Escy

I'm having a torrid time trying to change the clutch on my 328i. Everything is removed except one bellhousing bolt (the upper one in the picture). It's the middle one on the passenger side. Most of the other bolts were really tight but once you cracked them, they wound off with ease. This one won't 'crack', it's been so tight, I managed to get it off a few turns (took me about 15 minutes, it's that stiff) but then the socket slipped and now I can't get a socket back on it. I've tried to hammer a socket on but not having much joy as there isn't enough space. Even if I can get something on it, the torque required to turn it is too much I think.

Other than removing the engine and gearbox as a complete unit and then cutting it off, whats my best way to get this off?

I've tried a chisel but it's slow going as i'm upside down and the bolt is quite thick. Any power tools that'd sort this mess out?

dreamin

wot about a little dremmel , dunno if itll be man enough tho !!

RS_Rawli

did you use an ordinary socket on it and not an "e" socket?

i'd be tempted to grin and bear the hammer and chissel unfortunately, or get a ratchet spanner on there if it will go

james kiely

iTrader: (5)

have you got the room to weld another nut on to the top of it?
cheers james

LHD220Turbo

iTrader: (4)

Hi Tom

have you tried getting it red hot?

SillyFezzaMk1

iTrader: (1)

reciprocating saw with metal blade is what i'd use.

If you dont have one then i'd go with chisel or hack saw blade in a drywall style holder and do it the long way

Dan

Coldo

Looks well and truly rounded now matey. Doubt a socket will catch it. Set of mole grips tightened with a set of pliers, see if that gets it off.

Alvyn

iTrader: (1)

grind the head off the bolt slip the box out the way, the remainding part of bolt should be accesable with some mole grips!

burnzy

yea the fact it's moved a little is atleast good news it might just be a case of gettin abit of heat on it but just on the bolt itself try not to heat the casing's too much cos you could crack summit, use a plumbers gas torch or summit then give it a load of sharp tap's with a hammer n n coat it in penetrating oil for the night or longer but make sure it's soaked properly, then try n grasp it with summit i have seen them gator grip socket's about but neva used one so don't no how useful it would be.

but if your really strugglin for space then i'd cut the head off with a hacksaw blade n then u'll have loadsa room to remove the stud once the gearbox is out, it might take a while with just a blade n try not to put too much pressure n snap the blade resultin in smakin your fingers i wouldn't no wot that feel's like , u might find with the head removed it might turn with your fingers once the pressure is off, then use copper slip when puttin it back together so u neva have the prob again

RichieST

iTrader: (2)

As above. It should be the head of the bolt siezed to the bellhousing, cut it off, and the threaded part should come out piece of piss.

If not, change the clutch, put it all back together and glue the top of the bolt back on, then sell the car! Yes i have seen this done!!!

105epwr

if thats the one i think its is,from under the car is a socket with a wobbley exst bar,and loads of exst bars about a meter+ long which lie on top of the g/box and get the rachet on near the output shaft end(after you have hit the socket on the bolt)
m3s are even tighter!!

mechanic28

iTrader: (5)

have you wound some bolts back in to take the weight of the box off the bolt,have you got or know anyone with some turbo sockets?sounds like its been cross threaded by the previous clutch change

Escy

What are turbo sockets?

The bolt is a star style one, I have been using the propper socket on it.

One on the other side was giving me jip, I heated that one up and still managed to shear the head on it. On this side, it's not so easy to heat it up as there are a few things close to it (clutch line, wiring loom and a few water pipes).

I have put some other bell housing bolts back in so there is no pressure on it. I can't understand why it won't just wind off. There is no pressure on the head of the bolt, there is about a 3-5mm gap.

I've been putting soo much preassure on it with a breaker bar, the engine and gearbox were moving about.

I can't weld to it, got no welding equipment.

Where can I buy a reciprocating saw at a decent price? (or maybe an air saw and a cheap compressor)

Cheers for you replys guys, much appreciated.

mechanic28

iTrader: (5)

ah never a good plan to use normal sockets on a torx bolt specially when tight!!

