Removing frozen track roller bolts on a 2000 Liebherr 632 track loader

[Low Hours]

I am looking for advice on the best method to undo frozen track roller mounting bolts when replacing worn out rollers on an older Liebherr 632 track loader.
The machine is blocked up with track chains removed. I took one roller off of the machine but the heads of the mounting bolts are shearing off when being unscrewed.
I suspect the threaded mounting holes in the frame are not blind and the threads are exposed to the elements and seize up with rust. I am trying to avoid breaking off the bolts flush with the frame.
Is it best to torch the heads off of the bolts and drop the rollers to get the best access for heating the area around the bolts and then using a stud removing tool to unscrew the torched bolts?

Thanks

 

[Ronsii]

Have you tried giving the heads a couple of good smacks straight in with a 3-4 pounder?

 

[Low Hours]

Thanks for the suggestion. I will give it a try.

 

[DoyleX]

How hard is it to remove the track frames? If I had more than a few to do it would be coming off. Your entire body will thank you and your production with gravity working with you is three fold.

 

[Delmer]

If you suspect they're protruding and rusted up on the other end, I'd spray that end down with water. If they break loose at all, work them back and forth and the rust will wear off the threads enough to let you back them out.

If they don't break free at all, I can't help. Is it easier to grab a stud, or weld a nut to the broken off bolt and pull it out that way?

 

[td25c]

How hard is it to remove the track frames? If I had more than a few to do it would be coming off. Your entire body will thank you and your production with gravity working with you is three fold.

Amen Brother ,:yup

https://www.heavyequipmentforums.co...fiat-allis-16b&p=413265&viewfull=1#post413265

 

[DoyleX]

When I put a bottom on my 6 we had to extract over 50 snapped roller bolts. It seriously took longer to jack and block the machine up than pulling the tracks and frames.

A exothermic rod would be ideal, burn out the center completely through, let it cool, and hopefully turn it out. I learned about the bad of zinc coating, correct shoulder length and the superiority of caterpillar high strength bolts.

 

[Scrub Puller]

Yair . . .

Low Hours

I suspect the threaded mounting holes in the frame are not blind and the threads are exposed to the elements and seize up with rust

.

I think you are probably correct with that statement, it is a very common problem. Even the correct part number bolts from Cat used to project beyond the tapped mounting block.

If you are going to keep the machine it is well worth while measuring and cutting new bolts to finish a couple of threads inside block.

As others have mentioned it is a whole different fish fry if you can take off the frames and flip but this is not always possible. In your current situation I would heat the heads of the bolts cherry red and maintain the colour for a minute or so to get the heat to flow up the bolt and then give the side of the frame an almighty whack with a FBH to maybe jar off some of that rust and corrosion.

It is very effective to get in some good square hits on the heads as they are glowing but probably impossible for you being pushed for room. if possible spray some diesel or waste oil in there while they are hot and then let them cool to ambient and give them a go.

As you say almost anything is better than turning them off flush and if the above procedure fails I guess the next move is to wash the heads off, remove the roller and try again pouring lots of heat into the bolt, then weld on a suitable nut leaving about (say) a half inch clearance to the bottom of the frame and let it all cool.

Then with the hottest localised flame you have (say a large welding tip) heat around the bolt and up the side of the track frame.

As mentioned up thread by Delmer when they do break free work them back and forth with some lube if you can get it in there.

If that doesn't work those frames need to come off and the bolts will have to be drilled out and re-tapped which isn't all that difficult with a magnetic based drill.

All the best with it and please post how you went with it.

Cheers.

 

[Tones]

Isn't bees wax the ducks guts to get rusted bolts out as some have mentioned here before?

 

[Nige]

Candle wax actually but you are on the right track. It would really need the frames off and rolled upside down for this technique to work.

 

[Randy88]

Take the track frames off, flip them over, heat the threaded area on both sides of the frame, put an impact set on low on the bolt, and let the chattering action work on the bolts some, use a hammer to hit the bolt heads a few times and then go back to the impact, just to chatter them loose, not enough to break them off by any means. To torch off the heads, you just made a bad job worse. Use whatever brand of penetrating fluid you want, slobber it on between heating and shock cooling with water, and make sure its on overnight. If you can get at the inside of the frame to see if the bolt sticks out past the threads, spray the threads on that side too with some sort of penetrating fluid.

Time is your best friend, with repeated heating, shock cooling and chattering, along with a penetrating fluid, pound some with a hammer, then walk away and start over tomorrow, every bolt you can get out, sure saves a lot of grief drilling and torching the old bolt out and rethreading the holes, that job sucks beyond words, to do it upside down, which I've done before, isn't something you'll ever forget.

 

[Scrub Puller]

Yair . . .

Yup,Randy88 as others including me have mentioned . . . its easier with frames off.

Its very easy to say though "take the track frames off and flip them over and use a rattle gun to chatter them loose" . . . lots of folks are working on their own, miles from anywhere, no other machine to lift, no compressor to run a decent rattle gun.

This is a b*****d of a job but it is possible and torching the heads off to get decent access to the bolt shank can be one step of the process . . . the heat generated by washing off the head can even be sufficient and, on occasion after removing the roller I have broken bolts free with stillsons and a few feet of pipe.

Cheers.

 

[weeder57]

When I had the same problem on one of my case 450b's I took the track frame off and hauled it back to town in the winter via snowmachine. I wasn't going to screw around trying to work under it. I managed to get the frame off and back to town, and resintall all by myself, it was a chore, but it was a small machine. It was 30 miles from the nearest road, so I only had limited time out there, and it was well worth pulling the whole thing off. And case dozer frames have the same thing, the bolt goes all the way through, and the stock bolts are 1/8 short, but the updated ones are longer. Same thing on my friends fiat. It seems to be common practice, maybe to get you to buy new bolts haha. It can be done with it on though, I would heat it and let the heat sink in, and hit the side frame with a hammer the same time your prying on the wrench. If you can get to the inside of the frame with a can of Pb blaster or the sorts it helps big time. Then work it slowly back and forth, it builds heat up too letting it come out. When I reinstall the bolts I use blue loctite at the inside end of the bolt to "seal" the threads from the top. My father taught me that trick and the bolts sure come out easy 10 years down the road. Then a dab of never seize on the bottom portion.

 

[Low Hours]

I am very pleased to be getting first hand information and tips from forum members who have tackled this job before.
Much appreciated. I will provide an update on my progress.

 

[jughead]

Candle wax actually but you are on the right track. It would really need the frames off and rolled upside down for this technique to work.

just tried the candle wax on and old drilled well bucket. nothing touched it used the candle wax and it worked rusted so bad no threads on the exposed end. saved that 2 foot skinny pull handle rod.