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

 

we ran into this issue on my friends z. we torched it to heat it up (from the cat side) but still couldn't really get it so we just cut the bolt with an angled rotatory tool.

 

Heat helps.

Flanges won't bend.

Shop might be able to do it the quickest and it won't break the bank if you don't have the right tools.

 

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?

 

I just impact the bolt until it snap.