New Strategy for Rusty Bolts!!!

[Guest]

Hi, All!

I saw this on TV and figured it might be worth sharing with my GSR brethren. Loctite now sells a product called "Freeze and Release," which combines a spray coolant that "shock freezes" bolts, studs, and nuts to -40 degrees Fahrenheit while at the same time applying a penetrating oil that seeps in to further break the bond.

I haven't tried it myself, but it sounds like something we might all want to keep in our garages. I'd certainly be interested in hearing how well it works if somebody else has already tried it... Could this be the end of broken exhaust bolt stories?

http://loctitefreezeandrelease.com/

Regards,

[Adler]

Looks like something you could accomplish with an upside down can of compressed air...

[makenzie71]

Looks like something you could accomplish with an upside down can of compressed air...

Done it. Freeze the bolt, or heat the nut...slips off. freezing only works on LITTLE bolts, though.

[Planecrazy]

Done it. Freeze the bolt, or heat the nut...slips off. freezing only works on LITTLE bolts, though.

Problem with the compressed air solution is that you'd also have to spray penetrating oil at the same time ... The loctite solution combines the two, which I think is pretty nifty. Also, they claim that it works on bolts up to three inches in diameter ... that's a pretty big bolt! My understanding is that you use a ten to twenty second blast to get the necessary cooling on the bigger bolts.

Regards,

[makenzie71]

I use propane...or butane...sometimes the compressed air. I never need penetrating oil to make it work.

[Baatfam]

I used the CRC version to get the manifold bolts off my Caprice a couple of years ago...
I have to admit, having used pretty much everything else, PB Blaster, WD40, Liquid Wrench, Propane heat, torch heat, big wrench...etc, the stuff worked really well.
I was impressed and try to keep a can handy...

[tkent02]

Tried a can, couldn't get it to work on much of anything.
Maybe I don't have enough rust.

[Planecrazy]

Tried a can, couldn't get it to work on much of anything.
Maybe I don't have enough rust.

Well get yourself some rust, young man!

Regards,

[Truth]

I've done that for years. Back when AC refrigerant was R12 and cheap, we used to spray rusted/frozen parts with R12, combined with heating with a torch. There's still no bigger wrench in the shop than the blue tipped one.

[Hammered]

I havent had any luck with these products on things like cap head bolts and machine screws where youve got less access tot he shank of the fastener. Maybe with a combo attack of this and an impact driver?!?

[Planecrazy]

A lot of us (myself included) have had success with spraying a stubborn bolt with PB Blaster (or equivalent) and waiting a few days for it to make its way in. I was intrigued by these new "combo" products simply because it seems logical that the addition of intense cold to the penetrating process ought to speed up and improve the results dramatically.

Interesting, some of your experiences...

Regards,

[Truth]

I'd imagine it would work. Cold makes metal contract, and heat makes it expand. That whay torching a nut or bolt red hot tends to spin it free right away. One trick I used for rusted old bleeder screws in auto brake calipers... I used to heat up around the bleeder to get it nice and hot to expand the material. Then blast the bleeder with AC refrigerant to contract it and break it free. Here in the midwestern rust belt it doesn't take long for fasteners to be rusted solid.

[GEE-S]

If I may mention, that since most bolts are steel and most components on bikes are alloy, has anyone heard of Galvanic corrosion….

When two or more different sorts of metal come into contact in the presence of an electrolyte a galvanic couple is set up as different metals have different electrode potentials. The electrolyte provides a means for ion migration whereby metallic ions can move from the anode to the cathode. This leads to the anodic metal corroding more quickly than it otherwise would; the corrosion of the cathodic metal is retarded even to the point of stopping. The presence of electrolyte and a conducting path between the metals may cause corrosion where otherwise neither metal alone would have corroded.



Anyway, until this technique was showed I don’t know how many bolts I have snapped, rounded the head and even chiselled off in the past….. what I do to remove say an exhaust bolt from the engine is impact the head of the bolt with hammer and suitable sized punch (hard!) and firm taps also the surrounding area with a hammer if possible, where the thread of the bolt is housed. If it doesn’t come out like margarine then the impacts were not hard enough but caution when applying impact to alloy I have cracked alloy housings (at work) in the past , remember I wrote “firm taps” not drive a 6” nail into hardwood in one hit.
This technique applies to ALL threaded items like bleeder nipples, brake hoses, engine/exhaust bolts etc etc…… works for me!

[GabrielGoes]

A lot of us (myself included) have had success with spraying a stubborn bolt with PB Blaster (or equivalent) and waiting a few days for it to make its way in. I was intrigued by these new "combo" products simply because it seems logical that the addition of intense cold to the penetrating process ought to speed up and improve the results dramatically.

Interesting, some of your experiences...

Regards,

hahahah im sorry but look at that friggin GIF animation of that braniac typing away! haha that made my day where did you get it i want it so bad