I need to remove the 3 bolts that hold the track bar brace to the frame, so that I can remove the gas tank to replace the fule pump. They do not want to give in. Ive tried the liquid wrench stuff, & Ive been fighting with the bolts for two days.

any special trick to remove them?

 

Got access to air tools?

JamesC

 

not in my garage.

 

try hittin the top of the bolt with a hammer that might help

 

I delt with a lot of these problems with my car when taking it all apart. Best thing that worked for me was spraying WD-40 or PB Blaster or any other lubricant under the head of the bolts and letting it soak for like 30 mins. Then I used a breaker bar - you need the long arm to give a greater moment to break these things loose. And if you have to hit the end of the bar with a hammer a few times to try and break the bolt loose like an impact gun does.

 

Ever heard of a breaker bar? It might be a good option, just take your 1/2 inch drive ratchet and mate it to whatever socket you need for the bolts, then take a long pipe preferably 3 foot or more, that is big enough to fit around the handle of the ratchet and slide it over the ratchet. Then turn, the extra leverage will pull those bolts right off, you may have to jack you car up a little to get the clearance, and you might have to use an extension on the ratchet to get enough room to pull on the bar, but they will defiantly either come out or break a head off. Something to keep in mind is that if you don't want to snap the head off a bolt, then put one hand on the extension or socket to support the pressure from the turning from snapping the head off. Also arokroil is a penetrating lubricant that is priceless in situations with stubborn bolts, it's the best penetrating available.

Good Luck, DacMan

 

Heat it up, and keep spraying/soaking with PB Blaster. They'll come loose. I've had to soak bolts for hours, but they came out, which we know is better than stripping or breaking it off. Then when loosening just do it slowly, if it feels like its getting to easy too quick, you may be twisting the bolt off in itself in which I have done. I got excited doing it too (half shafts for a 300zx), I said yes, yes yes, its...****!!!

Let us know.

Edit: I love TGO, in the time it took me to write this, 3 responses showed up. Nice guys, nice.

 

I know it, SomeGuy25thZ beat me to the punch while I was posting... lol.

 

Haha, I type very fast ...

 

lol ^^^Stealin' My Thunder!!!

 

Yeh my pump went out and my firebird came from up north and replacing the pump was worse then a bad dream I had to dril out most of the bolts and re tap them

 

I did the same last month on mine - every bolt broke from the 3 in the brace - to the panhard etc. what a mess. I used cans of PB blaster before I tried to take them off. Then on the last one tapping it I broke the tap in it. I was being real carefull and thought it was getting tight and said to myself it's got one turn left and bink! Good thing I was laying on the floor already as my head did not have far to fall. ..and cause real damage! Take your time and if they break just resign yourself to the fact that some bolts just won't come out.

 

If you're dropping the tank, I assume (never having dropped one) that the brace will have to be entirely removed. If so, you may find that the bolt on the pass side is even more of a challenge, as the bolt probably will have seized to the sleeve. I tried everything under the sun last summer and still failed.

JamesC

 

Heat, heat and more heat. I soaked mine with deep creep or whatever and heated them up with a MAP gas torch (yellow cylinder from the hardware store) til they were cherry red and they came off easily. Heat is your best friend when it comes to rusty bolts. Oh and a good impact wrench helps too!