt. I guess the grinding loosened enough to come out. I not saying it will work for you but you have to get the bolt out to continue the rebuild you may have to drill it out eventually and put a heli coil in. But try what these guys recommend they all know what they are talking about. I figure all the time spent it would be quicker to take to a shop and get it drilled out if you don’t have a drill press. Time just kills me. I know how frustrating it is. I would try s little longer then say the heck with it and grind it off. It shouldn’t cost too much to take it to a shop and get them to drill it out for you. Get them to drill it out to the heli coil size. I’m not one of these guys that are great mechanics I’m a novice. GW and Mech have guided me through several projects. They know it as all. I’m just saying it depends on how much time you want to spend on it. Good luck hope it comes lout for you. If I’m totally off base Mech and GW can tell you want hurt my feelings . You guys let him know it I’m totally  wrong. Don’t want to lead him astray.

[DexKing]

i know this post is a few months old at this point, but have you tried heat? i found a great way to remove some really stuck bolts is to inject heat by means of an induction heater or even just welding a nut to it and letting it cool. 

[RussB]

I have used a soldering iron and left it on the bolt for a couple hours and it worked. Just clamp it at the correct spot and go about your day. 

 

[Gwbarm]

Thats a great idea never tried that.

[jen]

I  Always tried just a lot of heat in one place...to   expand the threaded piece and not the bolt..

[jen]

I have a can of Nitrogen spray (my pathologist friend gave it to me.  He uses it to freeze tissue samples)  He and I heated and then sprayed several 1/4 x 28 bolts that i was working on removing one evening.  It worked.  The nitrogen spray is good for zapping flies in mid air also.

[RussB]

What are friends for if not to help out

 

[jen]

after a few drinks the  flies appeared to have learned more evasive maneuvers  and harder to hit..."Even flies fear the sting of death".

[shorty]

Pharmacy also sells small cans of freez spray for freezing warts. Heat and cold are your friends (kroil too) 

[JBuckeyeJ]

a can of compressed “air” from an office supply store sprayed upside down will give you a nice -60F liquid that will rapidly cool anything it is sprayed on.

 

[jen]

That's cool! ...........  Sorry I could not resist that...LOL

[jen]

However I have a recue Bike. Abandoned and left to the elements.   Its an Aluminum frame  Fuji Off Road bike.  I have it back together with new shifter etc.

However the steel seat post is bound in the aluminum frame.  I have tried everything soaking it in break free, trying to turn with a pipe wrench  but cannot free it. 

[WeeBee]

Try heating the Steel seat post near the Alum. Frame moving the propane torch back & forth -up & down from one metal to the other -The dissimilar metals will Expand/Contract at different times -tapping gently with a hammer will help as you move the Torch around continuously! This is where Anti Seize helps Before the Problem starts!

[davefrombc]

Get help from a friend   to  heat the frame  evenly over the area the steel tube is in while you  try to work the steel  post  back and forth. Heating the aluminum should make it expand slightly before the heat transfers to the steel   ,giving you a little wiggle room to get it to break loose.

[jen]

I admit I have not tried heat.  I believe the shaft is about 10 inches in with 6 inches sticking out.  I have had aluminum /alloy wheels that corroded to the steel brake hubs....Steel aand aluminum do not go well together.  I know with service entrance aluminum cables we had to use "NO-LOX" on the cables before lugging to the panels.

[mtnous1]

ive never tried cooling a bolt to remove it. Always used a torch and heated it. Im going to have to try that one!

 

[jen]

I am going to try heating the aluminum seat tube shaft like they suggested  when I take it back to FLa so someone can help me. Thanksgiving project.

[shorty]

Heat, cool, repeat. Like shampoo 

[jen]

The seat shaft (steel) is stuck in Fuji's aluminum frame.  Heating the Fuji seat tube will destroy the paint.  But WTH!   I was planning on heating aluminum tube and pipe wrench twist the seat shaft and or hammer the shaft to break it loose.  I opened up about 1.5 inch slot in aluminum tube and soaked with penetrating oil.