One final "process overview" before I tacklet the

Tomorrow morning I'm taking my distillate manifold out of the electrolysis tank. It's been in there roughly two weeks. (Mainly because I've been so busy I haven't had time to take it out)
Saturday afternoon I'm taking it to a guy who restores tracts so we can apply heat, and try to work the heat valve loose. The guy told me he's never been successful in getting one unstuck, and has broken them. But he's never tried with an IH manifold before.

Before I do that, I want to make sure I have the steps down.

- Take the manifld out of the tank and dry as much as I can with towels. Stick in the oven at 200 degrees for a bit to dry it.

- Hit the parts that are supposed to move with PB Blaster. Repeat hitting them throughout the day.

- Apply torch heat to the areas that are supposed to move. (How hot should I let them get?)

- Let them cool. (Should I hit them with air to cool them faster, using the change in density to break it loose? Or will that just break it?)

- Use very gentle pressure, and tap at the handle to try to get it to break loose. (Should I do that while it's hot, or after it cools, or both?)

- Report back to YT about my success.


Any additions, subtractions, or other thoughts?

It is an exhaust manifold. You can heat it to cherry red if you want to. Let it cool a little bit, spray short bursts of PB Blaster until it no longer just smokes off, and then walk away from it until it is cool enough to lay your hands on. At that point, you can start working that lever, but if it doesn't come loose with reasonable effort, stop and repeat the entire process of heating and cooling.

Forget the oven, any flash rust that appears after toweling it off can be easily removed with a wire brush. Just get it dry.

Mike, the reason you heat it is to expand the metal as much as possible and, hopefully, break it loose. When it is just warm enough not to vaporize it, spray it with PB and it should suck it in as it contracts. As it contracts from cooling it should get looser. You may have to do it a couple of times but it should come loose. I was talking to the counter guy at Steiner a while back and he was telling me of a manifold on a JD he worked on for most of two weeks, but he got what he wanted loose. That's the way I do it. Sometimes I use very well used motor oil to soak also. It works well. Beats the heck out of broken fasteners.

Hey Mike,

Can you see how they assembled the manifold with the shutter in it ? All the kerosene parts were long gone from my tractor before I ever laid eyes on it.

Usually everything that was built can be taken apart and rebuilt. Worst case, would it be possible to fabricate the internal parts and put it back together ? If not, be careful, take your time, and good luck.

Greg

ps The choke works great now

...Can you see how they assembled the manifold with the shutter in it?

Click to expand...

Sort of. I have attempted disassembly because I wanted to wait till after it went through the tank to see if I could see details better. The bolt that is on the end of the selector valve has threads that are so rusted and deteriated that I'm going to have to cut it off, tap it, and replace it. But how that valve handle is held in place on the opposite side is a bit of a mystery I'm hoping to solve.

...ps The choke works great now

Click to expand...

Glad that rod worked out for you!

well i was workin on green tractor a whill back i had a bolt that didnt want to come out i got some '' gibbs'' it dont stink like p b blaster just used the foam and let it sit over night the bolt came out ....you can put a little on a bolt turn the bolt with the head up and this stuff will climb up the screw thraeds i ues it all over the place works better than wd40 for wet caps and wirers and you can PAINT over it too just wipe it off and shoot paint $10.00 a can though i dont think ill ever buy pb again the little lady says that she KNOWS when ive been in the barn with that STINKY stuff ha ha ha

Mike, heat it up until just before "cherry", ie. it show a little bit of a glow. hit the pivot points with blaster (or whatever penetrant you like). When it stops smoking, start using the brass drift that I referred to in my previous response. Use it inside on the butterfly. work one way with 2-3 blows, then move to the opposite side and go 2-3 blows. I also used a cold chisel as a wedge to start working the butterfly. Take a small cold chisel, and tap it in between the manifold and the butterfly, just don't over do it. drive it in enough to put a modest amount of pressure on the butterfly. then go to the opposite side of the butterfly, and use the brass drift as indicated.

don't be afraid to heat 'er up again, and try the chisel/drift combo while it is still fairly hot. the idea here is to get the rust bond to break. Then start using your penetrant like you have an endless supply as you slowly work the butterfly back and forth using the penetrant to "wash" out the rust.

