Loosening Rusty Bolts

[TNhobbyfarmer]

I bought a used box blade a few months back. It had been setting out for quite a while, but was in pretty good shape and seems to be fairly heavy duty. One of the lift arm pins is bent so I proceeded to TRY to take it off and replace it. I have messed with some pretty onery rusty nuts and bolts before and have always managed to get them busted free, that is before this one. What do you guys find is best to put on old rusty bolts to assist in breaking them free? This one has got me bumfuzzled.

 

[Pooh_Bear]

Spray it with liquid wrench. Let it soak. Spray it some more.
If after a few days of this routine it still doesn't come off,
then heat the nut with a propane torch. Not the pin, just the nut.
The nut will expand and loosen its grip so you can remove it.

Sometimes you can spray it with liquid wrench,
then put a box end wrench on it and whack the wrench with a hammer
a few times to mimic the force of an impact wrench.

Pooh Bear

 

[higgy]

Pins and nuts are cheap.

Hit it with an oxyacetylene torch with an #4 rosebud.

Get the nut good and hot, remove, do not touch.

Replace pin and nut, use antisize when reassembling.

 

[George2615]

I have always found if you are able to use a torch and heat the nut cherry red it will usually come right off. Then replace with new ones. If no torch is available then go with PB Blaster or CRC for rusty bolts and pray. Sometimes a sharp blow / rap with a hammer will free them up too.

 

[cast_and_blast]

I've used Liquid Wrench but I like "Deep Creep" better. Same idea...

Scott

 

[biker128pedal]

I have found PB Blastor works best. Spray and let it soak for a few hours then spray again. Try removing without heat. I have reused gate hinge bolts that have sat out in the weather for over 15 years and rusted.

Mike

 

[bones1]

Wouldn't be without my PB blaster and Kroil.Good stuff.

 

[Theowegian]

Kroil is some of the best. I swear by it.

 

[PineRidge]

You can also use a SawZall to cut it off. Ain't nearly as much fun as the fire though.

 

[Dargo]

I'm rebuilding a 1920's era culti-packer and several of the bolts have never been off. I broke the last of my junk Pittsburgh wrenches on them and then got out my 'one size fits all' plasma wrench. Since I did not want to heat up other parts on the antique, the plasma cutter did a great job of a precision cutting without heating up the surrounding areas. If you have one, that would be my first choice for those stubborn (and frozen) nuts on rusted bolts.

 

[Egon]

Nutsplitter?? Longer snipes??

 

[PineRidge]

Don't forget here guys that if you have a part that you can get in a large trash can, electrolysis can be used to remove the existing rust making your part come apart much easier.

 

[EddieWalker]

My current favorite spray is 3in1. It works allot better than PB, but I've never heard of Kroil. I'll keep my eye open for it.

The torch works good if you have one, but if you pull it out, you might as well just cut it off. I doubt you want to save this bolt anyway.

My 4 1/2 inch grinder has taken off quite a few nuts and bolts too.

Yesterday I had one that I couldn't get off with my impact wrench. So I switched from loosening it, to tightening it. Back and forth until the bolt snaped off.

A breaker bar with a pipe on it will take, or break, off anything. You just need a solid head for the socket a GOOD breaker bar and a long pipe to put over the breaker bar. If one pipe doesn't do it, you need a longer one!! haha

I've had some pretty long pipes on my 3/4 inch Proto breaker bar. I have the Proto becuase I've twisted the heads off of cheaper ones.

Is the bolt hardended? You can also drill right through the middle of it. Start out with a small hole and work you way up. It will come out before you get too big a hole.

Good luck and let us know what worked for you.

Eddie

 

[czechsonofagun]

When swaping roll cage from my Jeep I had to use 4 1/2" grinder as the wrench

There was no other way - I hate torx head bolts.

 

[bigdeer2000]

kroil is great stuff, works as a penetrating oil or general lubricant. i think it is manufactured in nashville tn

 

[Dargo]

Quick question while we are talking nuts and bolts; would a grade 8 nut and bolt rust slower or faster than a regular grade 2? I really don't know, but I'd bet that they don't rust at the same rate. Anybody know?

 

[AlanB]

Kroil

http://www.kanolabs.com/

As to which penetrating oil is best, it is my running joke here that everyone wants a different one.

Guy A comes in with a can of green stuff in his hand and it is

"THE ONLY one that works,,,, get rid of that other stuff"

Guy B comes in the next day with blue stuff in his hand and you guessed it,,,

"this is the ONLY one that works,,,,,, Get rid of all that other stuff"

We keep about 6 different brands around so that people can rotate as they find what they like, and run into various situations.

At my house, Kroil, PB blaster, Yeild and MMM are on the shelf, and as someone else said, the Plasma makes them all look pathetic.

Different grades rusting.

I think you would find that the different rusting would result more from the quality of the bolts in question and what particular surface treatment they had and how they were handled as opposed to the particular base steel composition of the bolts.

 

[Theowegian]

There are several good penetrating oils out there, but Kroil has some name brand recognition in my industry. Plus, I like the smell of it! I buy it by the case via the Kano Labs internet site. I barter with it or sell it to my pals, who also seem to prefer it.

 

[Egon]

Kroil has some name brand recognition

Does it have addictive scents added to it?

 

[Ronbo]

Diet pepsi

For the bolt not to drink.

Ron