!! Stripped Cat Bolt !!
 

Tried to install my RTP's today. We stripped the passenger's side famous evil top bolt that is accessed through the engine bay.

I have all the proper tools and extensions. I used 1/2" breaker bar with a lot of 1/2" extensions and a 14mm 6-head socket and stripped the bolt. Didn't get to loosen it at all. Went to Sears and bought a extract bolt-kit and managed to loosen it about 1/4 turn. Then the bolt stripped some more.

Then I thought maybe we should just break the head of the bolt by over-tightening it. I tightened it about 1/4 then stopped because I wasn't sure if this was a good idea or not.

I've sprayed this bolt with PB blaster over a few days and it's still giving me trouble.

At this point the bolt is tightened normally and is stripped counter-clockwise.

What are my options? After spending all this money on tools and the time I put into it I don't really want to take it to a shop. I can do the install in less than an hour if it weren't for these two top bolts.

I've broken it down to two options:

1. Drive the car around and let the bolt heat-up then try to tighten and break the head of the bolt. (Is this safe? Will the flanges bend?)

2. Take it to a shop and let them blow-torch and remove the bolt. (Can the blow-torch reach the bolt?)


Any suggestions or feedback is appreciated!

Thanks

Dremmel...
 

I just knew, with only 3,000 miles on the odo, I wouldn't have the bolt problem.....Wrong. I broke one (no problem) and stripped the other.

The bolt had come out a quarter inch or so before stripping, so it gave me the opportunity to cut the head off. A little tedious, but pretty quick and simple. I first duct taped a Dremmel with cutting wheel to my extension. It was too bulky and I couldn't see down there well enough. So I got the snake extension for the Dremmel and taped IT to the end of the socket extension.

So...extension in hand, my brother holding the light, switching the Dremmel on and off for 5 mins....crisis averted.

Also, the cutting disk is smallish and you can't cut all the way through from just one side. so kind of cut around the bolt in an arc. I actually had to finish it off from below by prying with a small screwdriver to break it off.

Steady hand. DO NOT cut into the header!

ok I have a crazy idea not sure if you will believe me but this **** works. Go to a hardware store and see if they sell a liquid called e z grip. ok if you can't find it thats ok we can make it make sume thick mud and add a buch of small metel shavings in it mix it up and coat the inside of the socket with it and go remove it. My bolts also striped out and this is how i got them out. I know it sounds crazy but it does work, atleast for me it did.

Try to pound a smaller size socket on there. If not, go with the torch. But I like the dremmel idea.

So glad mine came out without a fight.....

From reading previous threads about removing the demon bolt and stripping it, I have to paraphrase another member..."welcome to a world of hurt!"

Hope you find a solution. Sounds like the "easiest" way out is to put a blow torch to it, perhaps at a shop. Yes, you have to pay, but perhaps the most viable solution, if the other ideas (Dremel, smaller socket) don't work/aren't feasible. Good luck.

Getting nervous,,,, my HFC's will be here in a couple days.. Gonna use PB blaster the night before and just pray... LOL..

Try to use a impact socket. You'll have better luck.

I had to cut the cat in half to remove it. Good luck!

http://www.the370z.com/members/tjlaz...-escapade.jpeg

Remove the stock air boxes to give yourself more room from the top.

So the bolt head is stripped but not the thread right?

GO to a shop and heat it up call it a day..

:eek::eek: Wtf omg thats crazy...

^^^that is crazy

yep it was. desperate measures. My car was on the lift and it was going to close in an hour. LOL

Yeah.. just the head is stripped counter-clockwise only..

I'm going to try using a gator grip and if that fails I'm going to try to break the head of the bolt...

I stripped 1 bolt and snapped another in half. Don't worry it happens to all of us. As long as only the bolts are damaged and not the cats themselves then you're in good shape.

Ahh.... the old "bolt from hell" story. Many have noticed your pain. Not many have had to go to the extreme you did, though.

As stated earlier were you using an impact socket?

i just installed mine a couple of weeks ago and had the same problem. if you look at the bolt from the other side (not through the engine bay) you will notice that u can fit a star bit on it. just use a star bit socket set and get it out from underneath the car instead of through the engine bay. since your threads are stripped it will take a while but trust me it will come out, and once u get it out u will have to take a drill bit to smooth out the threads because the bolts that they send you will not thread back into the manifold. also on mine right before i got the bolts out they got really tight and didnt seem to want to go any further but keep going cause thats when youre almost there.

