Hey guys, looking for some input, I decided to install the HFC's myself and was able to easily get the passenger side one one but could not get the drivers side cross-threaded bolt off. I soaked it in PB Blaster for the day before and brought it to the shop to work on it myself. I used a 6 sided 1/2" socket to match the bolt connected to a 2 ft extender connected to a breaker bar and a lead pipe. I ended up stripping the top of the bolt somehow, I think it was because the socket was slightly rounded and older. Anywho, I'm pretty sure my options are limited to bringing it to a shop and having them blow torch the cat off. I was able to get 3 of the 5 bolts off before I tried for the cross-threaded one, so I never tried at the other one.

My questions are should I just take it to the shop and have them work some magic with a torch?
And is very bad to drive with one OEM cat and one HFC?

Any input would help a ton.

 

Hope this helps... If it would work, I think there is, what we used to call a "nut cracker". No, not her... :-) The one looks like a tubing cutter and when you tighten it down it has a flat side on one side of the nut and a chisel edge on the opposite that cracks the nut into two halves. This is a tool from like the 60's, might work? Did you already try heating the threaded part and hitting the bolt with spray from a can of compressed air held upside down so that it sprays freezing liquid on the bolt? Wish I could discribe better. Ok to PM me. I hope the problem is solved.

 

Or you could do the " PITA desperate times calls for desperate measures way" ... I used a dremel with some cutting discs and cut that bad boy right off... GL bro... Ive felt your pain...

 

^^^Grandpa's bolt splitter may work.^^^. Just kidding Bob, I've used one of those too. Does that make me old?

Or you could try using a damaged nut remover designed for this job. Get the size that fits the rounded nut, hammer it on as tight ar possible, and use an impact wrench to power it off. The more torque the wrench has, the more it will dig into the nut.

 

Nut cracker is a great idea... wonder if you could use a dremmel cutting tool also...

1/2 inch... shouldn't you have been using metric? Like a 12mm? Maybe that's why it rounded? You can get away with 1/2 sometimes, but not if you are trying to torque it (or undue a torqued one).

Good luck!

 

P.S. Grandpa's nutcracker is a great play for the holiday season! :P

 

lol GL buddy you will need it. The bolt connecting the cat to the header was a major B*itch! Took 3 guys, a torch & a ladder to get that shiet to budge.

 

I understood the post to mean a 1/2" drive ratchet size, not the socket itself. At least I hope so because as you said, the nut is metric (14mm?). If I'm wrong in my understanding then no wonder it got rounded off.

 

Black Betty;
Won't make you old, just tired.

 

The nut most definitely is a 14mm. And the 1/2 inch I was referring to was the width of the ratchet set, with 1/2 inch being the largest that I had. Thanks for all the help, I'll hopefully be able to spend tomorrow ripping and tearing this thing away from the car using multiple methods mentioned above.

 

I have this set:

I think it was about $15 at Sears. The first time it saves you it's worth 10 times the price. It's never failed me yet.

 

Blackbetty, Thats a good Extractor set. I used it at work when im a tough situation. Usually have hammer it on snug and break it loose.

 

PM sent to you BB.

Does anyone have any advice on the driving with one OEM Cat, one HFC issue?

At the moment I've had to drive about 100 miles for stupid reasons and everything seems to be performing just fine. There was one issue the first time after I installed the HFC where the engine dropped down to about 200 rpm every time I hit a stop light, but since then, the ECU must have fixed itself.

 

I can't remember why I first needed to buy it years ago, but I remember grumbling about having to pay the $15 or whatever it cost to fix a mistake. I thought I'd never use it again and it was a big waste of money. Now I realize that the cost is only a fraction of it's value considering the time and frustration it has saved me from over the years. Every person should be forced to buy a set.

 

Got one of these guys here, so hopefully I'll be able to get that **** out tomorrow. I hear the Irwin set is much better than the craftsman set. Doesn't break nearly as easily and can withstand an impact gun.