Tips for siezed fasteners in aluminum casings?

Started by Mac, May 03, 2014, 10:16:25 AM

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Mac

I'm swapping an S10 tailhousing onto Camaro T5 trans and came across some stubborn bolts.
Here's what I know:

Penetrating oil ( I have WD, Liquid Wrench, Gibbs and some freeze action stuff) soak it and wait.

Apply heat, with or without pen. oil or candle / paraffin wax.

Apply heat and quench immediately with water or wet rag.

Break loose in the tighten direction first.

I'd be happy to learn any other tricks.
Who\'s yer Data?

unklian

Heat. The Aluminum will expand faster than the steel, breaking the bond.

Mac

I heard once that you pause with the wrench before applying torque to sink heat out of the bolt...contracting it. Fastener esoterica!
Who\'s yer Data?

enjenjo

T5s have a sealer on most of the bolts from the factory that make them hard to remove. I use moderate heat, propane torch, and an impact wrench to remove them. I use Rector Seal as a sealer when reassembling.
Welcome to hell. Here's your accordion.

Mac

I'm pretty sure I'm dealing with the corrosion result of dissimilar metals and rust belt wrenching.
I was just eyeing the oxy/ac rig but so far have stuck to the prop. torch. When I took the S10 tail off, the very bottom bolt sheared off at the head. Even then I had to cokes the housing off from the broken stub due to corrosion.
Who\'s yer Data?

Arnold

Quote from: "enjenjo"T5s have a sealer on most of the bolts from the factory that make them hard to remove. I use moderate heat, propane torch, and an impact wrench to remove them. I use Rector Seal as a sealer when reassembling.

 Impact.
 A real old timer(engine builder) said he used an old beat up beam torque wrench..and often a cheater pipe..and admitted to wacking said beat up torque wrench.I have used an old Gray beam torque wrench and * it quick.I don't use or of course trust that wrench anymore
.  Any kind of impact. One of those hand held impact drivers from British Motorcycle days :lol: Ya..the allen key conversion.
 I use a cheap..as in $50 electric plug in one from Canadian Tire up here in Ontario :lol: It has 250 ft lbs. but it is SOOooo gentle..this thing will take out just about any rusted fastener and not break it.I doubt if it has 250 ft pounds. Problem is it is huge and heavy :evil:
  I bought this thing because I could not remove some rusted fwd hub bolts. My 3/4 ratchet was going to break the stud. I did not have an impact gun. I took the hub in to a machine shop..they grabbed a 550ft lb gun and pretty much instantly broke off the stud..I th.ought there has to be a better way. I bought the above gun and took out every other single stud.
 I bought a cordless impact with 220 ft lbs. I tested it..it had about170.
Still plenty powerful.
  This thing is almost guaranteed one of..if not..the worst tools I have ever picked up.
  I used it ONCE to drive in a bunch of fasteners into some concrete.
  The first one broke..the second one broke.Ya ok..something is very,very wrong.
  This impact gun strikes so fast and so hard at first..building up so much power so fast it..that it can break off or wreck ANYTHING. However if you have a couple of batteries on hand and want to fasten whatever fast at about 130/140 ft lbs. no other gun can compare.
 Yes..I will be testing the next gun BEFORE :evil: I buy it.

enjenjo

Quote from: "Mac"I'm pretty sure I'm dealing with the corrosion result of dissimilar metals and rust belt wrenching.
I was just eyeing the oxy/ac rig but so far have stuck to the prop. torch. When I took the S10 tail off, the very bottom bolt sheared off at the head. Even then I had to cokes the housing off from the broken stub due to corrosion.

Set a nut over the broken bolt. Weld it in place using plenty of heat. Let it cool, then put a wrench on it, and tap it back and forth using plenty of PB blaster. sooner or later it will come loose. Continue to turn it back and forth as you are removing the bolt to work the penetrating oil into the threads. PB blaster is the best thing I have found for for aluminum corrosion.
Welcome to hell. Here's your accordion.

Mac

It been a couple of years since I had PB Blaster around. I'll give that a try along with working it back and forth. Weld a nut on as last resort, there's precious room, especially the top right bolt to the bell housing. It's one that's fighting me.

Thanks
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Rochie

The best penetrant I've found is a 50/50 mix of Auto Trans fluid and acetone. Try it you will be amazed

Mac

I finally got to the point where I looked at the bell housing and decided it needed sacrificing. It is (or was) the Camaro style that clocks the trans toward the driver anyway and no use to me. The bottom bolts came out without too much trouble, it was the top 2 that refused so I chopped the bell out around the upper bolts with air grinder/disc wheel and chisel.
Even so the top left bolt needed repeated heat>juice>hammer>torque to get it out of the NON THREADED trans hole it was so corroded.
ATF & Acetone, too!
Lord deliver me from the Rust Belt. I can't move south soon enough.
Who\'s yer Data?

unklian

Quote from: "Rochie"The best penetrant I've found is a 50/50 mix of Auto Trans fluid and acetone. Try it you will be amazed

https://www.engineeringforchange.org/news/files/ENGR103-WD40Alternative-FinReport.pdf