Hi Chris,

I ran into this problem with a vanagon I parted out a couple years ago.

Firstly, be sure to be using the correct tool for the CV bolts. On
aircooled buses I have encountered both 12-point socket-headed bolts
and allen-socket heads. Not sure which is correct but if you have the
wrong tool they won't turn.

Firstly Spray the bolts with brake cleaner or some other solvent and
use a fine pick or tool to clean out any crud in the sockets. Tap the
tool in gently with a hammer. Sometimes if they won't loosen you get
good results by trying to tighten them first. Not sure why, but it
sometimes works for me.

If they are well and truly stripped then heat and vice grips will
work OK on the transmission end of the CV. Tighten the vice grips up
as tight as humanly possible and clamp them onto the bolts. If the
bolts at the wheel end are stripped then you're in for a world of
hurt, because vice grips are not going to reach into the cage where
the CV is located. A $60 bolt extractor kit would be worthwhile for
those. I gave up and cut the axle. (It was a parts van anyway).

Fresh bolts to replace the abused ones are worth the investment.

Happy Trails,

Greg Potts
1973/74/75/77/79 Westfakia "Bob the Tomato"
www.pottsfamily.ca/westfakia
www.busesofthecorn.com

On 8-Dec-06, at 11:59 AM, chris wrote:

> Anyone out there know of a tool for stuck/stripped/rounded out CV
> Joint
> bolt? I'm swapping the transmission on my 85 GL and I've found a
> nightmare or stripped bolts. The outside of the bolts look kind of
> threaded which makes me think whoever messed with them last used a
> tool...but I have no idea what.