OK, I hate rust, I bought a car from Michigan, it was in great condition, but has a problem with rust along the underside and on parts of the engine compartment. I think road salts were the main culprit with this, but nevertheless the damage is done, and I need to undo as much as possible. The first place of aggrevation and the reason of posting this, is that the Rear diff bolts appears to be severely rusted. I tried to break them free using a 1/2" driver and my jack lift on the handle to help apply pressure to loosen the bolts (also applied liquid wrench style oil to help loosen the bolts). No go the driver wrench began to twist out of the upper bolt hole which appears to be rotted slightly larger than the 1/2" size it once was. I am wondering if an impact wrench would be too harsh to get the bolt out, what sort of other means should I try? Also, how much are these bolts? Do I have to get them from Factory Dealerships or is there an aftermarket kit or part for this? I am hoping (not malicously of course) that some one else has experienced this also, and how did they deal with it?

 

most bolts are inexpensive(less than $3 a piece) except for the one very long bolt on your rear suspension that connects your 2 lateral links that is about $23

try the impact wrench it worked on my exhaust

if not it will break or round than go for the torch and hot it if you can

drill a hole and use a easy-out if torch dont work

 

try an impact wrench first. they can develop quite a bit of torque with minimal effort. other than that, go to a big breaker bar.

i detest easy-outs, they break off in the bolt as often as not and they're harder t drill than just about any bolt known to man. sears and snap-on do make purpose built bolt removers that are super mean, and i'd go with those.

 

Thanks guys, but my concern is with the differential casing and the threadings. Would any of those bolt breakers cause damage to the threadings or the casing? The rust may be bad, but it's still only superficial, not cancerous. Would not like to replace a diff, because of a couple of stubborn bolts.

- Henry

 

the only way that any of these would damage the internal threads would be if the bolts weren't threaded properly the last time that they were installed (probably at the factory) -- unless the rust has gotten into the threads. worst case scenario here is that you get a bolt that is competely siezed, and break the head off of it, leaving the threaded portion in the diff casing. admittedly, that's a pretty bad scenario.

 

Thanks, the drain bolts do not have a head per se, as they have a 1/2" squared indent to work with instead. Just get nervous whenever, I start hearing about drilling anything, as metal shavings are invariably left or as I was worried, the threading may get chewed-up if the drill enters at an angle. Also, would the Gears be safe from metal shards if the bolts needed to be drilled out?

- Henry

 

when i said hole i ment for a easy-out

but if you have to drill out get a heli-coil kit for the size
as for the chips that could get in to the casing it is made of what white metal or aluminum and the bolt is med steel at best and the gears are at lease 50 rockwell if not 60

just flush after doing this and all will be ok

what all tools do you have to work with?
forgot to ask before what you have tried already?

 

Kay95,

Have only been able to try a 1/2" ratchet driver with extension and a 3-ton jack lift for leverage against the handle end of the ratchet (a suggested method from Scoobymod forum). No go as the driver head was begining to turn out of the indent as the hole has rotted to about 9/16" to 10/16" size allowing for too much play for the driver head to be effective. Which is why this weekend, I have to take the car to a local shop to help break the bolt free with an impact gun. However, if the ratchet driver had problems, I am assuming that the impact gun may also have the same problem. I also used a liquid wrench type of oil to help loosen the bolts, but no good on that either. I like the idea of using some heat to possibly loosen the bolt, but again must try at local shop, as I do not have such equipment at home. There are no heads to the bolts, and I already ordered replacements from Subaru (prices are 6 bucks for one bolt and 9 for the other as they are listed with two different part numbers) and will try some of the suggestions presented here today this weekend and try to break them free, to see if the bolts are as bad as I think they are.

- Henry

 

wow that sounds like only heat or a drill will get that out!

if you tried a 3 ton jack on that ratchet and it didnt break loose, a impact gun will not do it

just go for the heat first that way you can later use the impact wrench if heat will get it loose enough