Spinning body mounts that are hardly accessible

[Erik S.]

Today Rob and I worked hard to lift the body from my 68. However, we were only partly succesful. Body mounts #1, 4, 5 and 8 are out - so far so good. However, # 2, 3, 6 and 7 are still in place for various reasons and for which I would like to hear your opinion. Needless to say the bolts were sprayed with WD 40 etc in the prior weeks.

#2: (the one behind left interior panel) can't move the thing EVEN with power (air) tools.

#3: (the one behind the cover in the wheel well area) - damaged bolt - bolt is round and tools won't fit.

#6 (see pic - the one behind right interior panel) - the bolt spins without coming out - cross threaded or...., but in any case spinning without moving.


#7 (see pic) - same issue as above. Spins but is not coming out.


Question: how to deal with this. The problem is that especially in the wheel well area you cannot access the bolts that are behind the cover to file. Obviously I am reluctant to cut part of the wheel well area to gain access. And even # 2 and 6 are hard to reach.

I am very much looking forward to any practical experiences and potential solutions.

Erik

[Jack H.]

Re: Spinning body mounts that are hardly accessible

Not an uncommon result my Dutch friend! First, WD-40 isn't that good of a penetrating substance. There are other special purpose agents aimed at penetrating rust siezed nuts & bolts. My personal favorite is Kroil.

Next, hitting the bolt with heat (be CAREFUL with that torch!), can help coax some of the hardest fasteners loose.

Then, it's a matter of getting the nut to MOVE and it doesn't matter which direction you go to 'start' getting some motion to free it. Guys will INSIST on hitting frozen bolts with a counterclockwise motion (off) until they wind up RIPPING the flats off a nut's hex when they 'might' have been able to loosen it by going CW a bit, then CCW a bit, and iterating until she finally loosens up!

Last, sometimes you wind up between a rock and a hard place and simply HAVE to go the route of cutting/drilling and replacing that particular fastener...

[Jack H.]

Re: Spinning body mounts that are hardly accessible

PS, now that you're seeing what time and age can do, consider coating your bolts with a spritz of anti-sieze compound when you put things back together! The effort you save the next restorer just might be a favor from you to yourself if you have to re-disassemble sometime in the future!

[Erik S.]

Re: Spinning body mounts that are hardly accessible

thanks Jack, but how to you gain access to the 3 and 7 bolts to cut/drill?

[Steven G.]

Re: Spinning body mounts that are hardly accessible

I have same situation, I have decided to oxy/acy cut off bolt heads using shielding + wet rags in front of rear wheel mounts, the rear mounts unshielded should be fine, I am sure to do body mount repairs due to rust and have lifting straps placed in hopes to use a cut off wheel if the opportunity should arise unless all rot and just lift as is. Steve

[Graeme B.]

Re: Spinning body mounts that are hardly accessible

How about a die-grinder to take the heads of the bolts off? Just an idea,good luck.

[Robert M.]

Re: Spinning body mounts that are hardly accessible

Those spinning bolts suggest to me that the captive nuts have come loose, spinning in their retainers, so no amount of WD or other will help much with that. I don't recall there being enough clearance to sneak in from underneath to grip the nuts. I believe a well handled die grinder, and some patience are the answer as Graeme suggested. Using heat to free a spinning bolt will not help, and only endanger the car.

So a die grinder with a burr, or a small cut-off wheel to take off the bolt head.

[Harmon C.]

Re: Spinning body mounts that are hardly accessible

If you are skilled with a cutting torch and have a helper with a five gallon bucket of water and the area clear of all wires it is real fast. It is a ten second job per bolt with the torch in the hands of a skilled craftsman. Then the helper puts a few coffee cans of water on the area. The job stinks but it is over very fast.

[Thomas N.]

Re: Spinning body mounts that are hardly accessible

What I like to do if I can't access a torch or use heat, and only have access to the top of the fasterner, is to get some of the Dremel tool reinforced cutting discs, and mount them to a Dremel tool or a Dumore (a form of die grinder far ahead of a Dremel tool) and cut an x or cross pattern on the top of the hex part of the bolt, until you are cutting down through the head of the bolt into the actual bolt itself. At that point, you can either use a small cold chisel to chisel off the 4 pieces of the bolt head (you can put the cold chisel into the 4 reliefs you cut instead of getting to the bottom of the head), or use a socket to twist off the pieces of the bolt head. This approach gives you a controlled place where the bolt head is going to be "snapped off". Once you remove the body, with this approach, you should have enough meat to grip with vice grips, and use heat to remove the bolt at that point. Or at least you can grind/file the top of the fastener, center drill and drill out the bolt.

[Greg L.]

Re: Spinning body mounts that are hardly accessible

I had the same problem as you Erik with my 69. The drivers side #3 body bolt nut's cage didn't hold the nut and it just spun. The only way out of this is to remove the bolt head.
I didn't have the guts to torch it off so I used a die grinder and about a 3/8" dia carbide cutter to remove the head. It only took about 15 minutes once I got at it so it wasn't too bad.
Yes it was a royal pain in the a$$ working through that tiny opening.