Thread: The restoration of Wombat

Originally Posted by Dark61

drilled it out in under 20 seconds.
cheers,
D

You've a steadier hand than me, I get a bit to go skew iff even when using a drill press and vice

Last resort job drilling... and because I've already ground the nuts off, I can't just leave it, though things are so jammed solid I probably could

Next weekend. Just about to go down to Mum and Dad's for lunch... and to swipe his torch (he doesn't mind lending/giving me tools, it's all part of his long term plan to clean out HIS shed by cluttering mine )

The use of heat is to expand the metal and hopefully break the rust. A couple of cycles of hot and cold can do the trick. Spraying a penetrating oil will cool things quickly as well at get drawn in to provide some lube. On tight fits heat can be used to expand one part while leaving the other unexpanded or even cooled to get one part to expand and the other to stay at room temp size or shrink through cooling. Give it a try but I suspect you will need force or a drill.

Can you rig up a puller to push the bolt back out? Using a drift with a flat end and of a size similar to the bolt will avoid mushrooming the bolt. You need someone with a big heavy ballast to brace the bulk head to maximise the benefit of the blows directed onto the bolt.

I was able to borrow my Dad's propane torch so now can apply some serious heat to things - fingers, legs, ears and maybe even some bits of Land Rover. I've had a couple of goes on those bolts with no luck, but will apply a few cycles of heat and penetrating oil.

My socket set has one handle which is just a shaft through a fitting for the socket. Using that with an extension bar, all I achieved was to bend the shaft.

I was able to push the firewall forward off the bolt on the passenger side... after I thought to remove those vertical firewall supports
By lifting that side, the firewall pivots around the driver's side bolt easily so it's not stuck on that side BUT, do you reckon I can get it off? No amount of force or coercion will move it.

Confession time. When I first ground off the nut on that side, I tried to bash the bolt free. Although I gave up fairly quickly because I was starting to round off the head, I'm wondering if I haven't riveted the bolt in that tube as wrinklearthur suggested is possible.

I did have a brief go with my powerdrill but could barely mark the bolt, they must be made out of really tough stuff (and yes, I know my bits are rubbish though I used one that looked as though it had little use).

So at the moment, the firewall is free of the bolt on the passenger side. It'll rotate easily around the bolt on the driver's side but the firewall won't slide off it. Both bolts are stuck solid in the chassis and because I cut the nuts off with the angle grinder, I have to replace them.

Ok, I'll paint a picture of the internals.. The bolt goes thru the bulkhead tube, and also a tube in the outrigger. Over time and use, water works its way in between the outer shank of the bolt and the inner wall of the tube.. This causes both the bolt and the tube to rust. In doing so they swell which causes the problem you have.. Having soaked, hit, cut, soaked etc you have prob not achieved too much.. First suggestion is to soak it every night and morning this week, and try it again next sat. Suggestion 2 is to drill a small hole thru the end of the outrigger and into the middle of the internal tube on both the bulkhead and outrigger. You only need to get thru the tube and touch the bolt shank. 3 or 4 mm will do. Then soak this hole with WD40. It will soften the expanded rust and hopefully help. If I find myself down your way, I'll come straighten that rear X Member.

Finally got the firewall off
But those damned bolts are still stuck in the chassis

I was able to borrow my Dad's propane torch and have been using that to apply heat, and have made the CEO of WD40 very happy with this year's profits. In fact, so much WD40 has dripped on the ground that the concrete under the job will never rust.

Now some pics and chatter

First official use of my 'new' crane - to support the firewall. Working on my own, I thought this was a good idea and it proved to be so because that firewall isn't light and it's quite unwieldy once free.



This is the area that's been giving me all the grief. The photo shows the passenger side of the firewall which came off quite easily (leaving the bolt stuck in place).



To get the driver's side free, it was a cast of heat, WD40, lots more heat, lots more WD40, bash, bash, bash. The annoying part was that the firewall would rotate easily around the bolt if I lifted the other side. In the end, what got the brute moving was to bash a wedge between the chassis and the firewall. What did I use for the wedge? The tooth off a plough that I found in the back of the Landy.

Anyways, I got the firewall off and safely stored against the pile of body panels at the side of the shed. Here's what I'm left with



These bolts (one each side) are my next challenge. I'm following Sitec's advice to soak the thing everyday. I haven't drilled the small oiling hole he suggested because my current drills wouldn't cut cheese.

But I've finally got to this point



except I've got to get them rotten bolts out

www.aulro.com/afvb/...i.../198905-firewall-chassis-splice-bolt.html


You are not alone.
cheers,
D

Thanks D. All a bit dire isn't it.

It will come out. Positive vibes. When I was struggling with the door bolt , when it finally moved it was almost like the birth of my first child!
cheers,
D