Need some advice: Crossmember bolts too rusted to remove?
#1
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Need some advice: Crossmember bolts too rusted to remove?
Hey guys,
So, as you may or may not know, I'm swapping trannies. I bought a donor truck, which was a NY truck, which has a good amount of surface rust all over.
At any rate, the bolts on the engine/tranny itself are just fine, no issues...but the bolts from the crossmember to the frame...wow.
I got one side out, although the last bolt had to be cut, then ground until it would pop.
The other side, I got one bolt out, and got really aggravated, so I quit.
Basically, you need to get a wrench on the back side, and a socket on the front side, and the back side is up on top of the frame rail, and close examination shows that the heads aren't exactly...the shape/size they should have been anymore.
I've sprayed these fellas with PB about 5 times in so many days, so you'd think that'd help, but what I'm really having issue with is the wrench on top. Some bolts the 15mm works great, others it's too small...some it's too big. Grrr.
I was thinking about getting one of those sockets that has the pins on them that conform to any given shape, but wanted to ask in here and see if anyone had any ideas for me..?
So, as you may or may not know, I'm swapping trannies. I bought a donor truck, which was a NY truck, which has a good amount of surface rust all over.
At any rate, the bolts on the engine/tranny itself are just fine, no issues...but the bolts from the crossmember to the frame...wow.
I got one side out, although the last bolt had to be cut, then ground until it would pop.
The other side, I got one bolt out, and got really aggravated, so I quit.
Basically, you need to get a wrench on the back side, and a socket on the front side, and the back side is up on top of the frame rail, and close examination shows that the heads aren't exactly...the shape/size they should have been anymore.
I've sprayed these fellas with PB about 5 times in so many days, so you'd think that'd help, but what I'm really having issue with is the wrench on top. Some bolts the 15mm works great, others it's too small...some it's too big. Grrr.
I was thinking about getting one of those sockets that has the pins on them that conform to any given shape, but wanted to ask in here and see if anyone had any ideas for me..?
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#6
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If there is room for it, there is nothing slow about my 9-inch Milwaukee.
The Ford cross-members are originally riveted in, so I had no choice when it came time to remove mine.
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#10
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Another option in my arsenal is an abrasive cut-off wheel, either a 3-incher in a die-grinder, or a 4- or 4-1/2-incher in a side-grinder.
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Honestly, I think someone mentioned this somewhere before, and I think I'm going to third it up and try this method. I'm on hold till tomorrow afternoon anyhow, so I'll just swing into Home Depot on the way home from work and buy a few wheels...and maybe a face mask.
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Any of the above. Sometimes you cant fit a zip disk in some of those spots, and some of the bolt hardware is as hard as a sawzall blade... I find demolition blades for the sawzy are the sh.... They are a blade with crusties on them kind of like a zip disk...