Went to changethe subframe bushings today and the big bolt don't want to move. I let the 1/2" impact gun rattle on it for a while and then I took a 1/2" breaker bar with a 3 foot pipe and leeeaaaned on it. She did not want to budge. I figured I'd ask before I took the 3/4" impact to it. This 83 300D has 212,800 miles on it and they sure could use changing.

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83 M-B 300D- daily driver
83 240D gray market
2002 VW Jetta TDI- beater

Try heat and pentrating oil...... soak the entire subframe bushing with liquid wrench, marinating overnight.

If it doesnt come loose in the morning, heat the nut with propane torch - then let it cool...... repeating the oiling/torching procedure as necessary until it comes loose.

By all means, replace those bolts as part of the procedure.

There is no nut, unless it's under the rear seat. Should I set the car on fire?

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83 M-B 300D- daily driver
83 240D gray market
2002 VW Jetta TDI- beater

Oxy-Acetylene is much better than propane. But if you only have a propane torch, put a bottle of Mapp gas on it instead of propane. Mapp is much hotter.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

I just did this on my formerly california '78 a month ago. One side came out fine, the other did not. In my case, it was not that the bolt would not come loose, it was that it was totally stuck onto the metal sleeve inside the bushing. The entire bushing would twist a little bit, but did not want to break loose from that big bolt. I tried getting some penetrating oil up there, and finally did get it out. 6 foot cheater bar did not work. What finally made it let go was the oil (maybe) and about 15 minutes of forward/backward/forward backward with the 1/2 impact (did not have the correct socket for 3/4 inch)
Had that not worked I guess I would have spent about an hour or so snaking a hacksaw blade up there to cut the rubber away and let it spin free.
The only positive thing is that I did not have to use the home made press to release the bushing from the subframe on that side, all that work loosened it up so it just fell once the bolt was free.
If you are lucky you have a similar thing and not a frozen bolt.
good luck.

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andy t
'78 300d
'95 volvo 850, wagon
'86 300sdl - engine out, maybe I'll have it rolling by June

whole bunch o' bicycles

Remember...

Righty, tighty. Lefty, loosey.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

The bolt ended up being seized in the sleeve of the bushing, not in the body. I called the kind people at Rusty's to see if I could by the bolt from them. He said that with the shipping it probably would be more than if I just went to my local profit center and ordered it. He then gave me the part number and the price that it was SUPPOSED to be; $11. I ended up being charged $21 plus tax for one bolt....one damned bolt. Anyway, the new bushing went in swell. I lubed the o.d. with a product called Slip-it which is a silicone based paste lube that I use on my sunroof tracks. It's claim to fame is it doesn't attract dust the way other lubes do. A little pressure on a bottle jack and the bushing popped right in.

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83 M-B 300D- daily driver
83 240D gray market
2002 VW Jetta TDI- beater