JizzleCX

So I have a 96 hatch, in the rear, one LCA bolts attaching to the subframe is seized, and on the other side its the one attaching to the wheel side of the lca. Can I just heat them up with a propane torch from Crappy Tire and use a breaker bar to take them out? Or is the propane torch not enough heat to do it?

If it is, how long do I hold the torch on each bolt for? Do i throw a bag of ice on top after to shock the bolt?

MPR

Any time you try applying heat to remove a seized bolt, do not heat the bolt itself. You want to heat the area around the bolt that it is threaded into so that it expands away from the bolt (hole gets bigger). If you just heat the bolt itself, it will expand in the threaded hole and just be even more difficult to remove.

That being said, I believe the rear lca bolts are a common issue and very difficult to remove. From what I have heard, quite often the only thing that will work is to cut them off...

subsonic-civic

iTrader: (2)

^^ Even cutting them off might not work. We went thru 6 blades before we gave up and decided we'd just leave the bolts holding the LCA to the shocks on. The other bolts were ok for me.

D.T.P

From my experience I had a seized bolt and unfortunately a broken bolt.
Using a breaker bar, a bolt just snapped and was seized in the bushing. Cut around the nut that's welded on the strut and after trying to hammer it out and even tighten the nut on the bolt to pull it out a bit, it snapped off on that side also. In the end that bushing was melted out and LCA removed.
Recently doing suspension on my hatch, the bolt threaded out yet had the metal sleeve stuck on the bolt. After melting the bushing and cutting the bolt on each side of LCA it all came off.

If the bolt is really seized in there, it will most likely snap with a breaker bar. An impact gun works a lot better since the shock loosens it up. If you can get in there you could use a manual impact drive.

When reassembling it would be a good idea to use some anti-seize on all the bolts, will make your life a little easier later

JDMej1

when i did my suspension i just replaced my lca's and all the bolts to avoid the hassle

D.T.P

Getting the old stuff out is where the problems begin.

JizzleCX

tried to use an impact gun on them when i changed the suspension, they wouldnt budge, im gonna buy a propane torch and try to heat em then use a breaker bar, if not, what is the process of "cutting them out" ? because i dont want to damage the subframe or trailing arm.

D.T.P

Well if the bolt snaps that you will be in quite the pickle. Continue using the propane torch to melt the bushing out and twist out bolt. If its seized and doesn't come out still, you could cut around the nut that's welded on and once done just reweld a new nut of same spec in the same location.

if the bolt does start to spin but with the bushing (or the metal sleeve inside) then just cut the bolt on each side of the bushing.
If nothing works, just leave it up to a professional to take care of it.

F8i

iTrader: (10)

I don't think propain is hot enough to expand the metal, I read somewhere... or maybe it was butain(sp?).

I used a breaker bar, and began to shear the heads off... I have a benefit of taking it to honda and workingon it there. Was your impact gun powerful enough? Maybe some anti seize?
-B

chris_v2

Propane torch won't do anything man.

JizzleCX

So i Guess I'm gonna have to go to a shop and get them to take out the 2 bolts for me with the aceltyne (sp?) torch? How much will that roughly run me?

D.T.P

There is a simple/ghetto solution.
The bolt is seized in there since the metal sleeve inside the bushing is stuck, so...melt the bushing out with a propane torch, then using a breaker bar loosen it up. Once it can spin freely, cut the bolt as close as you can by the LCA. Then shift the LCA over to the other side and cut that end. Try to leave a bit of the bolt sticking out on the side where the nut is, so if its still sort of tight you can use vice grips to get it out.
Or you can get a shop to do it if you don't want the hassle. When you tried with an impact gun, how much psi were you getting? May have been too weak.

If its just getting bolts out without breaking them, I doubt a shop would charge much. Just to try with a gun can't be more than 20$. Make sure you have all your parts since if the bolt snaps, then they can do everything for you right there and then.