Inspection chamber cover: Screws wl not unscrew...

[Andy Burns]

Or a trolley jack at one end and a human at the other ...

[alan_m]

For my manhole cover I just lever it up with a 'utility bar'

I lever it up on one side just enough to slide/kick a piece of scrap wood underneath, Once raised this far and is supported with the wood just lift one edge by hand so that the the cover is vertical and then just swing it to one side.

[Andy Burns]

But is it filled with umpty kilos of stone/cement? And has it been sitting there for years getting sand wedged into all its crevices?

[alan_m]

It's bloody heavy - probably the original from 100+ years ago.

[Maurice]

The cover seems a very tight fit on the chamber, althogh I haven't had time to get on with post-bolt-removal stage yet.

Need some sharp gadget to start clearing whatever slight gap there is there. Usually a slim straight spade blade does the trick; not sure the chunky utility bar could get its claw in.

[Tim+]

Are you just trolling or are you wilfully ignoring the suggestion to use J keys as suggested (and link provided) earlier on?

It's clear that the clearances down the sides are too narrow for any prying device so you're going to have to hoik it out with something poked down the screw holes. A J-shaped key sounds ideal. Hardly rocket science to improvise something if you don't fancy buying keys.

Tim

[Maurice]

I can't find anything there that is other than hook/T-end,D-end - no use. None for threaded situation. The only gadget I could find that might have the needed screw fitment is this on Amazon:

but not sure yet the screw fittings would suit.

[Tim+]

How do you know? A hook/J-ended bar seems to be exactly what you need.

As I've already explained, the cover is almost certainly unthreaded. A threaded lifting bar is probably not what you want.

Look on eBay for "lifting bars". Pick a J shaped one that looks like it will fit through the holes.

Tim

[Maurice]

Sadly, it doesn't, although there may be a gadget that has a slightly larger screw thread that would grip the side of the bolt hole. (Or one of those expanding bolts (e.g. Rawlplug) that are inserted and then expanded to grip.) That might be the only 'lifting' solution.

No, not enough...

[Roger Mills]

I don't see how that would help. You need two hands on each pair of keys, angling them towards each other as you lift.

[Maurice]

I suspect you are right!

But I'm reluctant to remove the infill, as the cover is currently flush with the often-used paved patio, so the lat resort is to try to lever the lid out with e.g. a spade, although the gap between cover and frame is small (e.g.

3mm) at best..

[Roger Mills]

But, in this case, the lid is effectively a box which is a fairly tight fit inside another box. You need to left it out square - otherwise it will jam.

[Roger Mills]

Pressure washer, to wash the crud out?

[Roger Mills]

Forget the bl**dy threads! The holes in the lid are almost certainly not threaded. Even if they were, the J keys will hook onto the undersides of the holes, allowing the lid to be lifted.

[Insert the hooked end of the keys into the holes with the handles almost horizontal and facing each other. Then move the handles towards the upright position - and lift.]

[dennis]

I will post another link to show what the handles look like but to be honest I don't think it will help do so.

[Andy Burns]

I'd expect those to buckle at the mere sight of a stone filled cover, even before I saw they were Silverline.

[dennis]

I did say look like. They claim to be hardened so they should be quite strong.

[Maurice]

Seems I need to take another look at 'J' keys.

As the bolt hole is 1/4" dia, would need to find a J key that will go down that and be the right diameter to permit 'hooking' underneath. So when the hook of the J key emerges from the lower end of the bolt hole, what is the trick for engaging the hook on the underside of the cover?

It may well be that the lower end of the bolt hole abuts the threaded flange into which the bolt screws, so there would be no way the hook could find a grip. That's why I didn't pursue 'J' keys (or 'T; keys or 'D' keys).

And that's why I suspect - as I postulated earlier - something like an expanding rawlplug might do the trick, by clamping within the bolt hole, but for all I know the bolt hole may be just a gap in the infill below which the receiving threaded flange sits, rather than a hole in a solid that could cope with the pressure of an expanding plug.

Still awaiting reply from

w.r.t. their product:

"All trays manufactured locked with 4 galvanised steel screws as standard. When unlocked screw holes act as lifting eyes." as to HOW the screw holes act as 'lifting eyes'...

Failing all else, I shall have to leave the situation as is, so that if/when the drain unblocking guy next comes he will be able to remove the bolts (which he failed to do on his first visit)...

Many thanks to all who have responded - much appreciated!

Perhaps there is still time to find a solution to 'take gold'...

[Tim+]

The penny drops!

It's called "poking it in and wiggling it until it jams".

Obvious (to me anyway), you're not going to insert it into the threaded parts of the hole.

From looking at the pictures of the new lid posted previously the screws pass through a square section hole before reaching the threaded hole in the lower flange. Just poke the J key through the hole and jam it up against the side of the square section of tube.

I think I've covered that.

Given the minimal price of lifting keys on eBay, just buy some and try them.

Tim

[GB]

Now you have the bolts out, you can use a thin screwdriver to work out what is down there. Or shine a light down.

Are you over-thinking this problem?