It took me 2 days to get mine free and working. Patience is key, and even more so, DO NOT overdo the chisel or brass drift. Don't baby it, but don't use a 5 lb mallet either.

If you wish, I would be happy to take a phone call to discuss.

Do you hsve an air compressor? If so just bloe dry that puppy. Then go to work on it. Use a cheap pair of jersy/cotton gloves when you handle it.
Did you get the cast blast paint?

Gordo

When removing stubborn studs from cast Iron, I heat the cast red hot, then put the manifold or whatever in cold water. The shock breaks the rust loose. Works every time. Don't know why it wouldn't work an that application. Bernie Steffen

Bernie, won't that crack the metal? I've always been told thats a very, very bad thing to do.


Gordo, I might be able to get the manifold powder coated on base. I'm looking into that before I go the Cast Blast route.

...start using the brass drift that I referred to in my previous response...

Click to expand...

I'll see if he has a brass drift. All mine are metal.

When I look down into the manifold with the front towards me, the valve hinge is towards the rear. I'm assuming you mean to hit the valve itself on the corners that are closest to me? I managed to remove enough rust from the front to make a little gap between the forward part of the valve and the forward inside wall of the manifold. Put the chisel in that "slot"?

How is the valve attached to the valve hinge?

Mike, I am not sure how the butterfly is attached. I guess I could take a look at mine and get an answer for you. It may be a bit later before I will get a chance to look.

On the other questions, it depends upon what position the butterfly is as to where to put the cold chisel. Be careful about this. The cold chisel is to be used like a small wedge. you need to determine which direction you want to start trying to get movement.

Chisel placement would be between the butterfly and the manifold inside wall. Whether you placed it at the top or the bottom, doesn't really matter that much. It would depend upon where the larger gap is. If the butterfly is frozen wide open, then the chisel won't work and isn't needed. If the butterfly is totally shut, you may not be able to get it started.

If you don't have a brass drift of the right size, you can use a piece of cold roll steel. I would NOT use a hardened punch, as you will definately mark up the butterfly. You could also cut a piece of 1/2" or 3/4" all thread, and grind a slight radius on the end that is going against the butterfly.

Last comment, and I am NOT trying to flame anyone here, but gray cast iron will NOT take heat shock (I am almost positive that these manifolds are Gray Iron). You heat up a piece of Grey cast, and then quench in cold water, it WILL crack or shatter. Remember, there are 4 different types of cast iron, and each one has different properties.

[b:8592888f4e]White Cast Iron[/b:8592888f4e]
Characterized by the prevalence of carbides, impacting

•high compressive strength
•hardness
•good resistance to wear

[b:8592888f4e]Gray Cast Iron[/b:8592888f4e]
Characterized with graphite in the microstructure, giving

•good machinability
•good resistance to wear and galling

[b:8592888f4e]Ductile Cast Iron[/b:8592888f4e]
Gray iron with small amounts of magnesium and cesium which nodulates the graphite, resulting

•high strength
•high ductility

[b:8592888f4e]Malleable Cast Iron[/b:8592888f4e]
White cast iron heat-treated to improve

•higher ductility

Mike, I just re-read your post. Yes, put the cold chisel at the "top" nearest you, and use the drift on the lower part further away.

Tom, I don't think that will work. It's stuck in the "Cold" (down) position. I need to break it "up". So, hitting it with a punch won't move it any more down.

I'm thinking I'll have to try to hammer (gently) the valve handle upside down to get it to move up.

Hopefully the heat and the PB Blaster will be enough to break it loose. Especially after 2 weeks in The Tank.

Mike, one last thing. Don't be afraid to rap the handle rod side-to-side. Rap it a couple of times from one side, then rap it on the other side to help break up the rust. In mine, there is a bit of play side-to-side.

Also, it appears that the butterfly is held on to the shaft with a pin in the middle. I don't even want to think what it would take to drive the pin out........