Posted on 03/12/2017 9:53:29 PM PDT by Windflier
I'm trying to replace a broken shaft in my sheet metal extrusion machine, but I've run into some machine screws that just will not budge.
They're 3/16th, Allen type, steel screws, mounted in an aluminum block. They have a patina of rust on them, and I already broke a new bit trying to bust the first one loose. I sprayed them all with WD-40, and gave it an hour or two to soak in, but still no go.
Anyone know of a better lubricating product, or some trick I can use to get these suckers to turn?
Kroil...
Make it with acetone and ATF.
A little off topic, but perhaps of interest...
A friend recently introduced me to a rust removal product (Evapo-rust) that he swore by. I tried it, and it seems to work well, better than that Naval Jelly or other phosphoric acid-based products.
Has anybody tried this stuff?
Ted’s Red.
A great Beer!
>> nuke from orbit <<
Such an irresponsible post.
Don’t you know there would collateral damage from a nuke applied to a mere bolt?
First ship the bolt to Chicago or LA. Then nuclear collateral damage is not only acceptable, but quite welcome.
Better still, ignore the bolt, and stick with the collateral.
Might try some penetrating oil and adding some heat - let it heat up/expand and add some oil when cool and hot for a cycle or two.
If you have to drill them, I would suggest a similar approach because you need to keep the bit small enough to not get to the threads and releasing some of the interior 'pressure" may allow for better expansion/contraction to free them up enough for extraction.
Good luck.
PB B’laster. About $3-4 at any wal mart. It’s the best stuff I’ve ever seen for what you’re talking about. Look around on the same rack as WD-40. It’s the same stuff, but PB doesn’t evaporate and its WAY more penetrative than obsolete WD-40. I can freep mail details if you like. I have a can right here but FR is weird about pictures
Kroil is good so is SeaFoam. We stock our trucks with either or.
Actually, an electric heat gun will help a lot, too. Use a real heat gun, not a hair dryer. You can buy one from Harbor Freight for around ten bucks. The coefficient of thermal expansion of aluminum is nearly double that of steel, so a good warmup will expand the aluminum around the steel and help a lot.
The problem with rusty bolts is that rust is steel that is combined with oxygen. Therefore, it has more volume than the original steel. The extra volume fills in the gaps and actually tightens the bolt. That's why heating it, which expands it, helps so much.
Heat the aluminum block with a propane torch. The aluminum will expand more than the steel screws, freeing them from their holes.
Their web site: http://www.kanolabs.com/
“Kroil. It is a penetrant but superior to all others. Not cheap but it works where others don’t.”
This or Mousemilk.
Drill a pilot hole down the middle to relieve the pressure. Heat the aluminum around the head. Impact the bolt with a punch the same size. Remove with correctly sized hex driver with electric hammer drill.
You may have some luck with freezing the screw using a can of ‘freeze’ from an auto parts store. Not sure what brand you local store will carry but they all do the same thing. The idea is to get the largest temperature differential between the aluminum block and the ss screw.
Aluminum conducts heat so readily that the suggestions for heating it would likely take way more input than reducing the temperature of the screw.
All other things being equal, the impact driver will be the ‘gee I shoulda had one of these years ago’ answer to your predicament.
Heat them and tighten them first.
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Are they liberal or conservative screws?
Some years ago I had gotten a massive antique door, with very big hinges, one frozen. The door was very valuable and the hinges irreplaceable, so my anxiety was off the charts. WD-40 was useless, as was heat. Force was out of the question.
What finally worked was applying heat plus vibration, using a vise to put a block against the hinge and then hitting that with a power drill.
Like tapping it, only with enhanced force. In other words, “power tapping.”
There are other tools that will do the same job but all I had was the drill. Never want to do that again. :(
Great stuff. Use it on spark plugs, lug nuts too.
Folks will think I'm pulling their leg, but I use a very thin layer of Permatex Anti-Seize Lubricant as heat sink compound for my high-end overclocked CPU. I buy the paste in the tube, don't need much. Tube lasts a long time.
My first (and only) motorcycle was a Honda in the early 70s. You are right about having an impact wrench for your motorcycle. Every bolt in the aluminum would seize up. That was my introduction to aluminum dissimilarity metal galling. Now I have it in my Ford Triton engine heads with the spark plugs.
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