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What's the best way to get a bolt out that I've rounded the hex off because I was an idiot who needed penetrating oil and used a big fuckoff breaker bar instead? Drill a screw into it and turn that?
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Aug 27, 2012 02:08
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Weinertron posted:What's the best way to get a bolt out that I've rounded the hex off because I was an idiot who needed penetrating oil and used a big fuckoff breaker bar instead? Drill a screw into it and turn that? It's gotta be a reverse threaded screw, but yeah. See if you can borrow a set of easy-outs and a hand drill from someone, that'll do ya. E: Here's an idea dummy, jack the car up and look. Samuel L. Hacksaw fucked around with this message at 02:22 on Aug 27, 2012 |
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Aug 27, 2012 02:16
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So I broke one of the two bolts that secure the ball joint to the knuckle on the '86 Terducken Wagon. Since I now need to take the knuckle off to extract the bolt, I'm trying to take the tie rod off as well and it's not budging. I've tried a pickle fork lightly but I know those can be instruments of destruction, so I want to try a puller instead - that should work for a tie rod bolt, right? Also, I've never broken a bolt before... this one has the threaded tail portion sticking out of the knuckle about 1/4-1/2". What's the first thing I should try, assuming I'm going to have to buy whatever tools I need to do it? Can I try a vise-grip first or just head straight to easy-outs? Lastly, what am I going to have to do once I get all this poo poo back together? I marked the camber adjustment on the strut, but will I have to get an alignment? Sorry for all the rapid fire questions. I'm worried that I'm getting in over my head - as stupid as it sounds, this hasn't been as easy as the video tutorials/FSM suggested it would be.
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Aug 27, 2012 03:29
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Radbot posted:Also, I've never broken a bolt before... this one has the threaded portion sticking out of the knuckle about 1/4-1/2". What's the first thing I should try, assuming I'm going to have to buy whatever tools I need to do it? The problem is the threads are still frozen, if you snapped off the head trying to turn it out there's little more you can do. You could attempt welding a nut onto the portion sticking out (assuming you have access to an arc welder) but I'd want to heat the bolt/surrounding area and liberally apply PB blaster/kroil/mix of ATF and acetone before making any further attempts. Radbot posted:Lastly, what am I going to have to do once I get all this poo poo back together? I marked the camber adjustment on the strut, but will I have to get an alignment? If the bolt is as stuck as I think it is its likely you're going to have to replace the knuckle after drilling the bolt holding the ball joint out. I don't think you'll need an alignment unless you really beat on the suspension components in an attempt to free the knuckle, generally unless you change suspension geometry you're fine as long as you put everything back together correctly.
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Aug 27, 2012 03:37
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Radbot posted:So I broke one of the two bolts that secure the ball joint to the knuckle on the '86 Terducken Wagon. Since I now need to take the knuckle off to extract the bolt, I'm trying to take the tie rod off as well and it's not budging. I've tried a pickle fork lightly but I know those can be instruments of destruction, so I want to try a puller instead - that should work for a tie rod bolt, right? Well, you said you wanted to learn how to work on cars! the finer points of broken bolt extraction, drilling, easy-outs, heilicoils and taps/dies are all crucial to becoming a good wrench. The first thing id do is use a propane torch to heat the area holding the broken bolt, and make an attempt at spinning it out with vise grips. Youre not supposed to heat suspension components up too much but a propane torch doesnt get anywhere near as hot as an oxy-fuel. Get the tightest grip you can get with the VGs, and work it back and forth. Any movement at all is a good sign, if it does move just work it untill it comes free. Liberal use of PB blaster is reccomended (you did use it before you started the job, right?) Use a pickle fork, hit that poo poo hard like a beast with your biggest loving hammer (BFH). The worst that can happen is the tie rod boot gets killed. You can get boots on their own, but you might as well do the tie rod ends anyway, i'll bet they have some play in them. A new tie rod end you cant hardly move the ball joint by hand, its that tight. Worn ones flop around like a flaccid dick, If you can move it by hand without difficulty its due. The best way to approach a major suspension overhaul is to do as many components at once as you can, then have it professionally aligned. If youre super careful and mark everything, you can get it to a decent driveway alignement, but then again its the refference marks from worn components that probably didnt drive straight to begin with. One more thing on the bolt extraction: Sometimes even easy-outs wont work. The worst thing in the world is breaking an easy-out off inside a stuck bolt. Nothing on earth will drill that out, only a cutting torch. My approach if im feeling like easy-outs will fail, is to use sucessively larger drill bits, starting with a nice straight pilot holl 1/8th, marked by a center punch for proper alignment, then going bigger untill just before the size of the bolt. At that point a thread chaser or tap usually gives me close to original threads that work for anything that isnt under compression or holding oil/coolant in. I use PB or WD to lubricate the drill bits and taps while cutting, it helps quite a bit. Remember, never break a bit off inside a stuck bolt. Just dont do it.
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Aug 27, 2012 03:44
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First of all, thanks for the quick help Raw_Beef and Geoj. In regards to the broken bolt: the weird thing was that I broke it when I was tightening it by hand with a torque wrench around 18" long - so to clarify, it came out easily with my impact wrench. This is giving me hope that I'll be able to PB Blast (as I always do!  ) and Vise-Grip first, but I'll let ya'll know how it goes.Since I definitely would rather not do this again if I can within the next few weeks if I can help it, and since my new strut inserts/mounts haven't even shipped yet so I'll be out of commission for awhile anyways, replacing most of the front end parts seems like the way to go. So to review, I'm replacing my strut inserts, strut mounts, CV axles, and now tie rod ends and ball joints. The ball joint is retained by a castle nut, so I think that means I don't need a sent of snap ring pullers to remove it, right? Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the only extra tool I'll need if I'm just adding outer tie rod ends and ball joints to the mix is a ball joint press? Anything else I should be thinking about here?
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Aug 27, 2012 04:28
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If thats the case and you over torqued it to break it, its great fortune that you have some bolt sticking out. It almost for sure will spin out. Remember what that bolt felt like right before it snapped. It will help you to stop in the future before that occurs again. Honestly torque specs are IMO only for cylinder heads or engine assembly. I just make sure my suspension work is 'loving tight' and call it good. I've never had anything fall off and hurt anyone afaik. Your FSM should explain how your ball joints are installed. Some vehicles have screw-ins, some are bolted to the C.A., others are press fit. I belive you can rent the press kit from Autozone or a similar store, so you dont end up buying a one time use tool. I'm not sure of your car's specifics, the castle nut is usually holding the joint shank into whatever part moves with the joint, not holding the joint into its solid housing. Be sure to get new cotter pins if you somehow dont end up with them after buying new joints/tie rod ends.
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Aug 27, 2012 04:42
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But I was going for loving tight!  I'll definitely try to remember that feeling, I'm just worried because I'm not THAT strong and I was able to break a bolt going in with hand tools - is that normal?I'll check the FSM for the other stuff. I'll post some updates tomorrow - knock on wood, I'm making a little progress.
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Aug 27, 2012 04:58
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Raw_Beef posted:Honestly torque specs are IMO only for cylinder heads or engine assembly. I just make sure my suspension work is 'loving tight' and call it good. I've never had anything fall off and hurt anyone afaik. This is one of the reasons driving is more dangerous than flying, because shadetree mechanics just put it on "tight enough". Those torque specifications are generated by people that almost certainly know more about mechanical engineering than you do. Over-tightened bolts on the ball joints puts too much preload on them and they'll wear out faster; under-tightened bolts will allow too much play, and really wear it out faster. You'll ignore the important details like that on your safety equipment, really?
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Aug 27, 2012 05:17
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Welp, looked in the FSM and I was tightening a 59 ft/lb bolt to 135 ft/lb, so maybe that had something to do with the whole shearing off bit!
