West Coast GTA Man

Hey guys, I am removing my smog pump and all that goes with it on my 1989 5.7 GTA. Everything was going great. All I had left was the two Torx T-45 bolts that hold the Smog Pump to the bracket. Well I got the bottom one off with no problem, that should have been the harder one. But the top one stripped on me. Those torx bolts suck!!! Why the hell do they use them?! How can I get this thing off?? There isn't really anyway to get a bite on it with anything since it has that round head, and with the way the bracket is. Can I use my Dremel tool to grind the head off? Will the pump come out then?? Anyone else have this problem? Any suggestions will be much appreciated!
Thanks in advance!
Mike

AlexJH

I feel your pain man. I stripped a Torx bolt going from the intake to the head... what a pain in the *** that was to get both of those off at the same time.

Anyway, what I would try is to get a larger Torx, T-50, and hammer it in, and then try to back out the bolt. This would be a last resort thing to do, but keep it in mind.

Trent257

you could use the dremal to make a slit in the head, and try and get it off with a screwdriver, i found a socket amungst my dads tools, it looks likt it could be ujsed for something like that, i dont know wut its called, but its pretty bug 1/2 inch socket, anyone have any idea about what im talking about?

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Trent
---Car---
89 Firebird/305 L03 TBI A4/t-tops
Open Element Edelbrock Aircleaner w/ K&N air filter/Summit Chrome Valve Covers
Edelbrock TES headers 3" out/flowmaster American thunder 3" exaust/Catco cat
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LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

antoher way to get it out is to take a flat chisel, and going counterclockwise of course, hit it with a hammer, the chisel will dig into the bolt head and if it bits hard enough, it will turn the bolt. the same thing can be done with an air chisel. hope this helps. lil jay

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Wide Open Till You See God...Then Brake

Vader

GTA,

Torx require a few extra steps - penetrating oil, patience, and a good quality driver bit. The imported sets that sell for $3.99 are almost good enough to be sinkers. For driving and removing Torx fasteners, they just aren't good enough. As you found out, proper fit is crucial, so a clean recess and tight bit are essential.

Since you are beyond that point, you have a few options.

1. Try to fit a hex (Allen) wrench into the recess and turn it that way. Many Torx recesses are very close to fitting either a SAE or metric hex wrench;

2. Cut a slot in the head and use a large screwdriver;

3. Chase the head around counter-clockwise using a sharp chisel and hammer;

4. Cut the head off with a Dremel, chisel, or torch;

5. Use a pair of self-gripping pliers to grab the head and remove the bolt. Forget Vise Grips, those cheesy Craftsman "Robo-Grip" POS things, and regular ChannelLocks. ChannelLock offers a 426G plier that will remove the bolt (and just about anything else you can fit it around), and Knipex has a pair of pliers that will bite as well. Anyhting else is a waste of time. The head of the Torx is hardened well beyond what ordinary pliers will pemetrate. Those are toys, and these things are serious tools. Save your Vise Grips for welding clamps....

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Later,
Vader
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If you want to beat the World, it might reach up and pull you down...
Adobe Acrobat Reader

West Coast GTA Man

Thanks everyone for the advice. Now I at least have a bunch of options to try. Hey Vader, I here you about the Vise Grips. There is no way they are going to work. I guess as the last resort, I can always grind the damn head off. Thanks again guys! I knew you guys would come through for me. It sucks without my wheels. Bad enough I have to get a ride to work with the Wife tomorrow, until I get home to try and fix this.
Take care
Mike

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