Rounded flywheel bolts

[boostlessNT]

So, 94 NT - input shaft was screwed - pissin transmission fluid everywhere, god knows what else was wrong with the tranny. Got a TSi tranny, clutch, flywheel and pressure plate from an autowrecker (6bolt) and proceeded to do the swap only to find that my NT is a 7bolt

So, obviously the 6bolt flywheel isn't going to work. No problem I figured - buy a 7bolt TSi flywheel and continue as per norm. Well, it's sunday and the major autowreckers around here that have parts for our cars aren't open, so gotta wait till Monday. In the meantime, I figured why not remove the 7bolt NT flywheel in anticipation for tomorrow. Had a hell of a time getting ANY progress at all. Used heat, penetrating oil, air impact & electric impact guns, ratchet & snipe, no dice. Let the bolts soak for a while, try again with the electric impact, and got 3 of them off. Finally, some progress. The remaining 4 were proving to be more problematic than the others.

Went and got a 3/4" electric impact (huuuge, mad power) ... got a new impact socket and proceeded to try the remaining 4 bolts on the flywheel. Well, between me and my buddy BOTH pushing as hard as we could on this impact gun, we simply couldn't keep it on the head (which by the way are far too shallow IMO) and ended up rounding the bolt to almost a perfect circle. Didn't take much, I tell ya.

What we're considering is drilling out the bolt(s) but we're paranoid that we'll screw something up in the crank if we're off a lil on the drilling. I'm not sure what else to try to try and get these bolts off ... they're more stubborn than my ex wife!!!

Suggestions/Comments/HELP ???

-Andrew

 

[wolf20043]

Dayum!! JB weld? Use an acetylene torch. This does 2 things. First heated metal expands. This allows the bolt to be 'looser" than not heating. Also if it has locktite it helps in burning that off. Use a hand held impact driver. The ones that we used to use on our motorcycles to remove those pesky Phillips screws in years gone by. Anyway, heat the bolt head hot and using the impact driver and proper socket strike with a BFH. Big freakin hammer. Make sure it's a 6 point impact socket. Do not use 12 point sockets here or you'll be sorrrrrrrrryyyyyy. Heat hot and strike, repeat as necessary. This has never failed for me. You will also want to replace the bolts when you are done. You will need someone to hold the torch for you after you heat. Do not lay down on concrete or you will have a rather nasty surprise. Concrete explodes when heated. Be careful and have a fire extinguisher handy. Good Luck

Thanks Guys, for the input. I did finally get them out. 4 did eventually turn out, but I did have to cut the heads on the last 2. I did replace all of the bolts when done, simply because I dont trust a bolt that has been tourqed that tight. Thanks again.
Mike

 

[eclipsh]

Glad to hear you got 'em off and that you are using new bolts.

 

[Cool Mr Steve]

I'm getting my hands on a small propane torch and an impact wrench (not the pneumatic gun, the one you hit with a hammer). My question is with this method, how long must I heat up the bolts for? I don't want to risk warping the flywheel or creating "hot spots," so is this method safe? I'll probably try the impact wrench by itself first, but just in case.

 

[VelocitàPaola]

Have you tried the DSM mechanic's most used tool - the big ass breaker bar? I haven't run into a bolt my modest 24" bar couldn't handle...

 

[1gcrazy]

I'm drunk but a breaker bar does wonders...trust me...er dont cus i'm drunk. But wait! Breaker bars rock! I love DSM'S!!!

 

[Cool Mr Steve]

The angle I'm putting the breaker bar on there is getting me worried that I'm going to strip my bolts. I really want to try the impact wrench and the torch/impact wrench method. I'm just curious what a good length of time is to heat up each bolt, and how long to let it cool down before I try the impact wrench. It is portable propane torch, not a nice, fancy one.

 

[VelocitàPaola]

The propane may not get hot enough. Most of the time, when heat is used to back off a bolt, the torch makes the bolt cherry red. I remember a similar situation (back in the day...) when I tried using a portable propane torch to back off some drive shaft bolts. It didn't get anywhere near hot enough without an oxygen source.

Also, you'd want to keep the bolts hot while loosening them. If you let them cool, you'll be back to square one.

The flywheel bolts should be made out of pretty high grade steel. I'd be surprised if you stripped them using a breaker bar - after all, the maximum amount of torque the bolts will see is already in the threads. You won't be adding any more forward torque by loosening them.

 

[snyper1982]

Thermal expansion works in the opposite way. When metal is heated it expands, and as it cools it contracts back to its original state.

