Frozen Hardware Removal

[Texasmark]

I decided to plug this in here as there is a stripped head bolt posting below and I have something to say about the subject. In my 50+ years of boating and personal mechanicing, I have had to deal with numerous frozen bolts on equipment of sorts including HD highway equipment, farm, and marine including salt water applications.

What works for me is a quality penetrating oil, an impact tool, and in severe cases, some heat.

Special sockets are made for impact operation. They work best and retain their shape.
The impact tool will hammer the bolt loose where attempting to unscrew it with a breakover bar and cheeter will either strip the head of the bolt or it, or the not impact socket will itself strip or break.
Numerous quality penetrating oils out there up to the task. Kroil is what we used at work and is the best I have found. It's pricy but worth it; doesn't take a lot. Aerosol is the most economical....www site.

Other thing about impact is that they do a great job of reinstalling hardware and getting it to torque spec without damaging the hardware. Outstanding on lug nuts on your vehicle.

Harbor Freight sells them at a great price and I have bought 2 over the years, both their brand, made in China....where else? Still haven't worn out the first and it has seen a lot. I just bought the second because I thought it might fail. Ensure that you keep them oiled with air tool oil, auto parts stores carries it. I squirt a goodly amount into the air inlet prior to attaching the air hose and give it several rips before using. Frequency depends on use......you can't over oil it.

HTH,
Mark

 

[Augoose]

When possible, welding a fresh nut onto the top of broken studs or filing the sides of a broken bolt down to get two smooth sides and using a vice grip are two additional techniques that have often worked for me.

I'm also curious to see if anyone has filed down the sides of a rounded bolt head, found a socket just slightly larger than the newly filed down head, filled the socket with JB Weld and placed it on the newly filed down head and then after it has hardened tried to remove a stubborn bolt.

I've doubted the capabilities of JB Weld in the past in other applications and it never ceases to surprise me.

 

[Texasmark]

I've doubted the capabilities of JB Weld in the past in other applications and it never ceases to surprise me.

I think it will meet it's match on this application. I use it and like it but within limits. However, I have never done what you proposed so I really don't know. Some time if you are just fooling around you might try it. I for one would like to know which one (fast set or normal) the amount, set time, surface prep, the application, and the outcome.

 

[Watermann]

Good info Mark. I have some to add on my Mercruiser Alpha One transom outer assembly with stuck studs. The studs were in bad shape with nearly half the stud diameter eaten away where the soggy transom wood chewed away at them night and day. The corrosion in the threads was holding the fragile studs tight. I used good ole PB and let it sit over night. I piled 2 nuts on the opposite threaded end because there was no way vice grips would work. What I think really did the trick was using a hammer to sharply rap the end of the stud to break loose the threads before trying to turn them out.

 

[Texasmark]

Good info Mark. I have some to add on my Mercruiser Alpha One transom outer assembly with stuck studs. The studs were in bad shape with nearly half the stud diameter eaten away where the soggy transom wood chewed away at them night and day. The corrosion in the threads was holding the fragile studs tight. I used good ole PB and let it sit over night. I piled 2 nuts on the opposite threaded end because there was no way vice grips would work. What I think really did the trick was using a hammer to sharply rap the end of the stud to break loose the threads before trying to turn them out.

Impact is the only way to go for me on taking any bolt loose, especially on rusted farm equipment or corroded marine. If it's too small for my 1/2" drive air impact, I do as you do. Saved me a lot of sheared off bolts over the years. I rotate the tires on my vehicles and the impact is priceless, as are things like taking the pulley off an alternator.

Mark

 

[mrdancer]

FWIW, regarding penetrating oils, found this from another forum:

"The April/May 2007 edition of Machinist's Workshop did a test of penetrating oils where they measured the force required to loosen rusty test devices. Buy the issue if you want to see how they did the test. The results reported were interesting. The lower the number of pounds the better. Mighty interesting results for simple acetone and tranny fluid!

Penetrating oil . Average load .. Price per fluid ounce
None ................. 516 pounds .
WD-40 .............. 238 pounds .. $0.25
PB Blaster ......... 214 pounds .. $0.35
Liquid Wrench ... 127 pounds .. $0.21
Kano Kroil ........ 106 pounds .. $0.75
ATF-Acetone mix.. 53 pounds .. $0.10

The ATF-Acetone mix was a 50/50 mix (1 to 1 ratio)."

 

[mrdancer]

I use the JBWeld WaterWeld for plumbing leaks. Haven't tried it around the boat yet...