After wrestling with various techniques, I've decided to take a few folks avice and to take a blowtorch to a couple of rusted solid nuts holding the egr valve in place on my car. I could take it to the garage round the corner, he would do it for £40. But that would feel as if these nuts have beaten me, and I'm all for saving a few quid. (and £40 is a bit much). Here goes! :S

Any last minute advice?

Also: Any advice on treating burns?

Tried plusgas before you crack out the torch?

The nut's beginning to strip. I was thinking of giving it a go, however I'm worried about how flammable it might be if I need set about it with the torch afterwards. Lad that runs the garage suggested the torch, told me to bring it round if I balls it up.

Give it a try first.

I was amazed how it freed up my coilovers when I got them.

I've used a blow torch on a lambda before after removing the exhaust from my roadster (it's basically a requirement after a few years) but i'd be wary about doing it in the engine bay itself. One slip in a confined space like that and you're in a world of hurt.

Gas soldering iron or the blow torch to make creme brulee may help manoeuvrability

Long time ago someone told me of the magical effects of Coke ( the dark liquid, not the white powder ) on rusted on nuts. Does this still work . Another DIY cure was some parrafin with graphite grease mixed in (possibly same as Plusgas) . BUT if you use parrafin , make sure you wash it well with something else after and apply some grease to the thrads .I've used a torch on rusted rear suspension nuts before with success.

It'll be fine, provided you don't set a light to any hoses/gaskets nearby! If the nuts are rounding and you plan to replace them when you re-assemble it, file the flats (if accessible) on the nuts before attacking them with a spanner/socket & use a 1mm smaller spanner/socket.

Or even better, invest in a "Metrinch" spnner set or similar, where the tool grips on the flats of the nut/bolt-head...no more rounded heads! I've had my Metrinch set for years & never been stuck- even on 40 year old Hillman Imps!

I've given up, couldn't get a small enough flame on the blowtorch, tried plusgas and have resigned to putting it in the garage, the nut has worn even more and I have to admit defeat. Even tried some reverse threaded sockets specifically designed for it, that a guy over the road had loaned me for the job, which had worked a treat on his rover but between the two of us we couldn't get it to budge. I could always take a grinder to it, but I'll probably balls it up more and end up with tiny shavings from the nuts all over the engine bay! Oh well, at least I'm supporting a local business sorting out my hamfisted work!

Metrinch spanner set might be worth an investment for the next time I attempt this sort of thing. The lad in the garage said after my attempts it looked like it needed a 'round socket'.

Irwin bolt grips. That's what those socket things were I tried.

Soak in wd40, saw into the side by quite a bit then get a flathead screwdriver put it in the slit that the saw made and whack it.

This had helped me before on a cam cover bolt.

Edited 14 March, 201214 yr by FabiaVRSAJ

For the nuts fixing the EGR valve on a 1.4 16v petrol engine VAG car, access is not too good, so cutting and filling would be a bit tricky - as will using a torch. I have a similar aged Polo and had no problems getting the EGR valve off a few weeks ago - I started by using a hex socket - no open-ended spanner or bi-hex socket.

Anyway, is your engine a BBY and why do you need to get the EGR valve off - if its for "low flow", then it will be the port in the interface plate below the throttle body that is blocked.

There is another way to free seized nuts, use "freeze and shock" - Halfords used to sell that stuff - same idea, ie to promote differential expansion/contraction.

Edited 14 March, 201214 yr by rum4mo

Impact driver + hammer... If it doesn't get the bolt out then at least you'll have fun hitting the thing with a hammer for 10 mins ;-)

It's an AUB engine. I'll have the garage have a look at the port on the interface plate. I'll not be going anywhere near it. Just trying to get the beast sounding a bit healthier (atm it sounds like a diesel and runs a bit lumpy) and EGR low flow was the only fault code detected with the engine. The valve itself looks in poor condition, so having a look about I thought it'd be worth a try.