Bolts are not coming loose...

NCGRIZ

NCGRIZ

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Raleigh, NC, USA
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I purchased a new bumper for the front of my TJ. The 4 - T55 torx "bolts" that are holding the current bumper in place are not budging...

Any thoughts other than PB blaster? I have been spraying them for a week now. No movement at all. Anyone know anything about heating coil and getting them hot?

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you
 
Torch em. heat the crap outta the bolt and with expansion from heat and contracting once cooled it should hopefully loosen it up. heat it a few times if you have to. Living in the rust belt sucks.
 
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Can't speak for the TJ but some of the bolts on my JL had red Loctite on them that required a heating using the torch to loosen them or risk breakage when using the impact wrench. After a quick heating they literally came out with not much effort at all.
 
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HEAT, the best choice. We use propane all the time.
PS, I just took off my TJR bumper yesterday to get rid if the ugly rubber things.
Be sure to hold the Torx bit tight into the bolt.

Key is a tight bolt driver fit.
 
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Thank you for the info. I have been using a propane torch and lighting it up but it's not budging. My new bumper can only hold down so much paper in my shop!
 
Are you getting them glowing red hot? When I was changing the O2 sensors on my TJ, I had to really let the heat stay on them until they glowed. Once that happened they came right out.
 
Mrprez said:
Are you getting them glowing red hot? When I was changing the O2 sensors on my TJ, I had to really let the heat stay on them until they glowed. Once that happened they came right out.
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Simple answer is no. I have seen handheld coil heaters that seem to work great but I cant find one online...the propane torch is small and not heating up like I thought it would. Hopefully all this heating up and cooling down may help but take time.
 
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If your not loosening the grip with pb blaster or similar and just heat don't work here is what you do you heat it up again and give it a couple of good hard whacks with a hammer it will shock the rust free
 
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NCGRIZ said:
Simple answer is no. I have seen handheld coil heaters that seem to work great but I cant find one online...the propane torch is small and not heating up like I thought it would. Hopefully all this heating up and cooling down may help but take time.
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Charcoal starter will probably get the head much hotter than a propane torch.
Use a 2lb hammer and shock the bolt a couple of times,

I haven't used a charcoal starter as an induction heater for bolts, but I've lit a hell of a bunch of charcoal with one and they get HOT

Like this
 
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Boostpowered said:
If your not loosening the grip with pb blaster or similar and just heat don't work here is what you do you heat it up again and give it a couple of good hard whacks with a hammer it will shock the rust free
Click to expand...
I have sprayed it down with PB everyday for a week and have a 4lb hammer I beat the $h*% out of it. I'll get there!
 
bgenlvtex said:
Charcoal starter will probably get the head much hotter than a propane torch.
Use a 2lb hammer and shock the bolt a couple of times,

I haven't used a charcoal starter as an induction heater for bolts, but I've lit a hell of a bunch of charcoal with one and they get HOT

Like this
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I have one. It's next in the line up of breaking them loose. If the jeep catches on fire can I call you?
 
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NCGRIZ said:
Simple answer is no. I have seen handheld coil heaters that seem to work great but I cant find one online...the propane torch is small and not heating up like I thought it would. Hopefully all this heating up and cooling down may help but take time.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what you are using exactly but I have found that those little canister, hand held propane torches sometimes do not have enough gusto to get stubborn bolts hot enough.
 
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Sounds stupid, but tightening before loosening is the tried and true method. Good leverage and a tight fit is key for torx stuff, as mentioned before. If you can get it to crack loose going forward it's pretty much guaranteed to back out.
 
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