Frozen thermostat housing bolt

Hello all,

I need to change my thermostat and and my bolts are frozen. I found a lot on removing bolts with heat, pb blaster, a couple of taps from a hammer. I am afraid if I do this I may damage the manifold or get funk into the block. Any ideas, feedback or wise cracks ?

Thanks!

 

If they are frozen then warm them up!

Is it a aluminum or iron manifold?

 

Try some heat and tap on their heads with a small ballpeen? Worked for me.
Melt some wax into them while heating and peening too.
Heat(and corrosion)got you into that spot and should get you out.
Best of luck!

 

Don't just try and crank away on a stuck fastener. To loosen, move the bolt loose/tight just a little at a time as you walk it out.

 

Sorry i never posted what it is frozen to, It sits on an original 283.

Thanks guys, sounds like heat it.

 

Wise cracks? you want wise cracks?

Go to urban dictionary dot com first, so you can brush up on your swear words...for when one of the bolts breaks off

 

Lol, Thanks Jim.
I hope I don't have to use 'em.
Last time I broke bolts it wasn't fun.

 

Some of the old timers who worked with frozen bolts and fasteners would take days or weeks to get them loose. Patience was their friend. They would heat a little, then soak a little, and keep repeating the process until they could put a wrench on it and get it to move slightly. Then they would soak some more and alternately keep tightening and loosening the fastener until it was out. Eventually, it will come if you just don't rush it.

Don

 

When you get it apart, use a thread chasser to clean the casting, then use anti sieze on the new bolt.

 

Or just be sure to change the antifreeze every five years or so. That's about all it takes to keep them from rusting again.

 

Thanks all! I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

Use non-ferrous bolts or use studs instead of bolts.

 

I found they stuck in the housing itself, if it's aluminum. Heating the head of the bolt, then trying ot wick some good penetrating oil down into the area helps. Tapping the top of the bolt head with ball pein hammer loosend the corrosion as well.

 

After all the penetrant and heat, if it still wont come out you can drill or cut the heads off. It may damage the t stat housing, but you can then pull the housing and get at the remaining "stud" with vise grips. With some more heat and penetrant they should come out once the housing is out off the way and you can get more penetrant at the threads.

 

First things first!!!--Start up the engine & get the temp way up! (200degrees), then attempt the loosning process!-----Don

 

what kind of non ferrous bolts do you use??
Is there such a thing as plastic or alluminum bolts??

 

Hi there

I´ve been very sceptic about miracle chems but i´ve had only good experiences about this one when removing stuck bolts
http://www.ambersil.com/csp/web/ProdDisp.csp?country=OTHER&idx=80224&lng=3
I removed all unf nuts on the chassie including the tie rods with no violence on my Ford tudor that has been sitting in a barn for 40 years... Can be worth a try....

 

I see that the link above is wrong sorry...The correct chemical i CRC rost flash................

 

I've always had good luck by giving a little bit of rightie first and then leftie with large amounts of pb blaster. And then the slow as you go till it no longer feels like it's going to break off. Good luck.

 

Hello All,

Thanks again for the help on this one. Only took four nights of PB Blaster baths and some quick taps with the peen. Was saving the heat for today if the blaster didn't work. I got some movement yesterday and was able to tighten and back out a bit. She is out now, therm replaced with a fresh 160.

Thank you!

 

You may consider some anti-seize on those bolts to help out next time.

 

Stainless steel.

And yes, there are Aluminum bolts, Titanium and brass too.

ALWAYS use anti-seize when putting a steel bolt into Aluminum threads.