Use a pair of needle nose vice gripas and turn the shear bolts off.

They are attached to the steering column and have triangular heads.

Adam Puzerewski
----- Original Message -----
From: "Marc Perdue" <marcperdue@adelphia.net>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, June 17, 2000 2:52 PM
Subject: [VANAGON] Shear Bolts?

> Hi all,
>
> I'm in the middle of removing my dash to fix the heater blower fan
> bearings, and a few other things long as I'm in there.  On page 70.5 of
> my Bentley manual (for my '87 Westy), the instructions say that, in
> order to get the steering column out, I need to drill out the shear
> bolts that attach it just below the ignition switch.
>
> My questions:
> 1. What are shear bolts?
> 2. If I drill these out, what do I replace them with and where do I get
> them?
> 3. What is the recommended procedure for doing this?  Any particular
> size constraints on the drill bit?
> 4. Are they like rivets where you use a small bit to drill out the
> center then the rest just comes apart?
> 5. Is there a special tool that is required to re-install these shear
> bolts?
>
> Think I'll go install the speakers in the front doors while I await word
> from you all.  I'd hate to think of drilling those shear bolts out just
> to find that I'd need to take the van somewhere to get them replaced . .
> .  :^)
>
> Thanks all,
> Marc Perdue