I was using craftsman 6 point deep and shallow sockets... No impact sockets were used...

I never knew there was a star bit behind the top bolt. That is great information. Is it easy to access? Would you know what star bit size I would need?

My threads aren't stripped only the bolt is...

Thanks for the info

its a lot easier to access than through the engine bay and sorry i cant remember what size it was. if u have a set just try them all haha

Ended up trying to break the bolt by over-tightening it... Stripped the bolt some more...

Seems like the only way to remove it now is to cut the top head bolt somehow...

Any suggestions?

you have to get access to do that, see my pic for the easiest way. lol

lol.. I want to have the option to put it back to stock in the future...

you still havnt got those pipes in yet? haha i would just take it to a shop if youre having that much trouble.

waiting for my F.I. Res TP + F.I. CBE to get here, I'm due at the end of the month, but i'm praying that I don't get "the bolt from hell" its demoralizing!!!

going to buy some art pipes soon. I think Im going to start soaking the bolts now lol.

A good impact socket really does make a big difference. It will fit better and not flex as much so you shouldn't strip it.

it would still probly strip it since u have to have 2 feet of extensions on the top bolt. i dont think i would trust one on that.

I agree completly. I first used a regular socket and it broke it. Went to my impact sockets and it fit really tight. Even had to lightly tap the socket on with a hammer. This was the key. The main thing IMO is to use some straight extensions with no swivels. This requires the removel of the stock intake to be able to make the extensions work at the proper angle.

Has anyone tried an "old man" tool on these? I have not removed the cats so I have not seen what people are up against.

Actually I've done this on my own and a friend's vehicle. That's four cats, not a single stripped bolt.

I used a single 36" impact grade extension and a impact socket along with a 24" breaker bar. One bolt required a bit of muscle but the others were a breeze. I started out with the swivel and the short daisy chained extensions but it was a pain in the butt. Pulled the airboxes and went straight in, it was so much easier.

how did u get the bolt off the passenger side without a swivel? thats what i would be afraid of would be the swivel slipping or something with the power of the impact gun.

He was appling impact grade material. Not a impact gun. That could cause some issues.

The passenger side is about the same as the drivers. Best if you remove the intake system to get the best straight angle. I sprayed my bolts with PB blaster twice a week before takling it. But, keep in mind my car only had about 800 miles on it at the time. IMO the more miles at the time of removing can have a big play.

No swivel, just take of the stock airboxes and intake tube. I did not use an impact gun, just a 2ft breaker bar. Once it "cracked" I removed the breaker bar and used a rachet or turned by hand. You can also use "wobble" extensions which give you about 15 degrees of movement in any direction, but you'll still need to take off the intake. My car had 9000 miles on it when I did the swap.

Sorry to revive an old thread but I figured it would be better than makeing a new one.

I am having a hell of a time with both demon bolts. I have all of the other bolts out. I started by spraying with PB several weeks ahead of time. I have injen intakes so there is enough room to access the bolt from the engine bay. I have a 1/2 inch breaker bar with a couple feet of extensions and a 14mm impact socket.

At this point the bolts are partially stripped and have not budged. I've tried heating them with a torch and by running the car. I made some super PB blast I found online by mixing 1:1 ratios of ATF and Acetone. I tried an electric impact wrench wich does not slip off the bolt but did not budge it either.

The way I see it I have two options. Take it to a shop or try to break or cut the bolt off. If I cut the head of the bolt off, will I be able to remove the cat? From what I've seen, it looks like the flange it threaded so I would think it still wouldn't come off.

Anyone have any other ideas?

Thanks,
Matt

I had to use the dremel with the extension on one of my bolts. Ened up using the diamond coated cutting/routing bit thing. Took about 15 minutes but it did the job.

What do you mean by breaker bar? I used a good quality impact socket to make sure it was a tight fit and didn't strip and a 4 FT GALVANIZED STEEL PIPE. I just about hung all my body weight on the end of the pipe before one of the bolts broke loose. That's how much torque it took to get it to break free. This is a different kind of force than an impact wrench will apply.