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Stupid tight bolt... ideas?

jonno634

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Joined
Dec 19, 2018
Messages
141
Location
Garfield, WA
Occupation
Farmer
Have a bolt that is very tight. It’s in a spot that isn’t easy to get too, and would be hard to make it fire safe, to heat. I have removed the other 11 (no loc-tight on the other 11), but this one is being a pita. It’s 1 and 1/4 bolt head, and I got the others out using a 1 inch drive air-impact, but impact wouldn’t touch this one. I now have a 3/4 drive breaker bar, with about 6 feet of cheater on it (36 inches of extension going down to the bolt), with a chain wench pulling on it. This bolt is on the swing gearbox on my excavator (spec says like 580 foot/lbs is what it should have been tightened too). If access was a little better, and wasn’t likely to catch on fire, I’d heat it or cut the head off with a torch. We left the chain pulling on it overnight (curious if temp change would help). I really thought with the cheater, I’d just break the bolt, but no go. Looking for other ideas or tricks to try. Thanks
 

crane operator

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2009
Messages
8,275
Location
sw missouri
Hydraulic wrench.

Hit it hard a couple times with a sledge.

I've seen guys make a wrench and push it with a excavator.

Pull the wrench with a chain come a long.

Torque multiplier. I've got a standard one,

torque multiplier 2.jpg


and I've got a set up like this also:

https://www.amazon.com/GOTOTOP-Torq...ocphy=9023683&hvtargid=pla-658834748117&psc=1

torque multiplier.jpg

I actually thought it looked a little gimmicky, but I had some wheels my 1" gun wouldn't get, and I was rolling around my lowboy trailer with a big (8') cheater. This little tool popped them loose. I think mine is like a 87 to 1 reducer.
 

DIYDAVE

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2007
Messages
2,410
Location
MD
Sounds like you might need a striker wrench. I also have one of these, but to be honest, 1-1/4" bolt may be too big for the 1 that I have...


I also have the same torque multiplier, in the blue case, above, nice tool!
 

jonno634

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2018
Messages
141
Location
Garfield, WA
Occupation
Farmer
I ordered the torque multiplier the other day, was trying to see if I could get it off before then. Can you use the torque multiplier with an air impact? Or do you just use a breaker bar? Thx for the ideas.
 

DMiller

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Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
16,436
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
Strictly hand tool on the multiplier, could always rent a Hytorq, expensive but WILL either come bleed or bust regardless how tight.

On the multiplier for every 1 turn on the breaker bar is 1/4 turn output, planetary gearing.
 

Truck Shop

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Messages
16,560
Location
WWW.
I have used a Bolt buster on 7/8 bolts before, it will heat it up. So I would think it would work on a 1" may take a little longer. The Napa store here in Walla Walla has one
they will loan to regular customers with deposit.

Truck Shop
 

JD955SC

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2011
Messages
1,349
Location
The South
I ordered the torque multiplier the other day, was trying to see if I could get it off before then. Can you use the torque multiplier with an air impact? Or do you just use a breaker bar? Thx for the ideas.

Impact will shred the gears in a torque multiplier...hand tools only on the input side

And be careful with them. Lots of energy in play to go wrong if something breaks
 

funwithfuel

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2017
Messages
5,519
Location
Will county Illinois
Occupation
Mechanic
So were the other bolts caked up with loctite? Does your reduction to the superstructure have locating dowels?
I would buff the threads of 2 of the screws, run them in on the holes next to the stubborn one with anti-sieze and a strong impact. With a long piece of drift , I'd pound that bolt head with the heaviest hammer I could handle one-handed. Then try tightening the screw before backing out.
Good luck.
 

John C.

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Jun 11, 2007
Messages
12,865
Location
Northwest
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Machinery & Equipment Appraiser
That's a big bolt for a swing gear box. What are you working on? I think what you will find a water got into the threads and rusted things up a bit. I've used heat before but always when someone else went on the line for the fire damage. It can be done safely but takes lots of cleaning first.

I also have the 4 to 1 seen above and on a box that big you should be able to get the multiplier right on the bolt without three feet of extension. If not you will have to rig something for the bar to push into. I've tied them in with chain and then pulled the torque wrench the same direction so the whole mess pulls into itself. Another item is I always used my torque wrench into the multiplier to try to stay under the capacity of the thing.
 

Tugger2

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2018
Messages
1,366
Location
British Columbia
Can you get a good solid hit on it with a big hammer or a drift? If so a slugging wrench or a good box end with a cheater and a comalong pull ,get it nice and tight then rap the bolt hard . Shock of the hit usually makes things move.

If it wont move ,id sneak in with some 3/32" 7018 and burn a bit of a hot spot on the head, ive done that with many broken bolts in ugly places succesfully ,just never on a bolt with the head still intact . That intense heat loosens things and might be less invasive than the torch. Should be able to do that with out wrecking the head . maybe
 

terex herder

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Joined
Nov 10, 2017
Messages
1,779
Location
Kansas
You really need a slugging wrench. I like snap on's 1" drive slugging adapter, as you can put another extension or ratchet out the other side and keep good torque on the fastener while hitting it with a hammer. I think a 20# sledge is about as good as a 20' cheater.

You need to move up to a 1" extension. A 3/4" will absorb all the impact and shock loading you can throw at the bolt. Were you using an extension on your impact?

Don't let your 4:1 anywhere near air tools, impacts, or slugging wrenches. Start small, as the amount of wind-up you can with the reaction bar and an extension can get dangerous.
 

funwithfuel

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2017
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5,519
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Will county Illinois
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Mechanic
So, what are you using for an impact and what kinda air flow you got to feed it? I would think a tire gun with the long anvil and a Dayton tire socket would have laughed at just about anything in its path. (Provided it had enough air)
 
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TVA

Senior Member
Joined
May 14, 2018
Messages
2,245
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USA
My uncle used stick welder to heat up stubborn long bolts that goes deep inside the housing bodies. Used no electrodes just low amperage as the bolt it self will heat up.
 

Nige

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Jun 22, 2011
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G..G..G..Granville.........!! Fetch your cloth.
Reinstall all the other 11 and tighten up, then go banging on your one tight bolt..? Right now all the weight of the joint is on that one bolt, if you could persuade the rest of the ring to share some of that load you might get lucky.

Otherwise as others have said a good rattle gun with a big diameter hose (3/4" hose minimum - 1" for preference) hooked up to a 200CFM air compressor ought to rattle it loose.
 

StanRUS

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2016
Messages
767
Location
Cal
Otherwise as others have said a good rattle gun with a big diameter hose (3/4" hose minimum - 1" for preference) hooked up to a 200CFM air compressor ought to rattle it loose.

Surprise Impact / Electric in no joke
 

TVA

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May 14, 2018
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Did anyone suggested “The Inductor” ?
Used to be $500, idk about now.
 
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