anyone have some tried and true methods for removing stuck bolts without breaking the heads off? i'm trying to get the old parking brake cable out so i can replace it. have tried a good penatrating lubricant, but it's still stuck. it's one of those clevis pin-in-yoke deals, and i got one side of the yoke to brake free, but not the other. now i'm afraid i'll bend the yoke if i "persuade" it too much. thanks guys!! jon
just checking old posts here... the re-pop e-brake lines suck? why is that? i'm replacing the passenger side one because it looks like it was cut off with a torch at the wheel. driver's side is prolly ok, i just figured if i'm doing one... why not upgrade. hmmm. good thing i didn't get to throw away the old ones i guess. jon
nut splitter Just the name of that tool makes me cross my legs everytime I say it/write it! Without looking, I'm not sure there's room to get one on where you're talking about. If there is, that's my solution. Just say, "Screw you rusted nut!" as you tighten the splitter down. It saves a lot of aggrivation! Reprod lines aren't any good I guess I have another small reason to like the '99 and up rear swap. Jack Halton's '51 GMC 1/2 ton, on the stove bolt page is an in-line duzey! Once again, my well laid plans are muddled by stuff like this! It's a great write up and some neat ideas! Thank God I'm not nearly finished with my frame!
Well ; The clevis proper is cast iron so it's difficult to break but using a nut splitter (SEARS , Harbor Freight) makes good sense . These days ou can send your old frozen park brake cables to specialty cableplaces that will replace the inner cable and swedje new ends on it.... I don't have the nmes of said places but the hot rod guys use them for custon clutch cables etc. If you manage to get your entire cable Ay. off , lay it in a clean drain pan and cover with 1/2" of pure anit-freeze , this should evenutally soak through the Bowden and lube it for life . I occasionally see N.O.R.S. cables on E-pay.... Indeed , ' Rust Is The Devil ' and worse , rust never sleeps !
got my yokes off the old cables with some old fashioned heat, tried soaking in wd40 but no success so got my trusty braising torch out, not red an black adjustables (oxy acet) just a propane gas torch (little less intense) and warmed it up till nearly cherry, clamped cable end in vice and put an adjustable wrench on yoke and gently twisted one way then next, after few mins (be patient and don't force it) it started to come free, then when i had about 1/2 turn of movement i sprayed releasing oil (wd40) and continued one way then back and gradually worked it up off the thread, takes patience though, easy to force it too hard and bust something. (usually your knuckles lol) ________ Upskirt tubes
Speaking Of _Penetrants_ ...WD-40 is NOT a penetrant ! . it is a solvent and can wreck things (like key locks) if you're not very carefull with it . I don't use it nor keep the odd cans I find in old klunkers I buy . The very best is : Kroil or SiliKroil from Kano Labs in Tennesee . PB Blaster and Gibbs are also top notch as is the NAPA " Bols Blaster " or whatever the heck they call it . I still like Liquid Wrench too .
good info. thank you. and i was wondering, does the nut splitter just take the heads off of bolts, and then you still have to drill them out? i've never used one before. jon
Jon, the nut splitter will split the nut in half and then you can normally back out the bolt or just give it a good whack with a hammer to pop the bolt out.
The Truth About WD-40 Well ; Lots of folks think it's a penetrant and then don't want to pony up for a real penetrant when it doesn't work , or twist off a bolt that would have unscrewed if they'd used a penetrant instead of that crap in the 1st. place... It's a tool , not a very good one but still has it's uses .
The best thing that i've used it for is to get tar off your car finish without screwing up the finish.
Like I said : it's a solvent , not a lubricant nor penetrant . The Los Angles DWP used to buy it by the gallon for hand washing as it cuts right through the Treacly , gooey crap they use in high tension devices.... I dunno is that's O.K. from a chemical poisoning standpoint tho
Well wd40 has done me just fine over the years, maybe its a different product over here, who knows, ive found that the best way to free any rusty bolt etc is to clean away as much corrosion as possible first, ideally with a rotory wire brush, then apply your favorite chemical agent, be it wd or whatever, people just spray the item all covered in rust and then go at it with a wrench, it often only penetrates the rust and never gets to the actual bolt/screw. ________ Yamaha Shs-10 History
Tapping the rusted fastener helps a lot as the vibrations help the penetrant wick in.... You're 100 % right about wire brushing the rust off the rusty fastener 1st. You really have to experiance Kroil to believe it , I was hesitant for several years as the shortie cans are -so- expensive but once I ponied up for their ' starter pack ' I never looked back and I work on a _lot_ of rusty junk that's been buried in the sand or a forest for 35 years before I find it and begin stripping bits off....
Chemistry 101 I threw every can of "you know what" in the trash except for one. After running a spectrum analysis of the liquid in that last bottle, i have come to the same conclusion as Nate. It is 50% Stoddard solvent (mineral spirits), 25% carbon dioxide (probably used as a propellant), 15% mineral oil. The last 10% is what we mad scientists call inerts. My grandfather used to spray it on his joints for arthritis. He swore it worked.
Had a neighbor who has sinced passed away. He was a really good guy. He had been around these parts for so long he knew where all the bones were buried. Anyway, said the best thing he had found for arthritis in his hands was WD40. I guess it will penetrate enough to lubricate if you spray it on your knuckles. I don't think I would try it on other appendages though.
It's amazing how what started as stuck parking brake cables ends up here with appendages being sprayed. These post's do turn funny after awhile. Thanks ,Steve
Wd I guess I should chip in a bit of info........... WD works great for a oil fired blow torch!!!!!!!!!! at least for a minute. Then it's a hand held BOMB TB'sD
Okay I'll give my two cents for all it's worth. I work on a lot of rusty old exhaust, (yes bmw exhaust does rust) and Kroil is the best I have come across. Works about 90 % of the time. If you spray the bolt after cleaning and add some heat, it works great.
