35 Steering Column Drop Break-off Bolt Removal

[VeryTangled]

Greetings Everyone.

I need the horn rod out of my '35 Fordoor. To do that I want to lower the steering column to avoid damage to the fragile horn rod. Two bolts originally held the column drop to the dash. One of them was designed as an anti-theft device and the head of the bolt was broken off at manufacture (as I understand it).

My question is what techniques have worked for you to get this headless bolt out?

I've gotten a couple of suggestions from my support group, but before I get medieval on it I thought I'd throw it out here for discussion.

Thanks in advance for your thoughtful replies!

P.S. In the first pic you can see a dust-covered wheatback penny sitting between the two bolts, didn't get a chance to check it out closely yet but I can't imagine how it came to be there, or how long it was in there!

 

[Kerk]

Cut ir off with a hacksaw Blade & then unscrew the other bolt !!! kerk

 

[RalphM]

I would clean the top of it, lay a nut on top of it then weld it with a Mig, it would come right out.

 

[jimTN]

penetrating oil first, top and bottom then ignition plyers. Maybe a small chisel to get it started turning.

 

[slowforty]

Use a hacksaw to cut a grove in the bolt. then use a screw driver to remove the bolt. Penetrating oil is your friend
This worked on my 40

 

[slowforty]

Groove

 

[slowforty]

I just looked at your pictures. You may get lucky and can cut the groove in the bottom of the bolt. I had to do mine from the top, but it still worked

 

[fordscript]

I drill a hole in the centre... a good soak of penetrating oil,then use an ez out.

 

[Kube]

If you can apply a locking plier to it, that's the easiest method. If not, cut a slot and use a short, wide blade screw driver.
Lord knows I've removed many. Every one has been removed with one or the other method I'd mentioned.

 

[JM 35 Sedan]

If you decide to use a hacksaw to cut that bolt between the bottom of dash and top of column drop, be very careful you don't mess up your column drop mounting like the one in attached pictures. I bought a complete steering column and didn't notice this damage until I got it home.

Unfortunately, some folks should not be working on these old cars, IMO.

Also, be careful using the easy out method. They break very easily, and then your real problems begin.

 

[VeryTangled]

Thank you FordBarn'ers! I'll be working this out over the next couple of days (he said confidently).

I'll try to get some pictures.

Whatever happens, I sure hope I don't end up with something destroyed like this...

 

[tubman]

That ain't destroyed. A little careful work with "JB WELD", and it'll be as good as new (after paint). The important thing is that there are no real structural problems to deal with.

 

[VeryTangled]

To me, that IS destroyed. JB Weld is nowhere on my cars, so far, fingers crossed. Steering stuff, to me, qualifies as structural.

Sorry for being a little salty tonight.

 

[cas3]

and, it looks like it was a lot of work to do that much destruction. i do the "weld on a nut" theory myself.

 

[tubman]

To me, that IS destroyed. JB Weld is nowhere on my cars, so far, fingers crossed. Steering stuff, to me, qualifies as structural.

Sorry for being a little salty tonight.

To each his own. I personally take great satisfaction in bringing parts "back from the dead". Sometimes replacement parts are available, but many times they are not. About five years ago, I resurrected a vent window regulator for my '67 Corvette coupe. I used JB WELD, and the unit has functioned perfectly and has shown no signs of deterioration in the intervening years. Last year, I restored a Navarro "Universal" dual manifold for an 8BA that I got incredibly cheap off of eBay because the generator stud hole was stripped and a couple of bolt bosses were broken. What would you have done, sold it as scrap? The only difficult part of restoring that steering drop would be refinishing it properly. Properly repaired, I cannot see how there could be any "structural problems" with the piece. JB WELD, helicoils, and such have become a way of life for me, and my life is better for it. Granted, some pieces are critical and can be beyond reasonable repair, but I have found this is seldom the case.

The satisfaction of completing a successful "bring back" usually far exceeds the money saved by not having to buy a new piece. You should try it some time.

 

[Kube]

To each his own. I personally take great satisfaction in bringing parts "back from the dead". Sometimes replacement parts are available, but many times they are not. About five years ago, I resurrected a vent window regulator for my '67 Corvette coupe. I used JB WELD, and the unit has functioned perfectly and has shown no signs of deterioration in the intervening years. Last year, I restored a Navarro "Universal" dual manifold for an 8BA that I got incredibly cheap off of eBay because the generator stud hole was stripped and a couple of bolt bosses were broken. What would you have done, sold it as scrap? The only difficult part of restoring that steering drop would be refinishing it properly. Properly repaired, I cannot see how there could be any "structural problems" with the piece. JB WELD, helicoils, and such have become a way of life for me, and my life is better for it. Granted, some pieces are critical and can be beyond reasonable repair, but I have found this is seldom the case.

The satisfaction of completing a successful "bring back" usually far exceeds the money saved by not having to buy a new piece. You should try it some time.

I tend to agree with you only in cases wherein the part is unobtainable. JB, helicoils, etc. are in my opinion for a down and dirty repair.
My personal issue is I have a difficult time seeing a part repaired that way as little more than a pig in a dress. That pig might look nice, but it's still a pig.
Properly restoring a vehicle, anything for that matter, is to recreate the beauty throughout the piece, not simply what can be visually seen.

 

[tubman]

"Kube" - As I said, "to each his own". You seem to be a guy whose main interest is 1000 point restorations. I think that's great. I love to look at them in museums. However, I don't think most of the folks on this forum are that interested in show cars they can't drive. My "pig in a dress" might be the difference in getting a car on the road or not. I believe most of the guys on here are like me, just trying to get their car as good as they can and get it on the road. "Gold-Chainers" need not apply.

I stand by my statement.

 

[Kube]

"Kube" - As I said, "to each his own". You seem to be a guy whose main interest is 1000 point restorations. I think that's great. I love to look at them in museums. However, I don't think most of the folks on this forum are that interested in show cars they can't drive. My "pig in a dress" might be the difference in getting a car on the road or not. I believe most of the guys on here are like me, just trying to get their car as good as they can and get it on the road. "Gold-Chainers" need not apply.

I stand by my statement.

For the record, I respect your opinion.
I'm not certain that I made my point clear in my last post...
I know it's mostly just me... I was never able to make things "good enough". Lord knows there are many times, I wish I could. Methinks that would make life easier at times.
On the plus side, I enjoy the challenge of what I do.

 

[tubman]

"Kube" - I also respect your opinion. I really wish we could all afford to expend the time and money to do restorations to the standards that you ascribe to. Alas, for most of us mere mortals that are just trying to get our vehicles down the road, that's just not possible. My goal for the next summer is to get my '51 in shape to leave Minnesota, visit some friends in Iowa, stop by the Auburn meet, and continue east for several weeks to visit friends in Maine, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. A real "Dream Trip", in the tradition of "Old Henry". I just wish I can be as good a photographer as he is.

Hopefully, I will run into you somewhere along the way and we can continue this banter.

Sly Stone said it best - "Different strokes for different folks"

 

[reagen]

yes