well i'm finally fixing my filler neck, bout to take the bed off for the first time in 14 years...and i live in NYS :/ been soaking them in PB blast for 3 nights now, except for the back left one i cant get. Any chance they'll be savable when they come out? any tips on doing this? if they break ima have to cough up the dough for dealer bolts, as i have to have it together by friday to drive from wayne to thousand islands...Thanks guys.

 

Or you can go to a hardware store and get bolts with nuts and washers if they break

 

i'm hoping that would work, but the clips have to stay intact as well...

 

heat them up if you can

 

i can. all but like the last 2 i think. just cant get to them.

 

I found that once they bind up that is it, you might as well cut the heads off.
The biggest problem is the rust but the Torx Head sucks, either the socket in the head strips or the tool breaks; get an extra Torx Bit when doing the job just in case.

You could replace them with something like a Carriage Bolt (rd hd) BUT getting a lock nut and washer on them is not going to be a one man job.
If you can reach them it might be the best thing to do.
Six ½ or ⅝” Carriage Bolts should be strong enough for the job.

 

not sure if this will work for your truck, but in my line of work, we have to work with screws that have been embedded into concrete for sometimes up to 30 yrs.
we always torque a hair more before trying to pull them and it works very very good. before I started doing this, I would get maybe 20-30% of them out and the rest would break the heads off. now the ratio is more along the lines of 90%. (sometimes, the screws are just too rusted)

are you using handtools or an airgun ? that will make a bit of difference as well.
if possible, Id try to torque it by hand, and also start it by hand, then move to the gun, but if its not an option, then just give it a real quick "tap" on the trigger when torquing it, then "tap" the trigger when starting the pull. just make sure the tip is seated good and it shouldnt strip.

 

Ok, had really good luck actually with it today. Here goes. Got 5/6 bolts out without ANY issue whatsoever, only one clip broke, and i got lucky enough to be able to jam a screw driver in there and finish taking the bolt out. Its the easiest bolt to get to, so i'll be grabbing a M12x1.75 nut and lock washer tomorrow to replace the clip. Once i got them all out i ran a thread chaser down the holes and over the bolts. this helped ALOT i believe. they went back in so easy. I started with the air tool, but didn't like what it did to the threads of the first bolt, so i moved to a breaker bar setup. loosened 'em up real good with a 3 footer, moved to the 1.5 footer, then finished with a 1/2 inch ratchet. i tightened them back up on reassembly with a 3/8 drive.

Got the spring shackles coated in Chassis saver after a little sandblasting. Hopefully that'll extend their life. Then took a can of black spray paint and gave the back frame 2 light coats just for a little protection and looks.

Only other issue i had, was the part where you put the gas nozzle, is in sideways right now. i couldn't get it so the drain hole was on the bottom (ran out of patience at end of day) so its sideways right now lol with the little drain hole on the right. just hoping it'll gas up good, and i can get to thousand islands and back with no issues. then i'll unscrew it and straighten it.

Overall, time consuming but i think it went pretty well. Thanks guys! time to relax now!

 

good job man i need to do this bad

 

thanks. when you go to do it, all i can recommend is to soak the bottom of the bolts in PB blast. I did it for 3 nights and i think thats what made them come out so good.