Today me and my dad set out to fit the the rear bumper for the land rover we're doing up. It required removing 2 old bolts. But it was so incredibly hard it was unbeleivable.
The bolts were 12years old, very rusty and seized up. We achieved nothing with a 1.5foot long torque wrench, with both of us pushing on it. Even after copious amounts of penetrating oil. Nothing. So then we went and bought a 3hp aircompressor, and a 260ft/lbs air impact wrench - still, wouldn't budge the things. Finally we resorted to a 1ft long wrench, with our own home made 3ft metal pipe attatchment, then finally it became loosish - then the thing snapped !, but we got the other out successfully.
So, we wipped out the drill and started drilling the thing out, 2 batteries later on the cordless drill got us through with our initial hole, now we got the mains powered big electric drill - after snapped 3 metal drill bits, we made a hole big enough to put the bolt extractor on. Which ofcourse, didn't work - it just got tighter and tighter but the bolt didn't budge. So after 10 minutes of heating with a blow torch and then freezing it with some kind of freeze spray, it became loos enough to extract the snapped bolt.
Seven hours, £350, two batteries, 3 drill bits later we were done
Heck.. if this is a sign of things to come.. So, we have decided to return the cheep air torque wrench and go out tommorow and buy a good air impact wrench with a working force of 725ftlbs. That'll do the trick.
The bolts were 12years old, very rusty and seized up. We achieved nothing with a 1.5foot long torque wrench, with both of us pushing on it. Even after copious amounts of penetrating oil. Nothing. So then we went and bought a 3hp aircompressor, and a 260ft/lbs air impact wrench - still, wouldn't budge the things. Finally we resorted to a 1ft long wrench, with our own home made 3ft metal pipe attatchment, then finally it became loosish - then the thing snapped !, but we got the other out successfully.
So, we wipped out the drill and started drilling the thing out, 2 batteries later on the cordless drill got us through with our initial hole, now we got the mains powered big electric drill - after snapped 3 metal drill bits, we made a hole big enough to put the bolt extractor on. Which ofcourse, didn't work - it just got tighter and tighter but the bolt didn't budge. So after 10 minutes of heating with a blow torch and then freezing it with some kind of freeze spray, it became loos enough to extract the snapped bolt.
Seven hours, £350, two batteries, 3 drill bits later we were done
Heck.. if this is a sign of things to come.. So, we have decided to return the cheep air torque wrench and go out tommorow and buy a good air impact wrench with a working force of 725ftlbs. That'll do the trick.
