Removing stuck fasteners
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==General Advice== | ==General Advice== | ||
*No matter what technique is used, when removing stuck fasteners, you need to pay attention to what is turning and what is not. | *No matter what technique is used, when removing stuck fasteners, you need to pay attention to what is turning and what is not. | ||
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When using the 'Hot and Cold Method', care should be taken to ensure that only the bolt is heated. If the nut is heated and cooled, the nut will likely become seized tighter. | When using the 'Hot and Cold Method', care should be taken to ensure that only the bolt is heated. If the nut is heated and cooled, the nut will likely become seized tighter. | ||
| − | When using this method use this Hot and Cold method FIRST... If you use any type of penetrating oils, they tend not to let the water do it's thing when the hot and cold method is used. Please remember heat, | + | When using this method use this Hot and Cold method FIRST... If you use any type of penetrating oils, they tend not to let the water do it's thing when the hot and cold method is used. Please remember heat, & then use the water... several times. I think the water becomes steam which has plenty of penetrating power to get in tight places. You never heard of penetrating oil engines, but everyone has heard of steam engines. |
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| + | Too much heat will destroy the temper of the bolt. Important bolts (brakes) should then be replaced with new as the untempered one if reused could fail. | ||
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| + | ==The heat and paraffin wax method== | ||
| + | #Heat the bolt with a torch. | ||
| + | #Touch the threads with paraffin wax. Ensure that the bolt is situated such that the wax will run down into the mating threads. | ||
| + | #Remove the bolt. | ||
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| + | ==The weld-on-a-larger-nut method== | ||
| + | #Place a close-fitting washer over the top of the bolt to protect surrounding material. | ||
| + | #Take a nut that is larger than the actual thread of the broken bolt, and weld it to the broken bolt. | ||
| + | #Weld in short bursts until the weld fills the nut. This will heat the bolt but not the surrounding material. Using a 6011 welding rod in a stick welder has been reported to work well. | ||
| + | #Let the welded nut cool completely without using any water or spray. The bolt will contract and break the grip of the rust. | ||
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| + | Some more info on welding on nuts. | ||
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| + | A tig welder is the welder of choice. | ||
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| + | It is critical to put some penetration oil like Kroil (and not WD-40) on as it cools just low enough for the oil to not just boil off. This will draw oil into the hole. This is the only time I have seen penetrating oil actually penetrate a stuck bolt. | ||
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| + | For more information refer to this web page http://idisk.mac.com/forever4/Public/pages/studremoval.htm | ||
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| + | ==Penetrating and lubricating oils== | ||
| + | Penetrating oil is an extremely low-viscosity oil that can penetrate into the area between threads on a fastener. A stuck fastener is often heated, sprayed with penetrating oil, and then tapped with a hammer. | ||
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| + | Some comments on penetrating oils. WD-40 is not a penetrating oil, it is a corrosion preventative. There is problem with the idea that penetrating oils can penetrate rusted together parts. I have done some testing. For a whole week I put Kroil on a head studs. I than pulled one stud from the head that felt like it wanted to come. As I suspected, it was dry. If the bolt is free enough for penetrating oil to seep through then it will come out without any oil. | ||
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| + | If you really want to get studs out you need to use shock (hammer hits) and or careful application of heat cycles. | ||
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| + | Some penetrating oils that are recommended by hotrodders: | ||
| + | *[http://www.bilthamber.com/ferrosol.html Ferrosol] | ||
| + | *[http://pbblaster.com/store/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=1 PB Blaster] | ||
| + | *[http://kanolabs.com Kroil] | ||
| + | *[http://www.wd40.com WD-40] | ||
| + | *[http://www.armorholdings.com/productsdiv/break_free.asp Break Free] | ||
| + | *[http://www.gunk.com/lubricants.asp Liquid Wrench] | ||
| + | *Diesel oil/fuel. Apply and allow to soak for period of time. Then strike head of bolt (if practial) with hammer blow. | ||
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| + | ==Special tools== | ||
| + | *Flameless heat tool useful for removing rusted or broken fasteners: [http://www.theinductor.com/ The Inductor]. | ||
| + | *Left-handed drill bits, or screw extractors, can be used to remove many fasteners. | ||
| + | *For stubborn nuts, try a nut splitter. It will crack the nut without damaging the bolt inside. | ||
| + | *An impact driver can be used to loosen frozen nuts or bolts. Hand-held impact drivers typically have slotted and Phillips headed bits, as well as a socket fitting. The bit or socket is placed on the stuck fastener, and the other end of the impact driver is struck with a hammer. The impact of the hammer strike loosens the fastener, the downward force keeps the bit in its place, and the impact driver turns the force of the hammer strike into a sudden torque on the stuck fastener. | ||
| + | *[http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?cat=Hand+Tools%2C+General+Purpose&pid=00952166000&vertical=TOOL&subcat=Bolt-Out%2C+Taps+%26+Dies&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes Craftsman 10 pc. Damaged Bolt/Nut Remover Set, Low Profile Bolt-Out Sears item #00952166000]. They are useful for when the bolt head is rounded off, or there is no room to beat a socket or wrench on to it, or when a torch is not available. | ||
