Help! Frozen nut has defeated me.

Ducman · 01-01-2008, 02:10 PM

I can't get my external oil thermostat off - I'm using up cans of PB, repeated heating with my propane torch. I don't want to cut it off. Are there any other tips?

RWebb · RWebb's Garage

how many days have you been using the pb Blaster?

theclaw · 01-01-2008, 02:48 PM

I was trying to find a way to bust your balls but have you tried a 'nut splitter'

http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?itemID=2226&itemType=PRODUCT

dtw · 01-01-2008, 02:55 PM

I spent three days getting two nuts off mine. Alternating penetrant, hammer blows, and heat. They did finally come off without destroying the threads. Mind you, this is on the bench, after tearing the entire oil cooler system out of the car.

If you don't mind re-brazing the ends onto your lines and you can find the correct compression fitting nuts (Chuck Moreland can probably supply them), you can just carefully cut the existing nuts off. I did this on a line that was already destroyed anyway.

Ducman · 01-01-2008, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RWebb

how many days have you been using the pb Blaster?

Two days with liquid wrench, then switched to PB yesterday. Got about 4 cycles of soak in PB, heat nut, bang nut with chisel. Should I just keep going?

Ducman · 01-01-2008, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theclaw

I was trying to find a way to bust your balls but have you tried a 'nut splitter'

http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?itemID=2226&itemType=PRODUCT

Don't need that fancy tool - if I decide to sacrifice my nuts I'll just cut'm off like a man.

Ducman · 01-01-2008, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dtw

I spent three days getting two nuts off mine. Alternating penetrant, hammer blows, and heat. They did finally come off without destroying the threads. Mind you, this is on the bench, after tearing the entire oil cooler system out of the car.

If you don't mind re-brazing the ends onto your lines and you can find the correct compression fitting nuts (Chuck Moreland can probably supply them), you can just carefully cut the existing nuts off. I did this on a line that was already destroyed anyway.

This is what I was attemping to avoid - it doesn't seem like getting the oil lines off the engine and tank would be any easier - am I doomed to try this with all still on the car?

dtw · 01-01-2008, 03:30 PM

Heh...the lines at the engine and tank usually seem to be coated with nice oily grime. Nature's penetrating oil. Never had a problem getting these off.

I'm just sayin' - whaling away with a hammer is much easier with no shiny smooth quarterpanels nearby...

Why are you removing the thermostat?

VaSteve · 01-01-2008, 03:31 PM

get a friend to counterhold and attach a 3 foot pipe to the end of your wrench. worked like a charm for me.

dtw · 01-01-2008, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VaSteve

get a friend to counterhold and attach a 3 foot pipe to the end of your wrench. worked like a charm for me.

This is a sure-fire way to take the threads off the soft aluminum thermostat...

porsche930dude · porsche930dude's Garage

I had troubles with mine using pb and heat and a pipe wrench. Got one off and gave up on the other. Soaked it in pb overnight and it came right off no problem the next day.

ninesixfour · 01-01-2008, 03:37 PM

You need one of those stripped nut removers. It looks like a socket except the inside has these little blades that bite into whatever's left of the nut. This is just a picture from Google but you can get it at any hardware store, Home Depot, Lowes, etc.

VaSteve · 01-01-2008, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dtw

This is a sure-fire way to take the threads off the soft aluminum thermostat...

Well I did heat it and soak it in PB Blaster as well first. It was a last resort. He had already done that so I didn't mention it.

stevej37 · 01-01-2008, 03:48 PM

I tried the PB Blaster for three days along with heat....no good at the thermostat. The other ends of the oil lines came off easy. Ended up cutting the nuts off with a dremel...being careful to not damage the threads. Was replacing the lines anyways.

Ducman · 01-01-2008, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dtw

Heh...the lines at the engine and tank usually seem to be coated with nice oily grime. Nature's penetrating oil. Never had a problem getting these off.

I'm just sayin' - whaling away with a hammer is much easier with no shiny smooth quarterpanels nearby...

Why are you removing the thermostat?

Maybe you're right. It just looks like it would be hard to get ahold of the engine inlet oil line to prevent twisting it. Decided I must check the operation of the external thermostat in effort to chase down cooling issues.

john walker's workshop · 01-01-2008, 05:17 PM

heat and an air hammer and chisel bit. the bit bites into the side of the nut just before one of the points and starts it turning. finish with a 36mm wrench. if the nut is bonded to the aluminum threads, and takes them with it, there's not much you can do about it, other than wish you had split the nut with a cut-off disc and saved the t/stat. most of them come off ok this way, but you need air and the tool. i have a 36mm snap-on round style crow foot tool that's helpfiul on the inside nut where there's no room for a wrench.

dtw · 01-01-2008, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ducman

Maybe you're right. It just looks like it would be hard to get ahold of the engine inlet oil line to prevent twisting it. Decided I must check the operation of the external thermostat in effort to chase down cooling issues.

Ah ha - ok, slow down. You probably don't need to pull the thermostat to check function. When the engine warms up, you should hear some gurgling as the oil passes through the lines. The lines should also heat up. If you have access to a pyrometer, you can also shoot the lines to get a temp reading.

I had a similar issue with my 2.7. Could NOT figure out why it was overheating - under all conditions. Even cruising in cool weather would cause the temp needle to steadily climb into the "too damn hot" zone. Finally tore the engine apart and found heads with completely shot valve guides and valves. The heads were trapping heat in the engine. Strange, because the engine was not at all smoky. Hopefully this is not the case in your engine - I'm currently about $4k into the rebuild and counting...

wcc · 01-01-2008, 05:41 PM

Soak it with KROIL with a few days. It makes PB look like water. Next try heat. Then try the nut splitter. Lastly the chisel.

vash · vash's Garage

ninesixfour, that is a great tool set, but those are not going to help here.

what about slicing them with a dremel tool?

RWebb · RWebb's Garage

try JWW's plan last and pay careful attention to the part near the word "Wish"!

if you have time, yes, I'd switch to Kroil but the imp. thing is to keep tapping or smacking the nut with a metal hammer - the shock will loosen the crud and help the penetrant, er, penetrate. No guarantees. But if it was me, I'd do that for 3 days or so before giving up & I'd include at least 200 hammer taps/smacks.

next, I'd try some fairly hard wrenching - trying not to exceed the FUBAR limit (set by Al in this case)

next, I'd probably cut the sucker off...

Good Luck!

This is why people put anti-seize on these threads before re-assembly.