Rusted bolts

[anthonyac1]

I have a coworker in a mission to replace about 50 stainless nuts n bolts on like a couple of 10" PVC flange. The old steel rusted bolts r about 5 years old m rusted out good he said he can't flip out the old nuts, Amy recommmendatiom

[chesehd]

It is going to sound crazy but after soaking with WD-40/PB Blaster/Liquid Wrench try to tighten the heads just a little bit to break them loose. You can also spend about 2-3 minutes tapping each bolt with a hammer before turning them. I know tightening is the exact opposite of your objective but after soaking, then tapping, it frequently works.

If all that fails there is always the torch...

Good Luck!

Ken

[jpsmith1cm]

I'm having a hard time understanding exactly what is going on, here.

Is he able to loosen the bolt and remove it? Is the nut the problem?

By "flip out the old nuts" do you mean that they are some sort of captive system that holds the nuts in place?

Pictures would go a long way to clarifying if possible.


I'm on board with a good soak-down with aerokroil and a couple of good taps with a hammer. That'll loosen the rust up good.


If you've got some sort of captive system holding the nut, you may be into drilling and using an easy-out to pull the nuts out.

[Tech Rob]

I've never seen stainless nuts and bolts rusted so bad that they couldn't be taken apart. If they're plain old grade 2 steel nuts and bolts like are used everywhere, I'd skip the oil and go right to a grinder with a cutoff wheel. That'll make short work of those things without melting the PVC flange.

[lytning]

They make a tool called a nut cracker. If you have the room you can use this tool to split the nuts. That will most certainly assist in loosening them.
Probably NAPA has the tool.

I have a coworker in a mission to replace about 50 stainless nuts n bolts on like a couple of 10" PVC flange. The old steel rusted bolts r about 5 years old m rusted out good he said he can't flip out the old nuts, Amy recommmendatiom

[ryan1088]

I've never seen stainless nuts and bolts rusted so bad that they couldn't be taken apart. If they're plain old grade 2 steel nuts and bolts like are used everywhere, I'd skip the oil and go right to a grinder with a cutoff wheel. That'll make short work of those things without melting the PVC flange.

That's what's I wa thinking too.

[Tommy knocker]

Sounds like he has steel now and replacing with stainless. I'm with the guys on a good soaking with Kroil. Let it soak a while and do its thing. I like a 1/2" impact to prevent snapping rusted bolts. Good luck. Also seen PVC flange so I would not put a smoke wrench on it.

[Tommy knocker]

I've never seen stainless nuts and bolts rusted so bad that they couldn't be taken apart. If they're plain old grade 2 steel nuts and bolts like are used everywhere, I'd skip the oil and go right to a grinder with a cutoff wheel. That'll make short work of those things without melting the PVC flange.

I like this too

[chesehd]

Doh! PVC flange...forget the torch. Missed that detail.

[dlove]

I like this too

if you have room to do this this is the best!!! dont even think about anything else...I had a tech work on a 8 in flange..I was not there,,,i think he tapped to hard and was messing with the bolts,,,,the pipe was an old condensor loop...cracked the flange...hair line crack....what a mess....

[Tommy knocker]

if you have room to do this this is the best!!! dont even think about anything else...I had a tech work on a 8 in flange..I was not there,,,i think he tapped to hard and was messing with the bolts,,,,the pipe was an old condensor loop...cracked the flange...hair line crack....what a mess....

Hopefully its valves out, the flange, before he starts doing ANYTHING to it. Nothing like a 5" column of fluid getting loose to get the adrenalin going.

[anthonyac1]

hey guys. sorry for the confuseing post i was beat after work i knocked out while writing it but to clear it all up. the original contractor used steel bolts so they are rusted out beyond anything so one of our techs has to remove the bolts and replace them with stainless steel bolts. you cannot tremove the nut so he just grinds off the nut, so now you have the hex head with the shaft of the bolt still in the flange it wont budge some slide out after tapping them and soaking them but others wont budge. today i spoke with him he said with the grinder he cut a fine slit in the edge of the flange and lightly pry it open while tapping them out. i guess thats working for him. i was curious to see what others do in this case.

[Greend88]

Try a spud wrench to pry the flanges after you get a bolt out. http://toolmonger.com/2012/02/23/its-a-spud-wrench/

[Tech Rob]

hey guys. sorry for the confuseing post i was beat after work i knocked out while writing it but to clear it all up. the original contractor used steel bolts so they are rusted out beyond anything so one of our techs has to remove the bolts and replace them with stainless steel bolts. you cannot tremove the nut so he just grinds off the nut, so now you have the hex head with the shaft of the bolt still in the flange it wont budge some slide out after tapping them and soaking them but others wont budge. today i spoke with him he said with the grinder he cut a fine slit in the edge of the flange and lightly pry it open while tapping them out. i guess thats working for him. i was curious to see what others do in this case.

I think cutting the flange is a very bad idea. I would tap those bolts out with a punch, drill them out, or whatever. Cutting the flange would not even be an option to me.

[anthonyac1]

I think cutting the flange is a very bad idea. I would tap those bolts out with a punch, drill them out, or whatever. Cutting the flange would not even be an option to me.

i can see where your comming from. i was curious to know i was there to replace 2 compressors on the rooftop as he was working on that. he said when he taps the bolt the pvc wants to crack. i was thinking a portable vise with a metal pin on the bottom side of the bolt then 2 small spacers or mini sockets on the top side with the hex head of the bolt in the middle of the 2 sockets then you get the vise and clamp down on the whole rig in wich the pin will push the bolt up and out since you have the spacers it will travel a few inches before hitting the other side of the vise...... if your still following me lol

[Tech Rob]

If that thing, whatever you're working on, is valved off and drained, then cut all of the bolts at the same time and just work the entire pipe and flange until all of the bolts fall right out.

I know exactly what you mean. I've never done it, but I could see how maybe you could do that with a c-clamp and a short piece of pipe.

[anthonyac1]

If that thing, whatever you're working on, is valved off and drained, then cut all of the bolts at the same time and just work the entire pipe and flange until all of the bolts fall right out.

I know exactly what you mean. I've never done it, but I could see how maybe you could do that with a c-clamp and a short piece of pipe.

I think he is making it more of a mission than what it really is. He is a union pipe fitter for about 13 years so I don't wanna go up on his ladder n tell him much. I'm just getting into the union but I've worked for a non union shop where the owner will throw me on anything n I better find a solution, one thing I must say it made me well rounded. So I don't tell him much but he has been on this for about a week now

[Tech Rob]

I don't tell him much but he has been on this for about a week now

Well, I haven't seen the site and I don't really know what he's up against, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I mentally face-palmed when I read your last statement.

[Tommy knocker]

13 year pipe fitter? On this for a week now? Wow. He could have cut the whole flange, rust bolts included, out and put a whole new one in in a half day. $100 an hour, or more, for a week? I'd be one pi$$ed off customer.

[syndicated]

An electric, or pneumatic impact wrench will likely solve the problem as well.