| + | *Another good brand of bolt extractor is Extractor, has a little bit more "bite" than the Craftsman and Irwin ones | ||
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| + | ==Tips for broken-off bolt heads== | ||
| + | *If enough of the bolt remains, try to grab it with locking pliers or a pipe wrench. | ||
| + | *Try to saw a groove in it, so that a flat-head screwdriver can be used to turn it. Use an impact screwdriver if you have one, it will work a lot easier. | ||
| + | *Take a 12-point socket that is just larger than the shaft of the bolt, and beat it down onto the bolt with a hammer. Turn it out with a ratchet. When finished, put the socket in a vice, and tap out the broken bolt. | ||
| + | *If a bolt is broken off below the surface, build it up with a welder until there is enough to which to weld a nut. If this breaks off try it again, this method is the best, the heat and cool cycle of the tig weld will loosen the fastener in the stuck piece. | ||
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| + | I have also have had good luck by center punching the broken bolt and using a left hand drill bit about half the diameter of the bolt and as it is drilling most of the time the bit will bite and spin the broken bolt out. | ||
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| + | ==Miscellaneous tips== | ||
| + | *Weld a piece of metal to the top of the bolt, to use as leverage when loosening. | ||
| + | *If the slot of a round-headed screw is stripped, file two flat edges in it. Then, it can be turned with an adjustable wrench. Or, use a hacksaw to file a new slot at a right angle to the existing one. | ||
| + | *Six-point sockets will grip better on hex nuts and bolts than 12-point sockets. | ||
| + | *Drill and tap the bolt to run another, smaller bolt down the center. A bit about half the diameter of the headless, stuck bolt is usually sufficient. Use a jam nut on the small bolt and lots of penetrating oil. | ||
| + | *If it is a stripped screw, either slotted or Phillips, try using a dab of valve grinding compound on the tip of the screwdriver. The valve grinding compound will help with friction to hold the tip onto the fastener when turning. | ||
| + | *Use a piece of tubing that fits in the bolt hole (OD) with the center (ID) the size of the drill bit. This will keep the drill bit centered in the bolt, when you use the EZ out. | ||
| + | *Where access allows, put a box end wrench over a stripped nut or hex bolt head, then use a center punch on the corners of the hex to spread the metal and wedge it in the wrench. | ||
| + | *If the bolt or stud breaks off below the surface, try this method. Using a high grade bolt of same size, grind off the threaded end until the bolt will fit into the hole and touch the broken bolt. Using an electric welder, clamp the "electrode" bolt in the stinger. This works best if someone is there to help you by turning the welder on and off. With the stinger bolt inserted into the broken bolt hole and firmly against the broken bolt, have the power turned on just long enough to fuse the stinger bolt to the broken one. You might want to practice this technique on the bench to get the power and timing right. Once they have cooled for a few minutes, but are still hot enough to burn skin, place a wrench on the slave bolt and turn them out. | ||
| + | *For removing stubborn Phillips-head screws, wet the tip of the screwdriver or screwdriver bit, a little bit of spit will do, and dip the bit into a bit of abrasive cleanser - like Comet or Ajax. Use enough to cover the tip of the screwdriver. The abrasive in the cleanser gives the tip of the screwdriver a little added "bite" and it's less likely to slip out of the screw. | ||
| + | *Intermittent pressure, such as an impact wrench seems to be better suited to this job. A device that we built that works on screws that some one has stripped out the head. Get an aircraft rivet gun (note: not a tubing cutter, they're to fast) that has less than 2000 b.p.m. (blows per minute). Get one of the rivet gun sets, and weld a piece of hex stock 3/4" to the working end of the set then weld an apex tip holder to the hex stock ( of course you need an air compressor 100lbs is just fine) put a Phillips tip in the apex holder (prior to that grind a little off the tip as they usually are slightly too long; this will allow the tip to drop farther into the screw head so it will pick up what is left of the flutes in the head). Put the whole thing together and insert the tip into the screw head slowly pull the trigger on the rivet gun, while at the same time put pressure on the box end wrench you have installed on the hex part of your tool, making sure to keep pressure on the gun handle so it won't jump out of the work. One more word of caution -- even though this works almost 100% of the time it is possible (if the screw is into a plate nut) to drive the plate nut off its mount. | ||
| + | *If you break off the head of the bolt, grind the remainder out with care using a TrueBite carbide bit and a high-speed rotary tool (Dremel MotoTool or some such) - see http://www.truebite.com/remove/ for details and instructions. | ||
| + | *Besides the Comet cleanser tip, another way to give a screwdriver more grip on a screw head is to dip the tip of the screwdriver into a little valve grinding compound, then apply the screwdriver to the screw head. Works well anywhere you need a little more traction to get that stripped screw head out or sometimes can be used on a closed end wrench and slightly rounded off bolt head. | ||
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| + | ==References== | ||
| + | *[http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/tip-day-33-a-75849.html Tip of the day #33], ''Hotrodders Bulletin Board'', December 10, 2005. | ||
| + | *[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penetrating_oil Penetrating oil], ''Wikipedia'', retrieved July 15, 2006. | ||
| + | *[http://www.chevytrucks.org/tech/stuckbolt.htm Stuck Bolts], ''ChevyTrucks.org'', retrieved July 16, 2006. | ||
| + | *[http://www.pumaracing.co.uk/tooluse.htm Removing Stuck Fasteners] ''PumaRacing.co.uk'', retrieved July 16, 2006. | ||
| + | *[http://www.rd.com/content/openContent.do?contentId=17889 Loosening Stubborn Nuts, Bolts, and Screws] ''Reader's Digest'', retrieved July 21, 2006. | ||
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