How to Remove Frozen Parts

[John Boy]

Many times, I've had frozen screws and parts the refuse to be loosened.  How to: loosen or remove them:

 

Prepare a container of 50:50 of acetone & ATF or Marvel Mystery Oil.  Soak the parts or  screws with the mixture and let stand for 15 minutes or half hour depending on severity.  The mixture needs only about 68 pounds of tested torque pressure to loosen frozen parts

 

Extreme example of effectiveness::

* I had a tow hitch on my 2006 Toyota that pulled my duck boat and was submerged every 13 years in salt water;  Needless to say, the hitch was severely rusted and refused to budge with a 20 lb sludge hammer.  So I soaked the hitch casing in the 50:50 mix for about a half hour.  Then hooked a heavy duty tow strap around a bulkhead 6x6 timber that bolted down the dead man wire buried 5 ft in the ground.  Connected the tow strap to the hitch ball - put the Toyota in 4x4 and with 3 JERKS on the tow  strap, the hitch slid right out of hitch casing ... with CHUNKS of RUST up to about a 1/4 inch

[Assassin]

We don't get rust like that in the high desert. No salt water, low humidity, and little moisture in general. Man shouldn't live below 5000 feet.

[Texas Lizard]

42 minutes ago, Assassin said:

 Man shouldn't live below 5000 feet.

But our beaches do have some nice ladies in very little....

 

Texas Lizard

[Dusty Devil Dale]

1 hour ago, John Boy said:

Many times, I've had frozen screws and parts the refuse to be loosened.  How to: loosen or remove them:

 

Prepare a container of 50:50 of acetone & ATF or Marvel Mystery Oil.  Soak the parts or  screws with the mixture and let stand for 15 minutes or half hour depending on severity.  The mixture needs only about 68 pounds of tested torque pressure to loosen frozen parts

 

Extreme example of effectiveness::

* I had a tow hitch on my 2006 Toyota that pulled my duck boat and was submerged every 13 years in salt water;  Needless to say, the hitch was severely rusted and refused to budge with a 20 lb sludge hammer.  So I soaked the hitch casing in the 50:50 mix for about a half hour.  Then hooked a heavy duty tow strap around a bulkhead 6x6 timber that bolted down the dead man wire buried 5 ft in the ground.  Connected the tow strap to the hitch ball - put the Toyota in 4x4 and with 3 JERKS on the tow  strap, the hitch slid right out of hitch casing ... with CHUNKS of RUST up to about a 1/4 inch

That's a heck of a lot of work just to pull out a receiver hitch.  How long did it take you to set up all that pulling apparatus? Hopefully the pin was removed.  (just kidding) 

Thanks for the recipe.  I'll give it a try next time I have something stuck together.  Could have used it yesterday, trying to disassemble a PTO shaft on a tractor.  

[July Smith]

If an impact won't turn it and a hammer won't budge it I resort to turning it to a liquid with a torch. 

[Dusty Devil Dale]

18 minutes ago, July Smith said:

If an impact won't turn it and a hammer won't budge it I resort to turning it to a liquid with a torch. 

BTDT.   Even that doesn't always separate things.  I use hydraulic Jack's whenever I can adapt them, but I have a few things frozen for eternity that I want to try this recipe on.  

[Assassin]

Brake drums were always fun to remove after they rusted to the axle.

[Bear Saint Paw]

Years ago in Vo-Tech we were refurbishing an old tractor and had a Service Rep from the IH or JD dealership come in and give us some pointers. One issue we had was the adjustable tierod was rusted together. we tried WD-40 and other stuff. The Rep told us to put it in a tub or trough and submerge with water! We all thought he was nuts. He said it's thinner than most other liquids and will penetrate better. We submerged it for a day or two and dang if he wasn't right, a couple of us boys pulled on both ends and it came apart.

 

Today if I can't submerge a part in water, I use PB Blaster and it has worked well.

[largo casey #19191]

Try getting the auger off a Ditch Witch thats siezed up.

                                                                                                            Largo

[Assassin]

Antifreeze will also penetrate just about anything. 

[Dusty Devil Dale]

20 minutes ago, largo casey #19191 said:

Try getting the auger off a Ditch Witch thats siezed up.

                                                                                                            Largo

Hydraulic puller. 

[Trailrider #896]

Long ago, in a now-forgotten gun magazine, a reader wrote to the gunsmithing editor to inquire how to remove the barrel from a 1917 (?) Enfield rifle,  He said he had tried everything, but couldn't get the barrel to budge in the receiver.  Replied the 'smith, "Breathes there a man with soul so dead who never to himself has said...dammit, that's a left-hand thread!"

[SHOOTIN FOX]

Aerokroil will loosen anything.

[Dusty Devil Dale]

John Boy took the effort to post/share this as a service to all of us.  Personally I'm glad to have another release trick added to my arsenal.  I used up the last of my Acetone to try it today.  It works well. 

I also appreciate all of the other techniques shared here.  I knew some of them, but not all. 

Thanks to all of you. 

 

[Doc McCoy, SASS #8381]

I've heard of using 50:50 ATF and diesel.  I have used it occasionally to get nipples off the cylinder.  Yes, I should remove them more often.  

[Boulder Canyon Bob# 32052L]

The blue wrench cures all.