I am replacing the drivers side body mounts. The bolt that holds the body mount below the master cylinder broke when I was trying to remove it. The bolt has severe rust. Is there an easy way to get this out? I have replaced the front and rear mounts. Is it ok to drive the car until this is fixed?

I wouldn't drive it.
You might be able to punch the bolt up and out and use a nut on top.
I have a parts car with no front end on it. I can look at and see how the nut is retained.
I'll post more info here tommorow.
David

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Check my web page for First Gen Camaro suspension info:
David's Motorsports page (http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/David_Pozzi/)
First Gen Suspension Page (http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/David_Pozzi/first_gen_suspension.htm)
67 RS 327
69 Camaro Vintage Racer
65 Lola T-70 Can Am Vintage Racer

Sure you can drive it. Those bolts just hold the whole car together http://www.camaros.net/forum/wink.gif I wouldn't exceed 5 mph, or venture beyond the driveway, though. It's going to be tough to get your broken bolt out. The nut is caged on the top, so you'll probably have to cut the cage out, then weld a new piece in (or just use a regular nut, like David mentioned). How rusty is everything else in that area? I think if you remove the rear brace for the inner fender that you'll be able to have a better look in there where the nut is. I had to replace my entire driver's side subframe body mount (which includes that caged nut). It was a big job, but very do-able.

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Matt
http://camarotech1.com
Camaro Tech 1st Generation

[This message has been edited by houndog72 (edited 11-18-2000).]

I looked at my parts car today.
There is a triangular hole on the left side but it's a little far back and distant from the nut plate so it would be hard to reach it from there. You would have to remove the fender to do it. If you just removed the inner fender pannel I don't think you could reach in there well enough to do anything.

From the engine compartment there is about a 2.5" square hole in the front side. It's just inside where the fender support bracket bolts to the unibody.
The nut plate is about 1.5 inches square and has a 1/8" thick cage around it folded down over it on all four sides.
The pass and drivers sides of the cage are attached to the unibody. If you can get in there and cut those sides of the cage, you will be able to remove the plate.
If you get the plate out, make a new plate and drop it in there and screw it back together.

Another easier fix would be to run a bolt through the alignment pin hole next to where the mount bolt is.
You would have to use washers to space between the subframe and unibody and place a nut on top.

Before doing all this, you should try drilling out the broken bolt and re tapping the hole. Even if you have to go oversize on the hole and bolt it might be the easiest way to go, as it's really a hard place to reach where the nut is.

You could also cut a hole in the floor just above the nut area and then cut out the nut, replace it and weld the piece of floor back in.
The biggest danger of this one is setting fire to your car. You need to get everything flammable out of the area.
I can do a photo of where to cut if you decide to try that method.

I think I'd do the drill and retap first, if that doesn't work try going in from the front hole, third would be going through the floor.
Hopefully someone who has done this will post a better suggestion here.
David

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Check my web page for First Gen Camaro suspension info:
David's Motorsports page (http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/David_Pozzi/)
First Gen Suspension Page (http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/David_Pozzi/first_gen_suspension.htm)
67 RS 327
69 Camaro Vintage Racer
65 Lola T-70 Can Am Vintage Racer

[This message has been edited by davidpozzi (edited 11-19-2000).]

The bolt was rusted and snapped leaving about 1 inch of the bolt shaft hanging through the mount plate hole. The bolt was rusted down the the size of a pencil. I bought a stud remover but I think the entire nut plate now is moving. Given that I have about an inch left of the bolt is there anything that I can spray on the nut plate to free up the bolt. I soaked it with WD40 today (no luck). The frame support is rusted pretty bad as well. I ordered a mounting plate kit from National Parts Depot. The kit will help me repair the rusted section of the frame mount. I was hoping to get another month out of the car before I tear down the front end this winter and replace the inner fenders and the fenders themselves.

Thanks Jeff

Balboni, I just got through doing subframe bushings, and the radiator support bushing under the battery tray was rusted pretty bad. I kid you not, I went out there every night for about 2 weeks and shot some WD-40 on it, and lo and behold, it finally broke loose. I wouldn't give up quite yet, be patient. It'll be worth the wait if it ends up coming out, and you don't have to do any cutting or welding. Just my 2 cents.....KZ

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John D. Smith
69' SS/396
www.geocities.com/kz1000ltd (http://www.geocities.com/kz1000ltd)

I went through exactly what you are experiencing. Two things - first: you can make patch plates out of 1/4" plate and save alot of money over the kits. I wasn't very pleased with the mail order stuff and sent them back. Secondly, the cages are tack welded and come out fairly easily. I used a small pry bar and they broke loose pretty easily. The driver's side wasn't real hard because I had the inner/outer fender off. I went in through the rectangular hole in the firewall. I wouldn't cut the floor, myself. I replaced the inner fender at the same time, rebuilt the clutch linkage, cleaned and painted the subframe, etc. It's not hard and , with winter coming, a good project. BTW - I bought the 1/4" plate at a scrap yard of $5.

Thanks for the help. I ordered a fender and inner fender today from Goodmark Industries.
The bottom of my driverside fender is welded on due to rust. The inner fender is rusted as well so next project is coming. Since I am taking the fender off I want to adjust the driver side door. I replaced the hinges the summer. Now that I am doing the door I have to put a new door skin. The car is in really good shape but I have a few rust areas and prior rust repairs that I want to factor out of the car. Is replacing a door skin something that I can do or should I head to a body shop with the door?

To get that rusted bolt, I would try some stuff I got at either Pep Boys or Auto Zone. It was called "PB penetrant" or something like that. It has a little "as seen on tv" lable as well as a bunch of other advertising on it but believe it or not, it was awesome. It worked within a few minutes on all the nuts and bolts on a 9" rearend I drug out from under a Lincoln in a junkyard. Highly recomend it.

Just to add a small note to the previous comment... Are you sure that wasn't 1/8" plate? 1/4" plate is super thick. If I understand right you're talking about the mount holes on your subframe. What is the condition of the mount welded to your firewall(the part that includes the caged nut)? That's what I had to replace on my car...

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Matt
http://camarotech1.com
Camaro Tech 1st Generation

The stock I used was 1/4". The repair kit stuff was 3/16". I think 1/8 is a little thin. The rot was on the subframe side of the bushings, probably because of the moisture trapped in the rubber and laying on the frame. Topside(s) were fine all around.

Well, I went to the autoparts store this morning and bought a can of Rust Eater. I sprayed the bolt two to three times over two hours and with a stud puller I broke the bolt loose. I tried using the stud puller before with no luck. The stud puller could not bite the bolt enough to put any torque on the bolt. This rust eater stuff loosened the bolt so good that after I got the bolt to turn with the stud puller I took the bolt out with my bare hands....I got the rust eater at AutoZone... Now I have to deal with the rusted frame but this I can do without taking the fender/inner fender off.

I was just reading through the recent posts. By subframe/firewall is the same as RickD's. The topside is fine. I agree that it seems that moisture is being held in by the rubber mount and rusting out the subframe.