Anybody have experience with this. Before I go out and seriously burn myself, i was wondering if anybody could give me the "do's and don'ts" about using a torch on a stuck bolt. I'm very mechanically inclined but am a learning novice.
Thanks
-jeremy

 

It`s easy. The idea is to heat the metal that the bolt is screwed into-a nut or tapped hole. Make sure there are no electrics nearby or, more important no fuel lines. You can go two routes. Heat to red and unscrew bolt or heat to red and quench with water to "shock" the joint. Once you have the nut red hot you will be surprised how easy the bolt unscrews. One word of warning, the wrench gets very hot near the bolt!

 

Just make sure your not around anything flamable for starters. What bolt are you trying to warm up?

 

if your cutting very rusty bolts, rusted to the point of flaking aspecially it tends to pop alot, and that rust hurts.

 

Moved to garage forum.

Check out the Candle Trick in the Read First: FAQ thread here.

 

Just be sure that any nut or bolt that you heat with a torch in order to remove it goes in the trash afterwards. Don't even THINK about reusing it. For anything.

 

I keep short pieces of aluminum or light sheet metal around to shield anything flammable like a hose, fuel lines or wiring.

 

i'm trying to remove the filler bolt on a volvo manual transmission. The aluminum shielding seems like a great idea.
Question:
Since there is no nut to heat, do i heat the filler bolt till red-hot or the transmission casing to red-hot?

thanks,
-jeremy

 

jeremy,
DO NOT HEAT TO RED HOT! If the heating process were to work for your application, your only trying to create an expansion of the material that the bolt (screw) is threaded into in order to break the corrosion bind. If the trans were made of aluminum, this expansion will be greatest. Steel not as much, but will still break bind. Refrain from putting the heat to the bolt, as this will only expand the bolt to the same expansion as the trans, with negligable results. After you have completed the heating, also try to strike the head of the bolt in the axial direction, not a side hit, in order to release corrosion bind.
Good luck!

 

You only need enough heat for the job, apply heat and then try to remove the plug, apply again until you can move the plug. Heat transfers which destroys seals and gaskets, red hot is not a good choice in your situation.

 

I'd use the candle trick first. (Do a search-lots of info on the candle trick in the forums) Doesn't require quite as much heat to get the wax to penetrate. If it is a steel bolt into an aluminum structure, be real careful as the aluminum will melt without warning if you get it hot enough.

 

i would think that that is a bad idea. heat on a tranny with oil in it = bad.

 

Last VW I worked on, the mechanic at the dealership said "Don't be afraid to force it."

It's finding a 17mm allen wrench that made the job interesting. Once that part of the task was done, a 4' length of steel pipe and 150 lbs of downforce did the job.

 

thanks everyone for the ideas and info. I'm gonna try your ideas and let you know how it turns out.
thanks,
-jeremy

 

Aluminum won't show red, it will just melt... you shouldn't need a cutting torch or such to heat it enough, a regular propane torch likely would work.