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Chinaclipper Samba Member
Joined: October 03, 2019 Posts: 735 Location: Somewhere in the great Midwest
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Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2019 8:59 pm Post subject: China Clipper's Official 1971 Super Beetle Project page! |
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Well, good news bad news. I finished my sawhorses. I can get the body off! Yay! Oh wait!!
Bad news, the left rear body mount bolt is STUCK!
I thought I read it was a 17mm? This one is 15mm, maybe 14mm? I believe it has been on for 40+ years.
I stopped trying and decided to call it a night when I started to feel the bolt head "rounding" while using my 6 point socket.
What can I do to get this off? I haven't even tried the right side yet, but it does look better. I am soaking them in Liquid Wrench as we speak, and will attack with a vengeance tomorrow... Ideas??
Wire brush it clean, try some other wrenches, heat it with a torch, these are all what I am going to try. I read here where someone even melts candle wax on the hot threads to loosen 'em up a bit....
Last edited by Chinaclipper on Sat Dec 28, 2019 1:52 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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VW_Jimbo  Samba Member

Joined: May 22, 2016 Posts: 10709 Location: Huntington Beach, CA
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Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2019 9:27 pm Post subject: Re: Help! My rear mount is stuck and I can't get (my body) up!! |
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Drill the head off by using a 7/16 inch drill bit. Start with a 1/16th bit and work your way up.
Lift the body to expose the work ahead. Get a steel nut that will thread onto the remaining threads. Thread the nut as far as you can get it to go. Get a wire brush and clean up the top of the broken bolt and the inside of the nut. Get a welder, a MIG works really well for this, and weld the nut to the stud, starting down inside the nut.
By the way, use a steel nut that is not galvanized.
After the nut is welded and still red hot, take a socket and ratchet and remove it! Easy! _________________ Jimbo
There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!
TDCTDI wrote: |
Basically, a whole bunch of fuckery to achieve a look. |
67rustavenger wrote: |
GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo!  |
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runamoc  Samba Member

Joined: June 19, 2006 Posts: 5931 Location: 37.5N 77.1W
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Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2019 8:38 am Post subject: Re: Help! My rear mount is stuck and I can't get (my body) up!! |
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take a hacksaw and cut the body on both sides of the bolt and after the body is lifted off it will be easier to work on. Looks like you're going to have to replace that body sheet metal around the support anyway. _________________ Daily driver: '69 Baja owned 44 yrs - Plan B: '81 Rabbit Diesel LS Deluxe - Plan C: '72 Ghia
Yard Art: 2 Sandrails
Outback: '69 Ghia - '68,'69,'70,'72 Beetle - '84 Scirocco, GTI - Pair of '02 Golfs-
VW Wiring = It's just wires |
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Chinaclipper Samba Member
Joined: October 03, 2019 Posts: 735 Location: Somewhere in the great Midwest
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Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2019 5:32 pm Post subject: Well, now my body is stuck!!! |
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I got the two, yeah, TWO rear body bolts. Yup, they both snapped....I'll have a busted bolt removal to look forward to on that issue.....
Oh, the four 17mm bolts in front edge under the pan, both sides? well, I was 3 for 4. Yup. They looked like studs, with almost NO threads. Guys, these bolts were TOAST!! 1 came out nicely, the others I've never seen bolts like those.
So I got all the bolts out (I tough, and had the ass end high in the air, with the sawhorses underneath, started to lower the jacks, and NOTHING! Argh! I forgot the four bolts under the seat...try again, almost, but still stuck...... ARGH!! I gave up. The boss said it was time, and I didn't argue. So, in retrospect, I THINK I know what I forgot... Yup, the 2 17 mm bolts on the front tunnel area.....OK SO i'll get them next time......
Materials:
1) 13mm socket LOST
2) 1/2" drive from HF, BUSTED! (I will return for another in trade!)
3) 17mm bolts TOAST
Check out these 2 pictures. I had a line, looked like brake line, running down the whole length of the car on the right (passengers side) I bet you it was something to do with the air conditioner? Not used on this bug, bug I do have the vented front, so I bet that they had something to do with the A/C. It wasn't connected to anything up front, or in the rear, just these 5 clips that held it in under the floor pan......
So, until next time, more trials and tribulations with getting the body off!!
and Oh, runamok? yeah, it looks like I have some R&R ahead of me, and I don't mean relaxation. LOTS of new metal will be needed......argh, what have I done?? |
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TheRustySuper Samba Member

