Seat belt bolt removal?

[rcamacho]

I'm in process re-installing the rear seat belts in my K5. Unfortunately the old torx bolts are stripped and apparantly rusted or otherwise gorilla'd in. I've tried drilling them for an easy-out and using heat to assist the extraction to no avail.

Any suggestions? I really need to get the rear seat fully functional for my family.

 

[R72K5]

no way to pipe wrench them ? they dotn normally strip like that,. apparently someone used the wrong bit type

cant get to backside where threads and weld nut are right ? would be great to be able to spray them with penetrating oil


good luck

 

[73k5blazer]

If you have a welder, just weld a nut to the top of the bolt head. I've used that trick hundreds of times.
A 4" angle grinder would probably work as well, but then you'd still have the bolt shaft in there.

 

[jakeslim]

i spent $70 bucks once trying to get one of those bolts out......drill bits, extractors, drill bits, grinder disk, etc.......took me two days of hell but I finally got it drilled out and it gave. Have fun

 

[85mudblazin]

i would try some vice grips, or you could grind down the head of the bolt into a square and use a wrench.

 

[pauly383]

If all else fails , drill it all the way out and go to a larger diameter bolt AND nut with washers through the floor Works for my non Blazer seats mounting

 

[tomseviltwin]

Pb blaster before you go and screw bolts up.]

 

[dyeager535]

The ones I've pulled out have been loc-tited from the factory.

Just an FYI, a *T-47* is the correct bit for GM seatbelt bolts.

Depending on how bad they are stripped out, you can try a larger size (like a T-50) or even an allan key that can perhaps be pounded in.

I like the idea of welding a nut to it, probably the best way to get it out if you have access to a welder and won't screw stuff around it up by welding there. Those things are usually in there pretty good, I've broken t-47's off in them before, in non-rusty trucks even.

 

[daleearnhardt01]

I used heat to get mine out, since the bolts are accessable through the fenderwell you can do that easily. Just watch out you dont want to catch the carpet on fire...

 

[diesel4me]

they can be a bear...

I've had to use the pipe wrench,grind the head square, or welded nut truck on them too--seems GM loved to use the "killer" red or green locktite that never lets the bolt move again without an act of congress--many trucks I tried to remove the seat belt bolts from twisted the section of the floor its nut was welded too right out with it!.
.I found that heating the nut in the floor is the only way to get them out-(again,dont set the rug or truck on fire!) -that locktite MUST be melted out before the bolt will move(and the heat breaks the grip of rust too)--welding a nut on the bolt head will help melt the locktite too,if you let the heat soak in for a minite or two before attempting to turn it....I think I've sold more T-47 and T-50 torx bits than any other size at the parts store--90% are returned in a few minites,in peices--the seat belt bolts claim more "victims" than any other bolt on the truck,as far as torx bit breakage....

 

[rcamacho]

If you have a welder, just weld a nut to the top of the bolt head. I've used that trick hundreds of times.
A 4" angle grinder would probably work as well, but then you'd still have the bolt shaft in there.

Unfortunately I don't have a welder.

 

[rcamacho]

Update to seat belt bolt saga

We'll I've tried all available techniques short of EDM now. The bolt heads have been drilled out with LT drill bits. All that's left is the drilled shank in the captured nut. This week I'm going to try the easy out again one more time. If that fails I'm going to just shear off the captured nut and go with an entirely new nut/bolt. What a PITA.

 

[rcamacho]

A friend of mine tried this for me on Sunday. Unfortunately his MIG setup ran out of buffer gas.

 

[R72K5]

weld a nut or bolt to torx head

 

[shanemcg45]

I just took mine out this weekend and I guess got lucky. I clamped on vise-grips and after struggling to break the seal they unloosened pretty easily.

 

[dyeager535]

How are those nuts "captured"? Is it a plate that is spot welded in place from underneath, (that you could just drill the spot welds out) or are the nuts welded to the body?

I'd say be careful trying to rip welded on nuts off, I tore the body of my truck in the rear trying to remove those body bolts that are spot welded to the bed.

 

[shanemcg45]

From what I could tell it was a plate welded on the backside. I took the Dremel and grinded off the tack welds on the body bolts in the bed. I'm glad someone warned me about that before hand or I'd tore mine up too.