How to remove a rounded nut or bolt- 5 different ways

Removing rounded off nuts and bolts can be difficult and in some cases the nut or bolt could be seized making removal very difficult. If a bolt is seized and is very tight the best option is to reach for the welder, if you have one as the heat generated can help to loosen the bolt making it much easier to remove. Some techniques in this video will work in some situations but not in others. I have covered grip tite sockets, tools with serrated teeth such as mole grips, water pump pliers and Stillsons ;Filing a flat on the bolt, using a hammer and chisel and also welding a nut to the bolt. For difficult to remove bolts the best two methods are the hammer and chisel and welding a nut on the bolt.

[recon]

Easy on a flat panel with lot's of room.

[WastedElephant]

Off to buy a $700 welder to remove a $0.50 bolt.

[desertmango]

Your advice about using Grip-Tite sockets saved my life! Thank you!!!

[jusb]

you missed out the drilling swearing and pleading method, and if you draw blood its a bonus, this usually is what i end up doing!
those sockets look decent though, i have found that 6 point sockets and the newer surface drive types grip a worn nut so much better than 12 point, if you are young and buying your socket set, please buy 6 point or surface drive ones now

[eddieallen]

need to redo this vid with a exhaust manifold bolt while it's still on a vehicle.

[douglasliterski]

Thanks so much for your help. I ordered the Grip-Tite SAE and Metric sockets from Northern tools that you recommended and I was able to remove a rounded over zinc bolt in a machine casting with no problem that I couldn't remove otherwise with anything else, ie. crescent wrench, vise grips, and my standard set of 3/8 drive sockets. These Grip-Tite sockets are awesome! Everyone that uses sockets should have these two sets in their toolbox! FYI for others out there, I also added some liquid wrench penetrant oil prior to using them even though the bolt was not rusted just to lubricate the bolt connection.
Thanks again, this video really helped me a lot!

[JeronimoSilvas]

you should try this when the bolts are torqued down to factory specs

[Buckle]

Thanks for another great video. As a DIY'er, I'd never have thought of these techniques. Will help me immensely! Thank you!

[MrMATWORM]

Whenever this happens to me i never have all that room like that

[TaggingTechnician]

The Craftsman Low Profile Bolt-Out remover set worked for me, along with generous applications of PBlaster over a period of a few days, and careful application of heat from a hot air gun. Well done, thanks!

[grahampalmer]

For smaller bolts I use an angle grinder to create a channel across the head of the bolt then use a suitably sized screwdriver, to release the nut. If you need extra leverage, secure the screwdriver handle in the jaws of some mole grip pliers. It's a bit fiddly but it works. You can also create flat edges quicker with an angle grinder.

[numberix]

Thanks for the ideas, I was at my wits end trying to remove a 10mm bolt from crankshaft position sensor on my car. It was so tight in the threaded hole that the bolt head rounded off and absolutely refused to turn. In an awkward position and with no easy way to remedy and restricted access I gave up and called my local garage who weren't confident they could remove it either. Remembering this video, I then purchased a Erbauer bolt removal set from Screwfix as a last resort. After tapping the 10mm extractor and a good tug and turn of my ratchet the troublesome bolt started to turn and I eventually removed it! The extractor dug in and actually did the job, saving me time, money and a lot of hassle. £13 or do well spent, thanks for the suggestions in the video that eventually led to my small triumph. Apologies to my neighbours for my profanities, (think Basil Fawlty whipping his car with a tree branch). Thanks again for these informative videos, much appreciated!

[lyndaleetqpv]

Okay so I can almost guarantee that anybody that looked this up on here did not have those kind of tools handy or they would have been using them without looking it up. Thank you very much

[derekellis]

Thanks for the tips mate I had a rounded bath tap gland, nothing would budge it and hardly any room to swing a cat - I used a butane soldering torch one minute of direct heat and hey presto! Thanks again!

[MrHeatscore]

i like the idea to weld a bigger noot to it

[RoadRacerGT]

Nice video thx.I’ve done most of those techniques more or less over 45 years. I’ve got some extraction sockets that I’ve used with great success as well. Thx again.

[stever]

Several comments about removing over-tightened or loctited nuts/bolts: To increase your chances of removal without damaging anything, try using a breaker bar (the longer the better) instead of a ratchet. The ratcheting mechanism can become tweaked (and not in a good way) by torquing on a fastener that is corroded in-place or locked down with epoxy. The other is to use, whenever possible, a regular-depth socket instead of a deep socket. The shorter socket will give you more control and leverage over the deep socket, and is less likely to slip off the fastener when applying a lot of force. Using the welder is very effective when other methods fail, but not many American DIYers have one at home to press into service (just an observation, not a criticism). Another piece of equipment I wish I had is a drill press. Most of us use one a few times in a Shop class in middle- or high school, and then never again.

[xorker]

Thanks for the video. I was able to remove 2 in a tight spot today. I had to cut the electrode 2" long and welded an old nut. Melted 2 electrodes inside the nut. Used a vise grip and done, bolt out. Thanks again.

[missionDan]

really good video, i always find myself in these kinds of predicaments, first thing i do is look for clips like this, so while i dont need it now, thanks on behalf of everyone who will soon.

[johnfithian-franks]

Thanks for the info, I have never come across grip-tite tools before and was so impressed with your demo that I stopped your video and ordered a set on line.