I was watching a big man working on exhaust manifold bolts. He had his big mitts on the wrench and looked to be turning it the wrong way, ever so gingerly. I was about to say something just as he stopped and reversed direction. I told him, "Man that was close. You almost snapped that one before you backed it out."
He just smiled and proceeded to do the very same thing on all of the rest of them. He said that when you carefully tighten them, you can feel them move. Once that happens, they are freed up and most of them will come right out.
I have done mine that way ever since, and if they move when you carefully tighten them, they all come out.
There must be something going on with the changing shape of the fastener when turned in that is opposite from that when turned out.
