First off,i love my new purchase which is a 2001 Classic Turbo which i bought from it's one previous owner about a month or so ago.

The car had already been gradually "modified" and upgraded over the last 9 years or so when i bought it

TSL/Ecutek Remap when the car was about 4 years old along with a Full 3" exhaust system and Sports Cat.

TSL/Green Panel Filter.

Whiteline Rear ARB.

Whiteline Rear Droplinks.

DBA Grooved Discs and Kevlar Pads.

Since buying the car i have decided to add to the relatively modest spec list with items i have researched on here and things i wanted to do when i had my last Classic.So i have added

18" Gunmetal Inovit Redlines.

Yoko Parada Spec 2's.

STI Rear Lights.

Clear Front and Side Indicators.

Colour Coded Side Skirts and Rear Spats.

STI V6 Front Spoiler.

Godspeed Front Discs.

EBC Bluestuff Pads.

HEL Brake Lines.

DOT 5.1 Fluid.

Whiteline Front Droplinks.

Whiteline Anti Lift Kit.

Tegiwa Brake Stopper.

CDF Racing Intercooler Tilt Kit.

CDF Racing Lightweight Crank Pulley.

My issue seems to be that despite covering just 50,000 miles and having a full and proper service history,nearly every job is taking so much longer than it should and some things just could not be done by the guy i use (who is excellent!) because everything seems to be stuck solid .

It went in yesterday to have the majority of the above done and it came out with the brake lines not done on the rear because as he went to undo them the line twisted and as it goes up over the fuel tank and diff he didn't want to snap it so done it back up and left it.

The nut on the crank pulley could not be undone.

The bolts in the front droplinks had to be cut because they were stuck solid.

The good news is that the bits that could go on have really made a great improvement to the way the car drives and handles,and does feel so much more planted .

As for the other things,it is going to go somewhere else next week to see if they have any more luck with the crank pulley and brake lines..........plus have the camber and allignment done .

Anyone else had any issues with stuck/seized bolts as any advice would be great!!

 

It is 9 years old remember mate. If you think subaru's are bad, i used to own a renault, they are even worse.

 

Its 10 years of aging and expansion and contraction when the car is running/stood, these parts have not moved for that long, they will be still, they will be seized, they will snap etc, its pretty normal

Tony

 

You need penetrating oil, WD-40 is cack, apply and leave for 12 hours.

If that doesn't work, if it is safe, apply some heat to the bolt.

Also try tightening the bolt, and then try undoing it.

As a last resort drill it out (pain in the ****)

 

He said he could try heating the crank pulley bolt but it would mean taking the radiator out and the air con rad to actually get at it,and then he could also use a gun on it.

He also said he had tried the bolt several times and it still wouldn't budge!

With my very limited knowledge,i'm afraid that if too much pressure is put on the bolt for the crank that the crank itself may snap??

 

Hope and pray the air gun works but that may do more harm than good

Better to take out the necessary parts and have a good crack at it, I don't envy your position mate, good luck

 

Anyone recommend a decent penetrating oil ?

 

I have used this before with some success but as to wether its better than any other could be a point of discussion!

http://www.lawson-his.co.uk/scripts/...tm_medium=ncpc

 

.

Is penetrating oil safe to use on things like the crank pulley and brake lines or is there a risk with using it/using too much of it on either of these items ?

 

I've used plus-gas in the past and it's been ok. Should be ok to spray at most things, but I would avoid using it near a bearing, or anywhere it might get exposed to a lot of heat.

I've also been working on the car recently and was actually surprised that the bolts came out without too much trouble, and I doubt they'd been out before, or at least for a good few years.

 

Thanks for that,i feel so much better knowing YOUR bolts come undone easily !!

LOL .

 

yep the good old "plus gas" works a treat usually, spray it on leave it for 5 or so mins then have a good old go at it. i know of some 1 else on hear who struggled to crack the crank bolt off and they had to get rad etc out and they used a gun to free it. it could do more damage tho if its in the wrong hands.

 

Plus Gas just bought and paid for on eBay.....................fingers crossed!!

 

Rust Buster is another good one - it's a liquid with a spout bottle rather than an aerosol. I use both, depending on application.

Re. the crank pulley, it should normally be tightened to a very high torque setting and will be beyond the capabilities of most rattle guns. Even if everything is good, require a long breaker bar and a degree of brute force to shift. If it was properly fitted in the past it shouldn't be rusted on - as the threads should be oiled prior to fitting, and the flange on the bolt + heat of the engine should stop moisture getting in anyway.

 

Can someone tell me the worst case senario with trying to undo the bolt (is it as i'm thinking and could snap the crank itself?) as i'm starting to feel like i should just sell the lightweight pulley i bought and leave that part standard.................will the pulley make a noticeable difference?

 

I can't see the crank snapping myself, surely the bolt is way smaller diameter than the crank, so if anything snaps it'd be the bolt just below the head, if anything.

In my opinion, etc

 

the crank bolt is torqued up to 192ftlb (i think) so a little brute force is required, 1/2" breaker bar and a 4ft piece of scaff bar usaly see of most things one way or another