Joined: June 24, 2009 Posts: 2076 Location: New Albany, IN
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Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2019 1:58 pm Post subject: Re: Help! My rear mount is stuck and I can't get (my body) up!! |
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I believe that metal line originally went from the fuel evaporative system up front to the charcoal canister under the passenger rear fender. _________________ My '72 Super |
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Matt Wilson Samba Member

Joined: November 14, 2005 Posts: 2413 Location: Colorado
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Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2019 2:51 pm Post subject: Re: Help! My rear mount is stuck and I can't get (my body) up!! |
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There's two M10 bolts bilaterally that attach the body to the cast iron housing. these are forward from the two that you can easily see in the fender well. You get to them from inside the car atop the rear body crossmember. _________________ 1972 Standard Beetle
1969 Baja Beetle |
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vwoldbug Samba Member
Joined: January 28, 2009 Posts: 1215 Location: Ohio
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Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2019 3:01 pm Post subject: Re: Help! My rear mount is stuck and I can't get (my body) up!! |
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Is this a super beetle , if so is there a bolt in front of the shifter you have to remove |
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Chinaclipper Samba Member
Joined: October 03, 2019 Posts: 735 Location: Somewhere in the great Midwest
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Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2019 4:01 pm Post subject: Re: Help! My rear mount is stuck and I can't get (my body) up!! |
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TheRustySuper wrote: |
I believe that metal line originally went from the fuel evaporative system up front to the charcoal canister under the passenger rear fender. |
ahhh..... I got it! You could be right! I will save the piece and reuse it then.
Thanks
CC |
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Chinaclipper Samba Member
Joined: October 03, 2019 Posts: 735 Location: Somewhere in the great Midwest
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Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2019 4:02 pm Post subject: Re: Help! My rear mount is stuck and I can't get (my body) up!! |
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vwoldbug wrote: |
Is this a super beetle , if so is there a bolt in front of the shifter you have to remove |
2 bolts , the ones I forgot to loosen! They are 17mm bolts.... |
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Chinaclipper Samba Member
Joined: October 03, 2019 Posts: 735 Location: Somewhere in the great Midwest
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Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2019 4:09 pm Post subject: Re: Help! My rear mount is stuck and I can't get (my body) up!! |
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Matt Wilson wrote: |
There's two M10 bolts bilaterally that attach the body to the cast iron housing. these are forward from the two that you can easily see in the fender well. You get to them from inside the car atop the rear body crossmember. |
Matt unless I misunderstand you, there are two bolts, one on each side of the body, in an area sometimes called the "shock tower" area....Is that what you mean? Those were both "sheared off" when I tried; probably hadn't been loosened in 40 years or more...
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Matt Wilson Samba Member

