HELP removing 36 Front Fender Bolts

B

Bruce/CT

Well-known member
Hi,
I'm frustrated trying to remove the front fender to frame bolts on my 36. The bolt heads, on the engine side, seem to carriage bolts. When I turn the nut ...the head spins. I can't get a wrench on the heads. A vice grip won't grab on the rounded head. Any ideas short of cutting the bolts/nuts. The nuts will be hard to reach with a Sawzall. Might have to use a nut buster. HELP please!!
Open to all suggestions.
Thanks,
Bruce/CT
 
Tack weld a scrap round or square to the exposed round head. Then you have a handle on the bolt. Break it off and reuse it on the next one, I use big nails about 7" long.

Bruce

Works good
Lasts long time
 
Use a 3" grinder with a 1/16 cut of wheel ,cut the nut and some of the thread from the face not the side then knock the remainder of .
 
As an update. Try as I may I could not get one of those darn carriage bolts out easily. I took a 3 inch grinder as was recommended and cut the nuts off each of them. Now I know how our poor cat probably felt being neutered. But it sure felt good to finally get the damn fender off finally. Now if I could only get the large nut off the bottom of the headight bucket. The bolt just spins in the bucket. Any ideas...I've been soaking it for weeks and trying it on a daily basis. I'm going to try some heat tomorrow.
Many thanks.
Bruce
 
Bruce/CT said:
As an update. Try as I may I could not get one of those darn carriage bolts out easily. I took a 3 inch grinder as was recommended and cut the nuts off each of them. Now I know how our poor cat probably felt being neutered. But it sure felt good to finally get the damn fender off finally. Now if I could only get the large nut off the bottom of the headight bucket. The bolt just spins in the bucket. Any ideas...I've been soaking it for weeks and trying it on a daily basis. I'm going to try some heat tomorrow.
Many thanks.
Bruce
Click to expand...

When you try the heat, melt some wax onto the threads to help lube them up. Mine were hard to get off as well on my 35 but the bolt and bucket turned on mine. I could wedge the bucket just right between my legs, to hold it, and lean over the fender and crank on the nut! What fun I used PB buster for a few days then the heat with wax .... good luck!
 
To add to 35s good suggestions, you can drive a screwdriver down the hole tight ,then hold it with a wrench .or cut across the nut on a 45% angle, don't cut fully through,then drive a thin chisel in the cut to split and spread the nut .
 

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Hi Ted,
Tried hammering a screwdriver into the hollow bolt then clamping a Vice Grip. Succeeded in reaming out the inside of the hollow bolt. Then heated it close to red and melted wax. Same problem...I can't get the bolt =weged to not turn. I'm going to let this piece sit until I get new inspiration. Any other ideas out there.
Thanks,
Bruce
FlatheadTed said:
To add to 35s good suggestions, you can drive a screwdriver down the hole tight ,then hold it with a wrench .or cut across the nut on a 45% angle, don't cut fully through,then drive a thin chisel in the cut to split and spread the nut .
Click to expand...
 
Try a large EZ out in the hole of the bolt in the bucket, after heating and cooling it mite work. good luck.
 
If you want to get nuts and bolts apart that are rusted use your torch with a small welding tip on it. Heat the nut and bolt untill it is red with your torch. Have a spray bottle handy with water in it ,yes water. As soon as you cut the torch off spray the nut and bolt with the water untill it is cold. Do this process once or twice at the most and you can spin the nut off with your fingers or a wrench easy. Try it youll love it . Dont even waste time any other way.
 
Sometimes tightening the nut in question wil cause the bolt to break/snap. Unless you're trying to save the bolts or bolt goes into a tapped hole or D nut. You might try this method. JMO
Paul in CT
 
Well...I got the drivers side fender out. Had to grind the bolts out with a 3in cutting wheel. Tightening was a great idea but alas, didn't work bwecause the real problem is that the carriage heads kept turning. I couldn't tiighten or loosen them.
The story gets better.....I got a piece of rusty metal in my eye Wednesday night, the size of a period in a written sentence. I had to do surgery on one of my patients Thursday. It went well with 1 1/2 eyes. Then went to a friends office, an eye doctor. He numbed the eye and took the piece out with a hyperdermic needle. I went back today for phase 2. He got 99% out. we both worry about that 1% he couldn't get at. Tomorrow I get prescrition goggles. and on to the passenger side fender.
Bruce
 
Use a small air die grinder and make a slot in the bolt. Insert screwdriver to hold. Have removed a lot of body to frame bolts on 32-40 cars this way. Works for me, will for you.
 
I will try when the eye is better. The carriage bolt head is inside the frame rail...not so easy to get at.
Thanks,
Bruce
 
Bruce - Get Well Soon on your eye healing up! I'm sure a lot of us have been there/done that. Last time for me was in about 1981 but I still remember them trying to take out the metal fragment with a drill bit type device. Thanks for the reminder that while this hobby is fun for many of us, it can have its hazardous moments as well.
Hope all is well with your vision!
;)
 
Bruce/CT said:
Well...I got the drivers side fender out. Had to grind the bolts out with a 3in cutting wheel. Tightening was a great idea but alas, didn't work bwecause the real problem is that the carriage heads kept turning. I couldn't tiighten or loosen them.
The story gets better.....I got a piece of rusty metal in my eye Wednesday night, the size of a period in a written sentence. I had to do surgery on one of my patients Thursday. It went well with 1 1/2 eyes. Then went to a friends office, an eye doctor. He numbed the eye and took the piece out with a hyperdermic needle. I went back today for phase 2. He got 99% out. we both worry about that 1% he couldn't get at. Tomorrow I get prescrition goggles. and on to the passenger side fender.
Bruce
Click to expand...

Bruce, I can sympathize with you as I have had the same thing happen to me. I once owned two muffler and brake shops and got a piece of metal in my eye several times. Getting the metal out with a drill or needle does not sound right, but that is the way they do it!!
By the way, I am having knee surgery sometime soon and I hope that the doctor has more than 1 and 1/2 eyes!! LOL
 
I know it's too late but safety glasses are a must. OSHA types have side wings on them, or larger goggles to fit over regular glasses or a full face shield.
Paul in CT
 
Eye glasses with sides

Thanks for the concern. Ordered a pair of glasses with side shields today. Problem is that I wear progressive bi-focal glasses. They were $ 350 but better than losing an eye....OR WORSE YET...listening to my wife worrying about me.
I'm back to deconstructing my car. My eye sight is fine. The surgery I did Thursday with 1 1/2 eyes was no problem. I would have postponed it if I was concerned about the quality of my work. Truly the patient's well-being comes first. I had two capable assistants with me that day and either could have taken over if needed. To be honest I probably could have done it with both eyes blindfolded and just by feel; I've done some many over the last 35 years.
bruce
 
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