Hey, i'm trying to put my CT Exhuasts back on, and one of the bolts is semi-stripped. How do I deal with it. I am using only hand tools. Will an impact gun help any or just make it worse. I mean it prob has some shape left but mainly stripped. How will a shop be able to get it off. Thanks

 

By stripped do you mean the outside of the nut is rounded or the threads are messed up? If the nut's rounded you can use some vise grips on it. If the threads are messed up you will need a die to run over the threads and re-cut them. Good idea to get a new nut too.

 

OK...most auto-stores should sell special sockets made for removing rounded off nuts. I know for sure that S+K makes a set of them...they work excellent. If you don't want to buy more tools...then make sure you let them soak as much as possible in rust-breaking fluid. Spray them like 10 times and let sit...then grab vice grips...large ones and get the best grip possible....if your not sure of the grip, DO IT AGAIN....BECAUSE YOUR PROBABLY GONNA GET ONLY TWO MAYBE THREE TURNS...before you won't be able to grip it any more. If for any reaon you get to this point...your gonna have to cut the bolt off. Good luck

 

Just saw an ad from Sears selling something for stripped bolts.

I would imagine you could just bribe a local mechanic to get it out for you...

 

Thanks for the help guys
I tried to use vice grips, but it happens to be the bolt closet to the cans so there is no room to move it. I prob just made it worse so I'm gonna leave it as is, and try to get some guy at a local shop to help out when i go get new rear brakes. Just wondering, how do the adapters for round-off nuts work?
PEter

 

a good pair of big vise grip.

 

bring it to the shop and have the bolt cut off