Sunday, November 10, 2013
How to Loosen Rusted Nuts Bolts on Mufflers
Rusting bolts are a pain to deal with but can be loosened with special equipment. When it comes time to dealing with a set of rusting nuts and bolts on your muffler, that can be tricky as well, as sometimes it can be more difficult to access the hardware. Fortunately, with a few tricks, it can be done.
Instructions
- 1
Lift the vehicle in the air using the jack and secure it on jack stands. Make sure the vehicle is secure before you crawl underneath it.
2Locate the rusted hardware on the muffler you wish to remove. Spray the penetrating lubricant onto the bolt and nut, coating it thoroughly. Clean up excess lubricant with a shop rag.
3Loosen the bolt using the 3/8-inch ratchet and socket set. You may be able to break the bolt free from the rust with just one application of the penetrating lubricant.
4Apply more penetrating lubricant to the rusted bolt if needed. Coat all surfaces and down into the threads if possible. Allow this to sit overnight.
5Attempt to remove the bolt again using the 3/8-inch ratchet. Repeat Step 4 until the bolt can be removed.
Friday, November 1, 2013
How to Loosen a Bolt
Bolts are threaded fasteners that are used in conjunction with a nut to secure two or more materials. There are two size classes of nuts and bolts: metric and U.S. standard. Metric hardware is now standard in all countries except the United States. New products made in the U.S. will usually use metric hardware, but some older products, especially cars, will use standard sizes. It is important to know whether the bolt and nut are metric or standard, and to use the proper tool, so as not to damage them.
Instructions
- 1
Determine the correct wrench sizes needed for the bolt and nut. The head size of the bolt will usually be larger than that of the nut.
2Place the wrenches or socket on the bolt head and the nut. Hold the bolt head still and turn the nut counter-clockwise.
3Finish removing the nut by hand once it is loose enough. This will reduce the chance of dropping it as it comes free of the bolt post.