frozen bolt & nuts

[Frank Thompson]

Any suggestions for removing frozen nuts and bolts on exhaust manifold/ exhaust pipe connection on old MF135 tractor? Am using Liquid Wrench w/o success. I want to be careful not to break bolts. Frank

[trader4]

Surest method is to heat the nut with a torch. Using an impact type wrench is always better than just applying constant torque.

[Big Al]

Or, if you can do it, split the nut.

Al

[mm]

You want to heat the nut more than if the nut comes off, and the engine block more than the bolt, if the bolt comes out

If the engine runs, you can run it for a while and heat everything up, but it will heat the block maybe a bit before it heats the bolts that go into it. REgardless, when I did it, the one bolt I needed came out with only moderate to hard force, compared to impossible before.

OTOH, it might heat the bolt with a nut on it before it heats the nut, so I guess you should heat those with a propane or MAPP torch.

[Jackson]

I've never had any luck with Liquid Wrench, but great success stories using a long soak with something called Kroil:

[Charlie Bress]

Their website says it is not for personal use or retail sale. How do you propose a DIYer to get it?

Charlie

[Ken]

Wow, I never actually read the disclaimer on anything before, but it does say that its not for consumer use. I suggest going ahead and ordering it anyway. I have a can of aerokroil (a fellow consumer gave it to me), and in my experience it works better than liquid wrench.

Ken

[Joe]

HEAT! Lots of heat. MAPP gas might do it, but it takes forever. Use a regular oxy-acetylene torch with a # 3 or better tip. Heat a fair area around the old nuts and keep working the torch around until the nut turns nice bright red. Have your tools handy to spin it right off. What makes the high heat work is changing the Fe2O3 (rust) to Fe3O4 black oxide which has a smaller phsical volume. The expansion of the nut is part of the process, too. HTH

Joe

[Steve Barker]

Kroil is probably the finest rust penetrate available.

PB blaster works well also.

A torch works best.

[Anonymous]

Take it to a garage ! They've got the lift, they've got the tools, they've got the parts, and they do it every day.

I'll tackle most do-it-yourself jobs....except exhaust systems.

[Steve Barker]

good point. It's no fun working with rusty studs on a lift. I would never even consider it on my back.

as for the original post, if it's a nut and bolt situation, then the best you can hope for is to put the impact to it and break it in half. Then install a new nut and bolt. done.

[mm]

I just heard Click and Clack recommend Liquid Wrench for a squeaking rear on, when the guy drives over bumps. I would have thought something more like oil.

I have had success with Liquid Wrench removing bolts, but I haven't tried it on exhaust manifold. Nothing that was especially hot.

Follow the instructions, which say to put it on in advance and strike the metal with something metal to make it vibrate so the LW works its way into the crark. I would put it on a day in advance. Don't remember what the instructions say, but maybe that.

[mm]

Curious. I don't recognize the MF135. Is this a garden tractor, like I thought, or a big farm tractor? If the latter, are the front wheels close together or as far apart as the rear tires.

I'm trying to imagine putting a garden tractor on a lift, or how to lift a farm tractor with close-set front wheels. ...Aren't the engine parts accesible without a lift?

[N8N]

I heard that too, they're full of crap. Putting a petroleum product on a squeaking rubber bushing is a good way to get it to fail more quickly than it already is.

You can't put too much penetrating oil on rusty parts, but sometimes heat is the only thing that works. When all else fails, studs can be drilled out and holes retapped. If you don't have "the touch" for doing this, it might be worthwhile borrowing someone who does.

nate

[Jackson]

Yup, just place the order.

[Nate Nagel]

I'm guessing it's a vintage Massey-Ferguson, not sure how big, though. Generally accessability is pretty good, although some of the old tractors had separate frames which might make accessability marginally difficult. Can't remember which ones - most of my tractor experience was with really old (i.e. WWII vintage) Farmalls, which simply used the drivetrain as the main structural member.

nate

[Frank Thompson]

farm tractor abot 40+ years old... both wheels are about same distancew apart

[Nate Nagel]

I'd almost forgotten about that trick. I've used it in the past when I didn't have access to an oxyacetylene torch. It does work.

nate

[Chuck (in SC)]

pictures of mf135

[Anonymous]

You might want to try this .. .. ..

Heat the area with a torch until it's pretty hot .. not red, but pretty hot. Take an old candle and apply the wax around the joint just like as if you were soldering copper pipe. Keep the area hot for a few minutes, keep applying the wax. After a little bit of that, let it cool for a few minutes and see if it doesn't come apart with moderate torque. It seems the heat expads both pieces of metal, but in so doing, it breaks the bond caused by the rust & corrosion. The candle wax wicks down into the joint, lubricating it enough to get it apart. I've used this many times, especially on exhaust parts where both the nut and bolt were pretty badly corroded. Can't hurt to try.