* Help taking a frozen bolt

Dutchman · Dec 7, 2015

I have a tractor manifold the elbow is crack and the bolts are rounded and don't move ....have a new elbow to put on ..
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Here's what I'm wondering .... if I weld a nut over the round one. WILL that help me get the bolts out ??
should I try getting them out when the nut is real hot { RED } or should I let it cool down ?? I really don't want to break it off if possible ..
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ANY advice sure will be Appreciate ...... mark

caterpillar guy · Dec 7, 2015

If you have room to weld the nut on do it. Probably will come out then. If not heat it red and unscrew it.

Case Nutty 1660 · Dec 7, 2015

this works every time for me, weld a nut on making sure its welded very well and the bolt is cherry red,, then let it cool completely, then screw out, this is in cast iron, the heated bolt swells the cast just a bit then when it cools it shrinks, they screw right out, I have never got one to screw out when its hot

old · Dec 7, 2015

What I do when I have one like that is weld on a nut if not a wash and a nut then I pump ATF on it when still hot from the pumper oil can I have that I keep full of ATF.

Bob · Dec 7, 2015

I agree with you 100%, 1660.

Let the parts cool to ambient after welding. wrenching on them HOT more often than not leads to galling, and getting the broken part more stuck than it was before.

If badly rusted, and you have an oxy-accet torch, heat the welded-on nut red hot and let it cool and repeat a couple of times before trying to loosen it.

JMS/.MN · Dec 7, 2015

After you heat it (I heat the cast), apply candle wax as it cools. Seeps between threads to lube them. I heat the cast cuz it holds more latent heat....bolt heats too quickly.

Dave H (MI) · Dec 7, 2015

Never had to bother with the welding. Seems like overkill to me. If there is ANYTHING protruding, heat the bolt to cherry red and let it cool fully. See can you get a vice grip on the exposed part. It should turn right out. IF not, repeat. I have had battery box bolts rusted into the cast frame of a tractor with the heads rusted away nearly flat and I got them all out that way. Done this many many times, never had to weld.

Andy Martin · Dec 7, 2015

(quoted from post at 20:56:50 12/07/15) Never had to bother with the welding. Seems like overkill to me. If there is ANYTHING protruding, heat the bolt to cherry red and let it cool fully. See can you get a vice grip on the exposed part. It should turn right out. IF not, repeat. I have had battery box bolts rusted into the cast frame of a tractor with the heads rusted away nearly flat and I got them all out that way. Done this many many times, never had to weld.

For me, welding is quicker, and I want to just heat the bolt so it will swell more against the threads crushing the rust and making space when it is cool.

I saw an interesting "How It's Made" (love that music) on rebuilding continuous coal mining machines. The point that got me was they were taking a large flange off, probably 1-1/2" bolts, and they heated the bolt heads red then put the impact right on and backed them out. Did not make sense to me but it wasn't these guys first rodeo either. They took them out really hot.

I've had trouble trying to lube hot bolts, I've had the lubricant cook in on a reheat and seal the bolt, so if it'll come out dry that's how I do it.

Steve@Advance · Dec 7, 2015

We are talking about bolts, right? Not nuts on studs?

Either one, get as much soak time as possible with your favorite penetrating oil (not WD40). Always use a good 6 point socket. You can grind the end of the socket to get a sharp edge for maximum engagement. Sometimes a 14mm socket will hammer on to a 9/16" bolt head for a better fit, same with a 12mm on a 1/2".

If it is a nut on a stud, and it's not moving, try heating it. Concentrate the heat on the nut, not the stud. The nut will expand and loosen while it's hot. If it will move at all, start working it back and forth. The more it moves, the more rust will grind away.

If it is a bolt, use the same tricks as for the nut. If you have to heat it, while it's red hot, if you can get a straight shot at it with a flat drift, hit the head straight on. This will expand the head so the socket will fit tighter. But don't try to turn it while it's still red, it will be too weak to turn and will twist the head off. Let it cool some, then try rocking it back and forth. You can feel when it turns, verses twisting. Turning is good, twisting is bad!

Good luck!

Andy Martin · Dec 8, 2015

Good point on nuts versus studs. Look at the bolt heads very carefully, old rusty nuts can look like bolt heads and you don't want to pull the stud if you can get the nut off.

* Help taking a frozen bolt

Dutchman

Well-known Member

caterpillar guy

Well-known Member

Case Nutty 1660

Well-known Member

old

Well-known Member

Bob

Well-known Member

JMS/.MN

Well-known Member

Dave H (MI)

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Andy Martin

Well-known Member

Steve@Advance

Well-known Member

Andy Martin

Well-known Member

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