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Aug 27, 2012 05:55
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EightBit posted:This is one of the reasons driving is more dangerous than flying, because shadetree mechanics just put it on "tight enough". Those torque specifications are generated by people that almost certainly know more about mechanical engineering than you do. Over-tightened bolts on the ball joints puts too much preload on them and they'll wear out faster; under-tightened bolts will allow too much play, and really wear it out faster. You'll ignore the important details like that on your safety equipment, really?  Torque specs have their place, but you equating them to life or death is pretty wild. (aside from airplanes) I know what im capable of, and arguing on the internet is retarded, so you can keep on torque spergin and ill keep on doing repairs that make people happy with a very low failure rate. Except for all those people my neglegence has killed, who were too dead to inform me of my errors over the years ive done professional auto service. Edit: the more i re-read your post the more i think youre an engineer or student. Raw_Beef fucked around with this message at 06:53 on Aug 27, 2012 |
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Aug 27, 2012 06:39
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Geoj posted:HID? If so the bulb is nearing the end of its life; HID bulbs slowly shift color over their lifespan and generally its slow and subtle enough that you don't notice, but it becomes severe just before the bulb dies. Normally I'd suggest replacing in pairs but sounds like the other one is doing the same thing. Yeah HID. The purple one died completely today so your diagnosis sounds about right.
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Aug 27, 2012 07:49
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Raw_Beef posted:Edit: the more i re-read your post the more i think youre an engineer or student. Ahhh, the standard Internet response from a mechanic who doesn't like being called out on torque specs or procedure. Let's be realistic here: your idea of "loving tight" for anything is painted with years of experience of how bolts feel when they are ready to break, how tight things are during disassembly of different components, etc. Someone asking for help probably has the benefit of NONE of that, so "loving tight" to them can very well mean ripping the threads out of poo poo. Also, if you think that "loving tight" is a lug nut torque spec, forget everything I said that might be giving you the benefit of the doubt. Radbot posted:Welp, looked in the FSM and I was tightening a 59 ft/lb bolt to 135 ft/lb, so maybe that had something to do with the whole shearing off bit! Hrm....yeah..should have just read down further.
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Aug 27, 2012 16:00
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Speaking of which, if I'm tightening lug nuts, and they're specced to 85 and change lb/ft, and I have an 80lb/ft and a 90lb/ft torque stick, which should I use?
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Aug 27, 2012 16:12
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Safety Dance posted:Speaking of which, if I'm tightening lug nuts, and they're specced to 85 and change lb/ft, and I have an 80lb/ft and a 90lb/ft torque stick, which should I use? My personal opinion is tighter without going crazy. 5 lbs is definitely "not going crazy" territory, so I would grab the 90 in your case.
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Aug 27, 2012 16:15
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Safety Dance posted:Speaking of which, if I'm tightening lug nuts, and they're specced to 85 and change lb/ft, and I have an 80lb/ft and a 90lb/ft torque stick, which should I use? Go with the 90, any impact is gonna absorb a bit of the torque, and having it a hair overtight isn't going to hurt anything; if it's a 5 ft*lb difference, better to have it tight than loose.
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Aug 27, 2012 16:18
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Here's a 5% off code for RockAuto.com, good until 11/21/12: A77D7349F640 Should be multiple use.
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Aug 27, 2012 16:23
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First time AI poster. I think this is the right thread, but someone please correct me if I'm wrong. I have a 2003 Suzuki Aerio SX. Last week, the fan / air conditioning unit started making a very strange sound and outputting almost no air quite suddenly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUkRbxkEpuE Any idea what this could be? I should note that I sometimes park with the nose of my car near / into dead leaves, and this noise started one time after I had done that. I don't know if they are related. I'm loathe to take it to the local Suzuki dealership for a first diagnosis because they've kind of ripped me off in the past, so if anyone has any ideas as to what might be the problem or how I might begin investigating it on my own I'd appreciate it!
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Aug 27, 2012 16:57
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Petey posted:Any idea what this could be? I should note that I sometimes park with the nose of my car near / into dead leaves, and this noise started one time after I had done that. That's the most likely cause (debris). I'm not sure how difficult it is to get at the blower motors on those, but they typical first check is to pull it out and clean the junk out of it and any ducts you can get to when its removed.
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Aug 27, 2012 17:11
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More of whine than a real question: Have you noticed that you never quite have the right tool for the job? My seat is held in place with T50 bolts. My super-duper, every-variation possible, kit goes as big as T45. So close. And of course, I can't bring myself to just buy a T50 bit...I go through ebay and end up considering a socket set that includes T50 as well as ones that I already have. ...and maybe an adaptor set so I could get it in 3/8" drive and use it with both my 1/2 and 1/4 socket sets.
