Free rusted bolt in only 11 steps

Jun 08, 2010 12 Replies

From Popular Mechanics

formatting link


formatting link

Another trick is to use two hammers if there is room. Hold one hammer snug against one side of the nut and whack the other side. And the old trick of repeatedly loosening and tightening works also.

Yesterday I went straight to the cold chisel and small sledge hammer route, but the bolt was 90 years old in concrete

Sometimes it's obvious there is a call for brute force :-)

A die grinder with a cutoff wheel or a nut cracker works 100% of the time.

formatting link
The print version is OK. They say the impact wrench as last resort "often snaps off the bolt". Well, my experience is that the impact wrench works when other things don't. Heat is usually needed.

Yes, In fact, I've seen an impact wrench (set at low torque) vibrate nuts off, when a regular wrench snapped the bolt every time. If you need a breaker bar, you are probably much safer with an impact wrench, some Kroil, and some patience.

I've seen tools that would vibrate your nuts off. It was all on some prevert's page on The Interweb. There were all sorts of shocking things on there too. Whips, chains, rubber underoos and lots of other strange indescribable contraptions were prominently displayed. I still haven't figured out what the weed eater and rubber chicken were for.

TDD

formatting link
to me that a tiny URL is needed.

That said, how does your 100% cure work, when a bolt (after all, we are freeing up rusted bolts) is threaded into a blind hole, like an alternator mount on an engine?

formatting link
've had that happen, also. Where impact wrench removed a nut, and breaker bars broke the threaded shaft.

The web page I found, also had a pound of wheel berring grease, and a turkey baster. I wasn't going to pay the $79.95 for the three day membership so I could figure out why.

Some one out there might know.

The link pictures a nut on a thread and continues to discuss the same. The opening line is: "We've all come across a nut that over time has rusted itself solid to the accompanying bolt."

That is what is being talked about even though the heading reads: "How to Free A Rusted Bolt"

A nut cracker or a die grinder with a cutoff wheel does work 100% of the time in the example given.

Join the Discussion

Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.

Didn't find your answer?

Ask the community — no account required