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rounded off TC bolt

2K views 7 replies 4 participants last post by  MortsAccord 
#1 ·
I ended up rounding off one of my automatic transmission TC cover plate bolts that connect it to the crank. What would be my best option to get it off of there, now? I have an electrical impact wrench, but I always end up breaking things with it and don't like to use it. Would it help in this situation to somehow force a socket onto there enough so that I can just loosen the bolt?
 
#2 ·
Poor mans impact to the rescue.

Take 1 mm socket smaller than what should fit. Try to get it on there enough to tap it on with a hammer. Make sure it's flush as you can get it. Place your ratchet on the now stuck socket. Apply some leverage with your hand and take a hammer or a larger box end wrench and slap the very end of your ratchet. Start off easy and take your time.

You can try this with the correct socket first if you didn't round it off too much. Also make sure you use a 6 point socket if possible. You can use a wrench inplace of the socket and do the same thing.

The firm pressure applied to the bolt by your hand will take out all the slop, and you'll easily get it off if you get a descent strike. You may also want to clean all the surface area well and use some pb/wd40 on it. With a lot of little impacts like I described and soaked in penetrating oil, I have yet to find a bolt that was too siezed for me to get off.

Even after my dad rounded off a brake line to our 98 dodge Dakota, I used the same wrench he did and got the line loose in 30 seconds.
 
#5 ·
It's one of the 17mm 12-point bolts that connect to the crankshaft. I'm pretty sure the shop that did the install just used air tools to tighten them. I pulled some hardware for my install from an Accord that had 146k on the clock and had no problem, on mine, the first bolt that I attempted busted my ratchet in half at the top of it. The bolt isn't so badly rounded. I'm pretty sure my socket just keeps stretching around it. I'm going to try it with some impact rated 12-points and see if that will sort of attach to it and stay stuck on to get it off.

The surface is clean, as the car hasn't been driven, just sat after the install.

Here are pictures of my progress. The picture of the plate that you see is before I got all but the aforementioned bolt out of it, but as you can see, it's nice and clean and not any rust to break loose or anything. As previously mentioned, the Accord that I pulled the bolts from was displaying surface rust and I still never had a problem with them, these were on so tight, I'm breaking tools on them.

91 Honda Accord pictures by carpix25 - Photobucket

To the right of the screen, you can see dated progress of the car, many more than the 2 pictures that come up initially.
 
#7 ·
Yep, the socket was cracked on the side that the 3/8" square goes into it. Yet, I don't think that was it. I went and got a new one and the bolt was just so rounded down that the new one wasn't gripping it either.

Regardless, I was able to get it off of there! I ended up spending a couple hours grinding off the top of the bolt until the shoulders on it were fairly soft, then the bolt just came right out. I did get into the plate a tiny bit, but I'm installing a flywheel and clutch in its place, so no big deal, if I sell the TC and pressure plate, I will make sure to go pull another one of those center plates from the salvage yard for the buyer. Thanks for all of your input everyone! It was all very helpful and much appreciated! I'm so happy I got that last bolt off of there!:)
 
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