The top bolt is off but the bottom two are not coming off, one of them is rounded off (one towards the front of the car) and the other is starting to round off.

Has anyone got any suggestions on how to get the bloody thing off?

 

The best thing to use I found for the bottom 2 a small wratchet and a hexagonal 13mm socket.

 

yeah, ive been through thats stage, ive also tried chisseling it round but the bolt is just dissintegrating....

 

Lock mole grips on them,and twist them off like that
it chews the crap out of them but sometimes works, helps if you've got a strong mate.

 

If youv,e got use of a welder,just weld a 13mm nut on it and undo with socket

 

Could even try hammering a smaller socket onto it?

I had the same problem and that seemed to work, couldnt get the socket off the bolt after though...so, not sure if thats such a good idea on reflection lol

 

i dont care about the bolts, i will buy new ones.

it wouldn't be such a problem but there is no space at all to attack them.

maybe a stupid question but can you take the gearbox out without removing the starter motor?

 

I know exactly what you are talking about mate i had the engine out of a XR3i at the scrappy the other week and the same ones rounded off cos that poxy bracket is in the way.

My solution isnt going to solve your problem logically though, and NO you will never in a million years get the box off with starter attached as it forks around the flywheel.

 

guess im gonna have to have another crack with the chisel/mole grips then

 

I was waiting for you to ask what i did to solve the problem......

May aswell tell you, it involved a large lump hammer

Well it wasn't my gearbox/starter so i thought what the hell

 

i have already tried beating it with a large hammer and it still wont move.

i have done WD40

hammer and chisel

mole grips (on both ends of the bolt!)

i think im just gonna have to perservere or try and smash a socket on the end of it.

il be back!....

 

No no no no no..........you misunderstood that.........

I mean, i took one large lump hammer, and smashed the fuck out of both the starter/gearbox and completely smashed the casings on both

Worked though

 

i have chiseled away about 40% of the bolt now,

safechav: i think that is gonna be my next tactic. i will remove the fuckers if it kills me.

 

I don't see you yet having tried to warm the bolts before removing? Also, another good tip is if they are tight is to give them a turn in the tighten direction to "crack" them.

Seriously u don't wana do what i had to do i destroyed the starter and the box.

 

i tried tightening them to 'break the seal' as it were, one of the first things i did when i realised they were stuck.

im gonna try drilling the bottom of the bolt and the screwing a screw into the bolt as it will turn it the right way to loosen it.

see if that works..

 

I agree try warming them up & maybe giving the starter a a tap at the same time as un-doing the bolts.

 

Personally, worst comes to worst, get an angle grinder and grind straight through that poxy bracket and grind the bolt heads off..........then you can remove the bolts once the starter is off, and those brackets are easy to get from a scrappy. LAST resort though obviously...

 

but that would mean i would have to take the starter motor off another escort

lol im sure il get them out eventaully....

 

Yeah you LOVE takin starter motors off we all know it Don't fight it

You HOPE you will get them out eventually

 

i have had this before, i rounded 2 bolts off

i used 1/2" socket and bashed it onto the bolt head, it soon came off. but as said, the socket wont come back off, so just go buy some cheap ones from halfords that you can just throw away.

Also another tip, bit late now tho. but i find a 13mm socket on the gearbox bolts and starter bolts to be just a fraction to big, so i just use a 1/2" socket now, its a perfect fit, and i have never rounded of starter or gearbox bolts since

 

twinkle_2k86 il bear that in mind when im down the scrappy removing starter motors

one of the bolts came off fine with a 13mm socket, the others are just being a right pain in the ass. am going to have another crack at them this evening.

 

Ooooooooo your guna have so much fun

Try warming them up gently....................and also have a bit of a tug with the starter give it a few taps to try and loosen everything.

 

i had the same problem with a couple of bolts when i done my gear box, i smacked a smaller socket onto it and that done the job. with another bolt i smacked it again and again for about an hour then it eventually lossened up. i hope you get em out without causing any damage, goodluck.

 

 

well done mate

ive done 4 in the last 6 months, (my car seems to enjoy melting them lol)

get the standard heat sshield from ford, will stop u having to ever do 1 again lol

 

dave_y: fucking get in

 

oh and the good news is that i managed to wedge the socket off that bolt

it took me about 20mins of solid sawing to cut that bolt head off as all i had was a junior hacksaw

zippyobrien starter motor is in perfect working order. the gearbox is coming out for some gearbox man treatment

 

Got it in the end ...... the little buggers

 

Thats what i would do, as longness is boring....

Just get the job done!!

 

Exactly.............when things piss me off things usually get hit and are regretted after