Can't get upper control arrm out (corroded together bushing/bolt?)

[Darryl]

The Alfetta had a bit of a swim in flood water a while back (it was already in the throws of resto so hard to move without the engine in etc) and I have been gradually been replacing bits that were on it and damaged when it was wet. The front suspension seemed to be good enough to roll it around with but tends to stick / bind a bit - so new rack and ball joints etc to go in - but do you think I can get one of the upper control arms off the car (if the bush was ok I could leave it there, but self evidently, given I can't get the bolt out of the centre of the bush, it isn't). So - any suggestions for persuading it to come apart? I assume the bushing sleeve has corroded onto the bolt. I've tried to squirt penetrant in there, and used various forms of force including spinning the bold with an impact wrench and just bashing with a hammer but it is still stuck. As far as I can tell the fact I can spin the bolt at all is down to the bushing being stuffed - its quite stiff / rubbery/springy to turn and I assume the rubber has separated and that is what is allowing it to turn at all). Has anyone else encountered this? What did you do? Or any general tricks for separating corroded together parts (that are pretty inaccessible) that you can share?

[Cool Jesus]

Yep, the bolt rusts in the metal sleeve of the bushing. If you start pounding at it all it does is bend out of shape the chassis section. I had to get some heat into it which expanded the metal sleeve, then a quick tap on the bolt should hopefully resolve it for you. You'll get a lot of smoke from the rubber bushing, perhaps even a little flame. As I'm typing away here, I just had a thought. If you don't have access to oxy equipement, you could possibly hacksaw the bolt on either side of the bushing with an air or electric reciprocating saw???

photo of control arm after oxy wrench.

[Darryl]

Thanks CJ.

I don't have an oxy but tried a butane (LPG) torch which made things in that area hot enough for me (a little flame you say? How about a full on fire?) but in any case this was very effective in removing, through a mixture of combustion and melting, the bushing. It didn't however get enough heat into the bushing to free it from the bolt and allow me to tap the bolt out. The intensity of an oxy would probably have helped.

However, with the bushing material removed I was able to move the arm around enough to get in with a reciprocating saw (once I bought one) on each side of the bushing.

And of course the good bit is I have a new tool - I can recommend Trade Tools Renegade 18v lithium cordless tools as very effective for the $ and I must, with this latest purchase be somewhere close to completing the set. I'm sure the saw will come in handy for everything from butchery (and I'm not referring to my efforts at car maintenance here) to tree pruning....

[Cool Jesus]

Well I down played the fire so as not to scare you off. How good are those reciprocating saws!  I cut the Sunday roast with mine!

Glad it worked out for you. Yeah the blast of the oxy probably didn't let the flame get too out of control, however there was a fair amount of smoke from the plastic and rubber bushing, cough cough