For the last 2 days, I've endured the torture that is replacing the clutch on a 2010 Suzuki SX4 hatch. Yes, they still exist. Thankfully it was a 2wd model. When I first inspected it, it looked like it would be a super simple job. The engine mounts all bolted to the engine block which led me to believe I could simply unbolt the trans and slip it back and off. Boy was I wrong...
What I initially (and foolishly) thought would be a gravy job turned into a nightmare. Keep in mind, we're talking about a 100k mile MN vehicle. As it were, I ended up having to remove both the rear subframe and front crossmember/radiator support, the exhaust downpipe, the steering intermediate shaft, etc etc. Fine, nothing a little elbow grease and patience can't handle. That is, until I got to the radiator/front crossmember bolts. The first one came out with little fight, however upon removal I discovered that the bolt shank just below the head had rusted to the point that what was once a 10mm diameter bolt had become nothing more than a 5mm relic of days past. Needless to say, the remaining 4 bolts refused to budge.
I decided, thankfully, to quit while I was ahead. I used the factory frame holes to apply liberal amounts of bust-rust to the remaining bolts and left the car overnight, hoping 24ish hours would be enough time to allow the bond of body and rust to settle their divorce proceedings in a way Johnny Depp and Amber Heard could only dream of. To my dismay, my prayers went unanswered. Enter the induction heater. Folks, this tool may be the single best tool I've EVER used as a mechanic in the Midwest. With a little patience and a LOT of luck, the remaining bolts came out without a fight. For those that are curious: I immediately discarded said bolts in favor of covering my behind and installing fresh hardware. Shout out to my local Ace Hardware for carrying an EXTENSIVE array of metric nuts and bolts... I can't begin to convey how many times their commitment to stocking almost every conceivable diameter, pitch, and length bolt has saved me considerable headache. I've gone so far as to commend the owner for his willingness to go above and beyond to keep his relatively small store stocked with the most obscure hardware.
I wrapped up the job this afternoon, after spending a good 45 minutes bleeding the idiotic hydraulic clutch system. I hope to never touch that vehicle ever again.