Seized-up Bumper bolts

[fdf]

Hi gang
I'm trying to get my CRX's front-bumper off 'cos I bent it. There are a handful of bolts along the top edge of the bumper which are seized-up. The bolts have a pitifully tiny phillips-head-cross so a very small screwdriver can be applied, but the head of the bolt is so big, around an inch diameter, that their seized-up grip defeats my efforts to turn them. Any ideas, please?

 

[TCJBOLDIE]

Vice grips??

 

[Teo]

If the vise grips don't hold? Then what size is the shank diameter behind the head of the bolt that goes thru the bumper? What ever that size is, pick a drill size equal to or .005 larger. You may be able to drill thru the large head into the center of the bolt itself and break or weaken it's attachment. Just like drilling out a mashed rivet.

 

[fdf]

Well I have tried a pair of grips I've used on the central-heating, but the bolt's head is so thin that the grips slipped and I gouged a gash in the bumper without moving the bolt. My own ineptitude of course, but since in general the bumper must in often be damaged and replaced, I hoped there was a cunning way. I had thought of hacksawing the head to create flats I can put s spanner on, but perhaps the answer is better grips. The bolt head is only a couple of mm thick and doesn't stand proud of the bumper so it's hard to avoid damaging it. I thought of drilling a hole in the centre of the bolt and using a left-hand-thread extractor, if that's the right description and I can find one. Do you happen to know what the bolts are made of, it seems to be soft iron!?

 

[Teo]

Well I have tried a pair of grips I've used on the central-heating, but the bolt's head is so thin that the grips slipped and I gouged a gash in the bumper without moving the bolt. My own ineptitude of course, but since in general the bumper must in often be damaged and replaced, I hoped there was a cunning way. I had thought of hacksawing the head to create flats I can put s spanner on, but perhaps the answer is better grips. The bolt head is only a couple of mm thick and doesn't stand proud of the bumper so it's hard to avoid damaging it. I thought of drilling a hole in the centre of the bolt and using a left-hand-thread extractor, if that's the right description and I can find one. Do you happen to know what the bolts are made of, it seems to be soft iron!?

The bolts should be simple cold rolled steel cad plated. The shank/bolt diameter is what needs to be known to select a drill size to drill out/relive the head. Once you know that size, find the center of the large head, center punch it, center drill it and then drill into it until the head spins free.

What year is your CRX? Do you have pic's of the front bumper bolts that are seized?

 

[rdp50734]

Its a set of easy outs that you need.

As above once you know the thread size of the bolt you want to remove you centre pop it, then drill it to the correct size for the easy out you need to use.

This is a set http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SILVERLIN...828?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item460123140c

There is also this set which may be easier for you to use with the larger head size/small thread http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/easy-outs...327?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4ae5a3024f

 

[fdf]

Ah thank you, easy-outs look just the job.
Actually I got a couple of the bolts out using my plumbers' grips and to protect the bumper from my bodgeing around these fasteners, I've made a little cover from a plastic milk-bottle, more later....

*edit*
Pic removed as per T&C's. Was a broken link.