stuck/frozen through-bolt washers - ideas for removal?

[Garrett]

Hi guys, are there any secrets to removing stuck through-bolt washers that don't want to come out of the case? There is a little space where I can try to lever them out, but there is rust around the edges and they're frozen in there. Any simple tips to get them out? The other washers just rolled right out with a screwdriver, and the o-ring easily removed.

I have 6 washers to go before my case is all cleaned and ready for reassembly...

[Eagledriver]

You might try poking them out from the other side. You could also carefully pry them from the "inside" hole on the washer.

-Andy

[Garrett]

Hi Andy - I tried to poke them out with a metal drift, a screwdriver, a punch - no go! I also tried prying them with a small, then large screwdriver and only mashed the o-ring - didn't get them to budge!

[cstreit]

Sounds like someone may have used a sealant and "glued" them to the case. They are not recessed into the case so I'm suprised a small hammer and punch couldn't knock them off from the side.

Try heat, it's a miracle worker for stuck fasteners... Use a propane torch and get it good and hot. Tap it off with ta puch or pry it off the inside...

[KTL]

I bet Chris is right about the sealant since the washers shouldn't stick to the case even with some corrosion (which should be minimal due to the alloy case).

Heat is indeed the key. Get things softened up will make life easier. If no heat available, use something soft like a plastic scraper/putty knife to drive them off. A sharp strike with a hammer on the scraper will help your cause

[Garrett]

Originally posted by cstreit
Sounds like someone may have used a sealant and "glued" them to the case. They are not recessed into the case so I'm suprised a small hammer and punch couldn't knock them off from the side.

Try heat, it's a miracle worker for stuck fasteners... Use a propane torch and get it good and hot. Tap it off with ta puch or pry it off the inside...

Here are a couple pics.

Thanks for the reminder - I'll go try some heat!! This is a 3.6 engine, so the washers are about 3-4mm into the case, so I can't go sideways - straight out is the only way to go!

[KTL]

Thanks for the clarification on the washer countersink.

In that case, i'd get some stiff wire from the hardware store. Make a couple of hook tools by bending short 90 deg angles on the ends of two wires. At the other end, make longer 90 deg bends to use as handles. Stick the two hook tools in the washer hole and some sharp tugs with the hooks may pull them out. Obviously you want to pull evenly so the washer doesn't get cockeyed in the hole.

[Garrett]

I thought I had it "nailed" - I used a large nail, with a screwdriver I was able to lever it into the slot where the rubber o-ring was, then my wife used a metal dowel and pounded it with a hammer. No go!! Unbelievable!

Is it possible to leave those in, sneak in an o-ring, and install it without removing those?

[Eagledriver]

There are a few through bolt holes that don't have oil pressure fed to them. If the holes where your washers are stuck are some of those holes then I'd just leave them in. If they are in oil galley holes then I think you have to get them out or risk a leak. Heating the case should help alot because the aluminum will expand more than the washer.

-Andy

[Garrett]

Thanks Andy... when you heat it, do you use propane, or Mapp gas? I don't want to hurt things!! I do think I can successfully squeeze an o-ring in there while installing the bolt. The through-bolts are skinnier in the middle section, which permits the o-ring to sneak into its location. I just hope I can get it in without splitting it! Unfortunately, the remaining stuck washers are all pressurized passages for the main bearings.

Think I should keep at it (i.e. try the heat approach)?? Using the "nail-head in the o-ring groove tapped with a hammer" should have done it... I'm worried to try other techniques.

[88-diamondblue]

Heat the case spigot right next to the holes. The case can take a lot of heat since it dissipates it so rapidly. The case will expand faster than the steel washers. Do a search on removing head studs with heat. The same concern came up there about using heat. John Walker responded to how much heat the case can take. Not getting it sealed the first time would really suck..

[john walker's workshop]

you need to use new green o-rings on all the studs. that is an area famous for leaking on a 3.6, and there's too much labor involved to hope an old blue one will work again. i had some washers on a 3.6 that were a bit stuck and used inside snapring pliers on them. not the wimpy wire end type, but one piece with flat serrated tips. grab hard and wiggle side to side. yours seem to be way more stubborn than the ones i got out.

[Garrett]

John, thanks for the assistance. I was able to remove all of the older blue o-rings. I don't have the new ones yet (waiting for parts) but I am able to put one of the old ones back in successfully on the through bolt... I'm just a little hopeless since we banged on those like crazy with no success. Maybe I should use a dremel to grind around the circumference???

Are the replacement o-rings similar in size? If so, I hope I can squeeze them in there, and then use black RTV silicone to help them seal properly.

[Garrett]

Well, I decided it wasn't worth trying to sneak the o-rings past these parts, so I sacrificed the washers using a carbide bur... worked quite well actually!! Got all of the stubborn ones out of there. At $1.79 a piece for each washer, I figured it was worth cutting them out!

Thanks again for the tips.

[Eagledriver]

Excellent plan. That's the kind of thinking you need to get these engines done right. There have been many times that I've slept on a problem like this and found a way to get it done.

-Andy

[rs-vic]

How about using a large eazy-out?