Joined: November 14, 2005 Posts: 2413 Location: Colorado
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Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2019 4:36 pm Post subject: Re: Help! My rear mount is stuck and I can't get (my body) up!! |
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Nope - these are in front of the shock tower, and inboard from the spring plate. About directly above the rear torsion tube. These are M10, and would use a 17mm socket. You loosen them from the inside. _________________ 1972 Standard Beetle
1969 Baja Beetle |
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challomoner Samba Member
Joined: October 13, 2010 Posts: 1287 Location: IRELAND
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Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2019 4:58 pm Post subject: Re: Help! My rear mount is stuck and I can't get (my body) up!! |
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They discontinued those bolts before 1970 so you won't find them, think they caused the body to crack is the reason they stopped fitting them. |
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Chinaclipper Samba Member
Joined: October 03, 2019 Posts: 735 Location: Somewhere in the great Midwest
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Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2019 6:45 am Post subject: Re: Help! My rear mount is stuck and I can't get (my body) up!! |
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Matt Wilson wrote: |
Nope - these are in front of the shock tower, and inboard from the spring plate. About directly above the rear torsion tube. These are M10, and would use a 17mm socket. You loosen them from the inside. |
Pictures?
Anyone? |
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challomoner Samba Member
Joined: October 13, 2010 Posts: 1287 Location: IRELAND
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Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2019 8:27 am Post subject: Re: Help! My rear mount is stuck and I can't get (my body) up!! |
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Chinaclipper wrote: |
Matt Wilson wrote: |
Nope - these are in front of the shock tower, and inboard from the spring plate. About directly above the rear torsion tube. These are M10, and would use a 17mm socket. You loosen them from the inside. |
Pictures?
Anyone? |
You won't find pictures because theres nothing to picture on a 1970 bug. Early bugs had them but yours doesn't, see early crossmembers here.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1462779 |
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Chinaclipper Samba Member
Joined: October 03, 2019 Posts: 735 Location: Somewhere in the great Midwest
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Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2019 10:36 am Post subject: Re: Help! My rear mount is stuck and I can't get (my body) up!! |
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baz76 wrote: |
You won't find pictures because there's nothing to picture on a 1970 bug. Early bugs had them but yours doesn't, see early crossmembers here. |
Thanks! |
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ashman40 Samba Member

Joined: February 16, 2007 Posts: 16364 Location: North Florida, USA
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Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2019 12:28 pm Post subject: Re: Help! My rear mount is stuck and I can't get (my body) up!! |
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Matt Wilson wrote: |
There's two M10 bolts bilaterally that attach the body to the cast iron housing. these are forward from the two that you can easily see in the fender well. You get to them from inside the car atop the rear body crossmember. |
I think this pic illustrates what Matt was trying to describe:
If you look to the yellow lip of the body just rearward of the battery you can see the same rectangular plate + bolt used under the car to attach the chassis to the body.
There are two pictured here on the left side and two more on the right (out of frame). If you missed these you won't be able to detach the body. _________________ AshMan40
---------------------------
'67 Beetle #1 {project car that never made it to the road }
'75 Beetle 1200LS (RHD Japan model) {junked due to frame rot}
'67 Beetle #2 {2019 project car - Wish me luck!} |
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challomoner Samba Member
Joined: October 13, 2010 Posts: 1287 Location: IRELAND
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Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2019 12:38 pm Post subject: Re: Help! My rear mount is stuck and I can't get (my body) up!! |
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Nope those bolts don't bolt into a cast iron chassis section.
Borrowed from gallery, 50s cars had 2 bolts per side, mid 60s 1 per side, late 60s 0 per side. I believe the reason they stopped fitting them was because the body used to crack in rear wheel well due to flex. The chassis will have the threaded hole for the bolt and the crossmembers may well have the holes for bolts covered in sealer but there's no bolts.
Another pic from gallery shows where those bolts thread in right above the torsion bar cover.
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Matt Wilson Samba Member

Joined: November 14, 2005 Posts: 2413 Location: Colorado
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Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2019 8:38 am Post subject: Re: Help! My rear mount is stuck and I can't get (my body) up!! |
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My 69 has these both sides, just as pictured above.
Be sure to also disconnect steering shaft if you haven't done so already. I've made that mistake, and ruined one! _________________ 1972 Standard Beetle
1969 Baja Beetle |
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challomoner Samba Member
Joined: October 13, 2010 Posts: 1287 Location: IRELAND
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Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2019 3:22 am Post subject: Re: Help! My rear mount is stuck and I can't get (my body) up!! |
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Matt Wilson wrote: |
My 69 has these both sides, just as pictured above.
Be sure to also disconnect steering shaft if you haven't done so already. I've made that mistake, and ruined one! |
Yep but no bolts fitted, seam sealer covering holes in cross members.
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Zundfolge1432  Samba Member
Joined: June 13, 2004 Posts: 12542
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Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2019 12:49 pm Post subject: Re: Help! My rear mount is stuck and I can't get (my body) up!! |
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My rear mount is stuck and I can’t get my body up.
Translation
I smoked some really good shit and I’m locked to this couch. |
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