Hello,

wanted to drop my engine but 3 bolts for the CV Joints are locked, I didn't get them out (car was parked for 20 years). Any tips/ideas for dropping the engine with CV Joints, would it help if I drop the engine a few inches and then try it agian with more space under the car?

- Juergen

sreees....not a word.
If the CV joint bolts are stuck, use a very good large set of vice grips to get them moving.

Due to the geometry, you need to remove them to allow the motor to drop.
If its a parts car, removing the outer trailing arms at the same time is an option.

RIch

Changed it to bolts It's not a parts car, I plan to restore since it's a LE.

good , possibly NEW vice grips will do it.
They are hardened bolts so you need sharp toothed vice grips...and the big ones so you can get a really tight grip...so tight you can barely close the vice grips....use two hands to close them...

They do move...it just takes the right tools.
Rich

If you can get the correct socket (12 pt) into the bolt you can use an impact wrench and a long extension to break them loose. I used to loosen and tighten the ones in the race car this way and the shock will loosen them. If you can not break them loose I would drop the trailing arms along with the engine and transmission so you can work on things easier. You might have to cut off the bolt heads and in that case the CV joints will need replacement but if the car has sat for as long as you say then they'll need replacement anyways.

Why would cv joints wearout from sitting? As a last resort you can use a chisel and hammer to break the bolts loose.

I second the vice grips, they have never failed me, ever!

Correcto, Vice grip WR9 is the tool you need. This is what the pros have used for years.
Works when nothing else will.

What's this WR9 you speak of? Can you link us, I searched real quick with no luck.

I had a similar situation last year. Rich said a number of times "Use the Vice Grips". Finally, after about a week, I actually followed his advice. What do you know - it actually worked.

Lesson learned - follow Richs' advice

Eric Read

If all else fails, use a small pipe wrench (don't ask me how i know)

Bob

And once you get them out, replace them with allen head bolts. Those star point bolts suck ass.

Zach

Where can I get the WR9 Vice grip? A link would be great.

Here is the link to the tool in question. The WR stands for the type of claw on the functional end of the wrench. This is also important!

http://irwin.com/irwin/consumer/jhtml/deta...IrwinProd100317

They didn't post all sizes. They show a WR10 probably as good if not better for grip and leverage. I would go for the originals and not the plastic gripped quicker releasing type

Home Depot and Lowes have them in their tool section.

But Zach,

Star point bolts have more engagement area than a hex socket..

More contact area means the force applied to the bolt spreads over more of the material and reduces the likelyhood of the sucker stripping out.

That means that the hex socket needs a higher material strength than the star socket

Now the wussy materal that they use to make the star male tools is another story...

When i had this probelm, i took a dremel and flattened two sides of the bolt head so i could get an open ended wrench on the end, worked great!!!

The cheap stuff is cheap for a reason.
Get a good Stahlwille or MetalNerd and they will last a good long time.
Late addition due to failing recall earlier today: Hazet is also excellent, and is universally recommended as the best (in a different size) for removing 911 flywheel bolts.

I agree the star bolts are better.
I got a Snap-on socket and it works great. I would be really concerned about using allen bolts. If it seizes in there like the star bolt, your chances of stripping an allen are greater cause you can get the allen in at a bit of an angle and it WILL strip. The star bolts will really only allow the wrench to go in straight and therefore gripping the bolt better like ArtechNika says. I have had to use a pliers to get the bolt off of the socket after it comes out of the CV. Thats how tight it fits in the bolt. Most Allens fit alittle loose like.
Just my 2 cents....

This.



Use a dremel with a cut off wheel to shave the bolt heads off, and then maybe pop the CV off.

I have cut a bunch of these out of VW's that people strip out after using a 6 point.

The 12 points are nice when kept clean and etc. I have them on all 4 of our cars here, since they are all VAG products.

Don't cut the heads off or you will have a really big problem removing the CV's and axle.

With the VW and 914 rear drive products, the axles and CV's are designed to pull down after the bolts are removed.

Cutting the heads off the bolts will leave the shank of the bolts in the holes and prevent the CV's and axles from moving down....

Then you get the fun job of unscrewing the the shanks of the cut off bolts from the bores in the CV's, and with the heads cut off, you have nothing to grab........

I like the 12 pt serrated bits a lot better. But like their allen-wrench counterparts, most folks are in a hurry and don't clean them out before inserting the tool... ruins both the tool and the bolt. Bummer.

There is a trick you can use. Smear some valve grinding compound on the tool. The grit fills up the gaps between the tool and the bolt head. You get much better leverage. It works with allen, torx and phillips. The head usually breaks before the bolt strips.

It's a good thing someone pointed this out before the factory went and put PINS in those CV's ...

OK - I agree it'd be a b!tch to deal with if all the bolts were in, but with the trailing arms at full droop (especially with the upper or lower coilover mount disconnected) I bet you'd have enough axial to get the CV off the flange if you had only one or two cut (or broken...) off.

Cutting the head off is definitely a last-resort approach, but I've gotta think it's manageable...

Its not possible without removing the trailing arm..sorry.

USE VICE GRIPS

I just wanted to say Hello

but I need to run now, so
Goodbye too

Nice to have you drop by!