Bolts are not coming loose...

[NCGRIZ]

I purchased a new bumper for the front of my TJ. The 4 - T55 torx "bolts" that are holding the current bumper in place are not budging...

Any thoughts other than PB blaster? I have been spraying them for a week now. No movement at all. Anyone know anything about heating coil and getting them hot?

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you

 

[Trail_pilot]

Torch em. heat the crap outta the bolt and with expansion from heat and contracting once cooled it should hopefully loosen it up. heat it a few times if you have to. Living in the rust belt sucks.

 

[socal66]

Can't speak for the TJ but some of the bolts on my JL had red Loctite on them that required a heating using the torch to loosen them or risk breakage when using the impact wrench. After a quick heating they literally came out with not much effort at all.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Raleigh, North Carolina hardly qualifies as the rust belt, but what @Trail_pilot suggests should work. Especially if you also use an impact gun as @socal66 pointed out.

 

[Billiebob]

HEAT, the best choice. We use propane all the time.
PS, I just took off my TJR bumper yesterday to get rid if the ugly rubber things.
Be sure to hold the Torx bit tight into the bolt.

Key is a tight bolt driver fit.

 

[NCGRIZ]

Thank you for the info. I have been using a propane torch and lighting it up but it's not budging. My new bumper can only hold down so much paper in my shop!

 

[Mrprez]

Are you getting them glowing red hot? When I was changing the O2 sensors on my TJ, I had to really let the heat stay on them until they glowed. Once that happened they came right out.

 

[NCGRIZ]

Are you getting them glowing red hot? When I was changing the O2 sensors on my TJ, I had to really let the heat stay on them until they glowed. Once that happened they came right out.

Simple answer is no. I have seen handheld coil heaters that seem to work great but I cant find one online...the propane torch is small and not heating up like I thought it would. Hopefully all this heating up and cooling down may help but take time.

 

[Boostpowered]

If your not loosening the grip with pb blaster or similar and just heat don't work here is what you do you heat it up again and give it a couple of good hard whacks with a hammer it will shock the rust free

 

[bgenlvtex]

Simple answer is no. I have seen handheld coil heaters that seem to work great but I cant find one online...the propane torch is small and not heating up like I thought it would. Hopefully all this heating up and cooling down may help but take time.

Charcoal starter will probably get the head much hotter than a propane torch.
Use a 2lb hammer and shock the bolt a couple of times,

I haven't used a charcoal starter as an induction heater for bolts, but I've lit a hell of a bunch of charcoal with one and they get HOT

Like this

 

[NCGRIZ]

If your not loosening the grip with pb blaster or similar and just heat don't work here is what you do you heat it up again and give it a couple of good hard whacks with a hammer it will shock the rust free

I have sprayed it down with PB everyday for a week and have a 4lb hammer I beat the $h*% out of it. I'll get there!

 

[NCGRIZ]

Charcoal starter will probably get the head much hotter than a propane torch.
Use a 2lb hammer and shock the bolt a couple of times,

I haven't used a charcoal starter as an induction heater for bolts, but I've lit a hell of a bunch of charcoal with one and they get HOT

Like this

I have one. It's next in the line up of breaking them loose. If the jeep catches on fire can I call you?

 

[bgenlvtex]

I have one. It's next in the line up of breaking them loose. If the jeep catches on fire can I call you?

Call anything you want, just don't call me late to dinner

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Simple answer is no. I have seen handheld coil heaters that seem to work great but I cant find one online...the propane torch is small and not heating up like I thought it would. Hopefully all this heating up and cooling down may help but take time.

I'm not sure what you are using exactly but I have found that those little canister, hand held propane torches sometimes do not have enough gusto to get stubborn bolts hot enough.

 

[Smileyshaun]

Swing by a fab shop and just have them plasma the bolts off and replace them

 

[NCGRIZ]

Swing by a fab shop and just have them plasma the bolts off and replace them

Smiley, that is no fun and I like to bleed and curse so the neighbors hear me!

 

[Shakes355]

Sounds stupid, but tightening before loosening is the tried and true method. Good leverage and a tight fit is key for torx stuff, as mentioned before. If you can get it to crack loose going forward it's pretty much guaranteed to back out.

 

[NCGRIZ]

Thank you to everyone's help. I got home and started heating the bolts. Shazam!