Reverse light swith rusted
I need to replace my reverse light switch on my 1997 chevy and the bolt is rusted in, how can I get it out.
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cathy jasmin lots of muscle and penetrating oil can help. I prefer a 6 point wrench/socket when dealing with rusted bolts since they are less likely to strip and then strip the bolt head. Try rocking the wrench back and forth on the bolt. this may break some of the corrosion. If the bolt breaks, you may have to revert to drilling it out and retapping. Post some images of your situation with your question so we can see what you see. Use this guide Adding images to an existing question for that
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I added a picture of how rusted it is. thank you for responding - I hope I can get it out with out messing up the tranny wiring. Is penetrating oil the only thing that will loosen the rust?
Yep, that beast is rusted in pretty good. Loads of penetrating oil might help. I am not going to advocate some heat from a blow torch (propane torch used for plumbing soldering will work)etc. but have done that before myself. It's a bit tricky to apply but it can work. You do need to make sure you have a good tight wrench on the switch as well. Sometimes a metric wrench is a bit tighter than imperial or vice versa so give it a try.
Penetrating oil==>little tapping against the switch with a smaller hammer==>penetrating oil==> tight wrench (paramount importance)on the switch==rocking back and forth (this is where I apply the heat but careful since penetrating oil is flammable so you will get flames etc. Don't burn your truck down).
