Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2000 11:55:04 -0500
Reply-To: Bulley <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Bulley <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Subject: Lugnut worries + Repost of Secret to removing stuck nuts
Stop wasting your time.
Drive to a hardware store and buy a (hardened) steel nut with an inside
diameter the same size as the outside of your mangled lugnut. Take the van
to a garage, and have them nest the new nut around the remains of your
lugnut, weld the two together. Then they can use the new nut to remove the
first. Prolly $20, well spent.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
REPOST OF SECRET TO REMOVING STUCK NUTS
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Folks-
My grandfather was an inventor, and a lead machinist for Chrysler during
her glory days (1920's-1965). He taught me how to use a slide rule, and a
few other things. One of the most important lessons he taught me was how to
completely avoid breaking off metal fasteners and rounding bolt heads. If
you never want to break a stud again, follow the wisdom of my grandfather,
Cyril Leonard Bulley (1903-1987).
(Background, explained in common English).
Metal bolts, studs, and nuts that have been fixed in position for a while
don't stick because they are too tight. Therefore trying to remove them by
turning them is dumb. You simply can't apply enough torque to the fastener
without damaging the tool, or the fastener, creating HOURS of work or
needless delay in chasing replacements.
Fasteners stick because of covalent or ionic bonding (I forget which, or
maybe it is both). But the point is, when you force two piece of metal into
close contact, and hold them there, PARTICULARLY when there is moisture and
heating/cooling present, they start forming tiny bonds between the
molecules of the two parts. This is really easy to see on old corroded
parts, but even on shiny "new-looking" parts, the bonds can be VERY strong.
Much stronger than you. But as I said, the way to break those bonds is NOT
strength.
The way to loosen them is to use vibration. Yep. You heard right.
VIBRATION. You see, those little bonds can stand up to constant rotational
pressure (torque) very well. But they are extremely FRAGILE in the face of
focused vibration of the bolt threads up and down. Here is how to apply
focussed vibration, so you will NEVER break another fastener again.
Let's say that the fastener is an outer CV joint bolt...the type with the
12-pointed star head that is buried inside your trailing arms. Tough nut?
You bet.
RULE NUMBER ONE: Soak it. Saturate with a penetrating oil for at least one
day. Brand doesn't matter. Use whatever has worked for you in the past.
Just let it do its thing for at least a day. Tougher bolts, and longer
threads: do it for up to a week. You know you are going to work on it, so
start loosening stuff up NOW. Re-saturate just prior to commencing the
loosening procedure, and at least once during the process below.
Next, we are going to create our vibration. Using a 12" ratchet extension
and the 12-pointed star attachment, fully seat the tool into the fastener.
If there is a lot of crud in the fastener, pick it out with a toothpick or
such.
RULE NUMBER TWO: Tap it. Next, using a small hammer, and fair blows, begin
firmly tapping the end of the ratchet extension, as if to drive the tool
into the bolt. The key here is to use firm taps, NOT heavy blows. You don't
want to damage the tool or the fastener, and you are looking for a
vibration, not an earthquake. Larger bolts/nuts would take harder blows,
smaller; lighter.
Tap if you were driving a picture-hanging nail into a cheap sheet rock
wall. Tap- tap- tap- tap- tap- tap- tap- tap- tap- tap- tap- tap- tap- tap.
200 times. That is right TWO-HUNDRED TAPS, or for about 2 minutes. You want
to tap fairly quickly, like the sound of the bell when the stock market
closes, or like the bell at a train crossing gate. About 120-140 bpm. Pause
to re-apply penetrating oil, and to contemplate the fact that you are
saving yourself the abominable misery of a broken bolt. Now tap for another
2-minutes, or 200 taps.
RULE NUMBER THREE. Clean it. Now we are nearly ready for your moment of
glory. But first, you MUST make sure that the mating surface between the
tool, and the fastener is antiseptically clean. Now some of you are saying
"Why the h*ll should I try to clean those bolt heads...have you SEEN where
they are???" I sure have. But I'd hate to break off one of those buggers.
So I clean the tool and bolt head COMPLETELY with brake-cleaner spray, and
a toothpick, if necessary. Do not settle for even one speck of grease or
dirt. Any contamination on the mating surfaces can either lubricate, or
cause mis-alignment of the tool and the fastener, inviting calamity.
Brak-kleen is cheaper than Easy-outs, and easier to work with.
RULE NUMBER THREE also implies that you will have tools that are in good
condition. Sockets, screw drivers, hex-heads that are worn, rounded, or
damaged are not fit to attempt to loosen bonded fasteners...place all of
your damaged tools in a small kit and give it to your child to play with.
If your tools are rounded, you WILL round the head on bolts, etc.
Finally, with your clean tool, mate the tool and the fastener. Press firmly
in the proper direction to keep the tool mated securely with the fastener,
and apply a single, heavy push of torque to loosen the bolt. AMAZING, Huh?
Came right off without strain. It always will.
This same procedure will work for any bolt, nut, screw, hex-head, even
plumbing fittings. For nuts, (like the 15mm head nuts on a type 4) I tap
200 times with a 15mm socket (which chiefly vibrates the washer and the
bolt). Then I switch to a junked 14mm (which does not fit over the nut
faces, but focuses the vibration on the nut), for 200 more taps. Use your
best judgement.
It is a habit you will get in that will save you hundreds of hours if you
work on old junk frequently. Soak it, Tap it, Clean it.
G. Matthew Bulley
Bulley-Hewlett
Corporate Communications Counselors
www.bulley-hewlett.com
Cary, NC USA
888.468.4880 tollfree
"I, the undersigned, shall forfeit all rights, privileges, and licenses
herein and herein contained, et cetera, et cetera . . . fax mentis
incendium gloria culpum, et cetera, et cetera . . . memo bis punitor
delicatum!" It's all there, black and white, clear as crystal! -Wonka
-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Gkikas [SMTP:theerion@GATOR.NET]
Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2000 7:42 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Lugnut worries continue
Well, I smashed and banged with a cold chisel for about forty minutes.
The damn thing just softly disfigured into a squished up mess and still
won't break off. I think I buggered the threads a bit, since they're
showing on one little spot on the stud. The endeavor came to a stop
when I started to feel the 17F wind chill outside (raining, too) and
smashed the hell out of my index finger (still hurts this morning). :(
Any advice here? What's the story with replacing the stud?
Thanks,
Chris
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/9860/bus.html
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