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Aug 27, 2012 17:49
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I'm shopping for a new replacement for my 2002 Accord. After reading up on the new Ford Fusion, I'm leaning toward that. What's the track record on reliability for Ford cars for the past few years? I want something that I can drive for 7-8 years without any catastrophes or constant electrical problems.
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Aug 27, 2012 18:20
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I just replaced the battery in my 2000 Buick Regal and in true "me" fashion I managed to drop a 13mm socket attached to a 6" extension between the radiator fan and radiator/condenser. In my attempts to remove it, it seems to have "sunk" to a point where it's out of the way of the radiator fan because the fans spin freely when the car is parked. My question is, would I risk having the socket/extension popping up into the way of the blades if I were to drive the car or is gravity on my side and them keep them out of harm's way until I have more time to disassemble this crap or get it into a shop? The Hayne's manual is not being helpful and school is just starting so this is not good timing for me.
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Aug 27, 2012 19:39
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thecopsarehere posted:My question is, would I risk having the socket/extension popping up into the way of the blades if I were to drive the car or is gravity on my side and them keep them out of harm's way until I have more time to disassemble this crap or get it into a shop? The Hayne's manual is not being helpful and school is just starting so this is not good timing for me. You're pretty much asking for that thing to bounce up and hit the fan taking the radiotor out along with it the first good bump you hit. Go to autozone and get the proper fan wrench from the loan-a-tool and take the fan off. If you still can't get at it you need to take the shroud off.
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Aug 27, 2012 19:47
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Or get one of those strong magnets on a stick.
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Aug 27, 2012 20:00
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Safety Dance posted:Or get one of those strong magnets on a stick. I was initially thinking that.....but I'm not sure I've ever seen one that would be powerful enough in a size you could get where he's going that could pick up a 6" extension.
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Aug 27, 2012 20:02
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Scrot Eel posted:I'm shopping for a new replacement for my 2002 Accord. After reading up on the new Ford Fusion, I'm leaning toward that. What's the track record on reliability for Ford cars for the past few years? I want something that I can drive for 7-8 years without any catastrophes or constant electrical problems. The 2.5 I4 with the 6 speed transmission should be a safe bet, but I'd be slightly concerned about the 1.6 and 2.0L Ecoboost engines only because they're new to the platform and Ford will doubtless have some teething issues with them. IIRC the 2013 Fusion is built on the global Mondeo platform so it should be a bit of a step up from the previous Mazda 6 based Fusions.
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Aug 27, 2012 20:05
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Motronic posted:That's the most likely cause (debris). I'm not sure how difficult it is to get at the blower motors on those, but they typical first check is to pull it out and clean the junk out of it and any ducts you can get to when its removed. Thanks! Is there a good way to find these things out? Other than once replacing the brakes with help from RockAuto, I've never really done anything with this car. If it's as simple as removing and cleaning something, though, I'd rather do that myself then pay someone if at all possible.
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Aug 27, 2012 20:36
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Petey posted:Thanks! Is there a good way to find these things out? Other than once replacing the brakes with help from RockAuto, I've never really done anything with this car. If it's as simple as removing and cleaning something, though, I'd rather do that myself then pay someone if at all possible. It's behind the glove, and since I'm a fan of your effort posting, I don't mind effort posting for you. Open the glove, it's on plastic hinges that should pop free easily, then do this. Identifying blower motor components.   Fig6 Removing lower member  Fig7 Removing blower relays  Fig8 Removing blower from vehicle  See if you got some leaves in there. Check the ducts too. 
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Aug 27, 2012 21:01
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Random Number posted:It's gotta be a reverse threaded screw, but yeah. See if you can borrow a set of easy-outs and a hand drill from someone, that'll do ya. One of my hangers rusted through into my exhaust pipe between the bracket and the muffler, yaaaaaaay JB weld.
