Im going crazy trying to get out these bolts.

Oregonconversion · February 11, 2009, 03:19:48 PM

I am trying to take out the giant bolts that attach the track on the wall that connects to the side of the chairs.

Most of these came out OK but there are a few that are stuck! I have tried drilling them out and they are too hard. I have tried using my dremal to cut off the head and that wont work. I have tried a 3LP hammer and impact driver after heating up the bolt.....

What gives?

4" grinder?

JackConrad · February 11, 2009, 03:26:27 PM

Quote from: Oregonconversion on February 11, 2009, 03:19:48 PM
I am trying to take out the giant bolts that attach the track on the wall that connects to the side of the chairs.
Most of these came out OK but there are a few that are stuck! I have tried drilling them out and they are too hard. I have tried using my dremal to cut off the head and that wont work. I have tried a 3LP hammer and impact driver after heating up the bolt.....
What gives?
4" grinder?

Try setting the impact driver to tighten and smack it hard with the hammer before loosening. Sometimes this will break it loose. Probably rust on the threads on the backside of the screw. As a last ditch (just before the C4) use the 4" grinder with a 1/16" cut-off wheel. Jack

NJT5047 · February 11, 2009, 03:59:24 PM

4" grinder is an excellent choice. Those wall bolts can be cut off with a high-speed side grinder and cutoff wheel. Watch your eyes when doing this. Cut thru the track, get it out of the way, and you'll have room to cut the their little heads off. Then grind flush. Face protection is necessary.
The failure of the bolts to loosen are an indication of corrosion in that section of wall. It probably won't cause a problem...but it's likely there.
FWIW, if you're planning on removing the inner wall panels, each panel is different. Mark each one so that it can be returned to it's original position. They are part of the structure of the coach. They can be removed, but once the repairs are made, and insulation is installed, the panels go back.
JR

flynbanjo · February 11, 2009, 04:03:27 PM

None of ours came out easy so we decided to burn them off with a torch.

Steven

Oregonconversion · February 11, 2009, 04:08:13 PM

Quote from: NJT5047 on February 11, 2009, 03:59:24 PM
4" grinder is an excellent choice. Those wall bolts can be cut off with a high-speed side grinder and cutoff wheel. Watch your eyes when doing this. Cut thru the track, get it out of the way, and you'll have room to cut the their little heads off. Then grind flush. Face protection is necessary.
The failure of the bolts to loosen are an indication of corrosion in that section of wall. It probably won't cause a problem...but it's likely there.
FWIW, if you're planning on removing the inner wall panels, each panel is different. Mark each one so that it can be returned to it's original position. They are part of the structure of the coach. They can be removed, but once the repairs are made, and insulation is installed, the panels go back.
JR

Are you talking about the wood and silver panel that the air goes through up to the window? Or the yellow panel underneath that is part of the structure?

NJT5047 · February 11, 2009, 06:18:16 PM

The yellow 'structural' panels are beneath the wood panels. The wood trim panels are the upper AC ducts. The wood panels are not structural. They'll come right out. The wood panels can be left out without compromising the chassis integrity.
The yellow inner panels are all riveted to the wall frame with millions of rivets.

The stainless HVAC ducts along the floor are also typically removed...but the AC and heat outlets are both located beneath about the 3rd windows. The smaller holes are inlets.
The bus will still heat (very well in front) without the ductwork.
Working around the side floor ducts are a PITA. My recommendation is to remove them.
How far into the bus are you going? Plan to remove the floor? If your coach had a restroom, check the floor around the restroom for rot. Check the floor for rot beneath the HVAC ductwork too. It's pretty common.
I'll assume that you also plan to remove the 'ramp' at the front. Look under the floor in that area for dirt. Sometimes there's nasty under there.

JR

jjrbus · February 11, 2009, 08:18:42 PM

One day I had a moment of clarity. I had used every thing I could think of to remove some nuts. It seems to be a primal guy thing that a nut or bolt must be removed intact at any cost. A real challenge to our masculinity!! I must get it out intact at any cost, trips to the emergency room, broken tools, gallons of magic elixir to fight corrosion. What ever it takes I will be victorious and conquer this puny hunk of metal.

Now that I have reached enlightenment my tool of choice is an angle grinder, many times I do not even try a wrench first particularly a nut on a stud!!

Before using an angle grinder, cover all plastic and glass, stainless steel, painted surfaces anything you do not want ruined with cardboard or something as the sparks from grinding will melt right into glass, plastic, stainless, aluminum etc.
HTH Jim

Tenor · February 11, 2009, 08:28:35 PM

What you need is leverage. Put the bolt in a vice and spin the bus!

Glenn

Barn Owl · February 11, 2009, 10:52:59 PM

QuoteBefore using an angle grinder, cover all plastic and glass, stainless steel, painted surfaces anything you do not want ruined with cardboard or something as the sparks from grinding will melt right into glass, plastic, stainless, aluminum etc.

Good tip. I messed up a nice computer monitor at work because of the "sparks". Tiny pieces embedded right into the glass surface. I also messed up a nice expensive speciality jack by welding near it. The welding spatter bonded with the chrome shaft. Won't make either mistake again.

jjrbus · February 12, 2009, 03:23:04 AM

Quote from: Barn Owl on February 11, 2009, 10:52:59 PM
QuoteBefore using an angle grinder, cover all plastic and glass, stainless steel, painted surfaces anything you do not want ruined with cardboard or something as the sparks from grinding will melt right into glass, plastic, stainless, aluminum etc.

. Won't make either mistake again.

Care to make a wager on that ??

grantgoold · February 12, 2009, 05:52:23 AM

Site clear any bolts that decide they do not want to play!

It isn't worth the frustration particularly if you are not keeping the rail system. I had the exact same problem when tearing our my stuff. I thought for a long time I would use the track but in the end gutted the whole thing!

Cut away!

Grant

bottomacher · February 12, 2009, 06:13:12 AM

About 15 of mine decided to fight. After the impact driver failed to do it, I used a sharp 8" chisel and hammer to turn the bolt from the perimeter of the head just a little, and used the impact again. If that didn't get it, I cut a slotted head with a Dremel and used an old drag link (screwdriver) socket to remove them with virtually no effort. In retrospect, the Dremel would have been my first choice. It also works very well on mag wheel locks when you have lost the "key".

johns4104s · February 12, 2009, 02:31:20 PM

Bottomaker

Do you also carry a slim jim?

Sorry could not help it

John

travelingfools · February 12, 2009, 02:49:39 PM

I had to cut off some of mine..used a grinder

bottomacher · February 13, 2009, 06:25:22 AM

John, actually, I do, but I don't carry a Dremel. Some tools are road tools and some are home tools. Fortunately, I had to remove the wheel lock in the driveway. On the road, it would have stopped us, since we couldn't have changed the flat on the toad.