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Posted by: dlestep Dec 26 2008, 02:15 PM

...I've tried to remove the strut wedge bolt with no sucess.
This buggar has refused to show any kind of progress after the drift with a BFH, and a 5 min air drift, that has mucked up the first few threads.
I am about to get out the propane torch and heat it up, but I thought that I'd ask you guys first, before it becomes a major surgery and costly recover.
Any help is appreciated...Dave

Posted by: effutuo101 Dec 26 2008, 02:24 PM

I did the same a little while ago. I applied heat, a penetrating oil, more heat, more oil over a couple of days and finally used the BFH and it came out. Good luck, mine was bent about 15 degrees when it finally came out.

Posted by: r_towle Dec 26 2008, 02:49 PM

heat and pb blaster.

Then, an air chisel works great or a 3 lb hammer with nut attached...
Figure you will need a new bolt.

Rich

Posted by: dlestep Dec 26 2008, 02:54 PM

...exactly what I'm doing. PB Blaster is my friend. I am about to heat it up. I'm removing my Bilsteins and cutting the boot from the ball joint before I heat the bastard up...If you hear sirens, I caught something on fire...just ignore it...If you hear of a house fire in Ft. Lauderdale on the evening news, it wasn't me...

Posted by: r_towle Dec 26 2008, 03:00 PM

If you turn the wheel all the way in one direction....then get a drift to get your hammer swing out in the open you can get it without heat.
the key is you need one really serious swing that connects perfectly...no heat needed.

Turn the wheel, use a drift and stand up while swinging the hammer below your shoulder.
Swing it just hard enough to make you think you will knock it off the jack stands....

Rich

Posted by: dlestep Dec 26 2008, 03:07 PM

...The entire front suspension is off, laying in front of the car. One came off with out mucking up anything. The other...I don't think GOD could remove this one. I am soaking it in PB, and using intermittent drift and still no signs yet.
Maybe if my wife comes out and irritates the &$%$ out of me, I may muster the focus and get it off....with one superhuman hit!

Posted by: r_towle Dec 26 2008, 03:14 PM

If you already intend to replace the ball joint, burn it

Rich

Posted by: dlestep Dec 26 2008, 03:38 PM

...I've cooked two packages of hot dogs, and one package of ribs and this MF still hasn't released...I lookin' for my other can of PB. I'll let it soak for awhile.
I'll move to cleaning up the rack and pinion housing and maybe while I'm working on that, it will just shoot across the street on its' own an blow out my neighbor's livingroom window.

Posted by: dlestep Dec 26 2008, 04:48 PM

...I have been cycling between drift and air chisel with the nut flush with the end of the wedge bolt. Everything seemed ok up til now and I thought I'd hit it again with the air chisel and then the root diameter failed under the nut and now I have only 3/8 of an inch of thread, almost flush with the bore.

I'm soaking it in PB again. I'll let it sit overnight. It may be time to get the drill out and go the long way on this.
I will be looking for a 72 911 left side front strut on-line this evening. Bummer...

Posted by: dlestep Dec 26 2008, 07:24 PM

...well as you can see in the photo, I have lost the battle, but not the war.
I'm soaking it in PB overnight, then I will let into it. I'm all set up to drill it out.
I have located refurbished struts, just in case...

"Can you move those tits out of the way!?! I'm trying to operate here..."

Posted by: burton73 Dec 26 2008, 08:30 PM

Dave,

My 911 wedge bold where also stuck and needed the same as everyone here. Penetrating oil, time, beating the shit out of it, and Air Tool time. More penetrating oil, more time, and heat. A couple of days. Hammer a little to let the penetrating oil in then a bunch of the air drift tool and it came out. Bent a little but I am using new Wedge bolts as well as new ball joints and retainers rings and clips. All pretty and new.

I kept thinking I was going to break something but nothing broke.

Bob

Posted by: Wilhelm Dec 27 2008, 01:12 AM

Sometimes heating it up and applying paraffin acts a good penetrant to loosen to loosen these things up.

Posted by: ArtechnikA Dec 27 2008, 10:21 AM

I think part of the problem may be that the loose parts are trying to move around too much.

I think I'd pull the ball joint out of the A-Arm and put the strut in a good solid vise.

You probably know already that there are no threads in the strut, so other than losing a nice place to hit, having the end threads broken off the pin is no big deal.

Posted by: degreeoff Dec 27 2008, 11:45 AM

You don't realize how much force you loose w/o a solid base


Josh

Posted by: r_towle Dec 27 2008, 12:45 PM

Think about taking the lower ball joint nut off....use a big pipe wrench to remove the lower nut then you can take the strut over to a vise/drill press.

You can also bring it to a hydraulic press to push out the pin.

Rich

Posted by: rfuerst911sc Dec 27 2008, 02:35 PM

When you finally get it out do yourself or the next owner a favor and put a liberal coating of anti-seize compound on the new bolt before installing.

Posted by: burton73 Dec 27 2008, 03:12 PM

I could not get the wrench over the round ball joint nut so I used the air tool a little on it as well and it came lose. It just took time and the right tools and the right swear words.

Bob

Posted by: ArtechnikA Dec 27 2008, 03:14 PM

I never even try the wrench approach. Lots of professionals just use the air hammer so don't feel bad - you are in good company. I usually just use a solid drift and big hammer unless I already have the air on...

Posted by: dlestep Dec 27 2008, 03:35 PM

...I wasn't working on it in that condition. The photo was taken afterwards, and before I slid it underneath the front end for the night.

I had the crossmember clamped to a 4x4 and rotated the offending strut assembly until the Nut was facing up. The opposite side of the strut end was supported with a tube section (just outside the wedge bolt big end diameter).
The other end was supported by a wood v-block that I keep handy.
I like the use of the drift because I can control the strike and feel the moment when it moves and adjust my strike to suit.

The use of the air tool damaged it. My fault.
I am resorting to remove as much thread as possible, so I can get a drift into the bore and focus a better strike.

I am letting it soak for a day. I'll let you all know when it gives up.

Dave
p.s. I cheated. I purchased a refurbished pair of struts off of ebay...
When I have completed reconditioning the front assembly, I will post before and after shots.

Posted by: 9146986 Dec 27 2008, 04:04 PM

Soak, heat, bang, repeat as many times as needed. I've got a brass hammer that I use for this kind of stuff. First time I pulled the stub axles off a 914 it took three days with the above method.

Posted by: jkp2240 Dec 28 2008, 06:11 PM

I had same problem. If you have a sazall just saw the ball joint, then you can get the strut into a vise ane heat it out. You should replace both pins anyway!
Hope this helps.
John