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Aug 27, 2012 21:22
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I don't know how many clicks to clip the zip ties that hold the wires loosely against the side of my seat for the electric seat to function at peak efficiency. I'm afraid that too few clicks will leave it too loose and it may eventually wear down and lose electrons, and too many clicks and I may begin to wear through the protective shroud covering the wiring. Also, is it ok to use tin snips to cut the end of the plastic or must I find an appropriate pair of pliers?
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Aug 27, 2012 21:25
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Failure to use the finest Swedish zip ties and approved Zip Tie Installation Tools may void your SAAB warranty.* *"SAAB Warranty" ahahahaha
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Aug 27, 2012 21:28
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IOwnCalculus posted:Failure to use the finest Swedish zip ties and approved Zip Tie Installation Tools may void your SAAB warranty.* Ow. My pride.
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Aug 27, 2012 21:42
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^ 17 clicks, and you must get a Rabbi to do the snipping.spog posted:More of whine than a real question: Problems like this are why god made Harbor Freight.
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Aug 27, 2012 22:04
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Godholio posted:Problems like this are why god made Harbor Freight. Truth. 
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Aug 27, 2012 22:12
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Motronic posted:You're pretty much asking for that thing to bounce up and hit the fan taking the radiotor out along with it the first good bump you hit. This is what I figured, although the Haynes didn't say anything about needing a special wrench so that's good to know. I just went and had the oil changed and the mechanic basically said the same thing (I drove carefully) but it's definitely not in the path of the fan right now. You can't even see where the thing is with it on a lift. Got off the phone with another mechanic, who I know better, and we both kinda concluded that with electric fans and the overall weight of a 6" extension+socket, it's unlikely to work up enough force to puncture the radiator unless I hit something really big. Seems like it must be stuck at the lowest point of the core support or something. Was kinda hoping someone had an idea of what the hell it looked like back there. Anyway, I'm probably gonna just have to be careful driving until I can properly work on it.
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Aug 27, 2012 22:23
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Can anyone recommend a good 3rd party extended warranty service? Does such a thing exist? I just bought a used car from the dealer, and haven't decided if the warranty package they're trying to sell me is worth it or not. I'm only covered by the state lemon law's 90 day period then I'm on my own.
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Aug 27, 2012 22:43
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thecopsarehere posted:Haynes didn't say anything about needing a special wrench so that's good to know...... with electric fans The wrench isn't special so much as it's huge. But with electric fans you won't need that. I thought they still had regular clutch driven engine fans on those things into the mid 2000s at least. So that make it even easier to resolve. Best of luck, but it seems your/your mechanic's estimation is pretty much the same as mine but you see it as a manageable issue. I don't think it really is (never know when you're going to hit some huge pot hole or a heave in the pavement) and the potential damage (radiator and fan) is much more costly than spending an hour on it now.
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Aug 27, 2012 22:45
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Hillridge posted:Can anyone recommend a good 3rd party extended warranty service? Does such a thing exist? They look shady as gently caress and I've seen news stories (sorry, can't remember enough details to google a source) where people are getting shafted by this service. Personally, I'd just get towing coverage through AAA and take the money that you would otherwise spend on a new car or 3rd party warranty and put it in the bank, until you have a few thousand saved up for really disastrous engine work (don't be lax on maintenance).
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Aug 27, 2012 23:35
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Hillridge posted:I just bought a used car from the dealer, and haven't decided if the warranty package they're trying to sell me is worth it or not. I'm only covered by the state lemon law's 90 day period then I'm on my own. Out of curiosity - your state covers used cars? Most lemon laws only apply to new cars with very high rates of failure (more than X issues in Y time) and not to used cars at all, no matter the failure.
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Aug 27, 2012 23:42
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Motronic posted:The wrench isn't special so much as it's huge. But with electric fans you won't need that. I thought they still had regular clutch driven engine fans on those things into the mid 2000s at least. Yeah I understand, fortunately I'm not overly reliant on my car right now and I just started graduate in school and live in an apartment building, all of which means it's a pain to work on right now. Do you know if I'll need to flush the coolant, by chance? I just have such bad "luck" working on my poo poo (even when I know what I'm doing, old VWs are more my speed, too) that I'm hesitant to work on it right now but hopefully I can man up soon.
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Aug 27, 2012 23:58
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