Seat belt bolts removal
Discussion
I’d pop over but my transport has gone US. My trusty moped is playing up lol.
Up between body and riggers on main rails and from the outside of outriggers try and direct a tube into the threaded bar section. That and from inside the car obviously. Whack the blighters with a hammer clean on the heads if you can. Shock em into life but don’t listen to me I snapped at least two!
Seats out first then Frank. You can get some weight behind the bolt heads that way. Rusted they will heat up and snap if your heavy handed like me. Keep the bolts cool and take it easy is my advice now Iv’e ruined a few. Looking at your fancy chassis I hope you should have great success.
Up between body and riggers on main rails and from the outside of outriggers try and direct a tube into the threaded bar section. That and from inside the car obviously. Whack the blighters with a hammer clean on the heads if you can. Shock em into life but don’t listen to me I snapped at least two!
Seats out first then Frank. You can get some weight behind the bolt heads that way. Rusted they will heat up and snap if your heavy handed like me. Keep the bolts cool and take it easy is my advice now Iv’e ruined a few. Looking at your fancy chassis I hope you should have great success.
No but trying to drill it out is hard.
You have the body floor very close so you will need a fairly narrow drill so you can get the bit square on to the bolt.
Do not try using those reverse thread remover things, once that breaks off inside you have a total nightmare on your hands. I ended up jacking the car as high as I could and used a number of bits until the final part of the bolt thread just span out.
I totally get what Steve says. With body off it’s easy to drill them out. Probably takes less time than faffing about with rusted bolts for hrs but diy it’s just better to be slow and patient and not break them.
You have the body floor very close so you will need a fairly narrow drill so you can get the bit square on to the bolt.
Do not try using those reverse thread remover things, once that breaks off inside you have a total nightmare on your hands. I ended up jacking the car as high as I could and used a number of bits until the final part of the bolt thread just span out.
I totally get what Steve says. With body off it’s easy to drill them out. Probably takes less time than faffing about with rusted bolts for hrs but diy it’s just better to be slow and patient and not break them.
Classic Chim said:
..........I totally get what Steve says. With body off it’s easy to drill them out. Probably takes less time than faffing about with rusted bolts for hrs but diy it’s just better to be slow and patient and not break them.
The inboard ones are normally OK. It's the ones in the rigger I'm happy to shear off as the rigger is going to the scrap man anyway.If someone ends up having to drill go buy a new set of top quality bits. The bolt you are trying to drill is high tensile if you try and drill with anything less than a perfectly sharp bit it will overheat and make subsequent drilling almost impossible.
Steve
Edited by Steve_D on Saturday 7th November 21:57
I tried penetrating oils on my 1995 Chimaera but my bolts were too rusted and they snapped with only a short breaker bar.
To drill them out I filed the broken end as flat as possible, centre punch the bolt as close to the centre and then worked my way up drill bits to 10mm. I used cobalt drill bits from Toolstation or Screwfix, I can't remember which but started with a 3mm and just took my time and used some oil while cutting.
I then re-tapped the bolts carefully (7/16" UNF).
To drill them out I filed the broken end as flat as possible, centre punch the bolt as close to the centre and then worked my way up drill bits to 10mm. I used cobalt drill bits from Toolstation or Screwfix, I can't remember which but started with a 3mm and just took my time and used some oil while cutting.
I then re-tapped the bolts carefully (7/16" UNF).
blaze_away said:
If I shear one off is it a body off job to fix the damage ?
Had one of mine sheer off when changing the seat belt a few years ago. I removed the seat and took it to a localish engineering shop. They managed to drill it out using varying dia drills and it did come out easily in the end.They re tapped the hole and used a Helicoil so it was back to the original thread size.
Cost me about £50 .
Main thing is to get the first drill started in the middle of the stub.
Well hadn't looked at drivers side until just now.
When I bought the car it came with a Willams race harness, and here's what it fits to at the bottom (similar eye bolts in parcel shelf area)
Drivers side outside bottom mount
Drivers side inner bottom mount
Not sure how best to tackle those.
I put a long heavy duty screwdriver in the bolt hole, not budging just bending the screwdriver shaft
Any ideas ?
When I bought the car it came with a Willams race harness, and here's what it fits to at the bottom (similar eye bolts in parcel shelf area)
Drivers side outside bottom mount
Drivers side inner bottom mount
Not sure how best to tackle those.
I put a long heavy duty screwdriver in the bolt hole, not budging just bending the screwdriver shaft
Any ideas ?
What seems a great idea at the time now becomes a nightmare.
At this point i’d be thinking gas bottles with very carefully directed heat from below toward both the threaded parts of those bolts, let cool down then a lot of shocking straight along the line of the bolts using a good hammer as you try putting pressure to undo it with said screw driver In place but my feeling is more than about 40 psi will break them so slowly slowly and watch for the bolt constantly heating up so wanting to twist and snap.
At this point i’d be thinking gas bottles with very carefully directed heat from below toward both the threaded parts of those bolts, let cool down then a lot of shocking straight along the line of the bolts using a good hammer as you try putting pressure to undo it with said screw driver In place but my feeling is more than about 40 psi will break them so slowly slowly and watch for the bolt constantly heating up so wanting to twist and snap.
Do the eye bolts grip the seat belt fixings and allow them to move, If so, after all your unseizing methods have been tried and before you decide to shear them off, tightening a little might get them moving.
Have you tried a 50/50 mix of Acetone and ATF in a atomiser spray shaken before spraying as they don't mix?
Have you tried a 50/50 mix of Acetone and ATF in a atomiser spray shaken before spraying as they don't mix?
Gassing Station | Chimaera | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff