That 'quick' rusted bolt turned into a 4 hour job last Tuesday

I had a customer come in with a front bumper bracket that looked simple enough, one of those 13mm bolts that always snap. I figured I'd have it out in 20 minutes with my impact and some penetrating oil. Turns out the whole capture nut on the frame had corroded away, so the bolt just spun and spun. I ended up having to cut an access hole in the inner fender, fish a new nut in with a magnet, and weld a patch over it. That little job ate my whole morning, and I'd bet half the guys here have a similar story about a 'quick' bolt that turned into a project. How long have you spent on something you thought was a 15 minute fix?}

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barbarahill1mo ago

wait, you actually had to cut an access hole and fish a new nut in with a magnet? that's insane. i thought my stuck caliper bolt was bad but that's a whole different level of nope. four hours for a bumper bracket, i'd have tossed my tools across the shop.

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