I know this toppic has been covered many times I'm sure but I just want to make sure I understand what to do. So I'm starting the process of removing the shell of my 1971 cutlass off the frame. I've been soaking them in PB blaster for 3 days now and have started to try to remove the bolts. I got the front two no problem but then the ones directly those snapped the bolt. How do I remove the rest of the bolt? Will the shell still come off and can I just drill them out then? Then I moved to the very back ones. One came out fine but the other one just spins. Do I need to cut the trunk floor back so I can get at the cage nut?
And then there are the bushings with no bolts. Do I need to remove an internal bolt or something or do they just slide out? Sorry for all the questions but I want to make sure i know how to do it. Thanks

 

Sorry but you have to drill them out! I did it 4 hours ago. I did not found another solution.....

 

No fasteners on these, they are just setting on the frame.

 

I can answer on the areas where I am familiar. When I lifted my body off the frame, one of my bolts snapped too. A snapped bolt will not prevent you from lifting the body as the remaining portion of the bolt will stay with the body when you lift it. With the body in the air, I soaked it and then heated the broken bolt and was able to work it loose with vice grips without having to drill it. If that doesn't work, you could try drilling it and using easy-outs.

As for the one that is spinning, I'm not really sure honestly as this luckily didn't happen to me. I'm sure somebody on here will have experienced this and have a solution for you. Good luck!

 

The ones that broke off are no big deal. You can fix them after the body is off. The ones that spin may or may not need to be drilled. When they spin it is one of two things. One is the cage over the nut or spot welds broke and the nut/cage is spinning inside the body rail. In this case you will have to drill. Many times when it spins it is because the body was rusted out around the nut and the body will lift right off any way. All you need to do is lift on the body in that spot, If the body lifts it is because it is rusted around the nut and no need to drill. If you do have to drill you ONLY need to drill enough to get the washer off. After the washer is off the bolt will come right up out of the frame.

 

Ok I'll try that thanks. Amd so I don't need to cut my trunk pans?

 

I had to cut the trunk pan on mine. The cage nut broke loose and was spinning in the body. Only way to fix it was to cut a hole and reweld the cage nut in place. It was the bolt on the right rear closest to the axle. If you take the gas tank out you can get a sawsall between the frame and body and cut the bolt. I cut the hole in the trunk with a hole saw. Nice neat cut and then bought a body plug that fit the hole. You cannot tell it wasn't there from the factory. Not as big a deal as it sounds.

 

I bought my 70 Cutlass convertible recently and the guy I bought it from had cut one of the very back body bolts so short, I coud not get vise grips on it to remove it. The cage nut spun around like yours too. What must have happened was, all the torque he used on the bolt, distorted the cage that the nut is in. I used a cut off wheel and cut 5 1 inch slots around the hole where the bolt goes through the trunk area, pryed the open like peeling a banana, and removed the nut. Then after removing what was left of the bolt, I retapped the nut, and welded a 1/4 inch bead on one corner of the nut, put it back in and rebent the peeled back cuts and the nut doeasnt spin around anymore. Once you put a body mount in place, you will never see the repair. It worked for me!

 

I replaced all of my bushings last year. Most of my bolts either snapped or was spinning with the cage nut inside. I had to perform the method mentioned above but I used a plasma cutter instead of a cutoff wheel. It was a PITA but it had to be done. I was pretty lucky to have a friend who has a metal fabricating shop. He taught me how to weld and told me to fix it yourself now.

 

For what it's worth, spraying any penetrating oil on the bolt head is worthless. In fact, it's less than worthless because it will increase the chances of the socket slipping on the bolt. The penetrating oil MUST be sprayed on the nut threads. The only body bolts where you can see the nuts to spray them are the two front ones at the base of the firewall. All the others are totally blind under the floor pan. The only spraying that would make sense would be to drill a small hole in the floorpan directly above the cage nut and flood it. You need to be exact on locating these holes. Even that is no guarantee.

In my experience, the only way you have any chance at all of removing these bolts without spinning the cage nuts or breaking the bolts is to use an impact wrench (or start with a rust free desert car). Even that is no guarantee, as I've spun several even with the impact wrench.

 

I am REALLY dreading this on mine when I take it into the body shop next week.


My bushings look really good however, and still have the green paint on the outside of them. Is it absolutely necessary, or is it just good practice to actually change them out if they survive the disassembly? Anyone ever reuse them, and what were your results?

 

After you get the body off you will likely see why they will need changed. The rubber on mine were nice on the outside but the centers have spacers that will likely be rusted and will have dug into the rubber. You will also be able to see in spots where the old bushings are deformed and smashed down. I am like you, I wanted to reuse them. After removing them on mine I could see there was no way i was going to put them back on.

 

I don't worry excessively about snapping off a bolt. Simple enough to weld a nut onto the stub and spin it off once the body's in the air. The heat from welding it nearly always frees it. If you're lifting the body off the frame and don't have a welder at hand ... I'm more than a little curious as to why you're doing it.