 

[wret]

There are two reasons to heat them: the bolts expand and releive some of the tension and it loosens the thread locker. When heating is necessary, you will want to try to remove the bolt while it is still hot. I have not had trouble removing the bolts without heat and with a breaker bar.

 

[Pandagonier]

I used a 2ft breaker bar on the flywheel bolts and I stripped everyone one of them. Tried heating them, used some pb blaster, nothing worked. So I headed to the work bench, grabbed the good ole angle grinder. Grinded every bolt off, once the tops of then were off the flywheel came off with ease and the rest of the bolts still left in the crank came right out. The heat from grinding them off made them come loose and had no prob taking them out.

 

[PaulN]

I just did mine and a good old breaker bar and some gut bustin force is all that was needed. They will come loose. The only problem I had is the bolt heads aren't very tall so be careful not to slip off and bust up a knuckle.

 

[Ryan95tsiAWD]

it is well worth it to invest in som impact sockets that are short. If the flywheel bolts are really stuck, your going to have to get another person to hold the socket side of the breaker bar steady and straight while you grab the other end of the bar with both hands (it also helps to use a piece of lead pipe that will fit over the end of the breaker bar to extend it out further). Make sure you use steady pressure, bouncing or "hammering" on the bar contributes to stripped bolts.

 

[PaulN]

In my case the engine was on the stand, so I just put a 2 x 4 between the crank and the block wall and proceeded to loosen the bolts.

 

[luvmygst]

Propane will not get close to hot enough. I would try what everyone has said. A BIG breaker bar. You do have to be carefull because the heads of the bolts are so short. Just use a good quality socket, and not a deep dwell, and you should get it. If you have to try heating them the next best thing to try would be MAP gas. It fits the same torch but gets much hotter, but it is still not a oxy/acy torch. But it is much hotter than propane.

 

[TurkF26]

use a 6 point socket not a 12 point socket and use a metal coat hanger and wrap it around one of the bolts that holds the clutch plate to the flywheel and wrap it around the cross member and just use a breaker bar and they will come off. you dont need a torch

 

[snowboard1]

I just currently stripped out one flywheel bolt from my flywheel. My brother put a 3/4 instead of a 19mm on my impact gun and stripped the bolt out. How would you go about taking it off?
Tried heating it up with propane and using a 19mm on impact gun but that just rounded it off.
Could I just grind the head off and remove the threads with vise grips?

 

[travislaw]

I tried this once and it worked really well. If you have a spare socket in the size you need, grab it. Mix up some JB Weld and stuff it into the socket. Then Stick the socket on the bolt, making sure the JB weld doesn't get on the fly wheel, only the bolt. Then let it fully harden. Once it has fully hardened, crank that sucker off.

 

[wret]

Many people with this predicament have found that once the head is ground off, relieving the strain, the rest of the bolt can be removed easily.

 

[snowboard1]

Thanks for your reply, I'll try the jb weld method first.

 

[Merkles]

I jus removed my tranny and it is out being rebuilt so i am replacing my clutch and flywheel, i got the pressure plate and clutch disc out fine but my flywheel bolts are on there TIGHT, what is the best way to get these pain in the ass bolts off?

 

[donmagicjuan]

The most logical way is to have another person put a 1/2" drive rachet w/ an extension on the crankshaft pulley to prevent the engine from rotating while loosening them. Just pull off the plastic access cover behind the left front tire and you'll see it. When I did mine, it was just me, so I put another wrench on one of the other flywheel bolts and rotated the engine until I could wedge it against something solid to provide the proper countertorque. Just remember to not allow the engine to rotate counterclockwise (when viewing the crankshaft pulley) to prevent the risk of skipping a tooth on your timing belt. Also, when reinstalling the flywheel, don't forget the red loktite.

 

[Blackmitzu]

The best way is to use a 1/2 inch impact wrench. If you dont have access to one, use donmagicjuan's method.

 

[Merkles]

The most logical way is to have another person put a 1/2" drive rachet w/ an extension on the crankshaft pulley to prevent the engine from rotating while loosening them. Just pull off the plastic access cover behind the left front tire and you'll see it. When I did mine, it was just me, so I put another wrench on one of the other flywheel bolts and rotated the engine until I could wedge it against something solid to provide the proper countertorque. Just remember to not allow the engine to rotate counterclockwise (when viewing the crankshaft pulley) to prevent the risk of skipping a tooth on your timing belt. Also, when reinstalling the flywheel, don't forget the red loktite.

yea this is the method i used, i called up my brother and he came over to help me

thanks a bunch

 

[PimpDrive]

Today I tried to use the impact to take the bolts out, did not work. I heated each bolt with a small map gas torch for about 20 seconds each, used the impact again and each came out like butter.