Clutch Slave Removal

[ukkid35]

The four machine screws are well and truly seized, despite soaking in penetrating oil for a week. The slave itself isn't leaking, but I was going to replace the seals as a matter of course. Now I'm tempted to leave it well alone.

Any thoughts?

[spongy]

I would do em bud as its sods law they will leak soon and then you will regret not doing em now.But some may say if it aint broke dont fix it?,good luck try an impact driver first

[spongy]

How deep are the heads on the allen screws cos they have a real tendancy to round off,then you gotta drill the suckers out

[Boatbuoy]

When I did mine I was eventually able to get two out with extremely careful use of an impact driver, the other two had to be drilled out!

[Gray_101]

I gently heated the bolt heads up with a oxyacetylene torch, and they came un done with hardly any effort. and when you do finally get the bolts out, buy new ones, don't be tempted to re fit the old ones.

[Tanguero]

Rather than drill them (and then have a hell of a job getting the stub out) try driving them round with a small chisel against the outer edge of the head and a lump hammer. This has worked for me every time. After a few good clouts in the right direction they come undone and just unscrew. You do need to be a bit circumspect with the chisel until it has notched the screw head, you don't want it to slip.

ETA: But if its not leaking then leave well alone!

Edited by Tanguero on Friday 2nd September 17:17

[Mr Cerbera]

I may have misunderstood the photo but is that bellhousing still attached to the engine ?

If it is then whip it off and get a good angle at those screws

[ukkid35]

Mr Cerbera said:

I may have misunderstood the photo but is that bellhousing still attached to the engine ?

If it is then whip it off and get a good angle at those screws

It is off the engine, and hopeful the twist in the hex bit shows how much effort I've used to try to undo them using 1/2" drive 20" bar.

[Rufus Roughcut]

The screws were tight when i had to replace my first slave cylinder.
My method was to pop the bell housing in the oven, the Aluminium bell housing expands greater than the screw (you knew that anyway) but it had the benefit of softening the locktite.

[pmessling]

put the bit into the screw and have an extension bar on it and give it some taps with a hammer, sometimes works.

[ridds]

Buy yourself a centre punch and just tap it round. It is the easiest way to do it and once loose you can use the Allen head driver again.

I've drilled and tapped them round with a punch before and the punch is by far the best way to do it.

Make sure you thread lock the new ones in also, just a dash mind....

[Chuggaboom]

ridds said:

Make sure you thread lock the new ones in also, just a dash mind....

Hmn...I'm gonna ask why as when you look at refitting the G/Bx, surely the plate that is visible fills the recess where the screws are, therefore even if they came loose, they can't unscrew much as they'd hit that plate ???

[ridds]

Because you don't want any of that system even being slightly out of alignment. It will wreck the slave, give you clutch kidder and prematurely wear the friction discs.

[Extra 300 Driver]

When I worked on aircraft we got this all the time. We would use a rivet gun and something called a breaker bar which had the socket on the end. As you sent vibrations through the bolt you applied pressure to undo it. maybe 1 in a 100 didnt come out and they had to be drilled.

If you wanna bring the bell housing to chelmsford I will rattle them out for you.

[ukkid35]

Extra 300 Driver said:

When I worked on aircraft we got this all the time. We would use a rivet gun and something called a breaker bar which had the socket on the end. As you sent vibrations through the bolt you applied pressure to undo it. maybe 1 in a 100 didnt come out and they had to be drilled.

If you wanna bring the bell housing to chelmsford I will rattle them out for you.

That's very generous of you. I will try a little heat first, but if that doesn't work I'll get in contact - Thanks.

[JensenA]

Instead of applying a lot of steady prolonged pressure - that's twisted the allen bit which shows how tight they are - you need to use shock tactics.
Get a strong extension bar on the end of the the socket handle, hold the bit in nice and tight and steady, apply a good amount of pressure to the extension bar, then get someone to hit the end of the extension tube sharp and hard with a big lump hammer, one sharp HARD hit. It's always worked for me.

[Mr Cerbera]

Jesus Christ - when I look at this thread it makes mo so thankful that mine came out with (relative) ease.

Hard luck Mate !

[freecar]

JensenA said:

Instead of applying a lot of steady prolonged pressure - that's twisted the allen bit which shows how tight they are - you need to use shock tactics.
Get a strong extension bar on the end of the the socket handle, hold the bit in nice and tight and steady, apply a good amount of pressure to the extension bar, then get someone to hit the end of the extension tube sharp and hard with a big lump hammer, one sharp HARD hit. It's always worked for me.

This is a great method, I have worked on coaches and when a nut or bolt seizes and it's head is 30mm you know it! We used to used the power bar to put pressure on and whack it with a hammer as you say! I also have some screwdrivers that were designed for this and they are remarkable, my mate was gobsmacked that I was undoing the screw he couldn't with the same screwdriver!

[ukkid35]

Extra 300 Driver said:

When I worked on aircraft we got this all the time. We would use a rivet gun and something called a breaker bar which had the socket on the end. As you sent vibrations through the bolt you applied pressure to undo it. maybe 1 in a 100 didnt come out and they had to be drilled.

If you wanna bring the bell housing to chelmsford I will rattle them out for you.

Thanks for reminding me that I have access to an electric impact wrench. This removed three of them fairly quickly, but the forth isn't interested and the bit has sheared....

The corrosion that was holding them is just around the countersink area, that's all.

[ridds]

Tried a centre punch?