Your Worst Fastener Removal Experience

[RWebb]

post pics if possible

contest limited to 911s only

no warranty applies to this contest

[Solamar]

Exhaust studs.

Wasn't horrible, but required tig welding nuts to the left over nubs after snapping off even with the heads.

Was an interesting evening...

[Solamar]

And my worst ever (not 911, but still makes me sick).

Friend buys a new KTM 525 motorcycle. We'll known that the factory WAY overtightens the oil drain plug.

I use my tricks to get it loose for the first oil change. Wouldn't budge and I strip the internal hex. Proceed to drill, insert EZ out and start getting after it.

Heard a loud pop. Cracked the freaking engine case with the expanding EZ out.

That was a bad day...

[Travis Neff]

I had a relative live with me for a few years, does that count?

[shamrok]

Definitely the wedge bolt on one of my front struts. Totally seized in place. Bent when I tried to knock it outd to drill it out, broke half a dozen bits, had to drill out the broken drill bits, what a nightmare.

https://imgur.com/a/4pRjLn3

[fanaudical]

Rear wheel aluminum lug nut snapped off. Hole saw trick didn't work. Spent 3 hours with a Dremel tool grinding it out of the wheel.

[Trackrash]

I had a Triumph Spitfire once. Enough said.

[porsche930dude]

Well I take each one as a learning experience. And iv learned to never again use ez outs since more times than not they snap off. Sometimes takes an intresting mix of tools to get the job done. Homemade reverse drill bits and right angle drills often get used. Early days failure was common. Lately iv been successful using patience and said tools. My usual technique is to first weld a nut and unscrew it. With heat added. That usually doesnt work so i grind it flat and drill a pilot hole all the way through. Then make a reverse drillbit to get it bigger. If it doesnt unscrew itself I go bigger and bigger until im up to the threads and run a tap through. That always seems to work and no drama with broken ez outs and drill bits.
The only one on the 911 i can recall is the driver side lower shock bolt. I removed the passenger side to install a tow hook i wanted to put one on the driver side aswell but couldnt bust it loose no how. I decided it wasnt worth it my breaker bar and socket were about to explode

[tirwin]

Not mine but my buddy’s ‘83 targa. He drained the transmission oil without cracking the fill plug first. Nothing would budge the fill plug. Had to tow it to the dealership and they struggled to get the damn thing out. $450 bill.

[7783911]

not difficult, but hard on the arms and back...replacing the low oil pressure switch without dropping the engine was a recent *&^&% activity. Got it done with suggestions from this forum but sore back and arms for a week

[shadowjack1]

The damn nuts and bolts that hold the rear tail lights in.

[Flat Six]

Not technically a fastener but close enough -- 915 drain plug seized. Had to drill out, then use (oh so carefully) a Dremel w/carbide bit to grind away the old plug from the inside just enough to kiss the case threads most of the way around. Reduced the tension just enough to unscrew the plug.

Moral of the story:

1) don't overtighten taper plugs
2) use anti-seize
3) if the plug is at all buggered, don't reinstall -- replace w/new

[pete3799]

Ball joint nut......had to cut it off.
Oil lines to thermostat.... same deal.
While not an actual fastener removing the torsion bar from the spring plate on my 79SC
was the most difficult task so far.
Not my picture but this is how i finally got that SOB off

[GG Allin]

Haven't tried to start removing them yet. But something tells me these aren't going to go easily. Gas tank hold downs. A battery had its way in here for some time.

[Locker537]

Imagine you're 16 again. You don't have much garage space, tools, or even knowledge, but that won't stop you from working on your muscle car, right?

I asked my girlfriend's grandfather if I could do some suspension work on my Firebird in his driveway. He was a great engineering and influence to me, so of course he said yes.

I was upgrading the rear lower control arms and panhard bar on a Firebird. Panhard bar was easy enough, driver's side lower control arm fairly easy, but the passenger side put up a fight.

The bolt that holds the LCA to the subframe would not budge. I'm talking 180 man jumping on a jack handle on a breaker bar tight.

Hours pass and I go to Sears and purchase the biggest corded impact they sell (read: junk). It's now getting late, so I tell myself I'm done at 9:00PM out of respect, and that was pushing it. I impact the hell out of the bolt, no luck.

I eventually called the shop that welded in subframe connectors for me and asked if it was possible the bolt was wedged. No, but they said bring it in. I bolt everything back together and limp it to the shop. With the car on the lift, and with two of the longest combination wrenches, the mechanic had the leverage to get the bolt loose. When it gave way, one of the wrenches sailed across the shop, narrowly missing a new Mercedes.

My jack stands also sunk into his driveway. Lots of lessons learned that day...

That girlfriend became my wife and that driveway still has a rather obvious repaired area if you look for it.

[Quicksilver]

The no. 1 spark plug galled in the head.

[slow&rusty]

Exhaust studs...I never felt so crushed (or close to it)....I was at work and for 12-hours I couldn't take my mind off the agony. My entire garage floor looked like a automotive Hospital operating room and it was July in Houston in an old garage that was 110F on the inside...

[Dan J]

I've been a mechanic ( professionally)for 45 years. For years I was the guy that could get any broken fastener out never used easy out's. In the last few years my eye sight has changed
now I'm the guy that can't drill a hole straight to save my life
I hate getting old

[gsxrken]

Originally Posted by Locker537

Imagine you're 16 again. You don't have much garage space, tools, or even knowledge, but that won't stop you from working on your muscle car, right?... I was upgrading the rear lower control arms and panhard bar on a Firebird. Panhard bar was enough, driver's side lower control arm fairly easy, but the passenger side put up a fight..

Haha you reminded me of one of my similar learning experiences. When I was maybe 19 I had a Bandit Trans Am and had a similar suspension fight in my fathers driveway in the hot sun. No air tools back then. At one point I was jumping on a jack handle on a 1/2” drive ratchet until it of course broke. In a primordial rage I hurled the ratchet with everything I had- it went end over end and pierced my poor fathers barn door and sank in up the head of the ratchet. As a high schooler I could throw 85MPH and this ratchet was all of that and then some. That hole served as a reminder for many years well after I moved out and had my own family. I’ve thought before that my father had way more tolerance for my stupid **** than I do for my own kids’ teachable moments. I should work on that. Only a few years ago did he actually replace the swinging double door T1-11 panels with a single overhead garage door.

[NickP]

Here’s mine: On my 73 911S one of the Allen heads on the inward (tunnel) side which fasten the sport seat slider to the chassis had sheered off. I thought I’d drill out the shaft and re-tap the grooves. Simple enough. Got my drill out and was patiently working my way through when all of a sudden I must have drilled through the remaining bolt material and the drill went straight down. Then I start smelling raw fuel. I had hit the fuel line. Great. Now I’ve got fuel dripping everywhere and a Molotov cocktail in the garage. I carefully unhook the batteries to eliminate any spark risk, drain the fuel tank and have the car towed to my mechanic. $600 later I have a new fuel line.