Thought I would replace the original support pads while I have everything apart up front. Great idea, but...? Using all my might to turn the 11/16 nut on the bottom just gets me to turning the whole assembly of pads and bolt. From the looks of it you can not really get something on top of the bolt itself to counter the turn down below. Anybody attempt this and had luck with it?

Oh, and I did get the engine mounts back into their place. Used a crowbar and inserted the end into the open thermostat housing of the intake and pulled a little right while lowering the engine. Went right in...

 

P.B. BLAST The bolt threads and nut, let sit, soak again.
If you can, Blow that area where the top of the bolt is. You should be able to feel the head of the bolt. Using an impact socket and extension you should be able to get it. Don't try it until your certain you have the socket on the head good. You might have to tighten to un-tighten. P.B. Blast when necessary. Worst case scenerio heat nut to loosen. This has worked for me, others might have a different way, good luck.

 

There are couple rad support replacement bushings on the market, suggest going with the brand that is more specific to the 65-66 support, and not the generic that covers span of several yrs., more expensive but IMO quality is important when it comes to the rad support bushings, seems entire truck sheet metal align'mt; fenders, inner fenders, doors, etc. start at the rad. support. As Robert noted, found pre soaking in a thread loosening agent and impact gun works best, I tend to use an impact gun, as opposed to the breaker bar, when it comes to removing many of the high torque rusted nuts and bolts. Also comes in handy removing harmonic balance, and pulley nuts and bolts.

 

I will be dead honest and say that I used a cutting torch. I have no luck trying to turn most of the bolts on my truck. I took the whole truck apart that way and it worked great for me and much faster.

 

What a timely topic as I did that very thing today on a parts truck...I got one undone sucessfully...other will be getting torched...What I did...number one...get the friggin bumper off and out of the way...then wire brush the heck out of the threads and I blasted them with carb cleaner...just to flush the loose junk away...then blasted with the aforementioned PB Blaster...not a nice smelling lube, but works wonders...I got lucky as it was the passenger side that cooperated on this one...breaker bar with a 3' cheater on top of it...The other side...the bolt head was buried in crap and thus is a few sizes smaller then originally...
If you are going for originality be careful what you cut as there are special washers top and bottom on the mounts...usually rotted, but you can occasionally get lucky and get good ones...



- cs65

 

Funny, I just replaced one of these bolts because mine completely disappeared!
You can get on the top of it. There is an access hole in the core support. I used a socket with a short extension topped with a u-joint, braced it against the inner apron and just turned it from below. Keep in mind I was working with new parts though. I also found that the bolts in my kit were longer than the originals and required extra washers to make tight. The $60 "kit" is decidedly unimpressive for the price. Other than the actual rubber bushings and some extra thick washers, my local hardware store could have pieced it together.

 

That is correct....the bushings is really the only thing needed...but some dont have access or whatnot to a hardware store or tubing shop for the materials...Funny thing is, unless your truck has had a really brutal life, many times the OE bushings can be reused...just gotta twist and all to break the rusted remains of the original washer off of it...then just get new hardware...personally, if I didnt have a clean bunch of OE fasteneres I would get either some grade 5 bolts or stainless...and use a tiny dab of anti sieze on the threads....


- cs65

 

Well, I'm soaking mine in 50/50 atf and acetone at the moment. Will still need to go out and get a deep socket 11/16 1/2 inch drive as I don't think a 3/8 drive will cut it. Then will go from there as the bushings have some cracks in them. Since the whole front is being renovated and everything painted before going back on I wanted to get these done for the next 30 years.

 

Ok, success tonight with those nuts. After 4 days of sitting I went out with a 5/8" socket on the top and an 11/16" wrench below and cracked them loose. They never really got finger loose so the wrench was needed to get the nuts all the way off. Next how to get the bolts out. So I raise the frame using a jack and 4x4 to separate the radiator support and frame. I see the top washer has a bushing in the center that is integral with the washer. Well I manage to get that assembly to separate from the rubber bushing and push the bolt up and out on the driver's side.

The passenger side was a whole other story. At least 2/3 of the top washer has rusted away into small brown pieces of metal. What was left was now part of the radiator support and a chisel was needed to detach it from the bottom of the support. The bolt itself was also one with the metal bushing. So now a vice grip was needed to get the whole thing loose from the support. With that it looked like the bolt would drop right out the bottom. With the frame raised enough and angling the bolt a little it did fall out from above. The washer inside the support had apparently split in two in order to allow this. Stuck my finger inside to remove it.

The passenger side will need rust cleaning while the driver's side just some protective paint. Will hit the hardware store tomorrow for appropriate parts to reassemble. Any place metal touches is going to get a thin film of anti-seize since I'm not having this happen a second time.

 

I just did 2 of these, just over a month ago. The first truck, the whole bolt twisted off, and on the second, I got one off by wrenchin on it, and the other just pulled out of the rad mount, and is still attached to the frame. Not sure how to get it off next, but in no rush for that frame anyway.

 

If you have or are going to be pulling the front clip down entirely...by all means get the crud out of the lower crossbar...the hollow square one with the 2 nutplates the upper hood latch braces bolt to. This will positively take time and patience to get all of the crud out...most are usually packed solid with 40 yrs of dirt, rust and rocks...I definately would NOT flush with water unless you have a hot oven it can roast in for a long spell afterwards to totally dry it out...also, when clearing the mud and crap in there, dont be surprised if it is wet/damp....the part that sucks most is you gotta keep flipping it from end to end for the loose crap on each end to fall out as you bore into the packed crud.
I got a perfect support Ive had for umpteen years in dry storage and when I did get to clearing this area it was dry...been indoors for several years...but still took the better part of a day to get the bulk of the remains out...next time I work on it its compressed air time...
As for the bolt/washer/bushing crusted issue...what you described is typical...the dirt and crud gets between the bolt and the upper and lower washers and usually gets packed and rots the washer away...first thing I do is get the bushing off of the bolt/washer remains...twist a bit and the crud will fall and free up...if after getting the bolt itself out it actually survived pretty well...the washer between it and the core support isnt part of the bolt itself...but if the bolt survived, you are pretty lucky. As I recall, these bolts are the same as the front cab mount bolts.
If you need any other tips or whatnot, give a holler...I got a support with bushing etc still attched to contend with tomorrow...so my refresher will definately be fresh in mind :-)


- cs65


btw...I assume you did pull the front bumper before tackling these mount bolts to begin with....I hope so...a royal pain otherwise to get to.

 

Must have been lucky with this San Jose, CA truck. Very little crap on the drivers side as compared to the passenger side which really wasn't too bad. What hurts the passenger side is that the battery is directly above and leak if one doesn't pay attention. My truck has a nice 8'x8' hole directly below the battery in the inner apron and no doubt some of it got into the bolt area. Next up removing the intake and then restoring two spare inner aprons and swapping mine out.