Adjustable wrench seized

[Animal]

Tried HCl, ATF, heat (200C oven), hitting it with a hammer. Jaw is now loose but the thumb wheel is as stuck as ever. What else would be good to try?

[jon]

Buy another one.

[Richard]

This any help?:

[newshound]

Most wrenches can be disassembled fairly easily although the screw will be peened in place.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Animal laid this down on his screen :

Soaking in diesel and /or proper penetrating oil.

[Martin Brown]

Penetrating oil?

[Paul]

There is not much to them. I don't know if mine has the spring.

The chrome-vanadium ones really shouldn't seize up. The steel ones, you'd expect it was rust that seized it.

The pin on one of my chrome-vanadium is quite loose, so no problem getting that one apart.

With the pin out, the knurl should just fall out, or a tiny tap should have it fall out.

If the pin won't stay in later, you could put a tiny bit of Loctite on it (but don't overdo it, or you'll wipe Loctite onto the knurl). Loctite comes in grades that are colour-coded, all the way from "this Loctite is useless" to "dammit, now I can't unscrew it any more Loctite".

It's possible my old steel adjustable had the spring, but that tool was stolen long ago. So I don't have that one as a reference any more.

Paul

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

I reckon its been over tightened and its bent, hence it cannot work correctly. Not much to go wrong, its merely a worm drive along a toothed edge of the adjustable bit, and the slot its in can be deformed if somebody used some real brute force or a large bit of tube over its handle. I know I have one like that!

Brian

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

Yup if the spindle or other bit is now bent its trash. Brian

[Animal]

I guess I could give it longer with ATF, which is one of the best penetrating oils around.

[Animal]

No it's rusted.

[Tim+]

Solution of citric acid? Leave it soaking in a bath of the stuff. Good for derusting old iron.

Tim

[Martin Brown]

Unless it is of great sentimental value it might be much easier to buy another. If penetrating oil fails then the next thing I would try is take it up to red heat and then quench it in a bucket of water (or into mineral oil if your are feeling brave and old school).

If that doesn't break up the rusting then nothing will. Put it down to experience and don't store your tools under water in future!

Mine all have a slot across the end of the pin that holds the thumbwheel in place - have you tried undoing that? Cleaning the bits separately...

[Jeff Layman]

Wouldn't that affect any tempering or other metal treatment that might have been applied to the wrench or its jaws?

I wondered if the wrench could be put in a freezer for a few hours, then a gas flame applied for a few seconds to the thumbwheel and some footprints, water pump pliers, or something similar used to try to turn the thumbwheel.

[Martin Brown]

Almost certainly! Although a fast quench ought to still leave it with something like the right surface hardness properties. The alternative is tossing it and buying a replacement if it is seized solid with rust.

[newshound]

I don't think anyone has mentioned electrolytic treatment with sodium carbonate yet. That's another theoretically good option. But I still think the way to approach it is to dismantle it by removing the screw.

[Animal]

Sure. I have another.

I was given it. It's mostly ok with a few heavy rusted patches.

I pushed the screwdriver as far as I thought it could survive without breaking. No way is that undoing, not one little bit.

I could try another round of acid, but having put lots of ATF in there I wouldn't expect the acid to get in. For now I'm going to let it soak for days in ATF, thoughat this point I'm not especially confident.