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Any ideas on getting rotor bolts loose?

Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2014 7:22 pm
by John_Heard
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Putting a new set of rotors on the back of the car and having issues trying to get the allen head rotor bolts loose. These are red loctited in.

I've already tried heating them up like you normally do with loctite. Also tried heating them up and soaking in WD40 which sometimes works.

Any other brilliant ideas?

Re: Any ideas on getting rotor bolts loose?

Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2014 7:40 pm
by Hitchcock
Hit them with some heat, and immideately with an 18 volt cordless impact. It's not strong enough to break or strip the bolts. But it's enough to kill the loc tite.

Re: Any ideas on getting rotor bolts loose?

Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2014 8:00 pm
by John_Heard
I may try the impact. I was tempted to this evening but figured I'd round the allen heads out, I think there's a pretty good chance of that happening but maybe I can turn it down low enough not to strip them. I wish I had one of those hammer impact drivers, that would come in pretty handy about now.

Re: Any ideas on getting rotor bolts loose?

Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2014 9:45 pm
by Hitchcock
If the Allen heads are American made black oxide, they are grade 12. They will take a lot of abuse.

I also get 25% off anything at ace hardware in Newton. So I can get you a get a deal on one. Plus, Dewalt is replacing all their 18 volt stiff with 20 volt. So you can get the 18 stuff right now at killer prices.

Re: Any ideas on getting rotor bolts loose?

Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2014 10:29 pm
by John_Heard
I've been to that Ace Speed Shop before haha... Don't worry about it, I'll fiddle around with them some more tomorrow and see if I can make some progress.

Re: Any ideas on getting rotor bolts loose?

Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2014 10:35 pm
by Hitchcock
Scratch the grade 12. I think 10 is more accurate after a little webernet browsing

Re: Any ideas on getting rotor bolts loose?

Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2014 2:36 am
by wikd69
If I recall correctly, Red Loctite is supposed to release when you get it up to 400 degrees or so. It could be you haven't gotten things warm enough, though who knows.

Re: Any ideas on getting rotor bolts loose?

Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2014 10:18 am
by John_Heard
I should have got them plenty hot, not the first time I've done that. John vs Rotor bolts round 2 later today.

Re: Any ideas on getting rotor bolts loose?

Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2014 2:02 pm
by John_Heard
After screwing around with it for a couple hours, I'm throwing in the towel and getting some new hats. Tried everything including slotting the heads, turning with chisel (breaks head off), drilling them out, heat, oil, more heat lol .. Only way I'm getting these out is drilling them all it looks like. These are some stubborn bolts let me tell ya..

Re: Any ideas on getting rotor bolts loose?

Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2014 4:36 pm
by Hitchcock
Man, mine are two piece also. Ugh...

Re: Any ideas on getting rotor bolts loose?

Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2014 7:46 am
by John_Heard
Ordered some new hats today. The guy at Aerospace said there's a couple more things you can try, and that's to make a bunch of radial cuts to the rotor which will relieve some of the stress to the bolts if the rotor is warped. Or end mill the tops of the bolt heads off, course that leaves you with just a little stub to try and get out.

By the time I ordered new rotors, bolts, pads & hats I could have probably got a complete new brake set for another 150 bucks and had new calipers too. Grrr..

Re: Any ideas on getting rotor bolts loose?

Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2014 7:46 pm
by Craig W.
Stubborn suckers. That stinks.

Re: Any ideas on getting rotor bolts loose?

Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 3:10 pm
by Hookdaddy
no Loctite - safety wire!

Re: Any ideas on getting rotor bolts loose?

Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 8:23 pm
by mytmouz
Hookdaddy wrote:no Loctite - safety wire!
X2...

Re: Any ideas on getting rotor bolts loose?

Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 7:54 am
by John_Heard
I'm not sure you could safety wire these, the bolt heads are counter sunk into the rotor. Would have to look at a different bolt arrangement, not sure it would clear the caliper.

If I win the lottery I'd like to switch these out and replace the brakes with the TBM http://www.tbmbrakes.com/ - Friend of mine Mike Duffy has been using TBM on several cars and they are really good at retracting the pads - low drag.