Removing and replacing teeth on a tooth bar

[nyone]

Heat will expand everything but since you would be mostly heating the tooth mount it will expand quicker thus loosening the pin.

 

[Oldoak]

Heat works and doesn't work. Heat to slow, as with a small propane torch, both the tooth and the pin expand at the same time and will not help much. Applying rapid heat to the tooth expands the tooth at a faster rate and will somewhat free up the pin. Another trick I have used on seized bolts is to heat the bolt to almost cherry red and then let it cool to touch or quench it. By heating it, it expands, and cooling, it contracts and most cases that action breaks it free. You might try the same on the pins.

I've got to give you credit, you really stuck with it and made due with what you had to work with. Old timers like us do do that. Good luck with that last tooth.

 

[beowulf]

Thanks again guys - I really appreciate all the help. I have cut the last tooth away with an angle grinder but the pin remains stuck fast. Won't budge using different methods. But my wife is in town today and she will pick up a small propane torch for me and hopefully - following the advice from you all - that will work for the last one. Then I have to find the replacement teeth to fit. The tooth bar was ordered with the FEL and no brand appears in the paperwork or on the tooth bar. I may send the best of the ones I took off to Messicks or somewhere and have them match it up so I can order more. I really appreciate this forum - never feel alone out here.

 

[beowulf]

I will update this and sign off - I managed to get the last pin out. After cutting the tooth out with an angle grinder all that remained was the pin but it would not budge no matter which of the methods I used for the other pins. Then I cut a few bolts of the correct diameter - made them as short as possible so would have a bit more room to swing a sledge a bit. Just this last pin took over an hour and a half of pounding. I was about to give up because it did not seem to move at all but then I thought I detected that it moved out an almost imperceptible amount - I was not sure but it kept me at it. I went through a few bolts (kept burring up and bending) but it finally came out. Without any exaggeration - this took me about seven to nine hours.

Now to get new teeth - if I can't find the right ones at local dealers, and I am not sure of which ones to order I will likely just send one of the old teeth to somewhere like Messicks and ask them to tell me what they have that will match up.

Thanks for all the input guys. It was nice to have company while I was at this.