Removing stubborn seized wheels

[Cursitor Doom]

Hi, fellow diy enthusiasts,

I've got a problem with this arc welder I'm restoring (Oxford oil cooled 300 Amp job in case you were wondering). Anyway, it has a solid steel wheel at each base corner and three of 'em are seized solid and absolutely will not budge. It was left for years in a damp and leaky garage, so no doubt the weather played a large part here. The wheels are solid steel, about 3.5" diam and about 1" thick. I need to get them off their stub axels. I tried Duck Oil drops twice a week for a month; didn't help at all. I tried giving them the blowlamp treatment; didn't work. I tried two blowlamps at the same time and still no joy - still insufficient heat I would guess. I've also tried one of those HD oil filter wrenches to get them to turn but still no luck. Running out of ideas now. The only thing I can think of is hiring a oxy/acetelyne rig to get more heat, but that's going to cost. Is there anything else less drastic I can try before going down the oxy route?

cheers,

cd

[newshound]

Sounds like you have already tried the obvious.

Lay it on its side, add a plasticine "dam" and fill with penetrating oil, give it at least a week to soak with liquid oil present at the top interface. In principle, brick acid applied the same way *might* dissolve some of the rust which no doubt is the actual problem.

Drill and tap a couple of holes near the periphery but diametrally opposite, attach a substantial piece of angle iron or square section tube, apply torque backwards and forwards while also applying oil.

Rather than hiring a rig, might it be cheaper to take it to a welder or garage, if you know a friendly one?

[harryagain]

I wouldn't lay an oil filled transformer on its side, the oil may leak out.

NB. In a transformer that old, it may not be oil but PCB, highly carcinogenic. You don't want to be messing with that stuff.

Dangerous if there are leaks/spills. There are stringent rules for disposing of this stuff, Expensive too. You should get in touch with the makers.

[Cursitor Doom]

Not sure if you're the bloke here that previously mentioned this "issue" but I DID speak to the makers about it (the top bloke, in fact) and he assured me they've never, ever used that kind of oil in their welders. This stuff is so harmless you can fry chips in it, he reckons.

[Cursitor Doom]

Like the dam idea but can't really tip it over in case the oil leaks out.

Nice idea, but the way it is the axels would snap off before the wheels ever moved. The oil needs to do its job properly first really.

Sure, I'll just chuck it in the back of the motor and take it down there, it only weighs about 4cwt. ;-)

[Nightjar]

Have you tried a gear puller?

[Nightjar]

It was. I also remember you telling him before. However, that won't stop Harry bringing it up again if you mention an oil filled transformer.

[Fredxxx]

My experience of steel on steel with a little oil in between is that heating the joint up seems to make things even harder to separate.

Unfortunately steel on steel can also cold-weld.

Can you get the whole stub axle assembly off and put it in a vice or press?

Stilsons for extra leverage?

Depending on the stub axle, could you drill the centre and remake the stub axles? How complex are they?

[Capitol]

I've never seen a portable oil filled unit which wasn't fully sealed. Unless the transformer casing is rusted through, laying it on its side will not be a problem. I'd try a mix of paraffin and engine oil for a few days as has been suggested. Then I'd try using an impact hammer on the wheel outer to get some vibration, SDS drill perhaps, set to chisel mode, if you haven@t an impact hammer or an air operated palm nailer.

[Brian Gaff]

Or cut off the wheels and fit some others instead. This sounds like its a bit too far gone. Brian

[Cursitor Doom]

Not yet. I don't have one. It's a good idea in principle, but access may be a problem since there's not much clearance between the tank and the wheels. Suppose I could cobble one up myself to get around that issue. Something to think about....

[Cursitor Doom]

Not really, they're welded onto the bottom of the tank

I like your thinking there with regards to the drilling out the centres. But remaking the axels makes the whole thing the most time consuming suggestion so far. I'm not even sure how I could go about it. The axels are extremely simple but being as they're welded to the tank's underside, making good will be problematic.

[Dave Liquorice]

Or cut some holes ina hefty bit of ply for the wheels to poke through and fit new wheels/castors to te bit of ply.

Plus Gas is pretty damn good a freeing things off. Diesel is supposed to be good as well, as always leave to soak. But to be honest a longterm steel on steel siezed joint I wouldn't waste much time on.

[Cursitor Doom]

Which is the best penetrating solvent/lube for this kind of thing? Plus Gas? WD40? Duck Oil? Diesel/parafin Or something else?

[Tim Lamb]

Angle grinder?

Cut a slot through the wheel down to near the axle. Hammer off. Clean up bearing surfaces. Weld slot closed. Grease and re-fit.

>

[Nightjar]

What about completely ignoring the existing wheels and axles? You could make a trolley with its own new wheels that the welder sits in.

[Dave Liquorice]

I'd use Plus Gas, as I have some. After that diesel after that give up or perhaps Plus Gas again then give up.

[F Murtz]

Automatic transmission and acetone 50 50.

[Muddymike]

Hi, fellow diy enthusiasts,

Make use of the welder to weld a bar across a wheel to form a hefty lever. It that doesn't get them turning cut the buggers off, drill out the stubs and weld on new stubs.

Mike

[Cursitor Doom]

I'd like to try to keep it all original if possible. Anyway, I've had about as many suggestions as I can deal with now, so thanks to all. I shall give the 'dam' method a try first since it's minimally aggressive and least effort and time-consuming, then work my way through the others if that fails. :-)

cheers,

cd