Siezed Banjo Bolt

[hedgerley]

I am renewing the turbo coolant pipes as the R/H side had cracked near the turbo and was leaking. The banjo bolt securing the pipe to the turbo body is siezed solid. I've used the correct sized socket/ring spanner/open spanner but no joy - the bolt head isn't rounded off - yet. I've soaked what I can in WD-40 but I guess its the threads inside the turbo body itself that are causing the problem.

This is a simple DIY job, access is easy and I don't want to have to call my dealer out to pick it up. Anyone out there have any ideas? Would heating the turbo body directly help?

[jeff_hooper]

I am renewing the turbo coolant pipes as the R/H side had cracked near the turbo and was leaking. The banjo bolt securing the pipe to the turbo body is siezed solid. I've used the correct sized socket/ring spanner/open spanner but no joy - the bolt head isn't rounded off  - yet. I've soaked what I can in WD-40 but I guess its the threads inside the turbo body itself that are causing the problem.

This is a simple DIY job, access is easy and I don't want to have to call my dealer out to pick it up. Anyone out there have any ideas? Would heating the turbo body directly help?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Lotus need shooting for the quality of component corrosion protection on the Esprit seized stuff on a low mileage 5 year old car should not happen...

Sorry that doesn't help but if it was a 10 year old VW it would have probably come of easy...

Jeff

[neal]

This is a simple DIY job, access is easy and I don't want to have to call my dealer out to pick it up. Anyone out there have any ideas? Would heating the turbo body directly help?

Potentially, idea being you'll get more heat into the body than the bolt. But you'll need a hot torch and quite a focused flame. If you don't have one your dealer probably will and I'd just let them worry about it - you don't want to strip the head!

Other than than there's always the option of drilling the bolt but that's more of a last resort...

Edited April 16, 2006 by neal

[snuffy]

What's a "banjo bolt" ? I can only guess it's a jubliee clip ?

[hedgerley]

Nope, its a hollow bolt that secures the end of coolant/oil/hydraulic lines where they enter engine blocks, turbos, slave cylinders etc. Here's a decent pictureBanjo Bolt Picture

[snuffy]

Nope, its a hollow bolt that secures the end of coolant/oil/hydraulic lines where they enter engine blocks, turbos, slave cylinders etc. Here's a decent pictureBanjo Bolt Picture

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ah, I see. Well, that's a new one, I've never heard of one of those before.

[rwiggins951]

Ah, I see. Well, that's a new one, I've never heard of one of those before.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think it is called Banjo Bolt in reference to the fitting it affixes. The shape of which is roughly similar (squinting, from 10 feet) to the shape of the musical instrument. The Banjo bolt itself bears no resemblance to said musical instrument but is guilty by association.

Anyway, I just fought with these fittings when replacing my turbos. The good news is that the banjo bolt is the easiest of the bunch. It was the only one on my car that did not require the torches to free. Use a good quality extension and a six-point socket. Cheap extensions flex too much. Makes a surprising difference. Also W-D 40 is pure sh!te as a penetrant. Good for squeaky hinges but little else. I am a huge fan of a product called PB Blaster. It is truly amazing stuff. It could change your (automotive) life. A couple sharp whacks square on the head with your favorite hammer also often helps break loose the stubborn ones. Use good judgement on that one though. It has the side effect of relieving the frustration.

Hope this helps,

Rod

[nicksoldies]

We used to have a similar problem on Morris Minors. They used a brass banjo to secure the brake hoses to the wheel cylinders. If they were seized, even gentle pressure would shear them. The trick used was to keep tapping the head of the banjo, not to hard, and then try to ease it with a spanner. A dozen taps, then the spanner and keep repeating until the banjo bolt turns. It worked most of the time. Sooner or later, all that vibrating loosens the corrosion between the threads and the bolt turns. Heat would probably work if you could get the housing glowing red with a torch but would it do any damage? I'd be very careful to find out first.

[hedgerley]

Got the R/H Turbo Coolant Banjo Bolt out today. I eventually drilled a hole and used a left hand thread extractor bit (looks like a mini version of the "Mole" from Thunderbirds!). As I am renewing both sides I've just tackled the L/H Turbo coolant pipe fitting which is different as the turbos are not 'handed'. The threaded collar on the pipe has disintegrated so I cut the pipe off and stuck the "Mole" in the hole - a few turns and was left of the pipe and collar were off. This fitting uses an adapter (Part A918E6089F). Now, having gotton the pipe and collar off, I am left with a 'stub' of fitting flush to the turbo body, sticking out about half an inch.

So, my question is this. Have I split the adapter in half and left part of it screwed into the turbo and have to extract it, or is this stub part of the turbo? I don't want to attempt to remove this if in fact it should stay attached. The corrosion makes it impossible to see any kind of join and the new bits haven't arrived yet so I have nothing to compare it with. Looking at the Parts CD-Rom though I reckon I've only got half of it off.

Thoughts welcome.

[bobbak]

Got the R/H Turbo Coolant Banjo Bolt out today. I eventually drilled a hole and used a left hand thread extractor bit (looks like a mini version of the "Mole" from Thunderbirds!). As I am renewing both sides I've just tackled the L/H Turbo coolant pipe fitting which is different as the turbos are not 'handed'. The threaded collar on the pipe has disintegrated so I cut the pipe off and stuck the "Mole" in the hole - a few turns and was left of the pipe and collar were off. This fitting uses an adapter (Part A918E6089F). Now, having gotton the pipe and collar off, I am left with a 'stub' of fitting flush to the turbo body, sticking out about half an inch.

So, my question is this. Have I split the adapter in half and left part of it screwed into the turbo and have to extract it, or is this stub part of the turbo? I don't want to attempt to remove this if in fact it should stay attached. The corrosion makes it impossible to see any kind of join and the new bits haven't arrived yet so I have nothing to compare it with. Looking at the Parts CD-Rom though I reckon I've only got half of it off.

Thoughts welcome.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

thats part of the turbo i think from memory it should stay with the turbo and the pipe attatches to it.

I recently replaced all my pipes oils and water and I dont remember removing thjat piece in the process.

hope this helps

ps what condition are your oil pipes in if they are anything like mine you might want to replace them as well as when they go they go big time and rapid oil loss is a certainty.

regards rob

[hedgerley]

I rechecked the diagram and the 'adapter' is a short piece that screws into the turbo, the threaded collar on the pipe attaching to it. It comes out, or will when I get rid of some of the rust around the nut.

The oil pipes are no where near as bad as the coolant pipes, I suspect they may have been done sometime in the past. I'll probably replace them at the next service anyway.

[hedgerley]

The coolant pipe adapter wont budge and the turbo is corroded a lot more than I expected. Clearing the debris to get at the adapter nut caused large chunks of rust/metal to come adrift and I don't think it will hold out much longer even if I do get to fit the new pipes.

So, I've decided to renew the turbos and let the dealer sort it out, I just don't have the time. Before I open my cheque book, anyone know of any going spare at reasonable cost? There were a pair on Pistonheads a while back that seemed OK, but they've gone.