I have a 2008 135i and stripped one of the T40 bolts holding in the brake pad like nobody's business. Now, I can't turn it at all. Can anyone recommend any special tools or techniques to remove it? Here's a picture: https://i.imgur.com/DDKx24T.jpg
That's a tough one. First I'd spray PB Blaster along the bolt and let it soak in. Are you able to get a visegrip on bolt part? I might even heat up that sucker which a torch.
Ditto on the PB-Blaster.. One idea... pull the caliper bolts and remove the caliper, so you can free it of the rotor and get the pads out, for clearer access to the bolt. If you have good-enough access through the backside of the caliper, and you don't have a better way of securing the caliper, perhaps pull the rotor too, and re-mount the brake caliper to hold it in place while trying to turn out the guide pin. Access from the open side of the caliper might be the only way, which means you might have to remove the brake line too (plug the brake line so it doesn't drip all the brake fluid out, getting air in the master cylinder and ABS unit) Then, yes, vice-grips, looks like you might be able to get a grip on the part of the guide pin that extends into the caliper - clamp the vice grips on as tightly as you can get it. Ditto on the torch too, which might help. The downside to trying to turn out the guid pin from the pin end, maybe a risk of twisting off the guide pin, although hopefully PB blaster &/or heat might help keeping that from happening. When you re-install the guide pins, a bit of Never-sieze on the guide-pin threads, but wipe any excess off the rotor-side of the caliper. Or... I don't know if a bolt-extractor would work since it's for a hex-head bolt, but some type of similar extractor that has sharp ridges you could hammer onto the guide pin head and groove & grip it might be an approach. This? http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ac...actor-set/_/N-25qe?itemIdentifier=532381_0_0_ Jam a screw-extractor in the stripped torx part & try and drill it out that way?
Mgarrison is right use PB blaster and try a vise grip on the bolt next to the pads and try to turn it.
PB Blaster and vise grips did the trick. Scratched the paint on my caliper a little bit but otherwise, GREAT SUCCESS! Thanks for advice, folks. I really appreciate it.
I can't think why they'd be reverse thread. One way to check is to look at reaolem. Not sure where the 10mm bolt is. But look at the description of the part. On my E36s nothing is reversed thread when it comes to brakes at least.
If you look at the pictures you put up see the red stuff coating the threads thats BMW's form of loctite very hard to remove bolts.
I struggled with wheel studs that had locktite on them. Only real way to break them loose is to heat them up. I learned that after the fact.
