Trying to get bolt out that goes through bush of swing arm to consol bracket and its a nightmare. Was very stiff and creaky when first undone slightly so been soaking it in everything I got and managed to get it out so far but its seizing if I try anymore. Can wind it back in again but seem to have hit a spot it wont come out any further and dont want to strip alloy threads. So far been soaked in wd40, penetrating oil, Diesel/ATF mix and engine oil with white spirit and its not making any difference. Does anyone have any ideas. Been at it for hours. Tried some heat with a heat gun but wary of propane torch as its a petrol car and I have a lot of lubricant everywhere. Was thinking of removing consol bracket and soaking but swing arm bolt goes through subframe so wouldnt be able tor remove complete without removing subframe. Any help or pointers welcome.

Alasdair

Don't say I didn't warn you.

I had to shear the bolt to get mine apart, then bought a whole new console with bush pre-fitted.

Yep you did say so but large bush is gone on one side and other side is almost gone plus swing arms in sorry state. Advise on the last two MOT which is up again in about a week. Managed to get it I reckon 1/4 to 1/3 out which took me most of today. Using spanner so I dont get it seized to much but hand wont work anymore tonight. Soaked it yesterday and today. Have tried a bit of heat with a heat gun to see if it will help oil etc travel but what a nightmare. Don't like the look of the bolts that hold the consol to chassis either. Might resort to blow torch tomorrow. Dont think I have stripped threads yet as it goes back in with slight bit of resistance but not too bad and tightens up ok. Reckon its just more time and a bit of luck. Finding a 50/50 mix of engine oil and white spirit is working best of all.

Alasdair

Don't think anything will free it now as there'll be loads of aluminium oxide and aluminium metal clogging up the threads, and no way to remove. Hope I'm wrong.

The bolts that hold the console on go into steel of chassis, rather than alloy, so won't suffer the same galling.

If you do try to shear the front console bolt that's stuck, I did it with long, multiple extensions on a good 6-point 18mm socket, long enough to fit a 2' breaker bar to in front of the car, then applied a really surprising amount of force persistently before the bolt broke. Sweaty job.

Cheers Pete will give it another go tomorrow once hand and back have recovered I hope. Seem to be getting a little bit more on each attempt or it could be my imagination. Found a console bracket from energised customs for around £40 but not sure of quality. Might try and crack console bolts to chassis to see. If they are easy I will get the grinder out and cut the old bolt bush . The bolt thats come out 1/4 way looks shiny and isnt seized in buh so I can only assume its alloy oxide as you pointed out. Will clean up the oil slick under car due to the amount of penetrating mixtures and and give my map gas torch a go with my trusty big CO2 extinguisher at hand. Alloy and steel should never be used together on cars!! Managed to get a bit of hose into open threaded hole. raised it up and filled with oil/white spirit to soak in overnight.

Alasdair

Hey Pete quick update. Managed to get the bolt out. Mixed 50/50 acetone/hydraulic32 and put tube in open threaded hole with end raised filled with mix and left to soak. Kept topping up and loosening tightening and eventually got it out. A tiny little bit of alloy in one thread on bolt but threads in alloy look pretty good. Next step is to get swing arm out. Plus you were right about raising engine. What a daft design. All they had to do was put a dent in sump?

Just got to do the passenger side!!

Alasdair

Oh well done.

Very poor design in lots of ways.

When I did mine recently, I found that the driver's side long bolt had been replaced by a much shorter one (65mm instead of 100mm), and that was previously done by a garage.

Can only have had a few mm engagement with the thread in the console. ☹️

Not sure if its been done before. Cars on around 80k but large bush pretty soft and looks like plastic part not sitting flush with bracket and the bump on inside of bush is furthest away from engine not nearest. Reckon I will have to destroy it to get swing arm out. Definitly Recomend 50/50 acetone/hydraulic fluid seems to reach parts others fail to. New bolt threads in ok and feels secure and not loose but will try and clean up threads a bit before fitting. New bolt is completely threaded but old bolt only partly but same length 100mm. Did find the old bolt had a very slight bend in it which wouldnt have helped trying to remove. Reckon its the hardest bolt I have come accross to remove in 40 years. Might seal the threaded hole with silicone once fitted to stop salt etc getting in. Not sure if a smear of copper grease is a good idea with a bit of thread lock on end for good measure. Wish me luck for passenger side!!

Alasdair

Quick Update. Job done. Drivers side bolt was a nightmare. Wedged a tube into bolt hole open end hole raised and filled with 50/50 Acetone/hydraulic32 oil and let seep overnight. Still a nightmare to get out. Tighten/loosen/tighten etc Passenger side easier but used same method and still pretty tight. Ran a tap carefully through threads to clean out corroded alloy. Bushes were also a nightmare. So much alloy corrosion in console bracket the metal insert that pushes them out on the puller set seized in console so had to destroy old bushes to get them out. Cleaned everything up and its now back together. Old bushes were pretty soft with the drivers side the centre came out with wishbone. New swing arms/new bolts and ball joints/track rod end while I was at it. Absolutely no play now in front wheels now. Dont want to do that job again in a hurry. Only thing to do now is MOT and wheel alignment.

Alasdair

You mentioned slapping some copper grease over the bolt to stop it seizing next time, I'd reckon that it should be aluminium grease that you use there - I applied as much aluminium grease along/over all the pinch bolts that pas through aluminium uprights on my 2011 Audi S4 - as well as trying to completely fill the "pinch gaps" with same aluminium grease, again to try to stop moisture getting in there and causing that horrible bolt seizing issue.

Copper grease, when used on bolts etc that will not be moved for many years, has now got a bad name for causing seizing - which is not what you'd expect.

I decided to go with dry bolts as didnt want to overtorque them as the threads in console were slightly worn. Used a bit of thread lock on tip of bolts to be on the safer side plus new genuine VAG bolts so should be ok. If I ever have to do it again I reckon I will replace Console brackets anyway or if feeling flush get a garage to do it. Was thinking of sealing open threaded end with a dab of silicone to stop salt etc getting in. Will do that at some other time once I get it MOTd.

Didnt realise you got aluminium grease. Will keep that in mind.

Alasdair