What size wrench for the seatbelt bolt?

[Canada20]

Hey all. I'm hoping to replace the drivers side seatbelt in my truck this weekend but the &%(#ing socket won't hold the bolt on fot the assembly right beside the door. Is it some funny metric size or something? I got the "hanger" part off of the C-pillar but I just can't get a hold on the bolt for the lower part.

Anyone know the size so I don't spend my weekend running back and forth to Sears to get the right wrench (not that I mind buying tools )

Thanks!

Greg

[bigblock73]

What year is the truck? Around 80 or so, some bolts were switched to metric.

[Canada20]

sorry...that was stupid of me to forget the year; it's an '81

I thik it'll take a 20mm socket or wrench.
(The upper part took an imp 13/16)

Greg

[Canada20]

Whelp...I sheared the damned thing off.....grrrr

It took a 21mm wrench BTW but the open end wouldn't grip the bolt very well (I'm starting to wonder about Craftsman's quality these days...I gouged a couple of brand new wrneches a few months ago without really putting much stress on them at all.)

I'll probably hit you folks up for some more advice a little later.....

Greg

[Palf70Step]

Mine took my 3 1/2 foot rachet handle to break and get mine loose. I think I used a 13/16 (or 22MM). Heck I'm old I forgot which one on my 82. I think the 13/16 and 22 are the same or real close to same size. But mine took some leverage to break free!!

[Canada20]

Yeah I think it may be the 20mm and the 13/16 as both of those on mine didn't quite fit in exactyly the same way...funny, the open end wrench wouldn't fit but I could get a 13/16 socket on it. I didn't use the socket because it kept twisting away and not gripping the bolt head (just as well anywa, I would've killed my hands since I don't have a good breaker bar yet).

I managed to get enough force on the bolt to break it by double wrenching; probably not so good for the wrenches.

I think what I'm going to do is;
- scoop the seatbelt assembly from a wrecker that i was going to anyway
- drop the fuel tank on mine because it leaks anyway and I don't want to cut a slot into a bolt with a leaky fuel tank right under it (i'm chicken....whadaayagonnado?
-use vise grips from underneath to twist out the remainder of the bolt and convert the sucker to propane like I was thinking anyway


Kind of a long way round for a solution, though, huh?

Greg

[Canada20]

OK....I tried to pull the assembly from my friend's truck today and I accidentally knocked the cover for the return coil and it "sprung" so I busted that assembly and then proceeded to start to round off the bolt. Thought I'd better quit when I was ahead on that.

Just now I thought I'd try and "fix" mine and managed to bust an easy out in the hole! Looks like easy outs must be made out of some pretty serious steel as my drill bits will barely dent it. I don't feel like dulling my bits on trying to retrieve a bustaed tool.

Either I'm having bad luck this weekend or I'm doing something wrong!1

Greg