Escy

I mean I was using a propper torx/star socket on it.

mechanic28

iTrader: (5)

these fella they grip on the bolt/nut as you try to undo they are the bollocks!

Escy

Who sells them? (had a look on ebay, nothing comes up) Do you think they'd grip to whats left of the torx bolt in the picture?

Lee Ivatt

iTrader: (1)

try and get some heat on it!

find some one with some oxy cetaline, or if your really stuck go buy a cheap blow lamp.

the plumer style ones are the best about Ł30 for the gun and Ł10 for a bottle.

An invaluable tool to have to hand.

C4llyT

Tried hammering a smaller 12 sided socket on it?

mechanic28

iTrader: (5)

mine where from snap on and they were on special <real tears

mechanic28

iTrader: (5)

looking at that pic they should be able to!not sure if halfords sel lthem but a local motor factor should!not sure on price tho !

105epwr

another thing if you say theres a gap(you mean between bell housing and block) the starter motor has a chunky dowl which locates in to the gearbox if this is seized its an absolute bastard to part the box form block.

dojj

iTrader: (3)

if you start to put heat onto it, why don't you just drop the back end of the box a little bit to give you more space and limit the posibilitites of setting fire to stuff

burnzy

why bother forkin out that much for one bolt unless u will use it alot if u buy a good quality hacksaw blade a nice strong one, n just take your time startin it off once u'v a grove to work with it'll be alot easier n u'll be suprised it won't take day's but might take half an hour or summit, they even do a hacksaw blade holder with a grip on it but tbh i'v usually just used abit of wrag n a steady hand

burnzy

n na these are them i'm pretty sure of it n e how them other ones were proper star bit's

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/items/__bolt-...86Q2ec0Q2em282

Fudgey

iTrader: (4)

get a bigger hammer and keep at it with the chisel

ballin

iTrader: (1)

Because I'm sure potential buyers check the heads of every bolt on the car are present....

Surely this is a simple one, as said, just cut the head off the bolt, remove the box then get a set of mole grips or stud extractors to remove the rest

Nash_mr2

chop the head off, this will leave the remaining bolt thread sticking out, once the box is off you can just heat up the remaining threads and use Mole grips to twist it out...had to do it a few times. Heat is your friend.

dojj

iTrader: (3)

there will be enough left over to get a proper set of stud extractors on to remove it

but there may be more stud than you can get the box over, so think about that before you start chopping

Escy

I bought something that looked like a nail file and spent about 2 hours sawing the bastard off. With the left overs, once the boxx was off, I used one of these... http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...xtractor/path/ Really recommend it.

All thats left now is one bellhousing bolt that sheared. It's the same girth as the one in the photo, it snapped off exactly where the thread starts in the block. The block is alloy and the bolt is well and truely corroded in.

I've got loads of access to it (flywheel is removed at the moment). Whats the best way to go about getting it out without loosing the alloy thread in the block?

NEO™®©

a lot of heat, a drill and an easy out

Lee_R21Turbo

iTrader: (1)

Drill it out & helicoil it!!

James

drill it out and use a nut & bolt?

burnzy

yea sound's good but try not to put too much pressure on the easy out if it still seem's stubborn don't force it if it snaps u'll have a right pain trying to drill it out n prob's won't without a really hard n expensive drill bit if worse comes to worse then try n drill it out in stages buy hand i.e as in start with a small bit n work up if youv a steady hand you could prob's drill all the bolt out with just the bolt thread left then pull it out with some pliers it can be done n if u manages to drill out the thread by accident (easily done) then yea just helicoil it

Escow-Van

Sorry to raise an inexperienced hand here, but how would heating the bolt help? Surely that would make it slightly bigger and therefore harder to get out?

NEO™®©

you heat the material around the bolt making that slightly bigger and the bolt easier to come out

Escow-Van

Makes sense
I had a similar problem getting the sump nut off my van when I changed the oil... took a blow torch and mole grips and hammers and all sorts to it, in the end I took it to a garage and they did it, no idea how though.